tfa reading strategies

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TEACH FOR AMERICA

High Leverage

Reading StrategiesA Guide for Teachers of Reading

Grades Pre-K through Twelve Mollie M. Cura

2010



© Created by Mollie Cura 2010

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Reading Strategies: An Overview

Strategy Definition Why readers need itPredicting Using sources of information to

anticipate what will happen inthe text.

*To engage in the text*To think deeply about character choices*To think deeply about how story elementseffect plot

Activating backgroundknowledge

Bring to light readers‟ prior ,accurate knowledge of contentand structure of text.

*To fuel our connections*To promote questioning*To develop “hooks” in our minds on whichto place new information

Makingconnections

Relating the text to the reader‟slife, other texts, and the larger world.

*Readers can empathize with characters*Readers think about more expansive issues*To predict characters‟ actions *To learn life lessons

Visualizing Making mental images in our mind driven by the text, our prior knowledge, and our inferences.

*To help us retain information and plot*To help us become attached to characters*To prevent readers from abandoning books

Questioning Driven by curiosity, readers ask questions about what they‟rereading.

*To help us monitor comprehension*To interact with the text*To clarify confusion*To propel us deeper into the reading

Inferring To derive further information by reasoning or evidence

*To connect us to characters‟ feelings *Enables us to make predictions*Enables us to visualize

*Allows us to see characters‟ motivations *Forces us to think more deeply about themeaning of the text

Determiningimportance(Analyzing)

Picking the most importantinformation, highlightingessential ideas, isolatingsupporting details, reading for specific information(Harvey and Goudvis 2007)

*To help readers sort information*To help readers decide what to remember *Forces us to infer themes

Synthesizing Putting individual pieces of information together with our

background knowledge to formnew, deeper information, a newperspective, or new insight

*To form new understandings*To grow new perspectives

Critiquing Evaluating and judging a text byusing personal or worldknowledge

*To notice biases in text*To determine authenticity and quality of atext*To form opinions on the text itself, theauthor and the subject of the text




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Author’s Notes

…a bout graphic organizers:

Graphic organizers are visual representations of one‟s thinking. A graphic organizer

is most effective in its simplest form because students can recreate a simplistic formin any setting. You will see that I suggest the use of T-charts and E-charts often.These, along with webs and Venn diagrams are extremely simple to recreate and can

be done so on scraps of paper, sticky notes, etc. This promotes the use of organizersin independent reading. The student will not have to rely on the teacher to distributethe forms. You will not see lots of fancy, complex organizers in this document

because in order for students to recreate them as they read independently wouldrequire brain capacity I would rather them spend on comprehension and analysis.

…about the “Ways to Teach It” sections:

The ideas included in these sections are samples to get your mind going. You willneed to modify them to meet the needs of your students. It is imperative that you usethe gradual release model (I do, We do, You do) regardless of how or what you areteaching. Expecting students to be successful in something they‟ve never seen donecorrectly and then practiced with either the teacher or a proficient peer is settingthem up to fail.

… about collecting and analyzing sticky notes and student work:

You will find that I encourage the use of sticky notes as a way for readers to monitor their comprehension and for you to check their understanding of the strategy and thetext. Gathering these sticky notes and determining who is using the strategyeffectively should not be a laborious process. Here is what I always do and encourageyou to do, as well:

1) Gather sticky notes 2) Review notes and separate into three piles (Got it!, Almost there, and

Need my support). If you can pinpoint the breakdown of students in the„Need my support‟ category, break them up even further.

3) The next day, pull a small group of those students needing your support.4) Keep the sticky notes as anecdotal notes for your records

…about the Appendix:

I have included some graphic organizers in the Appendix. Please modify these basedon the age and needs of your students. Use more picture supports for younger students. Change the language of the organizers to meet the needs of your children.

...about CFUs:

I have taken the liberty of abbreviating Check For Understanding with CFU.




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Predicting

Objectives/Teaching Points

Basic objectives:

Students will be able to predict by reading the title and looking at the cover andasking themselves, “What do I think is going to happen in this text?”

Students will be able to predict by taking a picture walk through the text and askingthemselves, “What do I think will happen in this story based on the pictures?”

Students will be able to predict by reading titles (including chapter titles), headings,and captions and asking themselves, “What do I think this text will be about?”

Higher level objectives:

Students will be able to predict by using what they already know about their character to anticipate his future actions and decisions.

Students will be able to predict by recalling what they already know about the genre,structure, author, character or topic of a text and using this to describe what mighthappen in the text. Note: There are several teaching points included in this objective and based on grade and students, they should be taught separately. I do not recommend teaching this as one lesson, rather four or more.

Students will be able to predict by using personal experience and world knowledge todescribe what might happen in the text. Note: This might include: problems usually get

solved, bullies usually cave in, it always stops snowing at some point, the 1960s were the thick of the civil rights movement.

Students will be able to reflect on their predictions by noticing when their predictionsare validated or need to be modified. Note: Be careful not to tell students their predictions

were wrong. As long as students can articulate why they made their predictions, their predictions are not wrong.

Students will be able to change/modify their predictions by reading on, thinkingabout what happens in the text and asking themselves, “Does my original predictionstill fit? Do I need to make a new one?”

Students will be able to change/modify their predictions by looking for hints, clues,warning, or foreshawdowings supplied by the author.

Ways to Teach It1) As you read aloud, describe what you think might happen in the book and

explicitly name how you are coming to this prediction (title, pictures, genre,

personal experience, world knowledge).

CFU

Strategy Definition Why readers need it

Predicting Using sources of

information to anticipatewhat will happen in the text

*To engage in text

*To think deeply about character choices*To think deeply about how storyelements effect plot




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Ask students to jot down their predictions on sticky notes as they comeup with them. Be sure they include what prompted them make thatprediction. Review sticky-notes. Look to see which sources they areusing to predict and expand their repertoire as needed.

