Presentation Transcript

1. OUTCOMES Participants will increase their knowledge of: the importance of using informational or nonfiction text in the primary classroom; creating text-based questions; using nonfiction for a read-aloud; the value of close reading;
2. Nonfiction Text With the people seated near you, please discuss: Why is it important to use informational text in the primary classroom?
3. Benefits of Nonfiction Incorporating informational text in the curriculum in the early years of school has the potential to increase student motivation, build important comprehension skills, and lay the groundwork for students to grow into confident, purposeful readers. Reading comprehension and overall academic achievement can be greatly improved, and learning gaps closed, by systematically increasing the amount of academic background knowledge students learn beginning in the elementary grades. Students need a broad and rich knowledge base to recognize and understand the meaning of words and ideas they read throughout their years in school and beyond.
4. Authentic Purposes for Reading Informational Text Sometimes students in school usually read informational text to answer questions at the back of the chapter, to complete a test prep worksheet, or simply because the teacher said to do so. Some of these activities may be unavoidable, but we need to create classrooms in which students read informational text as often as possible for more compelling purposes. In a recent study, 2nd and 3rd grade students whose teachers encouraged more authentic reading and writing of informational and how-to texts in science showed higher growth in reading comprehension as well as in writing (Purcell-Gates & Duke, 2003).
5. How do we create compelling reasons to read informational text? Teachers can set up situations in which students need information, then encourage students to read to obtain that information. Students may want to find information about the life cycles of frogs before setting up a tadpole tank or learn about the needs of growing things before planting a window box. Teachers can pique students' curiosity: putting out some earthworms for students to observe; demonstrating that water left out in a pan on Friday has “disappeared” on Monday; setting out some magnets with various materials that the magnets will or will not attract. Students will read informational books and other print materials on earthworms, evaporation, and magnetism with greater interest and purpose after such activities as these. HOW DO YOU DO THIS IN YOUR CLASSROOM?
6. How do you create authentic purposes in your classroom for reading informational text?(Audience Discussion & Sharing)
7. Where do we find high quality science and social studies books? The National Council for the Social Studies Notable Social Studies Books for Young People (www.socialstudies.org) The National Science Teachers Association's Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children (www.nsta.org) Content-area teachers will find many readable, interesting trade books that include important content to match curriculum standards.
8. Reading To or With? Informational text may be portioned into small segments for reading to or with students. There is not a plot moving from chapter to chapter with the reader left dangling at the end of a chapter so they will want to read on as in a novel. Readers can dip into nonfiction text, part by part. The purpose and the structure of the text may determine the way you read the text. For example: in science the priority is process in social studies is reading about people, events and their impact.
9. Time In 1st grade classrooms across the nation only 2% of class time is dedicated to Social Studies (history, civics, geography and economics) and 4% to Science. In third grade, students are taught Social Studies 5% of the time and Science is also taught 5% of the time. Compare the percentages to Reading/Language Arts which is taught 62% of the time in first grade and 47% of the time in 3rd grade.

10. Text Based Questions

    What are they? Why are they so important? (Shoulder partner/Triad Discussion)
11. Text Based Questions The goal is to develop the students’ prowess at drawing knowledge from the text itself. Students use evidence from the text to support a claim about the text; thus knowledge is linked directly to the text. The questions draw a close connection between comprehension of the text and acquisition of knowledge.
12. High-quality sequences of text-dependent questions… Elicit sustained attention to the specifics of the text and their impact; Cultivates student mastery of specific ideas and illuminating particulars of the text; Moves students beyond what is directly stated to require students to make nontrivial inferences based on evidence from the text. Demand attention to the text to answer fully. May begin with relatively simple questions requiring attention to specific words, details, and arguments and then move on to explore the impact of those specifics on the text as a whole.
13. Text Dependent Questions Linger over specific phrases and sentences to ensure careful comprehension and to promote thinking and substantive analysis of the text. Build on each other to ensure students learn to stay focused on the text so they can learn fully from it.
14. You have an excerpt from the text in your hand-outs. You will discuss a series of high quality text-dependent questions in groups of four. Hold each other accountable to citing evidence as you discuss these questions.
15. In the first two paragraphs, two sentences let us know the author is questioning the wolf’s reputation. Identify the sentences and discuss what about those sentences helps readers know the author’s intent?
16. In paragraphs 3-5, what sentence confirmed for you your prediction about the author’s intent? What is there about the author’s choice of words that helps readers know his intent? What are the positive qualities of a wolf? (Remember to cite specific evidence). Why does the author contrast people loving dogs but disliking wolves?
17. What argument is the author making? The word “adaptable” means able to change to fit different circumstances. How does the writer show us the wolf’s adaptability? Now, in your teacher role, go back into the text and look for concepts your students will not understand and identify how you would scaffold for those concepts; be prepared to be called upon to share your ideas.
18. Application Using the text The Brain, by Seymour Simon, work with a partner to develop a sequence of text dependent questions. Be prepared to be called upon to share your questions. Neurons
19. Axon Cell Body Dendrite
20. Neuron’s cell bodies, dendrites, and axons are revealed in these highly magnified computer-colored scanning electron microscope SEMS. Above are neurons (grayish white) and glial cells (red-orange), magnified over 20,000 times.
21. Examples of Text Based Questions How does the use of comparison help the reader understand the parts of the nervous system? What is the purpose for nerves branching out to other parts of the body? What functions do neurons have in the brain? How do the functions of neurons and glials vary? Provide text support for your answer. Using the second paragraph on page 8, what words create a mental image of a nerve cell? How does the author support the statement “nerves are the bodies wiring?” In the Wizard of Oz, the scarecrow frequently states, “if I only had a brain!” Use text evidence to show why the scarecrow needs a brain.
22. Sharing Please hold up your text dependent questions, with your name on them, so the facilitator can come and get them. We’ll read your text dependent questions from the microphone and return them to you.
23. Thank you Thank you for coming to this session. Further Questions? Call or write: Katie Moeller Katie.Moeller@fldoe.org 850-245-5160