Unwrapping the Package

Helping Students Navigate Complex Text UCTE Conference November 7, 2014 Lorraine Wallace Associate Professor Utah Valley University [email protected]

College and career readiness

• • • • Students at major colleges are expected to read 400 600 pages/week. (Penny Kittle) Students at community colleges are expected to read a minimum of 200-400 pages/week. (Kittle) 49% of students taking ACT test are not ready to handle the reading requirements of a typical first year college course. (Study conducted by ACT, 2005) 50% of students in 4-year colleges lack the literacy to handle complex real-life tasks. (ACT Study) • • • Students have to build up their stamina.

Collaborative conversation – If it’s worth reading about, it’s worth talking about.

More from the ACT Study

• The primary source of fear for college students is reading and writing expository text.

• “The ability to handle complex reading is the major factor separating high school students who are ready for college reading from those who are not.” Ben Feller

What college teachers want

• • • • • • • • Identifying main idea.

Summarizing Making inferences and drawing conclusions Understanding organizational strategies Paraphrasing Distinguishing fact from opinion Identifying purpose of the text Justifying personal interpretation through specific references.

College Board Survey

“The ultimate goal of reading is…

(1) the integration of knowledge and ideas from text; (2) the delineation, evaluation, and critique of arguments and specific claims in a text; and (3) the analysis of ideas encountered across multiple texts and experiences to build knowledge.” Pearson and Hiebert quoted in Serafini

Unconscious Incompetence Conscious Incompetence Unconscious Competence Conscious Competence

Unconscious Incompetence Unconscious Competence Conscious Incompetence Conscious Competence

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

10 - Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

10 -

Read and comprehend

complex informational texts literary and independently and proficiently.

Students will be frustrated by challenging texts.

Our job: to help them negotiate texts successfully without doing the work for them.

3 levels of reading

1 – Key ideas and details (Standards 1-3) What does it say?

2 - Craft and structure (Standards 4-6) How did the author say it?

3 - Integration of knowledge and ideas (Standards 7-9) What does it mean?

Each reading task constitutes a separate journey – each journey resolving different concerns.

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

•

Key Ideas and Details:

1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

• • 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.

3 - Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

•

Key Ideas and Details:

1 -

Read closely

explicitly specific

support

to determine what the text says and to make logical inferences textual evidence conclusions when writing or speaking to drawn from the text.

from it;

cite

• 2 -

Determine analyze

their central ideas or themes development ; supporting details and ideas .

summarize

of a text and the key • 3 -

Analyze

how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

What does the text say?

• • Literal level • “You have to be able to read at the literal level before you can go any deeper.” – Kelly Gallagher Also - What can I infer from what is NOT said?

• • • Informational text – main idea, purpose, conclusions Literary prose– plot, characters, motivations, settings Poetry – imagery

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

Craft and Structure:

• 4 - Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

• 5 - Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.

• 6 - Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

•

Craft and Structure:

4 -

Interpret

including determining technical, connotative , and figurative meanings, meaning or words and phrases as they are used in a text, and

analyze

tone .

how specific word choices shape • 5 -

Analyze

the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza)

relate

to each other and the whole.

• 6 -

Assess

and style how point of view or purpose of a text.

shapes the content

What does the author do to create meaning?

– Organization/ structure – Literary devices or use of evidence – Word choice These aspects of rhetoric have not typically been addressed in previous curriculum standards. Rhetorical strategies do affect interpretation of the text.

R A P P E L

A tool for rhetorical analysis • • • • • • Role – author’s angle of vision, point of view Audience – considering the reader Purpose – what does the writer want the reader to do/think/believe Presentation – genre Evidence – personal experience/research Language – level of formality, diction, syntax, tone, etc.

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

7 - Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

1 8 - Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.

9 - Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Utah Core State Anchor Standards Reading

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:

7 -

Integrate

and

evaluate

media and formats, well as in words.

content presented in diverse including visually and quantitatively, as 8 -

Delineate

claims and

evaluate

the in a text, including the argument and specific validity of the reasoning well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence .

as 9 -

Analyze

how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to

build knowledge

or to

compare

the approaches the authors take.

What does the text mean?

• • • • What message does the author really want to convey (content, attitudes, beliefs, etc)?