2)

Model for the students how to use a T-chart graphic organizer to write outwhich part of the text makes you predict what.

[ Prediction – Clue for Prediction ] (Appendix A)

CFU Ask students to replicate the T-chart using a text on their level. Noticethe frequency (too often, not often enough?) and placement (only inthe beginning?) of the predictions.

3) Model for the students how to expand the abovementioned T-chart with an

E-chart (Witherell 2007):

[ Prediction – Clue for Prediction – What Actually Happened ] (Appendix B)

CFU Similar to #2. Additionally, see how the students are reflecting ontheir predictions. Are they starting to notice when they should modifytheir thinking?

4) Model taking a picture walk through the book and using the pictures todescribe what will happen.

CFU Ask students to take a picture walk through a book on their level. Havethem sketch or write their prediction. Talk to students about whatdrove their thinking.

Helpful Graphic OrganizersAppendix A: [ Prediction – Clue for Prediction ]Appendix B: [ Prediction – Clue for Prediction – What Actually Happened ]Appendix C: [ What I Predict – Changing My Prediction – My Reasons to Change

or Not ]Appendix D: Looking at the cover and the pictures




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Activating Background Knowledge

Strategy Definition Why readers need itActivating backgroundknowledge

Bring to light readers‟ prior accurate knowledge of

content and structure of text

*To fuel our connections*To promote questioning

*To develop “hooks” in our minds on which to placenew information


Basic objectives:

Students will be able to activate prior knowledge by reading the title of the text andasking themselves, “Based on the topic, what words do I expect to see in this text?How might those words be used?”

Students will be able to activate prior knowledge by asking themselves, “What do I

think I already know about this topic?” *Note: Be sure to emphasize that this is what

students think they know. Unlearning information followed by learning new material is

significantly more challenging than learning it right in the first place!

Students will be able to activate prior knowledge by taking a picture walk through thetext and asking themselves, “What do I see on these pages that I already know a little

bit about?”


Students will be able to activate prior knowledge by coming up with questions abouta topic before, during, and after reading and discussing those questions with peers.

Students will be able to activate prior knowledge by connecting the topic of the textto personal experience or world knowledge.

Ways to Teach It 1) Wordsplash (see Appendix E)

Teacher writes a topic on board/paper. Teacher brainstorms words that sheassociates with that word. After jotting down 10-20 words, teacher createssentences relating the brainstormed words to the original topic.

CFU Ask students to do this using a topic from a different read aloud text or a text that is on their independent reading level. Look to see thatstudents are jotting down words that in some way relate to the topic. If students cannot articulate how their brainstormed words relate to the

topic, redirect.

2) Semantic Mapping/Semantic WebbingTeacher writes the topic on the board and writes what he thinks of when hehears that word (similar to a wordsplash). Teacher lists the words on the

board, putting the words into categories. Teacher labels the categories. After reading about the topic, teacher augments the original map by adding on andchanging it.

CFU After practicing with the teacher or proficient peers, students should

create their own semantic map. After reading, the students should usea different colored pencil or pen to augment their map. By using a




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different color, the teacher can see how their new learning connects towhat they thought they knew on the outset.

3) Model creating an E-chart

[ Questions About the Topic – What We Think We Know – New Learning ](See Appendix F)

I find this chart preferable to the KWL chart (What We Know – What WeWant to Know – What We‟ve Learned). This chart frames students‟ prior learning in a tentative way: What We Think We Know. When students share

what they know (either verbally or in writing) and they are sharing incorrectinformation, it is significantly harder for them to unlearn and then correctly

learn new information. We do not want to show the students that we don‟tvalue their knowledge, but if it‟s incorrect we want to emphasize that it‟ssomething we only think we know.

CFU Students create their own E-chart. Teacher checks to see:

1) If their questions are related to the topic and are substantial,2) If they understand that what they know is tentative untilconfirmed and,3) That their new learning is meaningful and relevant.

Helpful graphic organizer Appendix E: Sample word splashAppendix F: [ Questions About the Topic – What We Think We Know – New

Learning ]




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Making Connections

Strategy Definition Why readers need itMakingconnections

Relating the text to thereader‟s life, other texts,

and the larger world.

*Readers can then empathize withcharacters

*Readers think about more expansiveissues*To predict characters‟ actions *To learn life lessons

Note: We want to ensure that we are encouraging students to make authentic, andnot tangential, connections. It is critical that we ask them to consider how these

connections provide us with a deeper understanding of the text. Usually we find thatconnections help students predict characters‟ actions, understand characters‟

emotions and motivations, understand relationships between characters. Students

will gradually refine their connections and eliminate tangential ones.

Three types of connections:1) Text to self – Relating events or characters in a text to ones‟ life 2) Text to text – Relating events or characters in a text to those in other texts3) Text to world – Relating events or characters in a text to those in the world

Objectives/Teaching Points Most of the following teaching points can be modified to fit any of three types of connections.

Basic objectives:

Students will be able to make connections to a text by empathizing with the character (or putting yourself in the characters‟ shoes).

Students will be able to make connections between texts by comparing theprotagonists‟ personalities and actions.

Students will be able to make connections by noticing similarities in setting.


Students will be able to make connections between texts by analyzing similar messages or themes.

Students will be able to make connections to a text by thinking of a time they had asimilar problem to the character and reflecting on how they solved their problem.Readers then wonder if the character may solve her problem that same way.

Students will be able to make connections between texts by comparing andcontrasting different versions of the same story (fairytales, folktales, biographies,

historical fiction) for the purpose of deeper understanding of plot, character, etc.

Students will be able to make connections between texts written by the same author in order to figure out the author‟s opinions and biases.

