Presentation from 2012 NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Annual Convention Session: Facilitating Choice Within Curriculum Constraints Presenters: Sarah Andersen, Jillian Heise, Danielle Kulawiak, & Mindi Rench

1. Facilitating Choice
Within Curriculum
Constraints
Two middle school & two high school teachers
share their methods for student choice in reading

2. Our Understandings
• More reading = improved skills, increased
vocabulary, & higher test scores
(Allington, 2001; Krashen 2001 and Stanovich, 2000 as cited in Allington, 2002; Nippold et al., 2005)
• Move from teacher-chosen 4 books/year, to
students actively reading more at own level.
Less "stuff" & more real reading every day.
(Allington, 2001; Ivey & Broaddus, 2001; Miller, 2009; Worthy, Turner, & Moorman, 1998)
• As students
grade level, reading attitude .
Need engagement & interest to motivation.
(Turner, 1995 as cited in Allington, 2002; McKenna, Kear, and Ellsworth, 1995; Pitcher et al., 2007; Guthrie et al., 2006)
• Allow choice = meet these requirements (Allington, 2005)

3. Every Child, Every Day (Allington and Gabriel, 2012)
From Six Elements for Every Child
• Books: Choice, accuracy, understanding
• Talk: with peers about reading
• Listens: fluent adult read aloud
• Writes: personally meaningful topics

4. Research-Based Recommendations for
Effective Adolescent Literacy Instruction
Research on the practices of highly effective adolescent literacy teachers reveals a
number of common qualities. These qualities, in order of importance, include the
following:
1) teaching with approaches that foster critical thinking, questioning, student
decision-making, and independent learning;
2) addressing the diverse needs of adolescents whose literacy abilities vary
considerably;
3) possessing personal characteristics such as caring about students, being creative and
collaborative, and loving to read and write;
4) developing a solid knowledge about and commitment to literacy instruction;
5) using significant quality and quantity of literacy activities including hands-on,
scaffolding, minilessons, discussions, group work, student choice, ample feedback,
and multiple forms of expression;
6) participating in ongoing professional development;
7) developing quality relationships with students; and
8) managing the classroom effectively (NCTE Adolescent Literacy Policy Research Brief, 2007)

5. What do the Common Core
State Standards Say?
What to read and who decides:
• Through reading...students are expected to build knowledge, gain insights,
explore possibilities, and broaden their perspective.
• At a curricular or instructional level, within and across grade levels, texts
need to be selected around topics or themes that generate knowledge and
allow students to study those topics or themes in depth. (CCSS ELA page 58)
• The standards appropriately defer the many remaining decisions about
what and how to teach to states, districts, and schools.
A focus on results rather than means (CCSS ELA page 4):
Teachers are thus free to provide students with whatever tools and knowledge
their professional judgment and experience identify as most helpful for
meeting the goals set out in the Standards.

6. What do the Common Core
State Standards Say?
Text complexity and the growth of comprehension (CCSS ELA p.8):
Whatever they are reading, students must also show a steadily growing ability
to discern more from and make fuller use of text, including making an
increasing number of connections among ideas and between texts,
considering a wider range of textual evidence, and becoming more sensitive
to inconsistencies, ambiguities, and poor reasoning in texts.
Distribution of types of reading (CCSS ELA page 5):
8th grade 45% Literary & 55% Informational
12th grade 30% Literary & 70% Informational
The percentages on the table reflect the sum of student reading, not just reading in
ELA settings. Teachers of senior English classes, for example, are not required to
devote 70 percent of reading to informational texts. Rather, 70 percent of student
reading across the grade should be informational.

7. Individual Choice & Text
Sets in place of the Whole
Class Novel
Jillian Heise, 7th & 8th grade Language Arts
Indian Community School of Milwaukee, WI

8. With one book, how many
students benefit?
Teacher-chosen book who does real reading?
These 6 already read These 4 aren't ready
the book. for this level of text
These 7 yet. These 2 are
aren't at all interested &
interested at the right
in this topic. ability level
for this book.
These 5
are ready These 4
for more would have
complex chosen the
text. book on their
own.

