READING IN THE CONTENT AREA
Key Ideas and Details Craft and Structure
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
Prepping Questions
What does content area mean to you?
How do you use reading in your classroom right now?
How can you improve content reading in your classroom?
Literacy and the Brain
The cell responsible for learning and thought is the neuron
Thought and learning increases the size and number of dendrites and axons
Decreased blood flow, less thinking, results in pruning
The more dendrites and axons means more cues will trigger a particular memory
Learning Reinforces these connections
1. Prepping: Using prior knowledge
2. Patterning: Linking information together
3. Priming: Learning things in multiple ways and practice
Making Memory
You can think of your memory like a tree.
It has branches and roots
Your brain is also like a forest. The more “vegetation” it has the more efficient it becomes
Schema Theory
Dog
4 legs
Furry
Tail
Eats meat
The Schema theory explains the way our
brains like to sort information
Schema Sorting
This can be hindered in several ways The student lacks the necessary
schema to file away the new information
The students has trouble sorting the new knowledge into an existing schema
The student places the information in an incorrect schema
The information conflicts with a student’s current schema
4th Grade Slump
Transition from narrative text to informative
Lack of exposure to informative texts
Traits of A Good Reader
1. Search for connections 2. Monitor understanding 3. Identify and fix
misunderstandings 4. Know what is important 5. Synthesize information across
text 6. Make inferences 7. Ask questions
CanUg
Find aSandyIslandIgloo
Quickly?
Content Area Reading
World Knowledge verses Text Knowledge World: A person’s schemata of the world and
how they relation to one another. Text: Knowledge about reading.
Prior knowledge a better indicator of a student understanding a given text then outright reading ability
Levels of Understanding
Literal
Interpretive
Applied
Goals of Reading-Comprehension-Subject Matter Learning-Reading Skills-Knowledge Application
Metacognition
Common Reading Strategies1. Prep the brain for information
storage
2. Get reader to ask questions and search for answers during the reading process
3. Review the information presented.
Reading Strategies
SQR3
K-W-L
TPRC
Reciprocal Teaching
Making Text “Friendly”
1. White Space
2. Break up Lists and Steps
3. Give Hints and Chunk
4. Increase the size of the print
5. Group Information
Vocabulary
What do you know about vocabulary instruction? What works in your classroom? Why is it important. What are the goals of vocabulary instruction?
What do you want to know about vocabulary instruction? What is difficult for you students? How does this relate to reading instruction?
Vocabulary Instruction
Vocabulary Instruction must involve (RIM)1) Repetition 2) Integration
3) Meaningful UseThere are two purposes to vocabulary
instruction Remove barriers to comprehension of
text
Promote long-term acquisition and development of the language of academic discipline.
Principals of Vocabulary Instruction
1. Use the terms
2. Provide both definitions and context
3. Move students from familiarity with terms to using them.
4. Provide multiple exposures in many contexts to the terms.
Best to stick to 8
or 10 words a
week
Instruction in Vocabulary
1. Direct Vocabulary Instruction 2. Instruction in Deriving Meaning
CSSR Context Structure (morphology) Sound (Pronouncing) Reference or Dictionary
Vocabulary Instructional Techniques
1. Verbal-Visual Word Association
2. Semantic Mapping
3. Gestalt
4. Memory Tricks, Mnemonics Acronyms and Acrostics Using a routine, Loci System Visualization Playing with Words