Students will be able to make connections by comparing settings of texts andwondering how those settings influence their respective plotlines.




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Ways to Teach It It is best to teach connections in the following order: text to self, text to text, text to world.

1) Model using the E-chart:

[ Event in text – Similar event in my life – How this helps me understand the text](See Appendix G)

Reread a familiar story (one you‟ve previously read and discussed with thestudents). Model for the children where you can relate events in the character‟slife to events in your life. Point out that this helps you understand any number of the following: How the character feels How the character might react What others think of the character What lessons you learned about life

The basis for this understanding is that you have experienced something similar to the character and are drawing from that experience to connect to the character.

CFU Using a book on their independent reading level, students should think about how they can connect to events their characters areexperiencing. They should then think through how that enhances their comprehension of the plot.

2) Use the above technique to model your connections to story elements deeper

than simple events (internal thought, relationships, problems, reactions, etc).

CFU Same as #1

3) Facilitate whole class conversations around a simple text. Students naturallywant to talk about themselves. With gentle guidance and explicit modeling youwill be able to steer them to talk about how the book connects to their lives andhow that deepens their understanding.

Guiding questions might include:

What lesson did you learn from this text? What lesson did the maincharacter teach us? What would you have done if you were [Character]? Why? How have you handled a similar situation to the situation [Character]

experienced?

CFU You‟ll want to take anecdotal notes on who is participating in thesediscussions and how germane their comments are. Are theyconnecting their thoughts back to the text? Are they allowing thecomments of others to influence and expand their thinking?

4) After reading several non-fiction texts on similar topics over a short period of time (one week), facilitate a similar discussion to the one above.

Guiding questions might include: How do Author A and Author B differ in their views on the

Holocaust? We learned about sharks in Book A and minnows in Book B. How do

you think sharks and minnows would interact? What text evidencesupports that?

After studying woman‟s suffrage movement, what types of

conversations do you think Susan B. Anthony and Hillary Clintonwould have? Why do you think that?




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CFU Same as #3

5) Text to world connections as inferences (Allington 2001):

Invite children to play a guessing game with you. Read them sections of atext, followed by questions that require world knowledge in addition to theknowledge of the text in order to make meaning. This activity is implicitlytied to inferring.

Examples may resemble:

Teacher reads: Luisa sat under the palm tree reading her book.

Teacher asks: What is the setting?

Students answer: Somewhere tropical.

Teacher asks: How did you know?

Students respond: I just know that palm trees only grow in tropical locations.

Teacher reads: George Washington finally arrived at Valley Forge.

Teacher asks: How did he get there?

Students answer: Perhaps a horse, walking. Not a car, though!

Teacher asks: How did you know?

Students respond: I just know that cars were not invented at that time.

Helpful Graphic Organizers

Appendix G: [ Event in text – Similar event in my life – How this helps meunderstand the text]




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Visualizing

Strategy Definition Why readers need to do it

Visualizing Making mental images inour mind driven by the text,

prior knowledge and our inferences.

*To help us retain information and plot*To help us become attached to characters

*To prevent us from abandoning books


Basic objectives:

Students will be able to visualize by picturing what the characters look like.

Students will be able to visualize by picturing the characters‟ actions, facialexpressions and gestures.

Students will be able to visualize by picturing the setting based on the author‟sdescription and what you already know about the setting from real life (ie. I knowthe beach is sandy and hot.)

Students will be able to visualize by using all of their senses (smell, sound, taste, feel)to connect to the book.

Students will be able to visualize by imagining familiar settings as their own. (ie. If

the setting is a classroom, picture your own classroom. If the setting is an apartment,picture your apartment.) *Note: This only works for fairly low level text in which the setting does not play a significant role in the plot and is a common location (laundromat , playground,

schoolyard).

Students will be able to visualize by acting out parts of the plot, facial expressions,and gestures.


Students will be able to revise their mental images as they read on and gather moreinformation.

Students will be able to visualize by using what they know about life and allowingthat to enhance their images. (ie. I know that penguins live in cold, snowy places sothe setting of this text must be somewhere chilly!)

Students will be able to visualize by researching that which is unfamiliar. (ie. the NileRiver, a tiger shark, American Indian headgear, lying supine on the floor, a malevolent

grin).

Students will be able to distinguish between mental images relevant to the plot andcritical to comprehension from those that are just fun to make!

Ways to Teach It

1) As you read aloud, stop periodically to orally describe what you are seeing. Pointout the parts of the text that made you visualize. Sketch these mental images in frontof students as you talk.




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CFU

Ask students to do the same either with a book on their independent level,

a read aloud or a shared text. Gather their sketches. A high quality sketchwill include details relevant to the text with few irrelevant objects,details that invoke all five senses, and details depicting characters‟

emotions (Keene 1997).

2) As you read aloud, use a T-chart [ Part of text – What I pictured ] to depict whichparts of the text made you picture what images. (See Appendix H)

Talking and writing prompts include I visualize… I picture… The movie in my mind is… I can almost smell… I can almost feel…

CFU Same as #1

3) Character Bulletin Board (Beers, 2003)Used with either a class novel or an independent reading book, encouragestudents to create a poster board or bulletin board of the protagonist. As theyglean information about the character, they can add words, pictures or objectsto their board in order to bring their character to life. This can be replicatedwith setting, antagonist, etc. Be sure to model this process first.

CFU

Same as #1. Additionally, take note of how the students are modifyingtheir images. What sources are they using to modify? Were their initialimages very far off? Why?

4) Ask students to sketch, in sequence, the mental images they see as they read. If the book is a picture book, students should be discouraged from sketching pictures thatthe illustrator already included and should be pushed to include images they‟veinferred. This connects nicely to the skill of retelling.