In what way does this text expand our understanding of ________?

How credible is this text?

How does it connect to other texts or experiences?

Requires students to glean information from the text that supports and justifies conclusions.

and HOW DO YOU KNOW?

Close reading is not…

• • • a thing a skill a big idea • new

Close reading is…

…having students read and reread texts while paying close attention to the words and structure, with little reliance on information outside the text …not just what the text says but how it works, how the author’s words or structures align with the meaning

Close reading is…

… only one aspect of the 1 st UCSS standard … a “magnifying glass strategy” to ensure that the four other skills in this standard are achieved: – Determine what the text says explicitly – Make logical inferences – Cite textual evidence – Support conclusions “A Critical Look at the Close Reading Standard,” Michael Fisher.

Close reading is…

… “a lens through which we view the multiple ways in which we analyze text.” Michael Fisher • “Close reading is not a strategy. It is a habit of mind.” Carol Jago

“Some books and stories deserve to be read closely, slowly, and actively – not only because we would miss many of their implied meanings but also because we must learn to recognize meanings other than our own.” Victor Moeller BUT NOT EVERY TEXT REQUIRES CLOSE READING

Teaching Close Reading

• • • • • Use short complex passages for which students need instructional support.

Have students reread – for different purposes Teach them how to annotate text.

Teach them how to ask and answer text dependent questions.

Facilitate text-based discussions.

So what do good readers do?

They…

• • • • • • • • • Preview the text Implement background knowledge Visualize Question Infer/ Predict Summarize/ Paraphrase Determine important ideas vs supporting details Make connections Reread for clarification

• Many students are already using some of these strategies. The teacher’s job is to help good readers identify what they are already doing and help struggling readers develop those same skills.

Help them develop conscious competence!

Help students Preview the text

• • • • • • Look at the cover Determine difficulty level Determine genre Look at pictures; read captions Notice other text features: titles, sidebars, paragraphing, Table of Contents, index, etc.

Establish a purpose for reading

Why read this?

• • Teacher Why do I want my kids to read this text?

Why would my kids want to read this text?

NOT “because it’s in the Core” • • Student What will I learn from this text?

What strategies can I use to help me understand this text?

NOT “because the teacher assigned it”

Help students implement Background Knowledge

–

Help them make personal connections

–

Introduce context when relevant

–

Investigate author/genre/period background when appropriate

“That reminds me of …” “I remember…”

But…

“We inappropriately tell students what a text says before they have a chance to read it themselves . . . and we regrettably ask questions that, although of high intellectual level, probe more into the reader’s background experiences than into the text itself.” • Timothy Shanahan

So ask yourself…

• • • • • How much background do students need?

Does this information enhance their understanding?

How much time do you want to spend before getting into the text itself?

Are you “filling the gaps” or are you summarizing the text?

Are you spoon-feeding too much? Let the kids wrestle with the text.

Good readers use Background Knowledge + Close reading to improve comprehension The text must play the central role!

Help students Visualize the text

• • • Mental images -- What do you see, hear, feel, taste, smell?

Have students create illustrations, graphic organizers, other visual representations.

Go back to the text looking for specific details.

“If I can’t picture it, I can’t understand it.” - Einstein

Help students Ask Questions

• • • • • Question-Answer Response (QAR) – Right there – – Think and search Author and You – On My Own 5 W&H What, How, Why, What if?

ReQuest Bloom’s Taxonomy “Who questions much shall learn much and retain much.” • Francis Bacon)

Help students Infer and Predict

• • Educated guess, based on evidence in the text Reading between the lines “Democracy requires that people read between the lines.” – Jago The text + personal experience = a logical conclusion “I think _____will happen because_____” “My conclusion is _____because_____”

Evan M Anderson January 23, 1925-November 11, 1943 “Our hero. He gave his all.” (small American flag in the ground) “Loving husband” Steven B. Anderson May 2, 1900-May 28, 1944 “Rest in Peace” (small American flag) Ruth M. Anderson July 22-1902-March 13, 1998 (engraved rose on a pink granite headstone)

Help students Determine Main Ideas

• and supporting details Identify main idea or theme – Topic = One word/phrase - – What the text is about – Theme / thesis = Complete sentence – Overriding idea related to the topic • Differentiate between important points and trivia “I think this is really important because…”

Help students Summarize and Paraphrase

• Retell the key points in their own words.

