UNITS OF STUDY to Blossom Students' Thinking

Thinking Strategy Studies
Launching Phase of Study	Deepening Phase of Study
Introduce your focus thinking strategy by modeling, naming, and explaining this disposition. & Help students see how they already utilize this thinking disposition outside of school and “out of text.” & Move into collaborative practice and discussions of why and how readers and writers use and need this disposition.   During launching period, focus on current disposition.  With your students, begin to discuss and document: & What does thoughtful use of      this disposition look like in our reading? ! What does thoughtful use of this disposition look like in our writing?	During deepening period, integrate current disposition studies and applications with previously studied dispositions.   How are we using these strategies to support our understanding as readers?  ...to be understood as writers? Ø  What does thoughtful use of     these dispositions look like in our reading? Ø  What does thoughtful use of  these dispositions look like in our writing?   Over time, articulate and ask students to generate why and how they use (and we all need to use) the focus disposition(s) in other arenas of their lives (e.g., content area learning; social settings; making decisions of self-care; etc.)
Through Line/Ongoing    Continue demonstrating and collaboratively practicing why and how to use disposition(s) throughout the study including encouraging students to serve as models/teachers.  Infuse focus disposition(s) into conferences, small groups (guided reading, book clubs, student-led partnerships, etc.), and, as soon as plausible, content area learning    Daily independent literacy practice is sacred.    All genres all year.    Choice grows voice.  Guide, invite, and expect students to choose literacy journeys which are meaningful to them.     Model and nudge metacognitive reflections so that students name their successful use of disposition(s) and discover their own intentions and applications for thinking dispositions.  Create and revisit anchor charts often.    Instruction is crafted in response to students’ strengths, needs, and passions.  Adjustments are made to unit plans based on data collected with formative assessments (e.g., conference observations and records notes; running records; analyzing students’ writing samples; metacognitive reflections/responses – oral, artistic, and written; individual assessments such as DRA and Observation Survey; exit cards; rubrics; common formative assessments – collaboratively created and scored; surveys; checklists; etc.).    As your confidence grows and your class matures, generate units with students.