Sharon Walpole Michael C. McKenna Zoi A. Philippakos Is it important for upper elementary? Vocabulary and comprehension are open- ended skill sets. They.
Download ReportTranscript Sharon Walpole Michael C. McKenna Zoi A. Philippakos Is it important for upper elementary? Vocabulary and comprehension are open- ended skill sets. They.
Sharon Walpole Michael C. McKenna Zoi A. Philippakos Is it important for upper elementary? Vocabulary and comprehension are open- ended skill sets. They present a never-ending challenge because the texts students face become more complex and the vocabulary contained in those texts continues to expand. Grade-level basal instruction in the upper elementary grades is often inadequately focused on this challenge. Is it reasonable for upper elementary? Even though all students receive grade-level Tier I instruction, which includes comprehension and vocabulary, some students are poised to become far more skillful if given the opportunity. This opportunity should be extended, during Tier II instruction, to students whose oral reading fluency is adequate. Planning and implementing this instruction involves a balance of explicit instruction, student collaboration, and independent work. What can we assume about these children? Their reading fluency is at or above grade level. Many will possess a good foundation of vocabulary and prior knowledge on which to build. They are likely to be familiar with basic text structures after encountering them in simpler texts. They are likely to be able to apply key comprehension strategies while reading simpler texts. To what extent to you think your high- achieving readers are being challenged? Tier I 45-60 min? Tier II 45-60 min? Grade-Level Instruction Interactive Read-Aloud Written Response WR & F Reading practice F&C Reading Practice Written Response Written Response Literature or Idea Circles V&C Tier I 45-60 min? Tier II 45-60 min? Grade-Level Instruction Interactive Read-Aloud Written Response WR & F Reading practice F&C Reading Practice Written Response Written Response Literature or Idea Circles V&C Tier I 45-60 min? Tier II 45-60 min? Grade-Level Instruction Interactive Read-Aloud Written Response WR & F Reading practice F&C Reading Practice Written Response Written Literature or Explicit Instruction Response Idea Circles V&C What does the explicit instruction component entail for fiction? Vocabulary Comprehension Select a small number of Introduce the text, after Tier 2 words. anticipating gaps in prior knowledge. Review an Do not preteach the appropriate words, but discuss their comprehension strategy. meanings after the Focus post-reading children read. discussion on summaries and inference. What does the explicit instruction component entail for nonfiction? Vocabulary Comprehension Identify content-area Preview the text structure words key to and suggest a focus for understanding. reading. Orient postreading discussion Introduce these words, around this focus. Stress stressing both their meanings and how they summaries, inference, text structure, and are interrelated. vocabulary. Planning for fiction and nonfiction selections is similar, but there are important differences. Let’s consider each type separately. How to Plan a Lesson for Nonfiction • Consider the instructional potential of the book. • Decide how to preteach key vocabulary. • Decide how to build necessary background knowledge. • Decide whether to highlight one or more text • • • • structures. Decide whether to highlight one or more comprehension strategies. Decide how to focus comprehension as children read. Decide how to structure the post-reading discussion. Consider ties to written responses and/or idea circles. Identifying Instructional Possibilities Read for content. Make sure you understand. Judge whether the book is suitable. Reread to determine prior knowledge needs. Think about new vocabulary. Consider how the book is structured: • Note its overall structure. • What graphics, sidebars, and other features are included? Preteaching Key Vocabulary Consider links to previous learning. Think about ways to bridge backward. Consider diagrams, such as a concept map. Consider a feature analysis chart. Include ways for children to contribute. Building Background • Consider previous lessons. •What can children be expected to know? •Choose where to add information. •Before the read-aloud or at strategic points •Choose how to introduce information. •Best done by telling? Adding to a graphic? Kindergarten This text is written in simple language, but the concept itself is very difficult. The text is perfect for a concept map. It introduces the concept of gravity as a type of force. Third Grade This text is written in fairly simple language. Information come from the words and the pictures. There is a table of contents, a glossary, and an index. The text is perfect for feature analysis. It introduces the potential uses of tools. Fix Things Wrench Marker Measuring Cup Magnifying Glass Wheelbarrow Pulley Hammer Paint Brush Make Things See Things Measure Things Move Things Wrench Marker Measuring Cup Magnifying Glass Wheelbarrow Pulley Hammer Paint Brush Fix Things Make Things See Things Measure Things Move Things + + – – s Highlighting Text Structures Determine key organizational patterns. Remember that more than one may be used. Basic structures might be nested within one another. Text Structure: Scholastic News Text Structure: Categories A Look at Basic Text Structures Sequence Cause and Effect Cycle Hierarchy Topic/Subtopic Compare/Contrast Narrative First Grade This text uses chapters to present general information about light, but the main idea is that light travels in a straight line and then is effected by the objects it hits. First Light moves in a straight line Then Light hits a transparent object Light hits an opaque object Finally Light passes through Light reflects or is absorbed Second Grade One difficult science concept in this book is that heat transfers. The text is useful for showing second graders the concept of cause and effect in the physical world. You are hot and go into the ocean The water is colder than you The heat moves from your body to the water You are cooled down Second Grade The text is useful for showing second graders how to use the phonetic spellings in a glossary to find the pronunciations of new words. It is also useful for modeling how to construct understanding from words and from illustrations. Mature fruiting body releases spores The mycelium sprout a fruiting body above ground The mycelium (like roots) spread underground Millions of tiny spores are spread by animals and wind Some spores make their way underground and sprout Second Grade This text has very simple language, but that might make it more difficult for children to find the main idea – that there are three specific types (states) of matter. Matter Solid Ice cube Liquid Baseball bat Ocean Gas Milk Air Water Vapor Kindergarten This text argues that children can practice important science skills in the kitchen! It is useful to show that authors sometimes tell information that is not in any hierarchical order. Measuring Time