CFU

Same as #1

5) Using a picture book, students should use their mental images to sketch pages theythink the illustrator should have included.

CFU Same as #1

6) Read Froggy Gets Dressed (London 1992) without showing the students the pictures.

In this text, Froggy continues to put on articles of clothing. After modeling andsketching for the class the movie in your mind, children can visualize and sketch the

images they‟ve created in their minds (Whitherell 2007).

CFU Same as #1

7) Read the poem Something Missing by Shel Silverstein (below). Students areencouraged to picture in their minds as the gentleman gets dressed and figure outwhat he forgot to put on. (His pants!)




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Something Missingby Shel Silverstein

I remember I put on my socks,I remember I put on my shoes.

I remember I put on my tie

That was paintedIn beautiful purples and blues.

I remember I put on my coat,

To look perfectly grand at the dance,Yet I feel there is something

I may have forgot —

What is it? What is it? …

CFU Informally check to see which students were able to picture this.

A couple of notes…

*Encourage students to use their mental images for deeper comprehension:Draw conclusionsInterpret the textRecall the text after readingTalk about and adapt their images after hearing about or seeing other people‟simages

*When reading aloud, ask children to demonstrate the character‟s facial expressionsand gestures at certain times. This will let you know that they understand thecharacter‟s feeling. It will also help build a love of literature and motivate students toremain engaged.

Helpful Graphic OrganizersAppendix H: [Part of text – What I pictured]




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Questioning

“Making students inquisitive and giving them the opportunity and the intellectualtools to be so is one of the central purposes of education.” John Barell (2003)


Questioning Driven by curiosity, readersask questions about whatthey‟re reading.

*To help us monitor comprehension*To interact with the text*To clarify confusion*To propel us deeper into thereading


Basic objectives:

Students will be able to ask questions when they need to locate specific answers in atext.

Students will be able to ask questions about a text by noticing when they don‟tunderstand something and jotting down their question on a sticky note. Readers keepthese questions in mind, answering them when they can and seeking help when theycan‟t.

Students will be able to ask questions when they need to clarify meaning.


Students will be able to ask questions about a text by wondering aloud what themeaning of figurative language might be.

Students will be able to question the text by wondering about the larger, moreuniversal context.

Students will be able to ask questions to determine author‟s style, opinion, or purpose in an attempt to deepen comprehension or learn lessons.

Students will be able to ask questions about a text when they find themselves reactingstrongly to something. (ie. Why would Jamaica want to keep playing with her

brother even though he‟s so mean to her? How can people justify killing young calvesfor their meat? Esperanza is just a little girl. Shouldn‟t she be able to come toAmerica without having to hide in her uncle‟s truck? Do children from Mexico stillhave to do this?)

Ways to Teach It

1) Coding questions (Harvey and Goudvis 2007)As you read aloud to students, solicit and chart questions. Discuss and code(as listed below) questions. Model how simply asking questions promotesdeeper understanding of text because you are interacting with the text.

Note: The level of your students will determine your pace in introducing these codes.

A= answered in the textBK= answered using background knowledgeI= inferred

D= discussed




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RS= researchedC or ? = confused

CFU Ask students to code as they read their independent books. Review

their coding to see which types of questions they are asking mostfrequently, the density of their questions, the relevance of their questions to the meaning of the text, etc.

2) Wonder Books (Harvey and Goudvis 2000)

Wonder Books are non-fiction notebooks in which students jot down questionsthey have based on books they‟ve read, research they‟ve done, and topics of interest. Students code their questions and as they read on, answer them.

CFU

Periodically review students‟ Wonder Books. Notice the frequency anddensity of their questions. Notice if they are answering or reflecting ontheir questions.

3) Asking questions is naturally followed with answering those questions. Seekingout these answers propels our motivation to read on and read with our mindswide awake. Readers must “determine whether the answers to their questions can

be found in the text or whether they will need to infer the answer from the text,their background knowledge, and/or an outside source” (Miller 2002). As youare reading to your students, chart your questions and model coding them using asimilar system to the one below. Once sufficiently modeled, students can do this

independently.

I found my answer in the text = T I inferred my answer from the text = I I used my prior knowledge to answer the question = PK I found my answer using an outside source = OS

CFU Notice from what sources students are answering questions.Encourage them to draw from a range of sources. Take note of whatstudents do when they cannot answer a question.

4) Model taking two-column notes: [ Facts I‟ve Learned/Questions About ThoseFacts ] (See Appendix I)

5) Question Webs (Harvey and Goudvis 2007):At the center of the web is a question about the text. The lines off the center are possible responses to that question or deeper questions that have arisen.Children are encouraged to grow their web until their thinking about the topichas become deeper. (See Appendix K)

Helpful Graphic OrganizersAppendix I: [ Facts I‟ve Learning/Questions About Those ] Appendix J: I Wonder ChartAppendix K: Question Webs




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Inferring

“Inferring is about reading faces, reading body language, reading expressions, and reading tone as well as reading text.” Harvey and Goudvis

Strategy Definition Why readers need itInferring To derive further

information by reasoningor evidence

*To connect us to characters‟ feelings *Enables us to make predictions*Enables us to visualize*Allows us to see characters‟motivations*Forces us to think more deeply aboutthe meaning of the text


Basic objectives:

Students will be able to infer to whom the pronoun refers by paying attention to itsantecedent (ie. Ben and Courtney got into his car . – must be Ben‟s car).

Students will be able to infer the meaning of tricky words by reading text before andafter the word and asking oneself, “What other word might fit here?”

Students will be able to infer character‟s facial expressions, body language, and tone

by paying close attention to how the character acts in those events.

Students will be able to infer by connecting what is in the text with what is already intheir minds/prior knowledge.

Students will be able to infer characters‟ intonation by thinking about how thecharacter is feeling about the situation.

