Vocabulary

1. Vocabulary • What opportunities do the students in my classroom have to extend their knowledge of vocabulary?

2. Vocabulary(‘Knowing how words work’) • ‘Knowing how words work’ is a comprehension strategy that refers to understanding words through strategic vocabulary development, including the use of graph phonic, syntactic, and semantic cueing systems to figure out unknown words. • The grapho-phonic cueing system involves creating grapheme (written letter) – phoneme (sound) matches. • The syntactic cueing system deals with the structure of the language. • The semantic cueing system focuses on meaning. Readers use all three of these cueing systems, along with other knowledge of words, to effectively engage with text. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

3. Vocabulary • Concept of Definition Map: • This strategy allows students to make connections with new words and topics and build personal meanings by connecting the new information with prior knowledge. Students should engage in this strategy before reading. • The teacher or the students need to select a word to be explored and place the word in the centre of the map. (Example City) • Students then determine a broad category that best describes the word and write it in the ‘What is it?’ section. (Example Place) • Have students provide some words that describe the focus word in the ‘What is it like?’ section. (Examples: noisy, crowded, fast-paced) • Have students provide some specific examples of the word in the ‘What are some examples?’ section. (Example, Sydney, Melbourne) • Have students determine a comparison. (Example a town or village) Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

6. Vocabulary • Context Clues: • This strategy allows students to use semantics and syntax to figure out unknown words, to use a variety of cueing systems to make sense of text. Students should engage in this strategy during reading. The teacher must explain the eight types of context clues and give examples of each. Definition:Provides a definition that often connects the unknown word to a known word. Example / Illustration:Provides an example or illustration to describe the word. Compare / Contrast: Provides a comparison or contrast to the word. Logic:Provides a connection (such as a simile) to the word.

7. Vocabulary Root words and Affixes: Provides meaningful roots and affixes that the reader uses to determine meaning. Grammar: Provides syntactical cues that allow for reader interpretation. Cause and Effect: Cause and effect example allows the reader to hypothesise meaning. Mood and Tone: Description of mood related to the word allows readers to hypothesise meaning. • Using a read-aloud and Think-Aloud, demonstrate using one or more of the clues to figure out unknown words. If the context does not provide enough information, demonstrate other strategies for figuring out the meaning of the word. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen) P127

8. Vocabulary • Possible Sentences: • This strategy allows students to improve their understanding of text and key concepts presented in the text. Choose six to eight words from the text that may be difficult and list them on the board. Choose another four to six words from the text that may be more familiar to students and list them on the board. Then define the words, If possible, let the students do this by drawing on their background knowledge. Students can then work to develop sentences using at least two of the words in each sentence. All contributed sentences are written on the board. Students then read the text to confirm, modify or extend the information on the board. After reading, revisit the original sentences and revise as needed. Add any new information to the list. Use the revised list as the basis for creating summaries. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen) P128

9. Vocabulary • Semantic Feature Analysis: • This strategy allows students to make predictions about attributes related to specific vocabulary words or concepts. It also encourages students to set a purpose for reading or researching (to confirm predictions). The teacher selects a topic and some words or categories that relate to the topic. These words are listed in the left-hand column of the Semantic Feature Analysis Chart. The teacher chooses characteristics that relate to one or more of the related words. These are listed across the top row of the chart. Students make predictions about which characteristics apply to each word. Students read about the topic and modify their charts as necessary. Students should then share their completed charts in small groups and then discuss as a class. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

11. Further Instructional Routines:

12. Reciprocal Reading • Reciprocal Reading is a strategy-based technique that involves discussion of a text based on four comprehension strategies. The students, as well as the teacher, take on the role of “teacher” in leading the discussion about the text. • Reciprocal Reading has three purposes: It helps students participate in a group effort to bring meaning to a text. It teaches students that the reading process requires continual use of the four strategies for effective comprehension and provides students with the opportunity to monitor their own learning and thinking. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

13. A Suggested Procedure for Reciprocal Reading: • The procedure and each of the four reading comprehension strategies must be explained t o students. The teacher must model thinking related to each of the four strategies using an authentic text and thinking aloud. With the whole class, guide students to engage in similar types of thinking by providing responses for each of the strategies. • Sentence stems, such as the following, facilitate this: Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