Using Tools Classifying Observing Actions Following Steps Third Grade This text contains complex ideas; you could not target all of them in one read aloud! One potential focus is the difference between kinetic and potential energy. •Energy of motion •Fast-moving objects have more than slow-moving •The ability to do work •We need energy •Energy can come from your body •Heavier objects have more than lighter objects •Energy that is stored •Anything that can fall •Energy stored in food Third Grade This text contains complex language. There are three chapters, and each uses a different text structure! The text is useful for showing third graders that information text authors use multiple structures. Igneous rock • Formed when magma cools Made of Metamorphic rock minerals • Formed when other rocks are changed by head and pressure Sedimentary rock • Formed when items are squeezed together Second Grade Some information authors use a mixedgenre format. Information is embedded within the details of a story. Children may not notice the information until they first process the story. Setting Characters Title Problem Solution Classroom, Power Plant, Electricity lines Ms. Frizzle and children Electric field trip The gang are tiny and stuck in an electric switch in a vacuum A dog makes a mess and the vacuum is back on to clean up – and the kids benefit from the electric current Comprehension Strategies Strategies form a “toolbox.” They are to be used as needed. Not all are appropriate on all occasions. All key strategies should be reviewed early in the year. Small-group selections provide good opportunities for reviewing the strategies in more challenging prose contexts. Basic Comprehension Strategies Visualizing Inferring Retelling Building mental images that represent content Logically combining stated or known facts to arrive at unstated facts Creating an informal narrative that includes key events and sufficient detail Finding or Inferring Main Idea Distinguishing more important from less important information and arriving at the most important single fact, either by finding it explicitly stated or by inferring it Summarizing Linking a series of main ideas into a coherent overview of a text Linking information within the same book or across more than one book Synthesizing Post-Reading Discussion Plan a discussion immediately following the reading while content is fresh. Focus on inferential thinking and drawing conclusions. Review the vocabulary you introduced prior to reading. Revisit the comprehension strategy or strategies you chose to highlight. Post-Reading Discussion Scholastic News Follow-up: Writing Plan activities that prompt meaningful written responses. Worksheets Options: • Talking points • Alternative titles • Back-cover blurb (a student-friendly summary) • Application based on the book • Writing to convert a graphic organizer into prose • Completing a new diagram or chart • Concept sorting activities Follow-up: Collaboration Plan activities that promote collaboration through idea circles. • Create a text set of selections about the same topic but differing in their specific content. These selections should be at or slightly above grade level. They can be short trade books or articles. • Provide students with a choice of selections. • Provide students with time to read the selctions. • Provide assistance if necessary. • Provide time for students to share their choices. How to Plan the Lesson for Fiction • Consider the instructional potential of the book. • Select Tier 2 vocabulary. • Decide how to build necessary background knowledge. • Decide whether to highlight one or more • • • • comprehension strategies. Decide how to focus comprehension as children read. Decide how to teach the Tier 2 words. Decide how to structure the post-reading discussion. Consider ties to written responses and/or literature circles. Indentifying Instructional Possibilities Read for content. Make sure you understand. Judge whether the book is suitable. Reread to determine prior knowledge needs. Think about new vocabulary. Consider how the book is structured: Note its overall structure. What graphics, sidebars, and other features are included? Selecting Tier 2 vocabulary Remember that Tier 2 words are those that are general rather than content-area words, are not so frequently encountered that children will learn them through day-to-day events, but are not so rare that they are not likely to be very helpful in later readings. Examples: unfortunate, apologize Remember that there is no list of Tier 2 words. You must apply the simple rules above to identify them. Remember too that the words you select are not likely to be related in meaning (unlike content-area words). Teaching Tier 2 Vocabulary Pronounce the word and have the students pronounce it. Tell how the author used the word in the story. Suggest either a synonym or a simply worded definition. Use the word in several different sentence contexts. Ask the students to use the word in a context of their own. Pronounce the word again and have the students pronounce it. Tier II: Excruciating Follow-up: Collaboration Plan activities that promote collaboration through literature circles. • There are many ways to structure literature circles, but what they have in common is a common text and a structure for students to discuss it. • One way to get them started is to assign students responsibilities (e.g., questioner, word finder, visualizer, connector). • You will have to teach students the structure and model it in order for it to work. Introduction to Literature Circles Literature Circles: Sample Word Finder Key Differences in Planning for Nonfiction and Fiction Nonfiction Fiction Many text structures are possible Narrative structure is the only and require instruction. one, and children are familiar. Content-area vocabulary words are related in meaning. General vocabulary words (Tier 2) are unrelated in meaning. Word meanings are essential for comprehension. Word meanings are peripheral to comprehernsion. Words are introduced before reading. Words are introduced after reading. Follow-up includes idea circles, with a different book for each student. Follow-up includes literature circles, with the same book read by all students. Tier I 45-60 min? Tier II 45-60 min? Grade-Level Instruction Interactive Read-Aloud Written Response WR & F Reading Practice F&C Reading Practice Written Response Written Response Literature or Idea Circles V&C How would you accomplish this? Grade-level teams can actually plan just one set of lessons for a high-achieving group and share them. There are no developmental or diagnostic data needed to plan for this group. The instruction has to be challenging and the books have to be interesting. None of these ideas is new! Content area reading texts provide the research base for all of these techniques. What we are asking you to consider is using this type of good instruction during your grade-level time, in your read-alouds for all students, in your science and social studies instruction for all students, and in Tier II reading instruction for those children with adequate oral reading fluency.