Chapter+5

Chapter 5 from Bobbi Friend #1 Reading conferences following the research, decide, and teach model is very similar to a writing conference. The research step allows us to see (in the case of a writing conference) or hear (in the case of a reading conference) what the student is doing well as well as something they need to work on. The writing conference is done with individuals, just as the reading conference is. The decide step is crucial for the teacher. We need to be sure that we are teaching something similar to a mini-lesson that has been presented so we can create the connection while pulling our readers and writers to the next level. The conference needs to brief with the teaching point being stated, an example given, and the teaching point restated in a way that will link to the rest of the student’s reading or writing. The conference, just as the mini-lesson, is very similar to that of the writing workshop.
 * __Chapter Five: Reinforcing Student's Strength's: Compliment Conferences__**
 * 1) 1. Goldberg and Serravallo describe the typical reading conference as: research the reader, decide what to compliment and teach, and then teach the reader (page 49). What can we use from our knowledge of writing conferences to help us with our reading conferences?
 * Respond Here:**

The writing conference is a springboard to my reading conference. I am versed in this area so I'm not recreating the process. Student success is in the perception that I believe in what they bring to the table. I know they have the ability to be great readers and writers. I need to take the time creating that atmosphere by including them in their learning. I start the year with drawing the child into my world. I know where some of my students are, but not all. My minilessons will give us the getting to know you stage. My conferences, in the beginning, are setting the stage for a great experience.

Margaret Fox

Having experience from doing Writing Conferences helps out with the Reading Conferences because the process is familiar and not as intimidating the first time you perform a conference. I say that but at times I still get anxious going up to a certain reader for a conference. I put pressure on myself to research, complement, and then teach __exactly__ what this child needs at that moment. The time constraint of 5-8 minutes per conference adds even more pressure. The reality is that this is hard and takes practice. The familiarity with using Writing Conferences helps but only to an extent. I find the Reading Conference way harder but this could be because I haven’t done enough of them. There was a time when I got overly anxious to do a writing conference. One benefit with a Writing Conference is that often you can point out to writer in the story what he or she did well and what is a goal area. With a Reading Conference it tends to be more abstract than writing which makes it harder. Garth

Reading and writing conferences are very similar in process. Writing workshops have been used in our school for years and the children are very familar with the ﻿steps. I know that I have to establish the expectations with both conferences so I can have time with the students without being interrupted. I know that the research and compliment part allows for a positive experience where their strengths are recognized. The conference part needs to stay short with the main teaching point being discussed. I tend to spend more time with each student that I should so this is going to be an area I really need to work on. Ronda

Similar structures, so the reading conference should be easy to work into my routine. It seems that Writing conferences may be easier because all the observations and evidence are written down in front of us. When I am trying to observe my readers and figure out what strategies they are using, I see that as being tougher to assimilate, and make good decisions about what is going on with my readers. although the writing conference is slightly longer, I like the similarities of making quick, precise comments, reinforcing them, and then letting the student get back to work quickly. It is still difficult when conferencing not to point out what the student can't or doesn't do that I expect. I'm going to make it a point to post a note at the top of my conference forms to stay positive and reinforce their strengths. Mike

My district has been using writing workshop for a number of years and our students are used to the writing conferences. Adding the use of reading conferences will be a familiar process to my students and myself. I like the idea of making reading thinking transparent for students. As Garth mentioned, you can directly point to the writing to show students the teaching point or compliment what a student is doing; where as reading is more thinking and not as visible. In reading, the research portion will take more thoughtfulness so I can target exactly what my students are doing and compliment that and then extend their understanding. I am looking forward to using the reading conferences with my students.

Sue Ronning

I agree with all of the comments on how similar a writing conference is to the reading conference. After having conferred with writing so much in the past few years, it takes a lot of pressure and stress off of doing reading conferring. Always compliment the student on what they are doing right. Build up their confidence and reinforce good habits. The book gave a wonderful list on why you state the students' strengths first. I also agree with Ronda. I need to really watch how long I talk to a student. I need to get to the point and be precise. It is something I still struggle with in writing conferring and I know I will be the same way in reading. TGaribay

The compliment is the main reason I value this work. It is a great place to start t with students. Just like in the writing conference—a compliment and teach is a strategy the works. Once you give a compliment the students brains open. An open brain is ready and willing to receive information and build on it. Like in the writing conference they zone in on the thing they are on the verge of and are willing to speak about it and try it. KDN

As others have mentioned, the conferring piece in the reading workshop is similar to that of the writing workshop. I agree with Mike when he mentioned that the big difference is that the evidence is visible in the writing workshop conference. In the reading workshop, I see there is more probing at times to find out what the reader is trying to do. In both structures it is important to compliment a student’s strategy or skill. This encourages the student to be more open and receptive to the teaching point which follows. In the end, it’s important to briefly explain why it’s important for the student to try this point. Again, the structure simply reflects good teaching! Sara Sabourin

