Reading Common Core Focus: Text Complexity

1. Reading Common CoreFocus: Text Complexity English Language Arts Module 4 February 2013

2. Activating Prior Knowledge http://acadvocabulary.weebly.com/index.html

3. Outcomes The participates will… understand how interacting with complex text helps advance a reader. gain understanding of the importance of text selection. become familiar with the criteria for determining text complexity.

4. The Instructional Shifts

5. Anticipation Guide

7. So, Why Is Text Complexity Important? Complexity of texts students are expected to read is below what is required to achieve college and career readiness: • High school textbooks have declined in all subject areas over • the last several decades • Average length of sentences in K-8 textbooks has declined • from 20 to 14 words • Vocabulary demands have declined since the 1960s: • 8th grade textbooks=former 5th grade texts • 12th grade anthologies=former 7th grade texts Complexity of college and career texts has remained steady or increased, resulting in a gap

8. Text Complexity “The Common Core Standards hinge on students encountering appropriately complex texts at each grade level in order to develop the mature language skills and the conceptual knowledge they need for success in school and life”.

9. Common Core State Standards CCR Anchor Standard 10 – Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

10. Ladder to Success Standards 7,8, 9 Integration of Knowledge and Ideas 9 8 Standards 4, 5, 6 Craft and Structure 7 Standard 1o: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational text Standard 1: Read closely to determine what the text says 6 5 4 Standards 2 & 3 Key ideas and Details 3 2

11. Text Complexity A multidimensional look at choosing the right text

12. Qualitative measures – levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands Quantitative measures – readability and other scores of text complexity often best measured by computer software Quantitative Reader and Task Reader and Task – background knowledge of reader, motivation, interests, and complexity generated by tasks assigned Text Complexity is defined by: Qualitative

13. Three Part Model for Text Complexity • Quantitative Dimensions of Text Complexity • These are typically measured by computer software. • Examples: • Word length • Word frequency • Sentence length • Text cohesion

14. Quantitative Measures Ranges for Text Complexity Grade Bands • The K-1 suggested Lexile range was not identified by the Common Core State Standards and was added by Kansas.

15. Three Part Model for Text Complexity • Qualitative Dimensions of Text Complexity • These are best measured by a human reader. • Examples: • Levels of meaning or purpose • Structure • Language conventionality and clarity • Knowledge demands

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17. Three Part Model for Text Complexity • Reader and Task Considerations- • Who and Why? • Examples of variables specific to readers: • Motivation • Knowledge • Experiences • Examples of variables specific to tasks: • Purpose • Complexity

18. Determining Text Complexity – `Reader and Task Considerations 18

19. Here’s a sample… Lexile Level = 870L Lexile 740-1010 falls in grade band 4-5

20. Next: Examine the text for Qualitative Measures • Measures such as: • Text structure • Language Conventionality • Clarity • Levels of Meaning • Levels of Purpose • Knowledge demands

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22. Qualitative Considerations What are you thinking about the level now? Quantitative Measure Lexile 87oL –gr. 4th-5th This text is mostly complex.

23. Step 3: Reader and Task Considerations Reader and Task Considerations • Considerations such as: • Cognitive Capabilities • Reading Skills • Motivation and Engagement with • Task & Text • Prior Knowledge and Experience • Content and/or Theme • Associated tasks

24. Deciding on the grade placement What grade levels would be most appropriate for this text? Like any holistic scoring system, there is not a single correct answer.

25. Guess the grade band… Lexile 680 (gr. 2-3) Lexile 810 (gr. 4-5) Lexile 740 (gr. 4-5) Lexile 950 (gr. 4-5 or 6-8)

26. Guess the grade band… Lexile 970 (gr. 4-5) Lexile 170 (K-1) Lexile 170 (K-1) Lexile 390 (K-1)

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28. How is reading complex text like lifting weights? “Just as it's impossible to build muscle without weight or resistance, it's impossible to build robust reading skills without reading challenging text.” ~Shanahan, Fisher & Frey

29. Try it – Apply It! Review text that you will be using with your students. With your teammates, identify some selections for read-alouds that would stretch your students’ thinking. With your teammates, identify some scaffolds necessary to put into place that would make this text accessible to a broader range of students. Be prepared to share out at our next module in May.

30. Next time we will… share experiences and thoughts about incorporating more complex text across the day. discuss the inter-related nature of the shifts. explore analytic reading and writing to source.