OAKHILL DRIVE PS                  TERM 1, 2022
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PROBLEM OF PRACTICE: ARE OUR READING LESSONS WORTHWHILE AND IS THERE EVIDENCE OF TEACHERS USING EFFECTIVE COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES?

  • Is there an opportunity for students  to make inferences?
  • Is formative assessment used to drive the direction of the lesson?
  • Are all students supported and challenged?
  • Do teacher questions shape students' understanding? Are there opportunities for students to ask effective questions?​
  • To what degree are students engaged and excited by the learning?​
Our next round will be hosted by Oakhill Drive PS. It will be held via Zoom. Classroom observations will be conducted via a live feed from the Oakhill Drive classrooms.
The Problem of Practice builds on many aspects of our learning journey.  Click on the links (highlighted in red) in the POP to refresh your memory of the aspects of pedagogy included. 

PRE-ROUND TASK

Your pre-round task is to:
  1. Select ONE of the three readings below.  Please select the reading you are least familiar with, but also consult with the other members of your school team so that all three readings are covered by your team.
  2. Familiarise yourself with the requirements of the scaffold. This should be completed and brought with you to the round.
  3. Read your selected text CRITICALLY.  You might like to annotate as you read by either highlighting or using Post-It notes.
  4. Complete the scaffold.
  5. Come prepared to discuss your reading in small groups, and then to share more broadly in jigsaw groups.
READING ONE
EFFECTIVE COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION: This reading is an extract from Chapter 5 of the book Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding, Engagement and Building Knowledge Grades K-8, Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis. It focuses on explicit instruction through the gradual release of responsibility, classroom tone and assessment of comprehension.  Click here to download
READING TWO
THINK ALOUD WITH FOCUS: This reading is an extract from Chapter 2 in Think Big with Think Alouds: A Three-Step Process That Develops Strategic Readers. This reading explains ways that reading strategies, adapted from the “Super Six”, can be highlighted during think alouds. Click here to download
READING 3
This reading comprises two short extracts:
CRITICAL THINKING: Extract from chapter 3 in Strategies that Work: Teaching Comprehension for Understanding, Engagement and Building Knowledge Grades K-8, Stephanie Harvey & Anne Goudvis. It discusses the importance of critical thinking along with the culture necessary to engender it.
PLANNING FOR THINK ALOUDS. Extract from Chapter 1 in Think Big with Think Alouds: A Three-Step Process That Develops Strategic Readers. This extract discusses the theory behind think alouds and the importance of planning and practice to ensure they are effective. Click here to download
THE SCAFFOLD
As you read your selected document, think critically. Reflect on your reading and answer the 5 questions in the scaffold. You will be asked to share these and elaborate on them in your small group.

​Click here to download the scaffold.