9. Which do you like better?
Which motivates you to read more?
Why would it be any different for your students?

10. Choice vs.
One Whole Class Novel
Which would entice you to want to read?
Mythology-related
book choices

11. Text Sets = Guided Choice
Theme/Topic/Genre or Form
Mystery
WWII / Holocaust Graphic Novels
Dystopian
Novels in Verse

12. Why it works
Meets students needs
• Interest/Background Knowledge
• Skill Level
• Teacher Trust in Student
• Affective Domain

13. Individual Choice
Students choose based on interest, ability, & recommendations.
*adapted the 40 Book Challenge (Donalyn Miller, The Book Whisperer)

14. Choice leads to…
engagement & motivation
equaling more time spent in real reading

15. What am I really teaching?
I teach reading;
I don't teach books
What is the curriculum?
the book or the skill
What is my goal?
think like I do or think for self
answering questions or critical thinking
giving same answer as all or giving support for own answer

16. What to do with the books
READ
Get rid of the "stuff" and let them read!
• Confer with Teacher
• Respond in Writing
• Big Questions
• Book Talks
• Share Favorites
• Discussions with Classmates
o Students still talk about what they've read
§ Same book groups
§ Different book groups

17. How to get a common
experience with text
What was your purpose for the whole class novel?
Did all students access & benefit from the text?
Can you meet that same purpose in a new way?
Try a Read Aloud

18. How do students find the
books?
Create,
build,
organize,
and
curate a
classroom
library

19. What the students say
about having a choice
"This year I learned so much about myself when I read books. It
has made me a lot more interested in book genres that I never
even knew existed. My perspective has changed of books this
year. I enjoy them so much more than I used to."
"There was never a time this year that I read a book I wasn't
interested in. It inspires me to continue reading this summer
and throughout my time at the high school."
"Reading the books I like actually got me to read for fun. I would
only read because I had to, but then when I started reading
books I liked, I would read just because I wanted to & it was
interesting."

20. What more students say
about having a choice
"This year I found great books I like that I really connected with."
"I did relate to so many books this year. They're not just for
'losers'. Books made me glad to say that I read a lot this year."
"Next year I'll keep looking for books that interest me. I think all
readers should have a voice in reading like I had a chance to
this year."
"Finding books that I liked resulted in reading more at home & in
school, therefore improving my reading habits."

21. Thematic Connections:
Pairing YA Novels with
Classic Texts
Sarah Andersen, Clio High School

22. Background
In 2009 I wrote the curriculum for a Young
Adult Literature elective.
Students read three novels as a class & choose
three novels to read for a choice project.
Since 2010, there's been enough interest to fill
three classes per year!

23. Proposing My Idea
• YA Lit offers choice & high interest reading.
• Freshmen discover a (new/renewed) love of
reading through SSR.
• Proposed incorporating a YA thematic unit to
the English 9 curriculum because of the
success of YA Lit & SSR.

24. Creating the Unit
• With administrative support, I worked with
my department to create a unit that connects
thematically with To Kill a Mockingbird.
• We decided to branch out beyond racism
and also include topics such as maturity,
homosexuality, religious prejudice, etc.

25. The Novels
• The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by
Sherman Alexie
• A Light at the End of the Tunnel: Stories of Muslim
Teens by Sumaiya Beshir
• Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupula

26. The Novels (cont.)
• Out of the Pocket by Bill Konigsberg
• Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork
• Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff

27. Introducing the Unit
Before reading To Kill a Mockingbird, students
were informed that they'd be reading a YA
novel that thematically connects with the
classic.

