Understanding Complex Text UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX TEXT ALABAMA COLLEGE AND CAREER READY STANDARDS...

Understanding Complex Text

UNDERSTANDINGCOMPLEX TEXT

ALABAMA COLLEGE AND CAREER READY STANDARDS

MEGA 2013CITING

EVIDENCE

CLOSE READING

COMPLEXITY

ARI

ELA

LIT

Anchor Standards

ELA History/Social

Studies

Science &Technical Subjects

How do we measure text complexity?

Qualitative Quantitative

Reader and Text

Qualitative dimensions of text complexity. In the Standards,qualitative dimensions and qualitative factors referto those aspects of text complexity best measured or only measurable by an attentive human reader, such as levels ofmeaning or purpose; structure; language conventionality andclarity; and knowledge demands.

Quantitative dimensions of text complexity. The termsquantitative dimensions and quantitative factors refer tothose aspects of text complexity, such as word length or frequency, sentence length, and text cohesion, that are difficultif not impossible for a human reader to evaluate efficiently,especially in long texts, and are thus today typically measured by computer software.

Reader and task considerations. While the prior two elements of the model focus on the inherent complexity of text, variables specific to particular readers (such as motivation, knowledge, and experiences) and to particular tasks (such as purpose and the complexity of the task assigned and the questions posed) must also be considered when determining whether a text is appropriate for a given student. Such assessments are best made by teachers employing their professional judgment, experience, and knowledge of their students and the subject.

Quantitative Measures

Finding a Lexile Measure for Text: http://www.lexile.com/findabook/

Quantitative Measures

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• Density and Complexity

• Figurative Language

• Purpose

• Genre• Organization• Narration• Text Features• Graphics

• Background• Prior• Cultural• Vocabulary

• Standard English

• Variations• Register

Levels of Meaning Structure

Knowledge Demands

Language Convention and Clarity

QUALITATIVE MEASURES

Closely Read the Text

First read: look for key ideas and details

Second read: look for qualitative measures of text (linguistic, semantic, structural, and cultural)

Third read: look for applications and connections you will want students to make

Reader and TaskGuiding Principles

Considerations such as:• Motivation• Knowledge and

experience• Purpose for reading• Complexity of task

assigned regarding text• Complexity of questions

asked regarding text

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Make close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.

Based on your close reading of text, why is this important?

Provide scaffolding that does not preempt or replace text.

What does this statement mean?

How Should Instruction Address Text Complexity?

RA! RA! RA! Reading!

Read Aloud

Modeling of decoding and fluency

Heavy scaffolding for vocabulary and comprehension

Read Along

Some scaffolding, as needed, for decoding,

fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension

Read Alone

Independent, autonomous reading

Little to no scaffolding

Tea

che

r S

caff

old

ing

Gradual Release of Responsibility (I do, we do, you do)…

Stu

de

nt A

uto

no

my

Argumentation and Discussion

Now…

How would you scaffold this text for your students?

Requires students to return to the text to formulate responses

Moves from literal to

interpretive

Ask text dependent questions from a range of question types.

Progression of Text-dependent Questions

Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual Connections

Inferences

Author’s Purpose

Vocab & Text Structure

Key Details

General Understandings

Part

Sentence

Paragraph

Entire text

Across texts

Word

Whole

Segments

Text-Dependent Questions?

•In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something.

•In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair.

•In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote?

What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous?

What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received?

“The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year 1776. According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?

Sample Literary Questions

Pre CCRS Question

From The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Have the students identify the different methods of removing warts that Tom and Huckleberry talk about. Discuss the charms that they say and the items (i.e. dead cats) they use. Ask students to devise their own charm to remove warts.

CCRS QuestionFrom The Adventures of Tom SawyerWhy does Tom hesitate to

allow Ben to paint the fence? How does Twain construct his sentences to reflect that hesitation? What effect do Tom’s hesitations have on Ben?

Emphasize students supporting answers based upon evidence from the text

Which of the following questions require students to read the text closely and cite

evidence from the text?

1. If you were present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, what would you do?

2. What are the reasons listed in the preamble for supporting their argument to separate from Great Britain?

1. If you were present at the signing of the Declaration of Independence, what would you do?

2. What are the reasons listed in the preamble for

supporting their argument to separate from Great

Britain?

Writing text dependent questions

• Using your text, work with a partner to write 1-2 text dependent questions

• Work with another set of partners to assess your questions using the Checklist for Evaluating Question Quality

• Choose one question and write on a sentence strip for display

YOUR TURN

Provide extensive research and writing opportunities (claims and

evidence).

Close writing requires close reading.

UNDERSTANDING WRITING ALABAMA COLLEGE AND CAREER READY STANDARDS

“…writing is treated as an equal partner to reading, and more than this, writing is assumed to be the vehicle through which a great deal of the reading work and assessments will occur.”

Pathways to the Common Core, pg. 102

Closely Read the Anchor Standards

First read: look for key ideas and details

Second read: look for evidence of how the reading and writing standards support one another

Third read: look for applications and connections you will want students to make

What’s new with CCRS?

PREVIOUSLYStudents wrote periodically• What are some examples?• What were some of the

challenges?• What were some of the

consequences?

NOWNow students must write

routinely • What are some examples?• What are some of the

opportunities?• What are some of the

rewards?

So what is another change you see in the writing standards?

What is the instructional shift in writing?

Increased emphasis on Analysis of individual texts Argument and evidence Informative/explanatory writing Frequent short, focused research projects Comparison and synthesis of multiple sources

Decreased emphasis on Narrative, especially personal narrative Writing in response to decontextualized

prompts28

Argument

Informational/Explanatory

Narrative

Close Reading to Write

• Closely read the text • Use RISC strategy to write about the text

Essential Question:What makes the American Dream so important?

Argumentation and

Discussion

Extended Writing

Close Reading

THANKS!

Contact:Reeda Bettsrbetts@alsde.edu

Wendy Warrenwwarren@alsde.edu