Connections

Author(s): Noreen M. McAloon

Source: Journal of Reading, Vol. 37, No. 8 (May, 1994), pp. 698-699
Published by: Wiley on behalf of the International Reading Association
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20172404 .
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5* ??
Connections
Noreen M. McAloon

thing I try to share with

One book with those in the United States.
peers and students is the idea of con In the second week they were to
nection?the idea that what one per describe the setting of the other
son does affects others, what one country. In the third week they were
to explain how the illustrations con
person writes affects others, and what
happens in one sphere is transferable veyed the author's message. Finally,
to another. This transfer seems to they were to share the illustrations
cause the most and one of their paragraphs with the
difficulty. Perhaps
one reason is not that the skill was class. Connections were being made
not taught, but that itwas considered among reading, writing, English, and
a separate entity. Why use what you world geography.
hear in English in world geography? At this point we discovered that
the available resources were Euro
Why connect past English classes to
the current one? How can students pean fairy tales rather than holiday
traditions. The assignment was modi
access background knowledge for
fied to a comparison/contrast of two
greater comprehension if they don't
versions of the same story or two dif
& see these connections?
ferent picture books.
I'm not sure how to share this idea,
but I find that modeling helps. This Compare/contrast. Two objectives of

year I'm spending more time in the mine were to model the strategy and
classrooms that modeling. to connect the reading and writing
providing
In this way, I can identify some of the tasks. Another objective was to trans
for improved fer student knowledge of story ele
things done compre
hension and decoding. This makes ments. Carolyn gave me two versions
me feel better and gives me an of Beauty and the Beast (1990, Clarion,
to see the students in retold by Ian Brett, and 1992,
opportunity
not via a standardized Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, retold by
action, just
test score. That helps in decision Nancy Willard and illustrated by Barry
The allows me to Moser).
making. modeling
I introduced the topic by dressing
use my expertise, and frees the class
so that the clothing on my right side
room teachers to observe. They seem
could be compared to the clothing on
to find this, at least, a helpful change
of pace. my left side. The students enjoyed
the opportunity to pick me apart.
to suh\ect. Carolyn told me
Subject They were able to express the fact
that she would have her students we were contrast
that comparing and
read stories about holiday traditions ing, what that meant, and what ele
from Europe to connect English with ments were needed. We then brain
world geography. I suggested a vari stormed that we could
things
ety of formats. She decided to use compare and contrast in folktales,
several ideas in a 4-week unit. Each and I listed them on the board.
week the students would use a differ I had previously prepared a chart
ent strategy to understand their pic including ideas that I felt were impor
ture books via the reading-writing tant. Idisplayed the chart, adding the
process. student suggestions.
they were to write
In the first week I complimented them for the infor
a paragraph comparing and contrast mation, showing them how I had
ing the traditions in their European learned something also, and the

698 Journal Of Reading 37:8 May 1994 International Association

Reading

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value of collaboration. A wonderful later to use with another class writing sentence for the class. The students
connection between student and a book report comparing/contrasting realized that the reader needed clear
teacher and new and old learning was setting. communication of what was to come.
made. Together, we had listed such Teacher to teacher. As the class Illustrations. By the final assignment I
pro
things as elements of a story, the to do most of
gressed, Carolyn modified her task wanted the students
book jacket, title page, illustrations, sheet. She created a Venn the planning and talking while Iacted
diagram
length, size, author's style, and possi and tailored the assignment sheet to as facilitator?a critical skills connec
ble audience. the lesson as modeled. This gave the tion. This time, I asked the students
We then examined the books to
English teacher a chance to observe to work with their partner from the
see what differences and similarities and modify the lesson plan to meet last assignment. They were to bring
we could note prior to reading. con two picture
the students' needs?another their books and write
Afterwards, I showed them additional nection. their ideas on one sheet of paper.
information that I had obtained while Their was to discover
assignment
Setting. The following week, Iworked
reading. I showed them my messy list how the illustrations conveyed the
on the world geography-English con
of notes which I had changed to a of the text.
nection trying to determine what the meaning
Venn diagram so that 1 could see was
The brainstorming session fol
setting had taught about a foreign
whether they were more alike or dif lowed by a "group share" with the
country. Since the Willard and Moser
ferent. This was a naturally occurring ideas written on the board. Iwrote
version of Beauty and the Beast took
math connection. the information on large sheets of
place in New York, I used the Brett
Paragraphing. Next, we discussed blank art paper so that they'd be
version. As I had answered the ques
paragraphing using the Brody format. I available for later reference. We dis
tion in preparation for the lesson,
We decided upon our topic, details, had discovered that my answer fit all cussed the difference between
and a conclusion based upon the describing two books versus compar
three of the categories of geography
information in the Venn diagram. I ing and contrasting them again.
that I had discussed in the social
had numbered the details in the I then modeled the process with
studies class while showing students
order in which they were given to me. to read a text. I had used an the two versions of Beauty and the
how
We then discussed possible on Europe and Beast. I shared my completed chart,
introductory passage
rearrangements for the most logical terms adding information to it that the stu
from past work with other
order and talked about communicat to con dents provided and which I had not
social studies teachers. (I try
ing information to our audience, our nect what I learn, also!) listed. They started the paragraph
readers. We spoke about how much outline for me and we then discussed
Once again we brainstormed cate
easier it was to change order now, of information to the rough draft and the conclusion.
gories compare,
rather than in the rough draft. The and I shared the information I had The students seemed to have made
students and I began a topic sen We the necessary connections, since they
gleaned about the setting. dis
tence. I used different colored mark cussed for the were able to give me the steps of the
clothing appropriate
ers to show our editing as we com process. We deliberated how this
time, not necessarily the country. We
posed the sentence as a class. also discussed fantasy versus reality
method could help to quickly orga
Though the students originally so that no dragons were included. nize essay questions for exams. I do
groaned at the number of steps, we This time, the students
worked in hope connections have been made to
checked the time elapsed. In reality, of an orga facilitate transfer of these strategies
pairs to begin completion
each step had taken only seconds to nizer. They were to find one example as needed. Other teachers have
minutes. We estimated the time it each of physical, economic, and cul become interested in some aspects of
would have taken if we'd just begun tural geography for each of their what we have been doing; perhaps
writing without a plan and had to books. We then composed a topic some future connections will occur.
keep revising, even with a computer.
We decided that it would take no
more time to organize our thoughts
before writing. The class felt that this
would provide a more sequential
paragraph.
On the following day, the students
Comments and suggestions about this column may be submitted to Noreen M.
began their reading and notetaking. I
McAloon, Reading Specialist. McKelvie Middle School 108 Liberty Hill
left the posters with them as models,
Road, Bedford NH 03110, USA.
though Iborrowed them back 2 weeks

From the Teacher's Desk 699

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