Informational Text

Informational Text North Carolina DPI Regional Training

Did you know…? • Young adolescents aged 10-14 go through a period of brain development second only to the 1st three years of life in terms of the magnitude of change. The frontal lobe of the brain which is the locus of problem solving, planning, memory, critical thinking and mood modulation develops during this stage. This area of the brain is not mature until about the age of 18. (Zehnder-Merrell, 2008)

Did you know…? • Although students in grade four score among the best in the world, by grade ten US students place close to the bottom. According to the NAEP, 70 percent of middle and high school students score below the “proficient” level in reading achievement. (All4ed.org, 2010)

Did you know…? • Only 3 percent of eighth-grade English learners score at or above proficient on the NAEP reading assessment; 73 percent score below basic. (NAEP, 2008)

Did you know…? • Roughly one third of high school graduates are not ready to succeed in an introductory level college writing course. At the nation’s four-year colleges, nearly 8 percent of all entering students are required to take at least one remedial reading course. Only about one third of them are likely to graduate within eight years. (ACT, 2006)

Did you know…? • 17 million youth between the ages of 12-17 use the internet. • Close to 13 million use Instant Messaging every day. • While a consistent pattern of increased television and computer use is seen between 6th and 8th grade, a significant drop occurs in leisure reading.

Did you know? • About 40 percent of employers indicate they are dissatisfied with high school graduates’ ability to read and understand complicated materials, think analytically, and solve real-world problems. (Hart Research Associates, 2005)

So what…? • The literacy demands that adolescents face in the 21st Century as workers and citizens will far exceed what has been required in the past.

So what…? • For secondary students, the social and economic consequences will be cumulative and profound: • Failure to attain a High School diploma • Barrier to higher education • Underemployed or unemployed • Difficulty managing personnel lives

So what…? • Multiple indicators… • NAEP assessments • Standards-based assessments • Complaints from employers • Scores on standardized tests

So what…? • All indicators suggest that all adolescent learners do not have the reading and writing skills necessary to maximize content area learning nor to successfully negotiate the Information Age.

The Information Age • “We are surrounded by text whose primary purpose is to convey information about the natural or social world. Success in schooling, the workplace, and society depends on our ability to comprehend this material. Yet many children and adults struggle to comprehend informational text” (Duke, 2004)

Think About • What challenges do your students face in regards to literacy? • What are the five big ideas of reading and how are they each relevant to the adolescent classroom? • Why is the use of non-fiction text important in the Information Age? • What are some struggles students face when reading non-fiction text? • What are comprehension strategies that can be taught with informational text? • What brought you to the training today?

Training Objectives • Review the key literacy components and identify ways to help struggling students in each area • Examine Informational Text and how it can be used to strengthen instruction • Analyze 9 informational text strategies • Understand the foundations of The Common Core • Evaluate the importance of text complexity • Learn how student motivation and reading achievement are linked • Synthesize new ideas into classroom practice

Training format

Review the key literacy components and identify ways to help struggling students in each area

Key Literacy Components Pages 2-13 • Discover… Decoding page 2 Morphology page 4 Fluency page 8 Vocabulary page 10 • Discuss… • What it is. • When it is taught. • Challenges students may face. • Solutions • Reflect (Share)… • 3-5 minute summary • Highlight important information in reading • Questions you may still have

Page 13 Reading Reading text with fluency Recognizing larger orthographic units Alphabetic Principle Decoding words letterby letter Phonemic Awareness Reading whole words automatically by sight Making sense of text

Reflect on Activity • Group learning/sharing • Foundation connection • Choice • Reflection • What does it let the teacher know?

Examine Informational Text and how it can be used to strengthen instruction

Learn About Informational Text • Read the key component information about comprehension • Read Learn About Information Text Pages 13-20 • As you read, discover… • 3 things that were new to you • 2 things that you knew but the reading jogged your memory and you thought, “I need to share!” • 1 question you still have • As a table team, discuss/reflect… • Were there common “discoveries” or items of interest noted? • Were questions varied or similar?

