TEXT COMPLEXITY &

YOUR TEXT

Literacy Leadership TeamDiscussion Platform #3

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Overview & Goals

Text Complexity Review

Why the Emphasis on Text Complexity?

Rate YOUR Text

Instructional Implications

Homework: Identify Vocabulary

Next Steps – Planning for Roll-out to Faculty

AGENDA

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YOUR TEXTDid you do your

homework?You will need a nonfiction piece of text from your curriculum that could act as an anchor text for introducing a topic.

Text, Task, & Instruction3

WHY THE EMPHASIS ON

TEXT COMPLEXITY?1. Building knowledge through

content-rich nonfiction

2. Reading, writing, and speaking grounded in evidence from text, both literary and informational

3. Regular practice with complex text and its academic language

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CCSS Anchor Reading Standard 10 :

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

Text, Task, & Instruction 5

WHY THE EMPHASIS ON TEXT COMPLEXITY?

Text, Task, & Instruction

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It changes drastically across grades 4-12.It increases in length & complexity:

abstract vocabulary termsdense conceptsnetwork of related conceptssentence structuretext organization (text structure)

Because shift happens with text, too…

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The Standards’ Model of Text Complexity

A Three-part Model for Measuring Text Complexity

Refer to Appendix A, page 4, for more information… Q

ualit

ativ

e

Quantitative

Reader and TaskREMEMBER THE

3 PARTS?

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Let's take a look...

TEXT, TASK, & INSTRUCTION

Shift 3: Regular practice with

complex text and its

academic language

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QUANTITATIVE MEASURE—using computer software:

• ATOS—use the following link: http://www.renlearn.com/atos/analyze.aspx?type=3

• Lexile—use the following link: http://lexile.com/

• Flesche-Kincaid—use Microsoft Office Word

Text Complexity & YOUR Text

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Keeping in mind the READER & TASK—

The inherent difficulty of reading and comprehending a text combined with the variables of both the reader and task.

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Text Complexity & YOUR Text

Qualitative Dimensions—

Require a human…or two

Let’s get started!13

Text Complexity & YOUR Text

The tools Florida uses for rating text are:

1. Common Core Standards Qualitative Features of Text Complexity—Explained

2. Qualitative Dimensions of Text Complexity Charts by grade band

Rating Your Text

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Each passage should be read by at least two people (or more)

List the evidence from the passage for the features of text complexity in each category using the criteria from the Common Core Standards Qualitative Features of Text Complexity—Explained

Using your best judgment, rate the passage on each grade band for each category as well.

Rate the overall placement of the passage with justification as simple, moderate, or complex.

Steps for Rating Your Text

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With a partner, use the Text Complexity Chart to discuss:

1. THE RANGE OF COMPLEXITY From easy to complex & For each text characteristic

2. HOW DOES TEXT COMPLEXITY IMPACT:

Your content area instruction?Student learning in your content area classroom?

Do or do not... there is no try. -Yoda

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What about the Vocabulary?A quick introduction…

Tier 2 Words (General Academic Words)Words are generally useful for students to

know and are likely to encounter with some frequency in their reading

Not unique to a particular discipline –and are not the clear responsibility of a particular content area teacher

Tier 3 Words (Discipline-Specific)Words that are important to understanding a

specific reading selection or concept. 18

HomeworkWHAT ARE THE CORE UNDERSTANDINGS

AND KEY IDEAS OF YOUR TEXT? Add this to your planning template.

READ APPENDIX A: pages 33 & 34.

CHOOSE THE BEST WORDS TO TEACH— Identify Tier 2 and Tier 3 words from your text and add the words to your planning template.

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Next Up: LLT Discussion Platforms #4

& #5

#4: OVERVIEW OF TEXT-DEPENDENT

QUESTIONS

#5: TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS AND YOUR

TEXT

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You will need to bring your text for Discussion

Platform #5.

Hold on to your text from Platform #3—you will use it to write text-dependent questions with your text in Platform #5: TEXT-DEPENDENT QUESTIONS & YOUR TEXT.

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HOW WILL YOUR LITERACY LEADERSHIP TEAM ROLL THIS OUT TO THE ENTIRE FACULTY?

ROLL OUT

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Thank you!

Text, Task, & Instruction