30 Big-Idea Lessons for Small Groups

Mike Rafferty is the Director of Teaching and Learning in Region 14 Schools in Connecticut. He has worked as a classroom teacher, a Reading Recovery teacher, a reading consultant, and a curriculum leader for language arts. He has worked with numerous schools to develop coherence from curriculum to classroom.  He has led workshops and presented at conferences on ways for schools to ensure meaningful small group experiences for all students as well as how to implement a successful RTI program. He is also a Graduate Instructor at Southern Connecticut State University, leading courses in reading assessment, intervention and literacy leadership.Colleen Morello is the Language Arts Specialist for the Fairfield Public Schools in Fairfield, Ct. She coaches elementary teachers, works with struggling readers and writers both in and out of the classroom, provides district-wide professional development to staff, as well as develops and presents various workshops to the parent community. Colleen has also consulted for an international literacy corporation (Lit Liife Inc.) She traveled to various schools around the state of Connecticut offering professional development to staff, coaching in classrooms, and leading curriculum writing projects with district leaders Paraskevi Rountos has been a Language Arts Specialist in Fairfield, CT for eight years. She has coached and modeled lessons for teachers of Grades Kindergarten through 5th Grade.  She has also worked with students requiring reading intervention.  Prior to being a Language Arts Specialist, Paraskevi taught 1st Grade in New York, NY and in Wilton, CT.  She has presented numerous professional learning sessions to classroom teachers, Special Education teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents on topics including small group instruction, higher level thinking and reading response, running records and miscue analysis, decoding strategies, comprehension, and implementing Reading and Writing Units of Study.  Paraskevi has served on several district and school wide committees that focused on assessment and curriculum writing aligned to the Common Core State Standards.

• Chapter 1. Big-Idea Groups: Scaffolded Reading Instruction Where Engagement RulesThe Ultimate Goal: Real Student IndependenceNow Look at Student Independence During Big-Idea GroupsFour Facets of the FrameworkHow Big-Idea Groups Fit Within Other Small-Group ModelsA Few Important Frameworks for Reading CloselyThe Effective Environment Around Close ReadingWhat About Guided Reading and Strategic Reading?What’s Ahead in This Book?An Introductory Big-Idea LessonOn Another Day: Adapting the Introductory Lesson With an Informational TextThe Great White SpaceChapter 2. The Lesson DesignThe Tweaks to DRTAFive Phases of the LessonTime FactorsWhen to Begin?How Do They Fit Within Units of Study?A Trial Run: The "Why" Behind Each PhasePhase 1: EngagingPhase 2: DiscussingPhase 3: Deep-See ThinkingPhase 4: ConnectingPhase 5: AssessingChapter 3. The Tools of EngagementInteresting TextsCollaborationAutonomyReal-World InstructionCoherenceExpository Expectation MapImportant Versus InterestingRanking CharactersRanking the Table of ContentsSemantic Word RankingSketch-to-StretchStaircase LabelVocabulary KaraokeTeacher InvolvementChapter 4. The 30 Lesson PlannersChapter 5. Transferring Thinking Across the DayTeacher Variety During Small-Group Instruction in the Reading BlockAgency: The Ability to Fly on Your OwnConnecting Conferring to Big Ideas Across the DayCreating a Community Connecting to a Common BeaconMaking Homework a Matter Worth DoingChapter 6. Assessing Readers Within and Beyond the GroupThe RubricClassroom ExamplesPhase 1: EngagingPhase 2: DiscussingPhase 3: Deep-See ThinkingPhase 4: ConnectingResponsible TalkAssessing Speaking and ListeningTracking Data to Help Drive Instructional AdjustmentsChapter 7. Useful Forms and Lists for Big-Idea GroupsTactile Tool FormsBox and BulletsCharacter KaraokeCharting the ChaptersMoving to Make MeaningPyramid of PerspectivesSemantic CircleTactile ChartVocabulary KaraokeTopics CardOther Big-Idea–Worthy TextsFormative Assessment Data SheetBuild Your Own Big-Idea Lessons Kit