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Analyze 9 informational text strategies

Share a Strategy • In table groups, assign 1-2 strategies from pages 22-48 per person • Each person reads and understands their strategy • Each person can consult with others at neighboring tables with the same strategy to learn and discuss more • When the timer rings, table groups return together and begin sharing what they have learned.

Strategy 1 Page 22 • Generate. Ask. Answer. Questions • Students are taught to ask questions of the text/author • Learning to frame questions allows students to gather all the information, even that which can’t be taught • Using questions requires a shift in the classroom from the teacher preparing all the questions to the students doing the work

Strategy 2 • Think Alouds • Teaching and modeling cognitive strategies allow students to monitor their comprehension • Think Alouds allow teachers to monitor the reading strategies that students use Page 23-24

Strategy 3 • Text Structure • Learning to use knowledge of the text structure help students comprehend the more complex texts that they encounter in science, social studies, math, and literature • Graphic organizers should differ based on the category of expository text Page 25-42

Strategy 4 • Develop Critical Analysis (Inquiry Charts) • To be fully literate students must be able to analyze critically the ideas and information they obtain from texts • “I Charts” help students compile, compare, and analyze information from several sources Page 43

Strategy 5 • Previewing • Brainstorming • Making Predictions Page 44

Strategy 6 • Vocabulary • Context • Parts of Words • Resource: Dictionary Page 45

Strategy 7 • WIN • Who/What • Important Information • Number of words Page 46

Strategy 8 • Summary • Previewing • Vocabulary Words • Main Idea • Summarizing Page 47

Strategy 9 • Before, During, After • For Teachers • For Students Page 48

A wealth of evidence shows that intensive, high-quality instruction can help struggling readers to catch up to grade level and build the skills they need to succeed in high school and beyond. (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2006)

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Understand the foundations of The Common Core

Common Core State Standards • The new standards define the knowledge and skills students should have throughout their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate high school fully prepared for college and careers. The standards: • are aligned with college and work expectations; • are clear, understandable and consistent; • include rigorous content and application of knowledge through high-order skills; • build upon strengths and lessons of current state standards; • are informed by other top-performing countries, so that all students are prepared to succeed in a global economy and society; and • are evidence- and research-based From the Public Schools of North Carolina website Page 50-63

Key Points in English Language Arts Standards • Turn and talk with a partner to brainstorm how informational text might be used to address the Common Core standards for Language Arts

Available for download at… • www.corestandards.org http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf

Snowball! • To test what we learned about the Common Core, each person will turn three things they learned into three questions • Write the questions on a piece of paper • Wad the paper up into a snowball • Throw your snowball into the center of the room • When all snowballs have landed, stand up, pick up a snowball • Find one or two others (not from your table) and share your questions and work together to answer them

Specific Standards by Grade Level • Key Ideas and Details • Craft and Structure • Integration of Knowledge and Ideas • Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity

Evaluate the importance of text complexity

Text Complexity • Why is text complexity an important topic for classrooms today? • What is the difference in skills between students who score benchmark on the ACT and those that do not? • What is the evidence that shows declining text complexity in the classroom? • How does the lack of text complexity impact student achievement? • What are the four measures of text complexity? • What is the Lexile Framework? Page 64-71 Delete page 66

Pass the Envelope • As you read pages 64-71, write 1-2 ah-ha’s or main ideas (one per index card) • As you complete your cards, place them in the envelope at your table • When everyone has placed their cards in the envelope, the team leader takes the cards out of the envelope. • Work as a group to arrange the cards, such as: • Are there repeats? • Rank them in order of importance • Upon completion come up with a short summary to write on the envelope.

What do we know about Lexile Measures? • The Simple Idea • Find books and articles • Measure growth • Targeted reading experience • Sweet Spot • Scaffold and Support

Informational Text