Using Writing to Improve Reading

1. Using Writing to Improve Reading Timothy Shanahan University of Illinois at Chicago www.shanahanonliteracy.com

2. Shared knowledge/cognitive substrata • Research has identified many of the cognitive/linguistic similarities and differences between reading and writing • R/W depend upon shared domain knowledge (content) • Shared meta-knowledge about written language (functions, meaningful, monitoring meaning) • Text attributes (e.g., words, text, etc.) • Procedural knowledge (access, use, generate info during reading)

3. WRITING READING

4. Example • Studies show a close relationship between reading and writing in the primary grades • The major overlaps at these ages are between the phonological and orthographic aspects of reading and writing • Specifically, decoding skills are related to encoding skills • Engaging students in spelling invention or developmental writing in which children spell words as they think they are spelled is valuable practice

5. An Example of Invented Spelling

6. Analysis of Writing • This piece of writing only included 18 words and could be criticized on any number of grounds (not a great story, feels more like a beginning that a story… etc.) • However, simply by trying to write these 18 words the student had to analyze and try to represent 61 phonemes (much more PA practice than typical in PA lessons)—managed to represent 60 of the 61 • Did a great job with initial and final consonant sounds in terms of sound-symbol relations, and could use some work on more complex vowels (kuming, houm, pork, neded, rom)

7. Summary • Important to give students practice in both reading and writing from the beginning • My example focused on phonemic awareness and phonics, but this kind of writing practice at different age levels has been found to provide valuable practice with print awareness, spelling (which is connected to oral reading fluency) as well as aspects of literacy like vocabulary, text structure, and cohesion

8. Combined Processes • How reading and writing can best be used to improve learning from text or the writing of synthesis papers • Different combinations of reading and writing lead to different outcomes (perhaps because of the cognitive separations)

9. Combined Processes

10. Writing to Comprehend • Graham & Hebert (2010) review of more than 110 studies • Writing about text improves comprehension and learning from text • More extensive writing is more effective than shorter writing • Differences in benefits unless explicit writing instruction is provided

11. Experimental Studies • 93% of study outcomes in which students wrote about text had a positive impact (grades 2-12) • When students were taught explicitly how to write (not just assigned writing), then these impacts were equally large with poor readers • Writing about text was more powerful than just reading it or reading it and rereading it/studying it/discussing it • Average effect sizes .40 (11 studies with standardized tests) and .51 (50 studies with other assessments)

13. Why We Learn from Writing • Writing about text is effective because it encourages deeper thinking about ideas • Requires students to draw on their own knowledge and experience • Helps them to consolidate and review information • Inspires the reformulation of thinking • Requires the organization and integration of ideas • Fosters explicitness • Facilitates reflection • Encourages personal involvement • Requires translation into one’s own words

14. Writing about Text • Text modeling • Summaries • Analysis and critique • Synthesis

15. Writing To Text Models • Good writers usually become good writers because they imitate when they write • They imitate structure, style, language • Writing on the basis of models –that is trying to imitate features of what we read—can both improve reading and writing • To do this requires analytical reading that looks carefully at how the text was composed • And for the writer it provides valuable scaffolding

16. Graham & Perin Results

17. Text Modeling • Select strong text examples • Read and reread the text trying to identify or describe its features • Decide which features need to be repeated • Then try to compose your own text by varying the key features • Re-read the original text and revise

18. Whistle, Mary, Whistle Whistle, Mary, whistle and you shall have a cow. I can’t whistle Mother because I don’t know how.

19. Whistle, Mary, Whistle Whistle, Mary, whistle and you shall have a goat. I can’t whistle Mother because it hurts my throat.

20. Whistle, Mary, Whistle Whistle, Mary, whistle and you shall have a pig. I can’t whistle Mother because I’m not that big.

21. Whistle, Mary, Whistle Whistle, Mary, whistle and you shall have a man. Tweeeeeet! I’ve just found out I can.

22. Pattern • Mother speaks and then Mary speaks • Mother each time asks her to do something (whistle is a verb) • Verb, name, verb (6 syllables) • And you shall have a ________ (6 syllables) • Mary responds each time with a refusal—until the end • I can’t ______ Mother ( 6 syllables) • Explanation always rhymes (cow/now, big/pig, etc.)