Students will be able to infer the theme of a text by asking themselves, “What lessonsdoes the author want me to learn by reading this text?”

Students will be able to infer the opinion of the author in a non-fiction text by askingthemselves, “What does the author write that gives me a hint about how she feelsabout [topic/person]?”


Students will be able to infer by making judgments about characters or events thathave not been explicitly stated.

Students will be able to infer by developing theories that explain characters‟ motives.

Students will be able to infer by recognizing and interpreting symbolism.

Students will be able to infer the author‟s view of the world and/or biases by payingclose attention to stated opinions.

Students will be able to infer characters‟ relationships to each other by paying closeattention to what the characters say to each other.

Students will be able to infer the theme of a text by seeking out the underlying ideas,morals and lessons in it. (Harvey and Goudvis 2007)

Students will be able to infer in non-fiction text and textbooks by first observing and




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process facts and then interpreting them.

Students will be able to infer by using “their prior knowledge and textual clues todraw conclusions and form unique interpretations of text.” (Miller 2002)

Ways to Teach It

1) Using a paragraph of a text, mark up the places in which you make inferenceswhile you‟re reading it to the students.

Example:

The Hundred Dresses

The two girls reached their classroom after the doors had been closed (teacher writes: the two

girls must be students and they are late for class). The children were reciting in unison the Gettysburg Address (teacher writes: reciting must mean “saying” or “repeating”) , for

that was the way Miss Mason (teacher writes:Miss Mason must be the teacher) always

began the session Peggy and Maddie (teacher writes: these must be the names of the twogirls) slipped into their seats (teacher writes: sounds like they didn‟t want anyone to

notice their tardiness) just as the class was saying the last lines.

CFU Ask students to do another paragraph with you (maybe in a smallgroup) and then ask them to use sticky notes to jot their inferences.Review these notes (in this case, you‟ll need the text, as well) and

check to see: How deep are their inferences? Do their inferences push their comprehension of the

plot? From what sources are they making their inferences

(prior knowledge, research, common knowledge)? Do their inferences lead them to new understandings?

Note: Do not ask students to do this too often, as it can be tedious and strip the joy from reading.

2) It Says -- I Say (Beers 2003) (See Appendix L)

Use a portion of text and move from concrete meaning (literal) to inferential.Chart your thoughts on the below It Say – I Say chart.

Example:

Read… Sam ate all the food on her plate without slowing down between bites.

It Says I Say

Sam… her plate Sam is a female

ate all the food…without slowing down Sam must be starving!

Continue reading… Her bus would be arriving in about two more minutes.

It Says I Say

Her bus would be arriving… Now I need to revise my inference because now I know Sam is rushing tocatch a bus.

CFU Same as #1

Note: Do not ask students to do this too often, as it can be tedious and strip the

joy from reading.




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3) Show students signs or bumper stickers and have them write their inferences.Examples:Sign in football locker room: I am your coach, not your mother.

Sign at a veterinarian‟s office: Puddles are for jumping over, not walking through.

CFU

Check to see if they are able to make inferences. If they are, and arestruggling to make inferences in their own reading, show them thedirect connection.

4) Show a wordless picture book like Good Dog Carl by Alexander Day page by page.

Between each page (or so) ask students to tell you what is happening. In onespread, the baby is at the top of a laundry chute and consecutively the baby is atthe bottom in a laundry bin. Students will tell you the baby slid down the chute.But how do they know that? They‟ve inferred it using what they know aboutlaundry chutes (they go down to the basement) and what they know about the

baby and Carl (they‟re a bit silly and having a fun day together). This type of activity can also be used to visualize.

CFU Ask students to sketch what they infer happens between spreads of pages. Use the same criteria as #1 (above).

5) Use an E-chart to determine the meanings of unknown words:

[ Word – What We Inferred it Means – What Helped Us ] (See Appendix M)When students come to a word they don‟t know, encourage them to figure

out its meaning, not just skip over it. They can infer the meaning of unknownwords by rereading, reading on, using the picture, and a variety of other strategies. Model filling out the chart similar to Appendix K, then encouragestudents to do the same as they read their independent books or textbooks.


Appendix L: [ It Says… I Say… ] Appendix M: [ Word – What We Inferred it Means – What Helped Us ]




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Determining Importance (Analyzing)“Before we can even begin to determine importance, we have to determine why we‟re

reading in the first place.” Emma Nolan (colleague)


Determiningimportance

Picking the most importantinformation, highlighting essentialideas, isolating supporting details,reading for specific information(Harvey and Goudvis 2007)

*To help readers sortinformation*To help readers decidewhat to remember *Forces us to infer themes

Note: Make sure that students have a clear understanding of why they‟re reading atext and what their perspective, or lens, is before you ask them to determineimportance. For instance, an economist is likely to read an article about the

downturn of the housing market differently than a first time home buyer. A childwho frequents the aquarium and the beach may read a text about blowfish quite

differently than one who is afraid of the water.


Basic objectives:

Students will be able to determine importance by following significant events andcharacters and asking themselves, “Does this character or event help develop theplot? How?”

Students will be able to determine importance by looking for events that advance theplot.

Students will be able to determine importance by asking questions for which theywant answers.


Students will be able to determine importance by previewing and reviewing

structures of text (captions, bold words, titles, punctuation, illustrations, etc) andasking themselves, “What is the common link between these structures?”

Students will be able to determine importance by turning the chapter title, heading,or subheading into a question and seeking the answer to that question (ie. Heading:

Homes for Owls Question: Where do owls make their homes?, chapter title: The

Contest Questions: What type of contest? Who will win?)

Students will be able to determine importance by categorizing wow facts and facts

related to a central topic. Note: A wow fact is merely a shocking piece of information (Ex. Acow has five stomachs. A human intestine is 35 feet long.)