Chapter 5 from Bobbi Friend #2 The compliment conference is valuable because we are able to begin with a student’s strengths. The authors tell us that it sets a positive to when students know their strengths are recognized, it helps students take risks, it encourages students to use consistent strategies, and it allows the teacher to work with students more frequently because they are shorter than teaching conferences. I believe the compliment conference is most important with our struggling and at-risk readers who are less confident about their ability and tend to become overwhelmed when there is too much instruction. A compliment conference gives them an additional boost about something they are doing well without giving them something new to focus on. Also, being able to do more conferences in a period of time is valuable, especially for new teachers who are less capable in determining a teaching point for every conference at the beginning of readers workshop.
 * 1) 2. Compliment conferences are shorter than typical reading conferences. They involve only two parts- researching and deciding what to comliment or reinforce. What might be a challenge as you engage in a compliment conference? What are some benefits?
 * Respond Here:**

Bobbi, you are so on track. Not only for the new teacher but also the "seasoned teacher" dealing with our new clients. We set the climate for the year. Children need to feel valued, especially if they are struggling. I like that they are short, but in the same light I might need to keep my strugglers believing in themselves. I may use my notes to create minilessons the reinforce their learning.

Margaret Fox

I love the philosophy of starting the year with compliment conferences. The author stresses the importance to "...start off each school year focusing on what the readers in our rooms already do well by reinforcing their strengths as readers and noticing their approximations" on page 49 and I couldn’t agree more. I think as a teacher it is my job to notice and compliment what a child does well in any area academically or socially. Reinforcing the positives keeps them doing them and also sets the tone or expectation for everyone else when done publically. I think the following sentence sums it up very well, "Taking this time to reinforce the use of a strategy will often yield greater benefits in the long run when I ask the reader to take a risk with something more challenging or brand new. " This makes me think of fertilizing my garden. It will grow and probably do OK without fertilizer but with it...watch out! Legitimate compliments are fertilizer for people! –Jodee Tuttle

I love the quotes Jodee chose to illustrate the benefits of compliment conferences. It is just like the author stating she is likely to wear a skirt more frequently if she receives a compliment while wearing it. Everyone loves to hear what they are doing well. Too often we only focus on areas in which students need to improve. How great it is for them to hear how well they are doing something and nothing more!

I believe these conferences can be challenging because, as educators, we are always looking for ways to help our students improve their skills. As the author says, we can always come up with a laundry list of skills in which a student needs coaching, but we sometimes struggle to simply tell students what they are doing well. We can also feel challenged because of the pressure to get all students to achieve certain goals. The time to conduct a compliment conference is definitely worth the payout, but I’m sure I’ll hear that nagging voice in my head telling me I should be teaching the child something new.

Stephanie Cooper

I agree with Bobbi that although all students benefit from compliment conferences, our struggling readers seem to need them the most. Some readers have difficulty because they lack confidence, and a focused compliment can not only make them feel good, but reinforce essential reading behaviors or strategies. Most struggling readers need more time to learn and practice a reading skill. A quick compliment conference will give them encouragement and feedback that what they are doing is helping them become a better reader. In our intervention sessions, they are getting constant feedback, which is my version of conferring. At the beginning of the lesson as each student reads aloud, I give them a compliment. It's usually focused on application of something they've been working on individually or something that I had taught the previous lesson. Then the next time I stop to confer, I usually add in a teaching point to take their learning a little further without frustrating them. Sometimes I share the compliment with the student's teacher to give him/her one more piece of information about that reader, to make the student feel proud about the work s/he has done, and to help the student recognize that the teacher and I are working together to help this student succeed. ~Stephanie B.

Compliment conferences are very powerful for so many students. Who doesn’t like to hear a good compliment especially before hearing about something we can do better. A good compliment can solidify that strategy or behavior by the reader and it can hook them for the “next” thing to learn. Towards the beginning of the year I give mostly compliment conferences only. This is my way of reinforcing good early reading habits and to encourage more reading to strengthen stamina. I also feel that compliments can help build trust between the student and myself. The challenges of using compliment conferences are to make sure they are genuine and accurate. Even four and five year olds can tell when I give them a “canned” compliment that doesn’t really target that student individually. By doing this too often I can actually do harm to that student’s relationship with me. Garth

Compliment conferences can be so positive for our students. So often we as teachers see the need to always push our students with new strategies but forget sometimes just to "reinforce the use of strategies the reader is already using." I need to make sure I build up what my students are doing well. Some challenges I might face during the conference are finding ideas to compliment and reinforce them on. I feel there are many benefits of a compliment conference. They "set the tone by showing students I am a teacher who notices strengths." "If students feel safe and competent they are more likely to take risks in their learning." Also, "one way to get stuents to use the strategies we have taught them is to occasionally compliment their use of them." Ronda

