Congratulations! You’ve reached the end of Unit 6: What a Character!
As a result of teaching this unit, you, as the teacher, have:
- Given your scholars the ticket to understanding that fiction is all about characters and that readers have to interpret characters!
Your scholars can:
- Closely observe the characters in their books, noticing their actions and interactions, to better understand who they are.
- Explain how they used key details to develop ideas about the main character.
- Use their understanding of the main character to understand the big ideas, or lessons, in their books.
Celebrate your scholars’ successes by acknowledging what they can now do as readers as a result of their work over the past several weeks. For example, scholars know that characters make the story come alive and that by paying close attention to what characters do, say, and think, they can understand the characters AND the big ideas in their books.
Reflect on your successes and stretches, as well as those of your scholars. Look at your F&P results. Have your scholars grown as readers over the past month? Between now and the end of the next unit, your scholars should move to their end-of-year reading goal: level J. Enlist parents to help get scholars over this hump! Your rooms should be much quieter during independent reading time, as scholars have stopped vocalizing and are reading inside their heads.
Already have some level J scholars? Make sure they have bookmarks to mark books that require more than one sitting to read! Can scholars retell texts in sequential order and include characters, problem, solution, and lesson learned? If they can’t, redouble your efforts here!
Scholars must read at home, as well as in school. Are 100% of your kids reading 6 days a week at home? Make sure at-home reading is happening, and meet with families who are falling short to recommit them to this team effort. Scholars should be working toward sustaining independent reading for up to 30 minutes.
Are 100% of your kids reading fluently? Are they using all the tools at their disposal to figure out the meaning of what they are reading?
Are 100% of your kids doing their literacy homework?
Going into the next unit, make specific reading goals for yourself. Set a percentage goal for how many children you will move in the next 15 days. Set a goal for children who are not reading at home. Whom will you get to consistently read at home? Do they understand what they’re reading? What is their struggle with decoding? How will you partner with parents to support their growth?
If you are having trouble meeting your goals, do not wait until you have NOT succeeded. Consult your colleagues. Consult your leaders. ASK FOR HELP so you can meet your goals!