Student-Generated Embedded Readings...Option #2
Another way to create a student-generated embedded reading is to work, as a class, from a skeleton story. Over the years I've progressed from chart paper to white boards to overheads to Smartboards with the same process....you can make it work with whatever you have available!!
1. Create a skeleton or base story. Write it somewhere where the entire class can see it. On a Smartboard I list the sentences one beneath the other:
There is a burro.
He lives in Florida.
He needs a special present.
He looks and looks.
Finally! It's the perfect present.
On a white board or overhead I list them across the top of the surface from left to right:
There is a burro. He lives in Florida. He needs a special present. He looks and looks. Finally! etc.
With chart paper, I will usually write each sentence on the top of a different sheet of paper.
2. "Ask" for two/three details for each sentence of the story of the story and add them underneath each sentence. Circle as much as you'd like. Do not go beyond 2-3 details...no matter how tempting it is!! :o)
3. Go back to the beginning of the story and dig deeper!!!! Encourage the students to think of additional details, interesting adjectives, additional actions. Add the new details.
*Sometimes the students respond well to changing marker color for each round!!!
4. Go back to the beginning. Read the story aloud. Every 5 or 6 sentences...Ask...What is So and So THINKING at this moment. Add thos sentences.
5. Go back to the beginning. Read all or part of the story....after you read (and discuss if you'd like!) what the character thinks...Ask...What is So and So FEELING at this moment? Add those sentences.
6. Go back to the beginning. Read all or part of the story....after you read (and discuss if you'd like!) what the character thinks...Ask...What does/should So and So SAY at this moment? Add those sentences.
This can work very well when working with several classes of the same level. For example, this year I have Spanish 1 periods 1,3 and 5. I can start a story in Period 1, circle and add sentences in Periods 3 and 5, and then come back the next day with the new and increased story for my Period 1 students. The next time I do this activity I will start with Period 3 and the following time with Period 5 so that each group gets to begin, develop, and finish a story.
Obviously this works well with students who are familiar with the storyasking components of TPRS. It also requires interactions, rappor and guidelines so that students' ideas are a welcome part of the class, not a frustrating experience in classroom management.
Once students have done this activity several times though, they can work in four small groups. Each group receives a skeleton story and gets a few minutes to add the first round of sentences. They then pass their story to the next group, who adds to the story in the same staggered manner that we did above. The story then goes to the next group for more details/information/ideas. Then I bring the story back to its original group who puts the finishing touches on it. I can then collect and type all 4 stories for the class to read.
Whew!!!
Enough for now compadres...
with love,
Laurie
1. Create a skeleton or base story. Write it somewhere where the entire class can see it. On a Smartboard I list the sentences one beneath the other:
There is a burro.
He lives in Florida.
He needs a special present.
He looks and looks.
Finally! It's the perfect present.
On a white board or overhead I list them across the top of the surface from left to right:
There is a burro. He lives in Florida. He needs a special present. He looks and looks. Finally! etc.
With chart paper, I will usually write each sentence on the top of a different sheet of paper.
2. "Ask" for two/three details for each sentence of the story of the story and add them underneath each sentence. Circle as much as you'd like. Do not go beyond 2-3 details...no matter how tempting it is!! :o)
3. Go back to the beginning of the story and dig deeper!!!! Encourage the students to think of additional details, interesting adjectives, additional actions. Add the new details.
*Sometimes the students respond well to changing marker color for each round!!!
4. Go back to the beginning. Read the story aloud. Every 5 or 6 sentences...Ask...What is So and So THINKING at this moment. Add thos sentences.
5. Go back to the beginning. Read all or part of the story....after you read (and discuss if you'd like!) what the character thinks...Ask...What is So and So FEELING at this moment? Add those sentences.
6. Go back to the beginning. Read all or part of the story....after you read (and discuss if you'd like!) what the character thinks...Ask...What does/should So and So SAY at this moment? Add those sentences.
This can work very well when working with several classes of the same level. For example, this year I have Spanish 1 periods 1,3 and 5. I can start a story in Period 1, circle and add sentences in Periods 3 and 5, and then come back the next day with the new and increased story for my Period 1 students. The next time I do this activity I will start with Period 3 and the following time with Period 5 so that each group gets to begin, develop, and finish a story.
Obviously this works well with students who are familiar with the storyasking components of TPRS. It also requires interactions, rappor and guidelines so that students' ideas are a welcome part of the class, not a frustrating experience in classroom management.
Once students have done this activity several times though, they can work in four small groups. Each group receives a skeleton story and gets a few minutes to add the first round of sentences. They then pass their story to the next group, who adds to the story in the same staggered manner that we did above. The story then goes to the next group for more details/information/ideas. Then I bring the story back to its original group who puts the finishing touches on it. I can then collect and type all 4 stories for the class to read.
Whew!!!
Enough for now compadres...
with love,
Laurie
Love this idea... even for regular storytelling days, you have given me an excellent reminder of good questions to be asking: What is ___ thinking? What is ___ feeling? What does ___ say?
And the idea to have students work in groups to do basically the same thing - awesome! Mixing it up with a bit of "cooperative learning" (I know my college professors would be impressed :o) ). Even though I have been getting some excellent student-generated skeleton stories, I have only had enough time to get to one or two of them in a single class period. This would be a nice way to use up the other stories that I don't have time to "tell" with students.
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I've got something for you on the think,feel,say front. I put this piece together while watching Blaine at a workshop. He is always asking, "How does Character A react?" and I realized the power of that in storyasking...emotionally and intellectually. I've been playing with it for several years and I love how it has added to student interest and involvement with the language! I will try to post it on my school webpage and give you the link sometime this week.
It is a blessing and a curse to have more stories than you know what to do with!!!! :o)
with love,
Laurie
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I dipped my foot the waters of embedded reading... this worked really well. I love the variety in the stories, the simplicity of doing them and the confidence it gave my students. We did it as a whole group. It's so easy on the teacher! much more so than tprs as a whole (in terms of learning/performing). thanks for taking the time to post it.
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Very informative information, Thanks for sharing.
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I really appreciate your professional approach. These are pieces of very useful information that will be of great use for me in future. Thanks for it.
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