28. Introducing the Unit (cont.)
Our goal is to help our students build stronger
connections with To Kill a Mockingbird and
develop a deeper understanding of the story.
Before beginning, the students are prepared to
work individually and collaboratively, with less
direct teacher instruction.

29. Choosing the Novels
Since we're working with a variety of novels,
the students sampled each of them with a
book pass.

30. Choosing the Novels
(cont.)
We had a limited budget, which resulted in
fewer quantities of each title.
After the book pass, each student rated his/her
top 3 choices.
I went through their choices, tallied them, and
assigned books accordingly.

31. Teaching the Unit
• Majority of the class period was spent
reading because of limited resources.
• The other part of class time was spent
working collaboratively with their book
groups.
• We wanted the groups to feel like book
clubs.

32. Teaching the Unit (cont.)
Harvey Daniels' Mini-Lessons for Literature
Circles proved to be an invaluable resource.
The students responded well to his mini-lesson
ideas and engaged in thoughtful discussions.
Many days they came into class already
discussing their books!

33. Spine Poems
I learned about spine poetry through Twitter, courtesy of
Donalyn Miller, Paul W. Hankins, and Travis Jonker.
A spine poem is created using the titles on the spines of
novels.
Students were asked to work w/their book groups to create
spine poems based on a topic, character, issue, etc.
from their choice novel.

34. Spine Poems (cont.)
The spine poems served as an alternative assessment to
show understanding and comprehension. Students wrote
explanations for each spine poem.
This was one of the most engaging reading activities I've
done in class. My students loved it & created more
poems than required!

35. Final Assessment
Part of their group work involved finding
examples from To Kill a Mockingbird and
their choice novel to use as support in their
final assessment.
The students wrote an essay comparing their
YA choice novel to the classic. This was
done as a timed essay test.

36. Student Responses
• Tyler: “My favorite books I’ve read this year are A Long
Way Gone and Out of the Pocket. Both of these books I
got to choose to read and I liked them very much. They
both interested me and weren’t hard to read. I’ve
learned a lot about myself as a reader. If I get to pick
the book, I will most likely enjoy the book. However, if I
get forced to read a book there isn’t a good chance that
I will enjoy it too much or finish it.”
• Jake: "I have learned that if you have a good book,
reading is great. I may not be an avid reader, but I read
a little more now. Being able to choose my book made
a big difference."

37. Understanding by Design
and Differentiation of
Reading Instruction
Danielle Kulawiak, Mount Olive High School

38. Background
•Our district curriculum focuses mainly on teaching
skills using excerpts from longer texts; focusing
primarily on older texts that have lost their punch.
•How do we foster a love of reading while also
sending the message that it is not necessary to
read a book in its entirety?
•How to give the students choice but also fulfill the
requirements of a prescriptive curriculum.

39. UbD
•McTighe/Wiggins
•Understanding by Design
–Backwards design (begin with the end in mind)
–SWUT vs. SWBAT
–Skills vs. content
•Use common texts to introduce skills, use
student selected texts to apply and
demonstrate mastery of those skills.

40. Developing Life Long Readers
•The majority of my students claim to dislike
reading and do it as infrequently as
possible.
•I believe that if we can match a student with
the right book, he or she will learn that
reading can be fun, not simply a chore.

41. What is More Important?
•Is it more important that all my students read the
same book or that I give them the skills necessary to
tackle any reading, from newspapers to novels?
•“Assessment becomes responsive when students are
given appropriate options for demonstrating
knowledge, skill, and understanding. In other words,
allow some choices—but always with the intent of
collecting needed evidence based on
goals.” (Tomlinson and McTighe)

42. Reading Workshop
•If I want to develop students who will
become life long readers and who will be
able to independently navigate texts, I
need to give them a chance to apply their
skills.
•Reading workshop and independent
reading projects allow me to do this.

