Teaching Metacognitive Reading Strategies Using the Think-Aloud Approach

1. Teaching Metacognitive Reading Strategies Using the Think-Aloud Approach Presented by Maria Matlack

2. READING IS THINKING!

3. What strategies do you use when you read? For enjoyment? Challenging material?

4. Strategies Used by Proficient Readers • Searching for connections between what they know and the new information in the text • Asking questions • Drawing inferences before and after reading

5. Strategies Used by Proficient Readers • Distinguishing important from less important ideas • Synthesizing information • Repairing faulty comprehension

6. Strategies Used by Proficient Readers • Monitoring the adequacy of their comprehension • Visualizing and creating images to better understand what they read

7. Introducing Metacognitive Strategies Relate it to developing skills in other areas Talk about what reading really is Discuss times when comprehension breaks down Two voices: the “reciting voice” and the “conversation voice”

8. How do you know when you are not comprehending? • The conversation voice isn’t there. • Your mind begins to wander. • You can’t remember what you just read • You are reading about a character and you don’t know who he or she is

9. Teaching Metacognitive Comprehension • Explain the strategy • Model it using a Think- aloud • Read aloud • Stop and voice your thoughts, making it clear how they enhance comprehension

10. Guide students in its practice as a class • Read another book and invite the students to add their thoughts. • Record their thoughts on chart paper or overheads • Use lifted text, big books, etc.

11. Guide student practice in small groups or pairs • Students read together and share their thinking. • Students code their thinking through coding sheets or post-it notes, etc. • Teacher circulates, listens in, and confers with students • Teacher asks them to explain their thinking and how it aids comprehension

12. Guide student practice in independent reading • Students read self-selected text • Students code their thinking • Teacher circulates and confers with students • Teacher makes observations and decides whether reinforcement is needed or students are ready to move on • Students apply the strategy in new situations

13. Important Factors • In a Reader’s Workshop, students should select 80% of the text they read. • The teacher may meet with small, flexible groups to provide instruction in a particular strategy • To reinforce for struggling students • To enrich or introduce a new strategy to those who show mastery

14. Levels of Sophistication in Monitoring Comprehension • Tacit Readers • Aware Readers • Strategic Readers • Reflective Readers

15. What makes strategy instruction most effective?

16. Anchor Lessons • Introduce a new strategy • Provide students with a “touchstone” or concrete example. • Eg: An apple corer for making inferences

17. Oral Responses • Whole-class discussion • Small, informal group discussions • Compass Point Four-way Shares • Book Clubs/Literature Circles • Informational study groups

18. Written Responses • Coding text with post-it notes • Notes in margins • Circling, highlighting, bracketing, etc. • 2-and 3-column note forms • Reflection pieces • Writing letters

20. Materials • Poetry • Articles • Short stories • Picture books • Song books *(primary grades)

21. Why song books? • Children are instantly engaged • It is easy to have multiple copies • Words and tune are easy to learn • They build community – “our song” • Children love to share them at home • Repeated readings increase phonemic awareness and build sight word vocabulary

22. Primary Grades • Begin the year by teaching the workshop routine • Encourage “literacy behaviors” • Observe and discuss what readers do

23. Time Framework for Workshop • 15- 20 minutes for mini-lesson • 45- 50 minutes to read, respond, and confer • 15-20 minutes to share

24. STRATEGY # 1 Making Connections

25. What is schema?

26. Directions: Read the passage and be prepared to answer questions about it.

27. Without looking back, write down what the passage was all about. Jot down the big idea and then as many details as you can remember.

28. Now that you have a schema, reread the passage. Now jot down the big ideas and as many details as you can remember.

29. Text- Self Connections • Connecting text to reader’s life, knowledge, and experiences • Key Phrase: “This reminds me of…” • Model this using a book with which you are able to make strong personal connections • Text code: “T-S”

30. Anchor Lesson Books • Kevin Henkes books • Frog and Toad books, by Arnold Lobel • Arthur books, by Marc Brown • Any book that evokes strong connections for the teacher • The Snowy Day, by Ezra Jack Keats • Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus, by Moe WIllems

31. An Anchor Lesson demonstration

32. Jockey’s Ridge in the OBX That’s how we tried to fly our kite

33. People laughing at you when you are having trouble. That would make me angry.

35. The other team trash talking during a game

36. I’ve never gotten a kit to fly by yelling at it!

37. Now the robins have nothing to say. It reminds me of beating a team that has been trash talking! It feels good! Frog wanted to give up, like us, but Toad wouldn’t.

38. What book would you use to model this strategy? Is there a story in your basal that lends itself to this strategy?

39. Text-Text Connections Connecting one text to another • Characters • Lessons, themes, messages • Author studies (common themes, writing style, perspective) • Different versions of a story • genre

40. Text-Text Connections • Key Phrase: “This reminds me of…” or “This is different from…” • Code “T-T” • Blends well with Writer’s Workshop

41. Anchor Lessons • The Frog Prince Continued • Oliver Button is a Sissy/ William’s Doll/ Amazing Grace • Amos and Boris/ the fable of the lion and the mouse • This is the Teacher and The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash • Author studies • Genre studies

42. What would be your anchor lesson?

43. Text-World Connections Connecting text to the larger world • Current events • Historical events • Specific content • Can be used to build background knowledge to teach specific content

44. Anchor Lesson • The Lotus Seed, by Sherry Garland • The Wall, by Eve Bunting • Riding the Tiger, by Eve Bunting • The Terrible Things, by Eve Bunting • The Butter Battle Book, by Dr. Seuss

45. Do you know of a good book for an anchor lesson? Is there a story in your basal that lends itself to this strategy?

46. Overcoming Possible Pitfalls

47. Tangential Connections • Code recorded connections based on how they aided comprehension • When conferring, ask, “How did that connection help you understand?” • Explain your own connections in detail

48. Students who struggle to apply it • Explain your own connections in detail • Read with the child and prompt for connections • Scaffold by choosing cues and asking the child to provide details

49. Response Formats Response stems (oral or written) • That reminds me of… • I remember when… • I have a connection… • An experience I have had like that… • I felt like that character when… • If I were that character, I would…

50. Response Formats Double Entry Journals • Entry # 1: basic summary of the story • Entry # 2: The reader’s connections