(1) determine main idea of the passage as a whole; (2) select most important points; (3) eliminate specific details; (4) condense into a concise statement “What does this really mean? How do I know?”

Help students Make Connections

• • • • Text-to-self – How does this relate to me personally?

Text-to-text – How does this relate to other texts?

Text-to-world – How does this relate to the world?

Rhetoric --How do the textual elements work together to create overall meaning?

Encourage students to Reread

Have them go back to the same text several times, looking for different things each time • • • • Essential for clarification Encourages attention to detail Assists students in deciding what’s important Permits reflection, developing students’ shifting understandings • “Good reading is rereading.” – • Pat Monahan “One cannot read a book: one can only reread it.” • Vladimir Nabokov -

Before reading…

… students prepare to comprehend the text.

• • • • • What is my primary reason or purpose for reading this text?

Should I try to remember details or read for main ideas only?

How much time will I spend on the reading?

What do I already know about the topic?

What do I want or need to learn from this text?

• In the past, reading instruction has occurred after students finished reading. However, frontloading instruction for students who are struggling can be much more effective – helps them overcome challenges that they face when gaining access to and attempting to understand text, resulting in improved comprehension. • (Berkeley & Barber, p. 19)

For reluctant readers

• • • • • • Tell students what to look for, what to expect.

Preview author’s purpose, audience.

Preview main idea. Walk through text features.

Relate to prior knowledge.

Create curiosity.

Help students learn how to do this on their own.

During reading…

… students make sense of the text.

• • • • • • What does this part mean? What is the author trying to say here?

Why does this matter?

Does the author explain this clearly?

Where do I agree with the author?

Where do I disagree?

What organizational cues do I see?

Teach them how to annotate.

• • • • Make a comment for each highlight Marginalia + - ? !

Use post-its What to mark – Whatever they think is important – Whatever they don’t understand – Whatever they like/dislike, agree/disagree with – Whatever they think is related.

For reluctant readers

• • • Help them decide how much to read each day.

Teach them how to interact with the text.

• Reading with the grain • Reading against the grain Provide benchmarks to “say something” (oral and/or written) while reading.

After reading…

… students elaborate on or extend the ideas they have encountered. They do something with it!

• • • • What did I learn from the text?

Why does this matter?

Did the text help solve a problem?

Did the text help me see the issue from a different perspective?

For reluctant readers

• • • Facilitate rich discussions that engage all students. Assign relevant writing tasks that will aid in comprehension (“Writing to learn”) Help them understand the value of what they have read and how it applies to them personally (“So what?!”)

To effectively teach the strategies,

• • • • • Teach one at a time in short mini-lessons. Use texts below grade level Model the strategy, thinking aloud.

Provide ample practice opportunities for each strategy.

Post the list of learned strategies on the wall. Remind students to refer to the list often.

Key elements of Informational Text

• • • • • • Main idea / support Summary – gist Audience / purpose / point of view Credible evidence from the text Genre – include visual and digital text Language – loaded words

Organization of Informational Text

sequence/chronology/ process compare/contrast cause/effect problem/solution spatial/description pro/con arguments

To teach informational text

• • • • Give them short passages at the beginning. Start with a paragraph.

Have them write short summaries.

Let students write open-ended questions for other students to answer.

Use text sets – different reading levels of the same text; different texts related to the same topic. www.newsela.com

Key elements of Literary text

• • • • Organization – beginning, middle, end Elements of story: plot, character, setting, point of view, conflict, theme Literary elements: dialogue, figurative language, tone, flashback, foreshadowing, etc. Focus on Essential Questions: universal questions that engage critical thinking, focus on inquiry, and foster connections.

Other strategies to Unwrap the Package

• • • • • • • KWL Written responses / reflections Book talks Dialectical journals Study guides Literary circles Think/ pair/ share

And More

• • • • • • • Tableau Jigsaw Evolution logs Graphic organizers Alpha boxes Stop and say Reflective writing

“Reading comprehension does not automatically occur as a person looks at words on a page; reading is a deliberate act of making meaning that can be taught and practiced.”

