Comprehension and Collaboration

In an effort to meet curriculum expectations, encourage curiosity and questions, and include everyone I want to incorporate inquiry circles into the classroom.  Inquiry circles help students learn about the world and provide them with some choice in the matter.  

To encourage students to become thoughtful readers, thinkers, communicators, and researchers, I am teaching specific lessons in comprehension, collaboration, and inquiry.  The lessons were from Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles for Curiosity, Engagement, and Understanding by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey "Smokey" Daniels.

Examples of Comprehension Lessons:

• Activate and Build Background Knowledge
• Listen to Your Inner Voice
• Think and Wonder About Images
• Use TExt and Visual Features to Gain Information
• Signal Words and Phrases and Their Purposes

Examples of Collaboration Lessons:

• Turn and Talk
• Active Listening in Pairs
• Creating Group Ground Rules
• Making and Using a Work Plan
• Where Do You Stand?

Examples of Inquiry Lessons:

• Model with Research Alouds
• Install a Wonder Wall Question Board
• Create Research Notebooks
• Dealing with Digital Distractions

Harvey and Daniels emphasize that the lessons should be taught repeatedly at every grade level and different subject areas.  

Students practice the collaboration lesson, Turn and Talk.