Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action [Paperback]

Harvey "Smokey" Daniels (Author), Stephanie Harvey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2009 | ISBN-10: 032501230X | ISBN-13: 978-0325012308

"This book is about small-group projects that work. It's about combining what we know about the research process, about thinking, and about people working together to create a structure that consistently supports kids to build knowledge that matters in their lives."
-Stephanie Harvey and Harvey "Smokey" Daniels

Watch a video overview from Steph and Smokey
Listen to a podcast with Smokey and two master teachers who use inquiry circles

Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action occurs at the intersection of comprehension, collaboration, and inquiry and serves as a guide for teachers who want to realize the benefits of well-structured, student-led, cross-curricular projects. Stephanie Harvey (Strategies That Work and The Comprehension Toolkit series) and Harvey "Smokey" Daniels (Literature Circles and Mini-Lessons for Literature Circles):

- lay the foundation for inquiry circles by chronicling the current research and practices behind comprehension instruction and classroom collaboration

- explain nine fundamental classroom conditions needed for active, small-group learning

- provide 26 practical lessons in comprehension, collaboration, and research

- offer how-to instructions for four types of inquiry circles-mini-research projects; curricular inquiries; extensions of literature circles; and open inquiry projects

- address characteristic management concerns, such as how to use the Internet for research and how to assess and monitor student achievement.

Throughout, chapters offer a mix of materials for you to grab and go as well as some big ideas to think through as you customize inquiry circles for your students. It is time for another stronger, more intentional era of education. Comprehension and Collaboration:Inquiry Circles in Action will serve as your companion and provide a guiding light on this important endeavor.

Professional learning communities and book clubs save when you order a Comprehension and Collaboration Book Study Bundle. Get 15 copies of Comprehension and Collaboration for one low price. A $427.50 value for only $363.38. Save $64.12.

K-5 literacy coaches and staff developers, save when you order the Inquiry Circles Staff Development Bundle, K--5---10 copies of Comprehension & Collaboration and 1 copy of the companion DVD Inquiry Circles in Elementary Classrooms DVD. A $410 value for $348.50. Save $61.50.

6-12 literacy coaches and staff developers, save when you order the Inquiry Circles Staff Development Bundle, 6-12--10 copies of Comprehension & Collaboration and 1 copy of the companion DVD Inquiry Circles in Middle and High School Classrooms DVD. A $410 value for $348.50. Save $61.50.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Harvey Daniels has been a city and suburban classroom teacher and a college professor, and now works as a national consultant and author on literacy education. In language arts, Smokey is known for his pioneering work on student book clubs, as recounted in Literature Circles: Voice and Choice in Book Clubs and Reading Groups, and Minilessons for Literature Circles. Smokey has recently coauthored three bestselling books on content-area literacy: Comprehension & Collaboration; Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading, and Content-Area Writing: Every Teacher's Guide. He is also coauthor of the new Best Practice, Fourth Edition, and editor of Comprehension Going Forward. Smokey works with elementary and secondary teachers throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe, offering demonstration lessons, workshops, and consulting, with a special focus on creating, sustaining, and renewing student-centered inquiries and discussions of all kinds. Smokey shows colleagues how to simultaneously build students' reading strategies, balance their reading diets, and strengthen the social skills they need to become genuine lifelong readers.

Stephanie Harvey has spent her career teaching and learning about reading and writing. An elementary and special ed teacher for fifteen years, she now works as a staff developer and educational consultant. Insatiably curious about student thinking, she is a teacher first and foremost and continues to work in schools on a regular basis savoring any time spent with kids. The coauthor of the Heinemann titles Comprehension Going Forward and Comprehension & Collaboration as well as the author of Nonfiction Matters and Strategies That Work, the latter coauthored by Anne Goudvis, Stephanie works with educators, schools and districts to implement progressive literacy practices. She has created a number of video series that showcase thoughtful literacy practice. Her most classroom materials with firstHand include The Comprehension Toolkit, the Primary Comprehension Toolkit, and Comprehension Interventions. Created along with Anne Goudvis, they form an intensive resource for comprehension instruction and active literacy across the day and throughout the year.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Heinemann (April 30, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 032501230X
• ISBN-13: 978-0325012308
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,469 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Relevant and easily transferable, July 22, 2009

By 

Erika M. Victor "Teacher Nerd" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action (Paperback)

I knew both authors from their previous works, so I was confident I would like the book. The book is written in a conversational manner, but includes research to back up the information they present. Having taught using the Primary Years Programme, which emphasizes the inquiry approach they advocate I was a bit surprised that they did not reference this framework, but maybe they are not aware of the similarity. I would recommend this book for any teacher of students from K-12, the age or subject area is not important. It is important that teachers get a look inside classrooms where this kind of learning is going on and the scenarios presented in the book are this glimpse into real classrooms. I will recommend this book to the professional book club at my school, as it is the rare book that all teachers can appreciate.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inquiry based learning, February 10, 2010

By 

Tan Huynh "Mr.Huynh" (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action (Paperback)

This is a fantastic book that shows readers the process of inquiry-based teaching by showcasing various units that teachers have done with their students. The case studies are accessible for people new to inquiry-based teaching and idea-generating for experienced inquiry teachers. The ideas in this book are immediately applicable to state curriculum and tomorrow's lesson plan. The foundation of this book rests on:

- literacy

- collaboration

- student inquiry

You can also view the online discussion of this book on English Companion Ning ([...]).

This is one teaching book I will NOT resell.

0 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Put off, August 3, 2011

By 

Marie P Taber (Upland, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Comprehension and Collaboration: Inquiry Circles in Action (Paperback)

I'm only on chapter 3 of this book and I'm very put off by their political comments, flippant remarks, and I was absolutely offended by the Catcher in the Rye discussion. When I finish the book I'll add more.