Comprehension Instructional Sequence (CIS)

Comprehension Instructional Sequence (CIS) CIS Demonstration Lesson - Admetus and Alcestis

Objectives • Define Comprehension • Define Literacy • Model C.I.S. Lesson • Participants Create C.I.S. Lesson

What is Comprehension? • Read the Article “Comprehension in The Content Area”. • At your table, use the chart paper to define what Comprehension is.

Reading and Comprehension

Reading Is A Complex Activity A skilled reader rapidly and accurately decodes the words, attaches the meaning to words and sentences, connects text information to relevant background knowledge, maintains a mentalrepresentation of what he or she has already read, forms hypotheses about upcoming information and makes decisions based on his or her purpose for reading – all at the same time. Carlisle and Rice, 2002

Comprehension of your discipline is not something that just happens. Comprehension of your discipline needs to be taught. (National Reading Panel, 2000)

In fact, helping students acquire the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for proficiency in comprehension of content area text is the most important goal, PERIOD.

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards • Shift 3 • Staircase of Complexity • In order to prepare students for the complexity of college and career ready texts, each grade level requires a “step” of growth on the “staircase”. Students read the central, grade appropriate text around which instruction is centered. Teachers are patient, create more time and space in the curriculum for this close and careful reading, and provide appropriate and necessary scaffolding and supports so that it is possible for students reading below grade level. • Shift 4 • Text-based Answers • Students have rich and rigorous conversations which are dependent on a common text. Teachers insist that classroom experiences stay deeply connected to the text on the page and that students develop habits for making evidentiary arguments both in conversation, as well as in writing to assess comprehension of a text.

Instructional Shifts Implementation of the Common Core State Standards • Shift 5 • Writing from Sources • Writing needs to emphasize use of evidence to inform or make an argument rather than the personal narrative and other forms of decontextualized prompts. While the narrative still has an important role, students develop skills through written arguments that respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read. • Shift 6 • Academic Vocabulary • Students constantly build the vocabulary they need to access grade level complex texts. By focusing strategically on comprehension of pivotal and commonly found words (such as “discourse,” “generation,” “theory,” and “principled”) and less on esoteric literary terms (such as “onomatopoeia” or “homonym”), teachers constantly build students’ ability to access more complex texts across the content areas.

Steps in the Instructional Sequence Model • A sequence of instruction that supports deeper engagement with text • Instructional process for deeper text comprehension • Opportunities for teachers/participants to use the comprehension instructional process • Students will deeply process and comprehend the information

Comprehension Instructional Sequence Model

Comprehension Instructional Sequence Step One: Read to Build Deep Comprehension A. Teacher introduces benchmark(s), sets purpose, asks essential question(s) and reads/thinks aloud using grade-level resource while students mark text as directed. B. Teacher poses written question and facilitates directed note taking. Students read text, independently, in pairs, or small groups and take notes based on question presented by teacher. C. Students compare notes in pairs or small groups and discuss similarities and differences. Teacher facilitates text discussion based on notes and directs students to use text evidence to support responses. Step Two: Reread and Generate Questions to Deepen Text Understanding A. Teacher models generation of a complex question based on a section of the text, relating to a broad perspective or issue. B. Students work individually, in pairs, or small groups to re-read text and generate their own questions. C. Teacher facilitates text discussion using student-generated question(s). Students respond to each other’s questions, engaging in text discussion. C. Teacher facilitates discussion, asking students to support their response with text evidence. Students look at original answers and can change their answer based on new evidence or keep their answers the same and add additional information to support their answer. Step Three: Read to Use Text Evidence to Validate Responses A. Teacher posts a written question aligned to the cognitive complexity of FCAT and models how the text supports answering the question using a graphic organizer. B. Students respond to question using the graphic organizer and support their response with text evidence and share their answers. Handout 3