29. Summarization • Writing about text is effective because it encourages students to think about what the author wrote (more effective with elementary than secondary) • Requires students to identify the key ideas and details and to think about how those ideas are organized • More explicit consideration of the text than if the reader were only reading

30. Graham & Perin Results

32. Summaries of Short Texts: • Identify/select the main idea of a paragraph • Delete trivial information • Delete redundant information • Write a one sentence synopsis of the main and supporting information for each paragraph

33. a. Read the text You can see some small things with your eyes. With a microscope, however, you can see much smaller details. Think of a butterfly’s wing. You can see it with your eyes. But a microscope can show you small parts of the wing called scales.

34. b. Identify main idea You can see some small things with your eyes. With a microscope, however, you can see much smaller details. Think of a butterfly’s wing. You can see it with your eyes. But a microscope can show you small parts of the wing called scales.

35. c. Delete trivia

36. d. Write one sentence summary Microscopes let you see things so small that you can’t see them with just your eyes. (written with text removed)

37. Summaries of Longer Texts: • Identify/select the main idea of a text • Create a skeleton outline using the subheadings from the text • Identify 2-3 important ideas for each subheading • Convert the outline into a summary

38. GIST • 1. Read text (section) • 2. Identify 5Ws and H • 3. Write 20 word summary __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________

39. Summary Writing Skills • Comprehension of the text • Identification of key ideas and details • Identification of the text structure • Ability to paraphrase and translate ideas into your own words • Ability to combine subpoints into generalizations

40. Analytical/Critical Response • Extended writing opportunities that encourage analysis/critique matter in learning (more learning than from short-answer writing) • Research is clear that writing more critically and extensively requires students to think more deeply which raises understanding (and achievement) • About 40% of high school seniors report that they never are expected to write papers of 3 or more pages

41. Analytical/Critical Response • Define significant parts and how they are related • Look for patterns of repetition and for anomalies • Make comparisons and contrasts • Connect problems and solutions • Connect causes and effects • Determination of merit, worth, or value through reasoning or judgment • Comparative evaluation

42. Analytical/Critical Response (cont.) • Given what you learned from the passage, what were the two or three most important reasons for industrial growth in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries? Explain the reasons for your choices. • Compare concepts: equation/graph; line/plane; number line/coordinates; linear equation/quadratic equation; function/relation • Describe the structure and function of parts of the cell to an audience that knows NO biology (use descriptive analogy). Include cell membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, nuclear membrane, chromosomes, ribosomes, lysosomes.

43. Analytical/Critical Response (cont.) • Why was there an American Civil War? Compare the causes of the Civil War from the perspectives of the North and South. • Which character was the most sympathetic in the story? Give examples and explain your answer. • If you could only save one character from the book in the event of a disaster, which one would it be and why? Use evidence from the story. • Is the title a good one or a poor one and why? Use evidence to support your argument. • Which type of pollution is the most serious for the central region of Illinois at this time. Use evidence to make your case.

44. Analyzing and Critiquing Text Which is better? • What is a character trait that you share with one of the characters in the story? • Which character was the most sympathetic in the story? Give two examples and explain your answer.

45. Analyzing and Critiquing Text Which is better? • Compare the responsibilities of the federal and the state government, and explain why having these different layers of government (rather than a single level) is a good idea? • What are the three levels of government in the U.S.?

46. Think Sheets: Ideas Section (Collins, in press) Directions: How does Lydia Grace show strength during her year away? While reading, answer the questions with evidence from the story. These questions will help you to use narrative elements (plot, characters, and setting) to understand the story. The narrative elements are highlighted to assist you. The first one is done for you. 1. Page 25 Setting

47. 2. Page 26 Characters

48. Graphic Organizer Directions: You have gathered evidence based on the narrative elements of The Gardener. Now it is time to plan. Select the 1 or 2 pieces of evidence for each of the elements below that you believe will help you to write an essay to explain how Lydia Grace showed her strength in her year away. You do not have to use complete sentences here.

49. Extended Writing Directions: Use the evidence you selected for the graphic organizer on your planning page to write an essay responding to the question: How does Lydia Grace show her strength during her year away? You may continue writing on the next page.

50. Synthesis • Synthesis involves combining information from multiple sources, evaluating information, resolving conflicting information • Writing ones own text, but relying on evidence from multiple sources (research writing, report writing, writing from sources, etc.)