Students will be able to determine importance by looking for events or relationshipsthat support a thesis or argument.

Students will be able to determine importance by highlighting details and askingoneself, “What is the common theme between these details?”

Students will be able to determine importance in non-fiction text in three steps:1) Know for what purpose they are reading (ie. For entertainment; To write aresearch paper; to write a literary essay; to write procedural text; to assemble a

bookshelf).

2) Gather information that supports your purpose.




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3) Connect that information in a logical manner/to a larger theme.

Students will be able to determine importance in historical fiction text by establishingthe narrator‟s perspective and connection to the pertinent, historical events.

Ways to Teach It1) In order to locate the big idea, draw an asterisk on three sticky. Use all three

sticky notes to indicate sections of the text that are pivotal to the greater meaningof the text. Once you‟ve completed this, explain (either verbally or written) whyyou feel those parts are central to the text.

CFU Ask students to replicate this task in their just right books. Collecttheir books and review their notes. Check to see:

Are they just selecting “wow facts”?

What is their rationale for selecting the sections theydid?

Are they able to make larger meaning from the textusing this exercise?

2) Three column note taking in non-fiction text: [ Topic – Details – Big Picture ](See Appendix N)

As you read aloud to your students, model writing down the topic on the left of your notes and details/facts in the middle. Students then form larger picture ideas

by reviewing the notes and jotting those big picture ideas on the right.

CFU Ask student to create their own three column notes. Review thesenotes to see if students are picking out facts and events that arerelevant to the main idea or are tangential. Check to see if students areable to draw big picture ideas from this chart.


Appendix N: [ Topic – Details – Big Picture ]




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Critiquing

“The key [to critiquing] is to engage your students in the process, so they become thoughtfulconsumers of print. You don‟t want them to grow up thinking, If it’s in print, it must be true .

Much printed material is incorrect and/or biased, and right from the start young studentsneed to begin detecting inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and prejudice in material they read.”

Fountas and Pinnell 2001

Strategy Definition Why readers need itCritiquing Evaluating and judging a text

by using personal or worldknowledge


Basic Objectives:

Students will be able to critique a text by deciding whether the storyline or factualinformation has drawn them in or whether they need to abandon the text.

Students will be able to critique a text by figuring out from whose perspective thestory is told.

Students will be able to critique a text by forming their own opinions about what theauthor writes.

Students will be able to critique a text by asking questions about what the author isreally trying to say and deciding if you agree with that.

Students will be able to critique a text by researching who wrote the text anddetermining what type of perspective or biases she may bring to her writing.Questions might include:*When was this author born?*Through what significant historical or personal events did she live?

*What do the author and I have in common?

Students will be able to critique a fiction text by thinking about how believable thecharacters, setting and plot are. Note: This may need to be taught in three separate teaching

points depending on the levels and needs of your students.

Students will be able to critique a text by noticing how the author uses language todepict characters, setting, and plot.

Higher Level Objectives:

Students will be able to critique a text by discovering and examining biases.

Students will be able to critique a historical fiction text by noticing if the charactersare accurate depictions of the time period in which the text is set.

Students will be able to critique a historical fiction text by noticing if the setting is anaccurate depiction of the time period in which the text is set.

Students will be able to critique a fiction text by determining if the author can

effectively create empathy for the characters.




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Students will be able to critique a persuasive text by noticing how compelling theauthor‟s argument was.

Students will be able to critique a text by sorting credible facts from misleadinginformation.

Students will be able to critique a text by “considering the deeper meaning of the textfor today‟s world.” Fountas and Pinnell 2006

Students will be able to critique a text by discovering and examining the underlyingmessages.

Ways to Teach It:

1) Minnie and Moo

Using a simple text (like the Minnie and Moo series by Cynthia Rylant), model for students seeking out big picture topics. In this text, you‟ll be able to pull apart the topic of gender issues and how gender is portrayed in children‟s books. Discuss whether youagree with how Minnie and Moo are depicted in these texts and whether you believe theauthor was accurate in her depiction or showing a bias.

CFU Ask students to replicate this work using another simple children‟s picture

book. Be sure they cite specific examples of biases (if any are found) or accurate depictions of characters (if any are found). Allow time for students toshare their findings and have discussions.

2) What‟s missing? When reading textbooks, historical fiction, biographies, newspaper articles or other related nonfiction texts, model for students how to decipher from whose perspective thetext is written and whose perspective is missing. Often you‟ll find that the point of view of women and minorities is missing.

CFU Ask students to look out for what is missing. Encourage them to jot down theperspectives that are missing and write down what they think the author

should have included.

3) Researching the author Model for students becoming curious about the author a text. Show them how to doquick research on an author using the internet, the “about the author” blurb, or other resources. Once you‟ve gathered sufficient evidence think about what biases the author may bring to the text. Think about what type of language he may use. Think about whatpersonal or historic events might drive his approach in writing the text.

CFU

Ask students to research the author of a text they are reading or have read.Encourage them to think through the author‟s potential biases, hisperspective, and life events. Ask them to read or reread the text keeping thatnew information at the forefront of their minds.




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Synthesizing

Strategy Definition Why readers need itSynthesizing/summarizing

Putting individual pieces of information together with our

background knowledge to form new,deeper information, a newperspective, or new insight

*To form newunderstandings

*To grow newperspectives


Note: Because synthesizing is a higher level skill, I have not broken these objectives into separate categories. Please review and select objectives relevant to the needs of your students.

Students will be able to synthesize by integrating new knowledge with existing

personal and worldly knowledge to form new opinions or insights.

Students will be able to synthesize by thinking about how the text fits or does not fitwith what is already known (Fountas and Pinnell 2006).