Comprehension Instructional Sequence Timeline Topic Question and Strategic Use of Afferent Discussion Grasp the students’ interest Vocabulary Instruction: • Morphemic analysis • Contextual analysis • Both Text-Marking during Reading #1: use a coding system that engages students in criticalthinking Follow-up Text-Based Discussion (Efferent discussion) Directed Note-Taking during Reading #2: students identify relevant & significant text information Follow-up Text-Based Discussion (Efferent) Model Question Generation – one of the most potent strategies Student Question Generation during Reading #3 All students generate relevant questions on post-it notes to place on poster Text-Based Discussion on Essential Question (Efferent Discussion) Final Written Response to the Reading of the Text Students compare their final written response to their previous written responses to see their growth in thinking across time. • STEP ONE • STEP TWO • STEP THREE Whole Group Categorizing of Questions Engage in Collaborative Inquiry to: • search/locate answers to multiple significantquestions generated by students • evaluate source/text information: • identify bias • determine credibility & validity • corroboration across sources • post answers on Question/Answer Concept Board – ongoing process over time Predictive Writing Before reading the article, or having text based discussion with their classmates, the students write briefly; this writing reveals the level of prior knowledge students regarding the topic. When they share their writing with each other, background knowledge for the topic will be developed. Written Response to Reading Students use what they have learned from their first and second text-reading, text-based discussions, & note-taking to write a response to the question: • Students use text information to justify claims/positions in their response Ongoing Question & Answer Concept Board Collaborative Inquiry Ongoing

Comprehension Instructional Sequence(CIS) Step One

Selecting text • Once you have your standard selected, you can then choose text appropriate in content and adequately complex • The internet is full of public domain literature and content-specific news • Use a resource like interventioncentral.org to give a baseline readability level • Either use the literacy standard mapped out, or choose one that is the best fit for your article

Attributes of the Text • Text should be complex for the students intended to use it • Try to use text that lends itself to opposing views and deep discussion • Try to use text that allows for cross-curricular connections • Try to use text that will encourage students to think more globally

Tips for Creating the Hook • Make the question broad enough so that all students will be able to contribute • The question should include student opinions to build interest and buy-in • The question should be related to the standard/content being taught (L.A. special) • The question should activate prior knowledge that will help students better understand the concepts for the lesson

Topic Question Before reading: What does the phrase, “Nice guys finish last” mean? Do you think it is true?

Afferent Discussion • Students provide their opinions and reactions to text.

Efferent Discussion • Efferent discussion focuses on the text and what it says. Students focus their conversation on the meaning of specific words and phrases, images within the text, etc. They do not discuss their feelings about the text, but what it actually says. • Efferent discussion as the most beneficial, especially for challenged readers. In order to successfully create and manage an efferent discussion in the classroom, teachers will need to foster a classroom environment that is supportive and encouraging.

Predictive Writing Before text reading: Use the Handout to record your answer to this question: Describe the characteristics of a selfish person versus a selfless person. Who do you think would be more successful and why?

Vocabulary Front Loading Words for Vocabulary Word Wall: • Words introduced in this text: Fleet-footed, kindred, lyre, thicket

Vocabulary Front Loading • Front-loading vocabulary provides explicit vocabulary instruction that focuses on critical words for understanding text meaning. • Front-loading vocabulary must be done prior to reading the text. • Front-loading vocabulary helps generate background knowledge relevant to the text.

Which words do I front-load? • Words that are essential for understanding the ‘big idea’ or main idea of the text. • Words that I know the students will struggle with in order to understand the main idea of the text. • Words that lack adequate support for making meaning in the text. • High-utility words that all students must know and understand from the text.

Text Marking The following codes will be used to mark the text: S – Statements in the text that represent selfishness L – Statements in the text that represent selflessness N – Information provided – no connection to selfishness or selflessness Listen as the facilitator reads a portion of the story of Admetus and Alcestis and models how the text will be marked.

Coding and Note-taking • Use the text structure and content benchmark to create categories for coding • The categories you select can be used for both coding and note-taking • Always try to code yourself first to make sure your categories work with that text • Be sure that the coding helps students better comprehend the concepts you are teaching • Text structure impacts categories!

Text Marking After text marking: • In small groups, compare and discuss differences in text coding. • Support your suggested answers from the text.

