comprehension focus group
TRANSCRIPT
Comprehension Focus Group:A Responsive and Engaging Literacy Intervention
for Middle School Students
Jill Johnson and Melissa Whitmore
Comprehensive 4K-12 Literacy Institute ~ July 19, 2017
Session Description
Literacy intervention at the middle school level must be responsive to student academic and motivational needs. Participants at this session will be provided with lesson plan and video examples of how two teachers aligned the Comprehension Focus Group (CFG) to student needs. Student achievement data will be shared as evidence of success!
Obtain resources and helpful tips to start your CFG journey
Identify the components of CFG
Learner Outcomes
Understand the purpose of CFG
4
3
21
Acquire a roadmap to implementing CFG in a middle school setting
Purpose of CFG
● Foundation of the intervention to reverse reading failure
● Teaching for transfer● The importance of reading and writing together
working together to lift (or support) comprehension● Cognitive apprenticeship/gradual release of
responsibility (I do, We do, You do)
Logistics
● 6-9+ weeks per unit● 30 minutes daily● Focused unit that includes strategy, content area and
theme● Predictable framework with established routines● Ongoing assessments● Writing Logs
Where do you start?
● Who the intervention is intended for/how to identify students
● Assessment tools
How we started...DATA
Student Date QRI/IRI STAR G.E. STAR %
XXXX 9/2016 2nd gr 3.8 7
0000 9/2016 3rd gr 4.8 17
KKKK 9/2016 2nd gr 4.1 9
MMMM 9/2016 4th gr 3.2 4
RRRR 9/2016 4th gr 6.4 30
SSSS 9/2016 3rd gr 4.7 10
Components ofComprehension
Focus Groups
1. Preparing for Reading
■ Assess prior knowledge■ Build background knowledge■ Mentor text that supports your
theme/text-structure/strategy (high level text)■ Building vocabulary
2. Reading Phase 1
■ Target specific skills/strategies needed with mini-lessons
■ Gradual release of responsibility■ Vocabulary■ Assessment (reflective/responsive teaching)■ Conferring (TDC pg 84-85): The teacher meets
individual reading needs through 1:1 conferences
3. Reading Phase 2
■ Discussion Groups (TDC pg 83-84, 87)■ respond to reading through writing:
● text-map● the teacher gives students a precision
prompt to focus their thoughts for writing in their response logs
● assessment (level of understanding)
4. Preparing for Writing
■ Assessment-what do they know■ The writing process■ Writing structure (relate back to mentor
text)/text-maps■ Modeling the writing process (I do/we
do-apprenticeship)■ Conferring
5. Writing Phase
■ Use mini-lessons to give strategies■ Student write using the writing process■ Reflection/assessment about writing strategies
and understanding of the strategy■ Conferencing
Sample Unit
Unit Overview
● Motivation● Selection of materials● Know what your end
goal is
Preparing for Writing Phase& Writing Phase
● You have to know what the end product is going to be so that you know how to get there
● Graphic organizers● Writing wheel/writing process● It’s not about the final product, it’s
about the process (example)Text map: page 2 Lesson Plans: 27-30
Preparing for Reading Phase
● Resources: being sensitive to the stigma of middle school
● Strategies/Responsive frame of mind● Literature: Use grade level text● Activity
TemplateLesson plans: 5-15
Reading Phase 1& Reading Phase 2
Reading Phase 1● Mini-lessons● Explicit teaching and
structure/practice● Formative assessment
Lesson plan: 16-26
Reading Phase 2
● LDG’s (TDC pg 87)● Setting guidelines/expectations● Responsive teaching● Response Logs/Struggle with
organization
Lesson plan: 16-26
DATA...our results
StudentSeptember
2016QRI/IRI
January 2017
QRI/IRI
May2017
QRI/IRIGOAL
XXXX 2nd gr 4th gr 5th gr 5th gr
0000 3rd gr 6th gr 7th gr 6th gr
KKKK 2nd gr 5th gr 5th gr 5th gr
MMMM 4th gr 6th gr 6th gr 7th gr
RRRR 4th gr 6th gr 7th gr 7th gr
SSSS 3rd gr 8th gr 8th gr 6th gr
Resources
Q & A
http://www.wisconsinpclcenter.org/