Students will be able to synthesize by monitoring their understanding of the text andits themes and concepts. They then meld those thoughts together to form newknowledge or ideas.

Students will be able to synthesize by pulling in responses to the following statement:I used to think this text was about _____, but now I think it‟s really about_______.

Students will be able to synthesize what they‟ve read by extending their literalretelling to an inferential level. Note: This requires previous teaching of inferring.

Students will be able to synthesize by rereading to seek out the true meaning of thetext/the author‟s true purpose.

Ways to Teach It

1)

When introducing synthesis, use a familiar and simple picture book ( Fly Away Home by Eve Bunting is simple and meaningful). That way, the students already

know the plot and characters. They can focus their mental energies on drawingout new and insightful information.

2) Text Reformulation (Beers 2003)Reformulate text into different genres. Turn a poem into a narrative. Turn a work of non-fiction into a newspaper article. This will help solidify comprehension and

bring that understanding to a higher level. Turn a realistic fiction story into acomic book. Turn a piece of non-fiction into an ABC book (great for pre-readersand struggling readers).

CFU Check to see if students maintained and enhanced the greater meaningof the text.

3) E-chart: [ It Says- I Say-And So ] (see Inferring section) (See Appendix O)Adding the „And So‟ column will solicit a synthesis of knowledge from students.

CFU Use the same criteria as stated in the Inferring section of thisdocument. Check to see if the „And So‟ column pushes students to

come away with a more meaningful understanding of the text.




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4) Students write a prequel or a sequel in which characters remain true to form andplot lines are logical and connected to the original text (Witherell 2007).

5) Three column note-taking in non-fiction text (Harvey and Goudvis 2007):

[ Topic – Details and Facts – Personal Response ] (See Appendix P)

As you read aloud to your students, model filling in the above chart. Be sure to beverbally metacognitive (think aloud) as you are working so that students canreplicate your thinking.

6) The Language of Synthesis (Miller 2002)I used to think_______, but now I think_______.This text appears to be about______, but I think it‟s r eally about_______.

CFU

Students can do this work in their independent text. Collect these brief responses and see if and how students‟ thinking has developed.

7) Ask children to retell what they‟ve read in writing. Ask them to includeinformation that was new or insightful. Then pair kids up who are reading thesame text and ask them to compare their retellings. They should then have evendeeper, more insightful information with which to revise their original retelling.(Miller 2002)

CFU Look to see that students are not simply retelling or regurgitating

information. Look to see from which sources they are pullinginformation (text, prior knowledge, inferences, creation of newinformation).

Helpful Graphic OrganizersAppendix O: [ It Says – I Say – And So ]Appendix P: [ Topic – Details and Facts – Personal Response ]




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Appendix




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Appendix A: Predicting

Name ________________________________________ Date _________________________________________

Name of text __________________________________

Directions: Jot down your predictions before and as you read. On the right, jot downwhat part of the text lead you to make that prediction.

Prediction Clue for Prediction




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Appendix B: Predicting

Name ________________________________________ Date _________________________________________

Name of text __________________________________

Directions: Jot down your predictions before and as you read. On the right, jot downwhat part of the text lead you to make that prediction. Reflect on your prediction by

jotting down what actually happened once you find out.

Prediction Clue for Prediction What Actually Happened




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Appendix C: Predicting

Name ________________________________________

Date _________________________________________ Name of text __________________________________




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Appendix D: Predicting




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Appendix E : Word Splash




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Appendix G: Making Connections

Name ________________________________________ Date _________________________________________

Name of text __________________________________

Directions: Write or sketch an event in the text. Write or sketch how that event is

similar to an event in your life. Write how this helps you more deeply comprehend

the text.

Event in the Text Similar Event in My Life How This Helps MeUnderstand the Text




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Appendix H: Visualizing

Name ________________________________________ Date _________________________________________

Name of text __________________________________

Part of Text What I Pictured (sketch or write)




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Appendix I : Questioning

Name ________________________________________ Date _________________________________________

Name of text __________________________________

Facts I’ve Learned Questions I Have About Those Facts




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Appendix J: Questioning

Name ________________________________________ Date _________________________________________ Name of text __________________________________




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Appendix K: Questioning


Directions: In the center of the Question Web write down one question that comes tomind

as you read. On the stems, write down possible answers that you gather from your reading.

Mark the one you feel might be the best answer.




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Appendix L: Inferring


Directions: As you read, jot down any part of the text that requires you to make an

inference. On the left, write down what the text says. On the right, write down the

inference you came up with based on that text. If your inference changes, note that

as well.

It Says I Say




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Appendix M: Inferring

Name ________________________________________ Date _________________________________________

Name of text __________________________________

New Word What I Infer it Means What Parts of the TextHelped Me




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Appendix N: Determining Importance


Directions: As you read, jot down the topic of what you‟re reading and any relevantdetails.

Determine what is important by pausing and reflecting on the bigger picture of thetext. Jot

your thoughts on that in the far right column.

Topic Details Big Picture




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Appendix O: Synthesizing


Directions: As you read, jot down any part of the text that requires you to make an

inference. On the left, write down what the text says. In the middle, write down the

inference you came up with based on that text. On the right, write down any new

learnings, new perspectives, opinions you‟ve formed, questions you still have, etc.

It Says… I Say… And So…




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Appendix P: Synthesizing


Directions: As you read, jot down topics and details. Combine these with your

personal reaction to the text. Include background knowledge, a change in

opinion, new ideas you‟ve come up with, etc.