43. Structure of Reading
Workshop
•Teacher uses SRI data and conversations with students to help guide
students to books that would be a good fit.
•Students submit a selection sheet that includes the title, author,
synopsis, why they chose that book, and parent/guardian approval.
•Students are allowed to change their minds after the first session of
reading workshop.
•Class starts with a mini-lesson and then students have time to read
•Students have during and after reading assignments to showcase
understanding of the skills practiced.

44. Independent Reading
Project
The reading workshop sessions culminate in the
Independent Reading Project.
Example Unit: Fiction
Essential Question: How do authors use fictional
characters and situations to help readers make sense of
the real world?
Example Unit: Autobiography/Memoir
Essential Question: What can we learn about ourselves by
reading about others?

45. Sample Student Selected Texts
(Fiction Unit)

46. Sample Student Selected Texts
(Autobiography/Memoir Unit)

47. What happens if they only
want to read Hunger Games?
Directing Students to More
Sophisticated Texts
Mindi Rench, Literacy Coach, Northbrook
Junior High, Northbrook, Illinois

48. What's the deal with text
complexity?
With new emphasis on the Common Core State
Standards, teachers are expected to have
students reading more complex texts at
earlier ages.
In Appendix A, we see this graphic:

49. The Danger of Lexiles
If we stuck just to Lexiles, students in high
school would be discouraged from reading:
• Night by Elie Wiesel (570 L)
• Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (630 L)
• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
(1070L)
• A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
(730L)

50. What about reading level?
o Reading levels are a guide to appropriate
text, and have their uses when grouping
students for small group instruction.
o Not everything a student reads should be
on their grade level. Students should be
able to (and be encouraged to) read
widely across texts!

51. Think About Ideas!
When considering text complexity, consider the
big ideas in a book....
What are the struggles the characters face?
How intertwined are the relationships?
How mature are the themes?

52. Think About "Ladders"
Teri Lesesne talks about Reading
Ladders when considering text
complexity. As students find
books they enjoy, suggest they read
UP a ladder!
For example....
Students who enjoyed Hatchet by Gary Paulsen because of
the adventure and survival might also like Take Me to
The River by Will Hobbs or First Descent by Pam
Withers. Both are adventure/survival stories, but are a
bit more complex and ladder with Hatchet.

53. Another Ladder:
Dystopian:
• Among The Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• City of Ember by Jeanne Du Prau
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Giver by Lois Lowry
• 1984 by George Orwell

54. How Do I Suggest A
Ladder?
o Ask: “What was the last thing you read
that you really liked? What was it that you
liked?”
o Use that as your starting point to find
“read alikes” that will get the reader going.
o Don't limit yourself to topic ladders. Think
authors, themes, word plays, formats, etc.

55. How Do I Know What
Books to Suggest?
There's only one way.....
You have to READ!
A Lot!
Find out what to read by checking out
Goodreads, Twitter, and the Centurions on
Facebook, or ask your school librarian for
recommendations!

56. Allowing students choices means
they have access to books.
Richard Allington states:
• Higher-achieving schools have more books
in classroom library collections than are
found in lower-achieving schools.
• Classrooms with a larger supply of books
have kids who read more frequently.
• Classrooms with a larger supply of books
usually have more kids reading books they
could read successfully.

57. Allowing students choices means
they have access to books.
Allington goes on to recommend that
classrooms have at least 500 books, split
evenly between fiction and nonfiction and
about equally between books that are on or
nearly at grade level and books that are
below grade level.

58. Where do I start?
o Build your classroom library.
§ Use the Scholastic Book Club to get free/cheap books. Also,
check out their warehouse sale.
§ Go to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army store to find
books.
§ Look for teacher discounts at
bookstores
o Share your reading life with your students.
Talk about the books you love (and even those
that you don't). Talk about where you get
reading ideas. Talk about how you make time
to read.

