SARAH CRAIN - L ITERACY COACHCRAINSE@STAFFORDSCHOOLS.NET

HILARY LOFTUS – READING SPECIALISTLOFTUSHL@STAFFORDSCHOOLS.NET

Get Real!: Teaching Independent Reading with

Non-Fiction Texts

Virginia Standards of Learning - Reading

6.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of nonfiction texts.

8.6 The student will read, comprehend, and analyze a variety of nonfiction texts.

10.5 The student will read, interpret, analyze, and evaluate nonfiction texts.

Objectives

Participants will be able to: Identify the three main components of a reading lesson

and appropriate strategies to use at each stage

Examine their metacognative process for constructing meaning from a non-fiction text

Integrate skills and strategies discussed into future lesson plans with students

Discuss how scaffolding the process for working with expository text can lead to independent student learning

Overview

Reading Lesson

Before Reading/ Readiness

Activate Background Knowledge/ Motivation

Preview Vocabulary

Establish a Purpose for Reading/ Review

Text Structure

During Reading/ Interactive

Comprehension

First Draft Reading

Second Draft ReadingAfter Reading/

Reflect & Extend Learning

Motivation and Background Knowledge

“To awaken interest and kindle enthusiasm is the sure way to teach easily and successfully.”

-Tyron Edwards, American theologian and editor

Goals:1. To focus students’ attention on the topic2. To arouse curiosity and interest3. To help them connect to what they already

know

Motivation and Background Knowledge

Strategy: Value LinesDirections: Consider the following statement:

It is necessary to learn algebra.

Vocabulary

“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter—it's the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”

Mark Twain, American author

Process can be teacher directed, student directed, or a combination of both.

Vocabulary – Teacher Directed

Teacher selects 1-5 words that meet the following criteria:1. The word is essential to the reading and the

performance tasks planned for after reading2. The word is not explained in context3. The word is not already part of the students’

vocabulary

If more than 5 words meet the above criteria, it may indicate that the selected text may be too long or too complex for students to access.

Vocabulary – Teacher Directed

Preview the selected words with students by providing at least once sentence which contains sufficient context for the student to infer a correct definition.

Example:Mary is good-natured, but her sister is cantankerous.

James was so cantankerous at the party that no one wanted to socialize with him.

Vocabulary – Student Directed

Students

Scan text for new, interesting, unfamiliar words

With a partner, try to determine meaning

Be able to explain how you arrived at that meaning

Teachers

Scan the text to anticipate words students will select

Consider: High impact/frequency

words Content specific

vocabulary Any word over three

syllables

Vocabulary – Student Directed

“Is algebra really necessary?” America’s high schools require all students to take algebra and other advanced math, from geometry through calculus, but for millions, this obstacle course of abstract equations is sheer misery. In many states, testing shows that more than a third of students fail to rate as “proficient” in algebra; teachers tell me that math classes make some students feel stupid, and are a major reason why as many as 30 percent of kids drop out – especially among minorities. “So why do we subject American students to this ordeal?” Rather than force math-avers students to grapple with “vectorial angles and discontinuous functions” that no non-engineer will ever use, why not focus on true “quantitative literacy”? That would mean teaching statistics, budgeting skills, and math used in public and personal life, while removing the “onerous stumbling block” that algebra presents to higher education.

Vocabulary – Student Directed

1. Can I use context clues? Synonyms Antonyms Inferences Definitions

2. Can I use roots or an analogy approach?3. Can I paraphrase (do I really need to know

this specific word to understand the article)?

Text Structure & Setting a Purpose

“One should not read to swallow all, but rather see what one has use for.”

Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian dramatist

Text Structure & Setting a Purpose

Alerts students to be on the lookout for certain key words and /or features

Enables students to be more strategic with note taking

Text Structure & Setting a Purpose

Today you will be reading a proposition/support (or pro/con) article about whether or not students should be required to study advanced mathematics.

As you read, consider your personal experiences and how you relate to the opinions expressed in the article.

Interactive Comprehension

“Books had instant replay long before televised sports.”

Bert Williams, African American pantomime artist

and comedian

Goals:1. Teach students to monitor their thinking and

recognize when they are confused2. Teach students “fix-up” strategies

Interactive Comprehension

Strategy: Text CodingHow it works: Students mark text with symbols as they read to remind them that something sparked their thinking (they will revisit these codes later).

Interactive Comprehension – Text Coding

“Is algebra really necessary?” America’s high schools require all students to take algebra and other advanced math, from geometry through calculus, but for millions, this obstacle course of abstract equations is sheer misery. In many states, testing shows that more than a third of students fail to rate as “proficient” in algebra; teachers tell me that math classes make some students feel stupid, and are a major reason why as many as 30 percent of kids drop out – especially among minorities. “So why do we subject American students to this ordeal?” Rather than force math-avers students to grapple with “vectorial angles and discontinuous functions” that no non-engineer will ever use, why not focus on true “quantitative literacy”? That would mean teaching statistics, budgeting skills, and math used in public and personal life, while removing the “onerous stumbling block” that algebra presents to higher education.

Interactive Comprehension

Strategy: Two Column NotesHow it works: 1. Divide page into two columns lengthwise2. Students revisit where they marked the text

during first reading3. Record the quote from the text that they

“coded” on the left hand side of the paper4. On the right hand side of the paper,

students write their response to the quote

After Reading/Extend and Reflect

“In the end, we retain from our studies only that which we practically apply.”

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe, German playwright

After Reading/Extend and Reflect

Short tasksOne sentence

summary6 word memoirWrite-around

conversationAnalogies/ metaphorsShort reflection using

text dependent questions

More involved tasksRAFTPolitical cartoonComic stripComparative writing

(using a new text)Extended reflection

using text dependent questions

Non-Examples of Text Dependent Questions

There are tork gooboos of puzballs, including laplies, mushos, and fushos. Even if you bartle the puzballs that tovo inny and onny of the pern, they do not grunto any lipples. In order to geemee a puzball that gruntos lipples, you should bartle the fusho who has rarckled the parshtootoos after her humply fluflu.

1. How many gooboos of puzballs are there?

2. What are laplies, mushos, and fushos?

3. Even if you bartle the puzballs that tovo inny and onny of the pern, what will they not do?

4. How can you geemee a puzball that gruntos lipples?

Extended Reflection: Text Dependent Questions

Consider the meme on the left. How would the speakers in paragraphs one and two interpret this meme? What would be similar about their responses? Different? Use examples from the text to support your claims.

References

Brozo, W. G. and Simpson, M. L. (2007). Content literacy for today’s adolescents: Honoring diversity and building competence. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson and Merrill/Prentice Hall

Daniels, H. S. and Steineke, N. (2011). Texts and lessons for content-area reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Gallagher, K. (2004). Deeper reading: Comprehending challenging texts, 4- 12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse

Nuebert, G. A. and Wilkins, E. A. (2004). Putting it all together: The directed reading lesson in the secondary content classroom. Boston, MA: Pearson

Tovani, C. (2000). I read it but I don’t get it: Comprehension strategies for adolescent readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse

Disclaimer

• Reference within this presentation to any specific commercial or non-commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Virginia Department of Education.