Topic Fact/Detail Personal Response




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Glossary of Terms




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Instructional Strategies Anecdotal notes

o Jotting down informal observations of a student with the intention of reviewing the notes to decide next steps in a child‟s learning

Check For Understanding

o Checking to see if students understand what you‟ve taught in a systematic andmeaningful way

Concrete/Literal meaningo Using only the words/text to process and interpret information o Using no inferring or higher level thinking

E-charto A simple graphic organizer used for categorizing or relating o For sample see Appendix B

Gradual release model (“I do, we do, you do”) o When introducing a new strategy, teachers first model, then do guided

practice with the students, then support the students as they work

independently. o When planning to use the gradual release model, think about what you want

your students to do independently, then model that exactly . Guided practice

should also be replicable to what you want them to do independently.

Guided practiceo Working with students to practice that which you‟d like them to eventually do

independently.

Inferential meaningo Understanding that can be determined using sources other than reading

Metacognitiveo Being transparent in your thinking

o Talking through how you are finding your answer or coming up with your thoughts

Modelo Explicitly showing students how YOU do something so that they can

replicate it correctly

Previewing texto Looking through the text before reading o This can be done to predict, provoke background knowledge, to build

excitement about a text, and to set readers up to be successful as they read bygiving them insight into the meaning of the text.

Prior knowledge (background knowledge, schema)

o Information that a learner already possesses about a topic o Students recall that information with the purpose of using it to process new

information more easily and enhancing it.

Proficient peer o A student who has mastered a skill or strategy and is able to teach it to

another

Retellingo Recounting the major events of a text in a sequential and logical manner

Scaffoldo Support, assistance

T-chart

o A simple graphic organizer used for sorting or relating topics o For sample see Appendix A

Venn Diagramo A type of graphic organizer used to compare and contract o Two circles overlapping in the middle- in this overlap jot down the ways the

two items being compared are the same and on the outsides of that overlapwrite down how they differ

Webo A type of graphic organizer used to elaborate on an idea o In the center of the page, a circle contains a topic. Line branch off that circle

to include details, questions, etc. related to that topic.




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Components of Reading Instruction and Balanced Literacy Fluency

o The act of reading smoothly, with intonation and expression o Using a natural sounding reading voice

o Reading in phrases or chunks; not word by word Guided reading

o A group of four to six students on the same reading level, reading the sametext (the teacher picks a text that is one or two levels higher than the studentsindependent reading level called “instructional level”)

o Teacher plans lessons that give students a repertoire of reading strategies for processing texts that are just outside their reading level

o This small group lesson should take about 7-15 minutes depending on age andstamina of students.

Independent readingo Students read privately in a book on their level

o Students under the age of six will likely need to “whisper read” (read aloud but quietly) since they are not developmentally ready to read in their heads/silently

o Rule of thumb: Readers should read independently for roughly ten minutesper grade. (ie. 1st graders read 10 minutes daily; 2nd graders read 20 minutesdaily; 3rd graders read 30 minutes daily, etc)

o Independent reading should be assigned for nightly homework as wellfollowing the same system as above.

Lexileo A leveling system for readers and books

Miscue

o An error made while reading Pre-readers

o Students who are not yet able to read

Read aloudo Reading out loud to students o Research finds that in order to increase student reading levels and build a love

of reading, students should be read aloud to four times daily in a variety of genres.

Reading conferenceo Working one-on-one with a student as they read from a book on their

independent reading level.

o Conferences focus on one reading skill or strategy and generally take 3-7minutes.

o Teachers ensure that students are working towards mastery on that skill andthat they can replicate it in whatever they read (ie. Not an isolated skill)

Reading level (independent)o The level on which a student can read independently and without assistance

from peers or adults. o Leveling systems include Fountas and Pinnell, Lexile, DRA, and many more

Running recordo A method of assessing readers to determine their independent reading level o Teacher listens to a child read and systematically records the number of errors

(miscues), points of rereading, hesitation, omissions, insertions, etc.Comprehension questions follow. The record is then analyzed.

Shared readingo Reading a short text (poem, song, message) together as a class with the

purpose of decoding words, reading with fluency and intonation, andenjoyment of text.

Word studyo A 5-20 minute segment of the literacy block o Students learn phonics, high-frequency/sight words, word families, blends,

etc.




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Literary and Text Elements Genre

o Varieties of texts o Common genres include: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, biography, historical

fiction, realistic fiction, mystery, science fiction, fantasy, etc

Story elementso Features of a story including character, plot, climax, resolution, setting,

protagonist, antagonist

Symbolismo When one thing represents another (ie. An object may represent a character‟s

emotion; the weather may represent the tone) Theme

o The moral or lesson learned from the text o The overarching ideao Big picture




Bibliography

Allington, Richard L. 2006. What Really Matters for Struggling Readers: Designing Research-

Based Programs . 2nd ed. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Beers, Kylene. 2003. When Kids Can’t Read What Teachers Can Do. Portsmouth, NH:Heinemann.

Fountas, Irene and Gay Su Pinnell. 2006. Teaching for Comprehension and Fluency: Thinking,

Talking, and Writing About Reading K-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Harvey, Stephanie, and Anne Goudvis. 2007. Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension

for Understanding and Engagement . 2nd ed. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Keene, Ellin and Susan Zimmerman. 1997. Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a

Reader’s Workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Miller, Debbie. 2002. Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades .

Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Witherell, Nancy. 2007. The Guided Reading Classroom: How to Keep All Students Working

Constructively. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Children’s Books Cited

Bunting, Eve. 1993. Fly Away Home. Mooloolaba, QLD: Sandpiper Publication.

Day, Alexander. 2010. Good Dog, Carl . New York, NY: Simon and Schuster Children‟s

Publishing.

Estes, Eleanor. 1944. The Hundred Dresses . Orlando, FL: Harcourt Books.

London, Jonathan. 2007. Froggy Gets Dressed. New York, NY: Puffin Books.

Silverstein, Shel. 1981. A Light in the Attic. New York, NY: Harper Collins Publishers.

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