59. Books that Hook Adolescents
Middle School § 13 Reasons Why (Asher)
§ The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
(Angleberger) § Tommy Joe Jackson’s Guide to Not Reading
(Greenwald)
§ The Unwanteds (McMann)
§ Perfect Chemistry (Elkeles)
§ Runner (Deuker)
§ Divergent (Roth)
§ Percy Jackson & the Olympians (Riordan)
§ Clarity (Harrington)
§ The Hunger Games (Collins)
§ Legend (Lu)
§ The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time
Indian (Alexie) § The Ranger's Apprentice series (Flanagan)
§ I Am Number Four (Lore) § The Alex Rider series (Horowitz)
§ The One and Only Ivan (Applegate) § Gordon Korman books
§ Wonder (Palacio) § The Fourth Stall (Rylander)
§ I Heart You, You Haunt Me (Schroeder) § Sidekicks (Santant)
§ Speak (Halse Anderson) § Zita the Spacegirl (Hatke)
§ What My Mother Doesn't Know (Sones) § Amulet series (Kibuiski
§ Smile and Drama (Telgemeier) § Stargirl (Spinelli)
§ The 39 Clues series § Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Kinney)
§ Mike Lupica sports books § Among the Hidden series (Haddix)
§ Kate Messner books § The Maze Runner (Dashner)
§ Out of My Mind (Draper) § The Last Thing I Remember (Klavan)

60. Books that Hook Adolescents
High School
§ 13 Reasons Why (Asher) § Jumping Off Swings (Knowles)
§ Perfect Chemistry (Elkeles) § Before I Fall & Delirium (Oliver)
§ Divergent (Roth) § House of Night series (Cast & Cast)
§ The Mockingbirds (Whitney) § Tell Me a Secret (Cupula)
§ Clarity (Harrington) § Refresh Refresh (Percy)
§ Legend (Lu) § Anna Dressed in Blood (Blake)
§ Crank (and other Ellen Hopkins books) § Catching Jordan (Kenneally)
§ Living Dead Girl (Scott) § Unwind (Shusterman)
§ Twisted (Halse Anderson) § Hold Still (LaCour)
§ Hush, Hush (Fitzpatrick) § Variant (Wells)
§ Page by Paige (Gulledge) § Blue is for Nightmares series (Stolarz)
§ Right Behind You (Giles) § Gym Candy (Deuker)
§ Purple Heart (McCormick) § Crackback (Coy)
§ Swim the Fly (Calame) § Breathing Underwater (Flinn)
§ The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Hodkin) § Hex Hall series (Hawkins)
§ THE DUFF (Keplinger) § Cracked Up to Be (Summers)
§ The Warrior Heir trilogy (Williams Chima) § Sweethearts & How to Save a Life (Zarr)
§ Stupid Fast (Herbach) § Twenty Boy Summer (Ockler)
§ Wake trilogy (McMann) § The Perks of Being a Wallflower (Chbosky)
§ Paranoid Park (Nelson)

61. Next Steps for
Implementing in Your Room
• Build your classroom • Read. A lot. (Learn titles
and themes and which books will
library connect with which students)
• Work with your • Be a model reader
(students need to see you as an
librarian to get books authority and see your reading life)
into kids' hands • Be a book talker
• Find related themes (think of it as being an advertiser)
& books for novels • Do read alouds
(Be the fluent example & share good
you currently teach books that students might miss)
• Start small-choose • Be a book pusher
one unit to try it (never miss an opportunity to
recommend a book to a student)

62. Following Up & Contacting Us
SlideShare: www.slideshare.net/mindi_r
Twitter
Jillian - @heisereads
Mindi - @mindi_r Blogs
Sarah - @yaloveblog Jillian - www.heisereads.com
Danielle - @mymercurialmuse Mindi - http://nextbestbook.blogspot.com
Email Sarah - www.yaloveblog.com
Jillian - heisereads@gmail.com Danielle - www.mymercurialmusings.com
Mindi - mrench@northbrook28.net
Sarah - lovingyalit@gmail.com
Danielle - dkulawiak@gmail.com