Partners

[Mz. L.]

So....I'm rereading Growing Readers as my first summer professional read (Conferring is on order...), and I got to the part about partners in Chapter Two. That was a sketchy too often left out part of my RW last year. Tell me if and how you involve partner time in your RW. I especially like the idea of partners sitting next to each other on the rug for minis, and getting to practice turning and talking that way. I look forward to your input!

 

[kt467]

I was thinking about Partners too! Never done RW, but plan on starting with my 4th graders in the Fall. I haven't finished Growing Readers yet, almost to the end.

My questions...
Do the partners read the same book? If not, how do they know they are correct in their thinking.

Do you partner, high with low, high with medium, high with high, etc.....

Or is the partner sharing, just them verbalizing their thinking?

 

[liketeaching1]

I select the partners based on like abilities. Using numbered "book nooks" that change each week, the partners sit in their own "bubble space" during the time they are reading independently. (This also ties in with Daily 5 Read to Self.) Then during partner reading (Read to Someone) they can either read TO, talk about their reading, confer on a reading strategy that was taught during the reading meeting, etc.

Sometimes they read the same book together (our required basal story) and can work on reading responses, etc. But normally I let them discuss, ask questions, again...our reading strategies.

In the floor I have them sit next to their reading partners so they can turn and talk whenever we are having a meeting--in all subject areas.

 

[Mz. L.]

Soooo...

Do you start the year with partners, before you really know reading abilities? Do you have partner reading every day?

 

[luckyteacher]

I start partner reading after the first month or so of school. We spend a lot of time getting down independent reading behaviors and working on stamina the first month. In the second month or after about 6 weeks I introduce partner reading. I like to partner children that have complimentary abilities/needs. For example, 2 kids that are working on fluency - a child who reads too slowly but with great expression and a child who reads too fast but in a monotone voice. That way they can support each other. I also hold partner conferences to go over how to support each other and reinforce partner reading minilessons. At the beginning I usually do 2 minilessons a day. I regular readers' workshop lesson and then a mini-mini partner reading lesson (maybe 3-5 minutes). Partner reading extends the amount of time they can engage in reading each day and they really like it!

 

[BookMuncher]

older partnerships

The thing about Growing Readers is that it is a little more targeted to first grade. In workshops with Kathy Collins, she has said that once they can read chapter books- or easy readers even (around a J?)- partner reading is not so much about reading together. Unless, of course, there is a partnership who really needs the fluency work.

Partnership from about 2nd grade up are more about conversations. Partners are long term because this way they know each other as readers. They can chat about the book they are reading and recommend books to each other.

I teach partnership like Kathy, except with different teaching points. She has a chart that says "ways readers read together" or something. (Choral, page/page) My chart says "things partners can talk about" It's a little different every year. It starts out with easy things- like favorite part, funny part. I try to add to it throughout the year. So that later in the year it can have some things we've talked about- like the heart of the story. Or how this book is like/unlike the author's other books.

This year, I taught my kids that one thing they could do during partner time is swap books. (Mine are always on-level partners) It worked well. Some would just recommend - I loved this, you should read it. But others would plan ahead: I'll read this Magic tree house, you read that MTH and we'll swap after.

I think the most important thing to remember about parnterships is that they need to grow through the year-- and change A LOT! I try to plan for at least 3-4 partnership minis throughout each unit.

 

[Mz. L.]

So...

is your partner time every day at the end of RW? My problem always was that we would be reading right up to Specials (P.E., Music, or Art) time every day and I would be loving how they were doing and gradually partner time just disappeared. Next year I will have more time.
Oh, I started Conferring. I think we'll have a book club about it this summer. I'm learning a lot already!

 

[BookMuncher]

partner time

Well - the same thing happened to me sometimes. They read so independently that you hate to interupt. I just didn't beat myself up about it and tried to make sure that by the end of the year I was at least doing it two or three times a week. But I also kind of loosen up through the year and let partners quietly talk during workshop- and also swap, make plans, etc... So that means that once they're pretty mature and understand everything that partners are for, they don't necessarily need the time carved out.

 

[kumumalia]

Partner Reading

Hi! My partner-reading happens throughout the workshop. I have 3 groups which rotate throughout the workshop time--guided reading (with me), partner reading, and "seatwork" (Reader's Notebook or handwriting). So they do have partner reading daily (about 20 min), just at different times, depending on their group. Their partners are assigned, usually someone on the same ability level.

I introduce partner-reading by the 2nd week, and we do it as a whole class at that time, so we can practice the correct routines. We work on this the whole week so that by the 3rd week, I can feel confident that they know what to do and can do it independently, so I can start pulling guided reading groups. That's when we start the rotation. Except for the last group who comes to me for guided reading, I make the partner reading rotation come right after the guided reading rotation because then I tell them to practice what we were just working on in guided reading with their partner during partner reading. Kind of gives them a purpose in their partnership.

We're kinda lucky (or maybe not?) that we don't have specials. Our language arts block is a solid 2.5 hr uninterrupted block in the morning, and the same (2.5 hr block) in the afternoon for math. So we have a lot of time to get through things. I can understand how difficult it would be to have to stop to go to a special, and just skipping over things just because of time. I've done that several times when I've run out of time for writing!