A large part of Common Core revolves around working in groups and using listening and speaking skills. Does anyone have a preferred way to teach these skills? I have several Kagan books I'm going to study over break. Any other units or ideas? My principal is really big into academic language, so thoughts on how to 'train' kids to use complete sentences, academic vocabulary and examples of evidence is appreciated. Train seems like the wrong word. I feel like this is such a 'duh' question, but I am envisioning a classroom of kids that can instantly group up, carry on higher level discussions while engaging all members and then report back to the group in a meaningful and concise way. Totally possible in fifth grade, right?? next year we will start the year off learning these skills, but we'll have to do it after break this year.
I LOVE these 2 books. Short, high-interest reads ... each one has a lesson plan that involves collaboration. The skills build on each other as the book progresses. It uses some Kagen ideas, plus a host of others. The age range is 11+, so might not be an exact match for 5th grade, but each lesson has modification ideas. http://www.amazon.com/Texts-Lessons...&qid=1386315424&sr=8-2&keywords=smokey+lesson and http://www.amazon.com/Texts-Lessons...&qid=1386315424&sr=8-1&keywords=smokey+lesson
Kate Kinsella is the most useful information I've had on academic language. I do a lot of things with high level academic sentence frames, in both speaking and writing, and slowly work to wean kids off the frames until they produce more or less independently. The kids get a kick out of the frames because they feel like I'm "giving them the answer," so I get lots of compliance even with high school kids. When I taught 7th grade, they were even more all over it.
I teach near you, in Salinas I love Kate Kinsella...have you ever heard of Susana Dutro? She does some pretty amazing stuff with vocabulary expansion and the use of academic language. I also use frames, sometimes "leveling" the frames for different groups. At our school, we have a high ELL population so kids have been guided into answering in complete sentences since kinder so many times, by the time they get to me in second grade, many already "naturally" answer in that format! It is pretty cool! I also keep the vocabulary we are working on nearby, rewarding with star or a sticker when I hear a child using the our academic vocabulary....
Reciprocal teaching groups have helped foster discussion in my room, mostly because they're working independently first. We also have a chart of discussion stems. I point to them and and make them rephrase what they're saying if the stems aren't used. If a student uses a stem on his/her own I reward HEAVILY. We also practice speaking and listening in Morning Meeting. Students are not allowed to do the "share out" if they can't tell me what the last person said.