Who doesn't like to be complimented? It's how we learn. Whether it be a sport, doing a task at home, or learning to drive a car, compliments encourage the learner to keep going and keep practicing whatever the task may be. If that is followed up by a teaching point, the student is already in a positive mind set and will be open to suggestions. Personally, I do not feel like compliment conferences will be difficult for me. I have always been a very positive person as far as seeing what a child does well. I have always complimented students when I see something right being done. I think this comes from having an emotional impairment degree and always reinforcing good behaviors and habits. Taking the time and remembering to jot down what I say will be my challenge. TGaribay

The benefit is the shortness allows the teacher to get to more children. The challenge is for a teacher who always wants to teach one more thing to stick to the point and move to the next student. Also to keep the compliment on a reinforcement of a strategy not just a generic compliement. Page 53 help remind us of that and the way to do it. KDN

The challenge of the compliment conference will be to focus on just that, a compliment. I’m sure I will have an urge to try to slip in a quick teaching point. However, a compliment is a teaching point. It’s to encourage the reader to keep doing what they are doing, because it’s working. Another challenge will be finding a compliment at times when all I see are teaching points. Like the authors mention on page 51, our “teacher radar” often points toward kids who are off-task. I will have to reset my perspective especially on those challenging days. I am a believer in focusing on the positive though.

The compliment conference is ideal to build up a reader’s confidence, to reinforce a strategy that they are just trying out, and to let them know “I am a teacher who notices strengths” (page 49). I like the idea of a table compliment conference. What a great way to build up a group of kids and reinforce their positive behaviors. Like you Bobbi, I think the compliment conferences are so important for our struggling readers and a great way for new (and seasoned, as Margaret mentioned) teachers to start conferring with something! Sara Sabourin

I think table conferences have a lot of value. During writer’s workshop I learned very quickly that when you so a conference at the table you are really reaching the whole table of children, just as Margaret said, everyone will listen in. So, why not make it of value for everyone there. I like the thought of watching from afar to find a model reader at a table. Table conferences would be especially helpful if time is limited on a particular day or week because you can get to everyone in the class that way. I like the concise way that a table conference was laid out on page 55. 1. "Description of the specific strategy
 * 1) 3. Table-compliment conferences allow you to reach more students as you move quickly around the classroom. As you think of your own classroom, comment on how you use the table compliment and the individual compliment conferences.
 * Respond Here:**
 * We may be reading for independence or leveled groups. Students like to listen in. They can be endeared by how you treated a child during the table conference. This conference may come up during group time or meeting time. I hope to be leading a child, indirectly, to think about their learning. The reader I'm conferring with becomes my model. The strategy is crossing lines. I want students to all have a chance to be the model. Talk about a great way to build my classroom of readers who believe in themselves.**
 * Margaret Fox ﻿**

–Jodee Tuttle
The idea of table compliment conferences is indeed a great one. How many times do we compliment the behavior or achievements of one student and then notice the same behaviors replicated by several others looking for positive attention? I would love to try these in my own classroom, but need suggestions/modifications as I do not require students to read at tables; they are free to read throughout the classroom so long as they do not abuse the privilege. I could look for students within clusters to compliment, but feel it may be more of an interruption to ask them to gather around me since having them stay in their chosen spots would require me to speak louder than I would like during independent reading. Thoughts? Stephanie Cooper Stephanie, that does make it hard to do a table compliment when they are scattered. How about doing a mid-workshop group compliment whereby you stop the class for just a second, say "readers, I just want to mention that ......... and .......... are ........ That might work and also allow all of them to notice what you did. Just an idea. Linda

I love using table compliments as it reinforces what all students are doing. In response to Stephanie, I also allow my students to read anywhere in the room. I am thinking that this year I may have students read in partnerships, and while it is not a table, it will still be a compliment to more than one student at a time. Another benefit of the table compliment conferences is that I can interact more often with more of my students. It is a challenge for me to keep my conferences short and keep moving to all students; using table conferences may be a solution to this as I work on keeping things shorter. Sue Ronning Table compliments is a great way to reinforce the use of reading strategies. Not only does it reinforce what one or more students are doing right, but it can also pull the others in who need to refocus or use what they have learned. It serves a dual purpose at times. I will say that table conferring is my strong suit. It's quick to do and it covers multiple students at one time. Individual conferring is where I struggle at times. It can seem so overwhelming. I also need to watch my time by staying to the point. TGaribay
 * 1) 4. Jen and Gravity remind us that in both the individual and the table conferences we are not just relaying a quick, few sentence conversation. They say it is about a "paragraph of talking". We need to name the strategy and describe it, explain what it is and then make it transferable. These parts will make it "stick". Comment on this and maybe share some tool or reference you could use to help you with this conversation.
 * Respond Here:**
 * I need to walk the talk. My minilessons will be my guide. I need to practice and be consistent. Through out the day I can refer back to our conversation. As I move about the room, I will be checking to hear if I was effective. ﻿**
 * I need to walk the talk. My minilessons will be my guide. I need to practice and be consistent. Through out the day I can refer back to our conversation. As I move about the room, I will be checking to hear if I was effective. ﻿**