TCH264: Character Development and Comprehension

1. TCH264: Character Development and Comprehension March 24, 2014

2. Today’s Class • Reader’s Workshop • Comprehension • Character Development Minilesson

3. A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Longby Nikki Giovanni, Acolytes

5. Key Ideas and Details: • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.2Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text. Craft and Structure: • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.4Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.5Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole. • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text. Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.7Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.1

6. Turn and Talk • What do the previous exercises say about what happens in your “Reader Mind” as you read? • What do they say about comprehension instruction • Make a connection- What does your comprehension instruction involve? Does it get to the Heart of Reading? • What questions do you have about comprehension instruction?

7. Think about this quote Even though a number of effective strategies have been identified for use in the elementary- and intermediate-grade classrooms to help students succeed, startlingly few teachers actually use them. (Pressley, M., Wharton-McDonald, R., Mistretta-Hampston, J., & Echevarria, M., 1998)

8. Close Reading Divide into article groups and discuss your 3,2,1 Responses • What did you discover about Close Reading that you didn’t already know. How does it change your mind about comprehension instruction? • What does your comprehension instruction involve? Does it get to the Heart of Reading? • What are some things you must consider? • What may be a struggle? • Questions?

9. What is Close Reading? • Close analysis of texts with evidence should verify claims and conclusions. • Reading shorter chunks of texts with close attention. Rereading and looking for evidence to support conclusions drawn from the text is critical to becoming an effective reader.

10. Baseball vs. Reading

11. 7 Keys • Create mental images: Readers create a wide range of visual, auditory, and other sensory images as they read, and they become emotionally involved with what they read. • Use background knowledge: Readers use their prior knowledge before, during, and after reading • Ask questions: Readers generate questions before, during, and after reading to clarify meaning, make predictions, and focus their attention on what’s important.

12. 7 Keys • Make inferences: Readers use their prior knowledge and information from what they read to make predictions, seek answers to questions, draw conclusions, and create interpretations that deepen their understanding of the text. • Determine the most important ideas or themes: Readers identify key ideas or themes as they read, and they can distinguish between important and unimportant information.

13. 7 Keys • Synthesize information: Readers track their thinking as it evolves during reading, to get the overall meaning. • Use fix up strategies: Readers are aware of when they understand and when they don’t. If they have trouble understanding specific words, phrases, or longer passages, they use problem-solving strategies.

14. Comprehension • The process by which we read and get meaning from text • It is the heart of reading • It happens while we read and as a result of reading • Different types of texts require different comprehending strategies (Common Core stress reading of Informational Texts) • We also need to teach students how to think critically about texts. (Question, respond, challenge, connect) Mentor Texts for Comprehension http://www.mauryk12.org/Literacy/reading%20mentor%20texts.htm

15. Deep Reading vs. Wide Reading Vs.

16. Process • Students and teachers understand multiple reads will occur • Independently • By proficient readers including teacher • Vocabulary instruction with a focus on Tier 2 words • Questions and discussion will vary with each read

17. Writers’ Workshop • Minilesson • Independent Writing • Develop a character from your Heart Map, Special Place Map, or any other idea from your writer’s notebook) • Work on your Place writing (I Am From, or write a Small Moments Story from your map) Try out what our mentor texts showed us about setting a scene. • Use our list of what writers write about • Tell someone about something on your Heart Map and write a Small Moments story • Ending Meeting- We’ll share our successes and struggles

18. Common Themes in Literature • Human vs. Society • Human vs. Self • Human vs. Nature • How justice is decided • Definition of Hero • What it means to survive • The Big Journey • Crime does not pay • Overcoming Adversity • Importance of Family • Love is a worthy pursuit • Death is a part of life • Sacrifice brings reward • Humans trying to understand divinity (higher power) • Yin/Yang- good balancing with bad • Honesty is the best policy • Change is inevitable

19. Next Time Writer’s Workshop • Voice Reader’s Workshop • Guided Reading and Comprehension Read Wiki Article: Guided Reading: The Romance and RealityFountas and Pinnell (See anticipation guiding questions posted with the article) Resources: http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/guided/teacher.html