14. Reciprocal Reading • Predicting:I think... I bet... I wonder... I imagine... I suppose... • Questioning: What connections can I make? How does this support my thinking? How is the text making me feel? Why is that? • Monitoring:Is this making sense? What have I learned? Do I need to reread? • Summarising:The important ideas in what I read are... Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

15. Reciprocal Reading • Students are then placed into groups of four and each group is provided with copies of the same text to use as a basis for reciprocal reading. • Each student is assigned one of the four strategies and suggested prompts. • Students then engage in reciprocal reading using the process that was modelled. • Students then reflect on the process and their comprehension of the text. • Students should be provided with opportunities to engage in reciprocal reading as an independent comprehension routine. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

16. Reciprocal Reading • ‘One Leader’ Task Cards: A simple introduction to reciprocal reading. • Reciprocal Reading Reflection.

17. Assessing Reciprocal Reading • We can assess students in Reciprocal Reading groups by observing their conversations and documenting their ability to successfully execute the strategies. • Students may use a form to self-reflect on their contributions or they may keep notes of the ideas that they contributed in a Guided Comprehension Journal. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

19. Literature Circles • Groups of students can share insights, questions and interpretations of texts in Literature Circles. The basic goal of using Literature Circles is to help students converse about texts in meaningful, personal and thoughtful ways. (Brabham & Villaume, 2000)

20. Literature Circles • To facilitate students’ use of literature circles, we need to explicitly teach the concept and engage in active demonstration. There are several ways to structure and manage Literature Circles. There is no ‘right’ way, but rather choices must be made to accommodate the needs of student in a class. Teachers may choose to begin by formulating groups based on students’ book choices or by assigning a text to a group of students. Some teachers prefer to use assigned roles and responsibilities as a way to guide the conversations such as those outlined in the following table. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

21. Literature Circles • Discussion Director: Takes on leadership of the group and guides the discussion. Responsibilities include choosing topics for discussion, generating questions, convening the meeting and facilitating contributions from all members. • Literary Luminary / Passage Master: Helps students revisit the text. Responsibilities include selecting memorable or important sections of the text and reading them aloud expressively. • Connector: Guides the students to make connections with the text. Responsibilities include sharing text-self, text-text, and text-world connections and encouraging others to do the same. • Illustrator / Artful Artist: Creates a drawing or other symbolic response to text. Responsibilities include making the visual response and using it to encourage others to contribute to the conversation. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

22. Literature Circles • Gilles (1998) has identified four types of talk that often occur during literature circles. Talk about the book, talk about the reading process, talk about connections and talk about group processes and social issues. Teachers can encourage all types of talk with demonstrations and gentle prompts during the Literature Circle conversations. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

23. A Suggested Procedure for Literature Circles • Groups must be formed. • Initially the teacher may develop a schedule for groups to follow. This would outline when the group was to meet and how much they should read etc. • Students read the predetermined section of text independently and take notes as they read. The notes can reflect the students’ role in the Literature Circle or their personal connections to the text. • Roles within Literature Circles should vary from meeting to meeting. Students meet according to the group schedule to discuss ideas about the text until the book is completed. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

24. Assessmentin Literature Circles: • There are several ways to assess the students’ comprehension, contributions and cooperation within Literature Circles. • Options include self reflection, observation and response sheets or journal entries. • The most important thing to remember about Literature Circles is to use the assessment results. These should influence future instructional decisions. Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 (Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen)

25. Assessing The Super Six Strategies • What assessment strategies could be used to assess student learning related to comprehension? • (DRAFT) Assessment Rubric

32. How Might All Of This Look In My Classroom? • A SUGGESTED MODEL: • This three stage model may follow a ‘strategy of the day’ or a ‘strategy of the week’ formula.

34. Resources and Materials http://readingindepth.wikispaces.com/

35. Where to Next? • What learning will you take / translate Into your classroom practice? • How will you do this?

36. Course Requirements • In-School Visits • Contributing To The Wiki • The Video Conference: Date TBA • The Sharing Day(s): Tuesday 1 November 12:30-3:30pm @ Checkers Conference Centre Wednesday 2 November 12:30-3:30pm @ North Ryde Golf Club