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Quoted in L’Allier & Elish-Piper

“We must teach students that it’s all right not to understand something the first time they read it. It’s the ‘hard’ that makes comprehending difficult reading great. ‘Hard’ is necessary. ‘Hard’ is a good four-letter word.” • Kelly Gallagher

“All of us are good readers and . . . all of us are also bad readers . . . We [should] continue learning to read the hard stuff throughout our lives.”

• Kelly Gallagher

References

• • • • • • • Anderson, Deb. “Reading Instruction that Meet Students Where They Are.” The Council Chronicle (Sept. 2013).

Berkeley, Sheri, and Ana Taboada Barber. Maximizing Effectiveness

of Reading Comprehension Instruction in Diverse Classrooms.

Brookes, 2015 Feller, Ben. “Study: Reading Key to College Success.” Boston.com (Mar. 1, 2006).

Fisher, Michael. “A Critical Look at the Close Reading Standard.” Middle Web (Oct. 3, 2014).

Gallagher, Kelly. Motivational Mini-Lessons for Middle and High School. Stenhouse, 2003.

Jago, Carol. NWNCTE Regional Conference (Mar. 2014).

Kitting, Penny. “Book Love.” NWNCTE Regional Conference (Mar. 2014)

More references

• • • • • • • • L’Allier, Susan K. and Laurie Elish-Piper. “’Walking the Walk’ With Teacher Education Candidates: Strategies for Promoting Active Engagement with Assigned Readings.” Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 50.5 (Feb. 2007). Lenski, Susan. “Close Reading.” NWNCTE Regional Conference (Mar. 2014).

Moeller, Victor. “Active and Close Reading.” Monahan, Pat. “You Want Me to Teach Reading? Confessions of a Secondary Literature Teacher.” English Journal 97.6 (July 2008).

Serafini, Frank. “Close Readings and Children’s Literature.” The Reading Teacher 67.4:299-301 (Dec. 2013-Jan. 2014).

Shanahan, Timothy. “Letting the Text Take Center Stage.” American Educator 37.3 (Fall 2013) Vacca & Vacca. Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum. Longman, 1999.

Varlas, Laura. “When the Screen Goes Blank.” Education Update 58.7

(July 2014).

• • Lorraine Wallace • • Associate Professor Utah Valley University • Department of English & Literature Secondary Education Specialist • [email protected]

• 801-863-6064

Framework of reading instruction

• The purpose of reading is to make sense.

• Students must become confident in their ability to make meaning (not a “gift” that they don’t have).

• Reading can be fun.

• The Council Chronicle – Sept. 2013 “Reading Instruction That Meets Students Where they Are” - Deb Anderson – pp. 16-19

• “The purpose of active and close reading is to learn to read interpretively –to pay attention not merely to WHAT an author says but to WHY he says it in the WAY that he does.” – Victor Moeller • “The person who does not spend at least as much time in actively and definitely thinking about what he has read as he has spent in reading is simply insulting the author.” – Matthew Arnold • “There is a difference between teaching for information and teaching for complexity.” - Jim Burke

• Meanwhile, the nebula continued to orbit the new Sun until it formed a large flat ring around it. Scientists call this ring a “protoplanetary disk.” The disk, or ring, was hottest where it was closest to the Sun, and coolest at its outer edge. As the disk swirled around the Sun, the Sun’s gravity went to work. It pulled and tugged at the bits of rock, dust, ice, and gas until they came together in clumps of material we now call the planets. – Elaine Scott, “When is a Plant not a Planet?” in Wonders, grade 5 (New York, McGraw Hill. 2014). 407

• Meanwhile, the nebula continued to orbit the new Sun until it formed a large flat ring around it . Scientists call this ring a “ protoplanetary disk .” The disk, or ring , was hottest where it was closest to the Sun , and coolest at its outer edge. As the disk swirled around the Sun , the Sun’s gravity went to work. It pulled and tugged at the bits of rock, dust, ice, and gas until they came together in clumps of material we now call the planets . – Elaine Scott, “When is a Plant not a Planet?” in Wonders, grade 5 (New York, McGraw Hill. 2014). 407

• Teachers’ questions can influence student reading comprehension by highlighting which information is most important.

e.g. dates/places vs. reasons why • CCSS encourages “text-dependent questions” Not all relevant questions are equal.