Let’s Break

First Writing Response After Reading After the initial reading, answer the following question on your handout: According to the text, what are the characteristics of selflessness and the results of exhibiting these characteristics?

Directed Note-taking • Guiding Question: What examples of selflessness are exhibited by the following characters in the text? • Admetus • Alcestis • Apollo • Proserpine • Be sure to utilize the text features such as charts, graphs, photographs, and illustrations as you take notes.

After Directed Note-taking • Compare notes in pairs or small groups. • Place a star next to the most significant note for each character: • Admetus • Alcestis • Apollo • Proserpine

Comprehension Instructional Sequence(CIS) Step Two

Question Generation Example: Why did Apollo’s father demand that he not return home until he served for a year as someone’s slave? • Generate questions unanswered from your first text reading. Record your questions on your Student Question Generation paper as you work in pairs or small groups. Handout 5

Question Generation • Start by modeling for students • You may want to let students experiment at first with open questions • As students get more practice, you can have them refine their focus • Questions can be developed before, during, and after reading, but can be discussed either before or after the final writing

Question Generation NEXT: Classify and post your questions • Place the most significant and relevant questions in the appropriate column on the Class Question Generation Poster.

From Question Generation to Research OVER TIME: Refer to Question Generation Poster to engage in collaborative inquiry • CLASS TEXT: Which sections of text contain answers to posted questions? • ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: • Do the resources we have located answer the questions partially or fully? • Is a diverse collection of media resources needed to locate information sufficient for developing answers that are more complete?

Comprehension Instructional Sequence(CIS) Step Three

Text-Dependent Questions... • Can only be answered with evidence from the text. • Can be literal (checking for understanding) but must also involve analysis, synthesis, evaluation. • Focus on word, sentence, and paragraph, as well as larger ideas, themes, or events. • Focus on difficult portions of text in order to enhance reading proficiency. • Can also include prompts for writing and discussion questions.

Text Based Questions • http://engageny.org/resource/common-core-in-ela-literacy-shift-4-text-based-answers/ • As you watch answer the following questions and be prepared to discuss them with a partner. • What does it mean to ask test-based questions? • How will this impact our instruction? • What challenges will we face as we make this shift? • What are the implications for teacher planning and for teacher planning time in schools? • What questions will take the students deeper into this text and cause them to pay careful attention to it?

Text-Dependent Questions are not… • Low-level, literal, or recall questions • Focused on comprehension strategies • Just questions…

Extended Text Discussion • Discuss the following question: According to the text, which character was the most selfless? Use text to justify all positions. • Admetus • Alcestis • Apollo • Proserpine • Share answers in small groups. • As part of whole class discussion, record responses to the question in multiple choice format. • Groups take positions and justify their response to the whole class.

Final Writing: Complex Text-Based Question • According to the text, which character was the most selfless and what was the result? • Use information from notes to help write final response on the Essential Question Handout. • Share answers in small groups. • As part of whole class discussion, record responses to the essential question in multiple choice format.

The Comprehension Instructional Sequence Facilitates Students: • Using background knowledge, i.e., predicting, inferring • Identifying key ideas from text • Learning and using text structures • Monitoring comprehension and employing fix-up strategies • Using a variety of reading strategies effectively • Paraphrasing, explaining, and summarizing information to construct conclusions • Engaging in question generation • Extended text discussion and writing

Create a Lesson • Locate Handout titled “Comprehension Instructional Sequence Module Overview”, “Comprehension Instructional Sequence Timeline”, and “Comprehension Instructional Sequence Planning”. • With your table Choose an exemplar for your content area. • Using the handouts listed above plan your lesson • Be prepare to share out

Final Thoughts • There is no one right way to have students work with text- dependent questions. • Providing for the differing needs of students means providing and scaffolding supports differentially - not asking easier questions or substituting simpler text. • Listening and speaking should be built into any sequence of activities along with reading and writing. • “Re-read it, think it, talk it, write it” • The CCSS require ALL students to read and engage with grade appropriate complex text regularly. This requires new ways of working in our classrooms.

Comprehension Instructional Sequence (CIS)