I have been using these 3 targets with some picture book read alouds that I have done in field placement. I find that these targets are easier for the students to talk about using a picture book. I think that they are able to form much clearer mental pictures with picture books.

Getting a student interested in any type of literature is extremely important. Using a picture book can be an easy way to have a student be able focus on literature. It can also be easier for the student to process information from the book and be able to remember it.

I like the idea that thr teachers had the students write poems in "shapes". This could be a great motivator for students to write because it is so unorthodox.

I was wondering how to introduce poetry to the students but I missed the obvious; just do read alouds and other activities with poetry as the main focus

I like the link that the teachers used to connect reading to writing.

I think if I can get the students to insert themselves into the role of the characters in the story in some way they will stay interested and be able to recall more of thstory and vocabulary that we would use on the word wall. generally speaking, if there is a self interest involved, people will stay engaged longer

I like the idea of the read aloud being interactive I enjoy the reading more when the kids are into it. I feel sometimes that when we do not allow them to be expressive we kill their instinct to react. That being said, there is a fine line between having them react to the story and being silly for silly sake. I think being able to control the room comes with experience.

The idea of what a word wall should be can difficult to implement but to use the wall as a reference tool when reading similar topics is great. this allows the students to reference the vocabulary that they selected, reinforcing the meanings and contexts.

I really like this idea. I would even have them writing in their journals as I was doing the read aloud so their ideas can be fresh. Although, it may be difficlut for some of them to do this while they are listening.

I agree that read aloud are an extremely easy way to help develop a students vocabulary, concepts of print and story. Since most stories follow a predictable pattern it can be easier for students to learn new vocabulary by using the context of the story to help define the new word.

I found it interesting that a childs oral comprehension is better developed than their word recognition. So the challenge is to find literature that a child is interested in. One way that may work is reading a book that is very fluid in its story telling like an oral story. Also, changing up the book that are read but have the same story line. I think this would help the children to see story patterns in different types of books

Using an assessment portfolio is a great way to show the development of the students wrting skills over a set time. Showing this to the student can be encouraging for their literacy development. Its also a useful tool to show parent that the teacher is keeping tack and helping their child to develop their literacy skills.

I liked how things like how to's are listed under procedure. Its extremely important to show students HOW to do things like speak clearly, take turns, read a chart, etc. These skills do not come easily for some students. I also liked the idea of drawing something beofre you write about it.

Being able to categorize time, activity, what the teacher does and student does is extremely helpful for me. If I have a simple but effective framework it is easier for me to put the parts of the lesson together.

Part of the reason teachers can not get lesson plans completed in classrooms is due to the inter class relationships of the students. a solid and flexible classroom management plan is important to try to keep a safe and orderly classroom. I worry that having to spend so much time on classroom issues will keep me from implementing lessons

As a pre service teacher I worry about situations like this because as I learned in the Army, a well laid plan never works at 100%. Things can fall apart very quickly so it is important for everyone invloved to know what to do. A teacher to help the students practice HOW to discuss a text.

All dialects are rule governed, so there is no such thing as right or wrong forms of English (Silva/Lancia 2012) It is important to let a student use the dialect they are comfortable with as long as they are still being taught the literacy curriculum. This is an important element in an inclusive classroom.

To create trustful connections with caregivers it is important for teachers to understand that a school environment for some, can be a place of great discomfort. Asking the parent how confortable they are coming in and reassuring them that as a teacher, you will help them as much as they need is helpful. Small steps like this would build trust and help communication between teacher and parents.

Using environmental print that is recognized by your students is useful because they already hsve made a literacy connection. They have made the connection because items like candy and gum are synonymous with childhood. An example of an activity that can exploit this connection would be to have the students cut out the letters from the old wrapper and boxes to create new names for the candy they created. They can then discuss with each other the whats and whys.

To highlight the differences you could compare an encyclopedia on arachnids to a fable about Anansi the African trickster spider character.