Reading Comprehension: The Key to Academic Achievement Presenter: Amy Benjamin

1. Reading Comprehension: The Key to Academic Achievement Presenter: Amy Benjamin • Today’s Presentation: • 1. Reading comprehension in the secondary grades • Reader Orientation: Text Types • Getting reading and writing to work together • 4. The Reading Process: • Before: Connect! • During: Concentrate! • After: Complete • 5. Five Gears of Reading • 6. Formative Assessment You may access today’s visuals at: www.amybenjamin.com (Reading Comprehension: 2010)

2. Although U.S. students in grade 4 score among the (highest, lowest) in the world, those in grade 8 score much (higher, lower). By grade 10, U.S. students score among the (highest, lowest) in the world. From Time to Act, a study commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation, 2009:

3. Is it this? Although U.S. students in grade 4 score among the highest in the world, those in grade 8 score much higher. By grade 10, U.S. students score among the highest in the world. From Time to Act, a study commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation, 2009:

4. No, it’s this: Although U.S. students in grade 4 score among the highest in the world, those in grade 8 score much lower. By grade 10, U.S. students score among the lowest in the world. What’s your theory? From Time to Act, a study commissioned by the Carnegie Foundation, 2009:

7. Elementary School Middle School High School volume: detail, description, vocabulary: technical and general academic terms sentence length reference to diagrams different kinds of punctuation objective (does not address the reader as “you”) less familiar imagery

8. Focus Strategiesfor All Subjects: 1. Read aloud/think aloud (model your thinking process as you read) 2. Getting reading and writing to support each other (writing-to-learn activities) 3. Direct vocabulary instruction

9. 10,000 hours of practice

10. Reader Orientation andText Types: • Organizational structures such as : • 1. It describes the features or parts of one thing (Outline) • 2. It lays out a sequence (Story Arc) • 3. It explains a relationship between two things (T-Chart)

11. What is the significance oftext types? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DctVteQDRIM&feature=related A reader who is aware of the text type is better able to: • Mentally organize the information (be oriented) • Predict and anticipate • Recall the key information • Establish an accurate relationship between • key ideas and supportive details

12. Text Types: Genres Narrative (Telling a story) Other literary text: poetry, drama, etc. Informational text (textbooks) Journalism (news articles, feature articles, editorials, critiques) Reports (findings from research) Procedures (step-by-step)

13. Consider: Column B Column A: End-of-chapter questions Test-like questions Reader-created outline Reader-created summary Reader-created paraphrase Getting Reading and Writing to Work Together: Writing-to-Learn Practices

14. mental cut-and- paste Very weak intermolecular forces produced by billions of hair-like structures, known as setae…. Typical end-of-chapter questions: Text A • Explain how geckos stick to vertical surfaces.

15. 2. “Van der Waals” refer to a. weak intermolecular forces b. setae c. structures on a gecko’s feet d. billions of hair-like structures Vocabulary-type Typical test-type questions: Text A • Which of the following best expresses the • main idea of this passage? • a. Why geckos fascinate us • b. How geckos stick to walls • c. Scientists study geckos’ feet • d. That cute little over-engineered reptile Main idea-type

16. Outline: Middle Sch High Sch I. A. B. C. II. A. B. C. III. A. B. C. I.________ A.______ 1._____ 2.______ a._____ b._____ c._____ B.__________ II.____________ A.__________ B.__________ 1._______ 2._______ 3._______ C.__________ Main idea Main idea Main idea Elementary Boxes & Bullets

17. Outlines: Text I • Changes caused by Industrial Revolution • A. How people worked • B. How people lived • Before the IR • A. Workers mostly in rural areas • B. Families worked together on farms • C. Most items made by hand • D. Children continued work of parents • During and After the IR • A. Families moved to cities • B. City living conditions • 1. Families less together • 2. Factory work • a. Dirty • b. Dangerous • C. Machinery • 1. Rapid production • 2. Decline of hand-made goods

18. The Reading Process:BeforeDuringAfter 3C’s: B:Connect ! (4 connections) D: Concentrate ! (5 behaviors) A: Complete ! (3 choices) Or, 3F’s: B: Frontload D: Focus A: Finish

19. The Reading Process:Before: Connect ! 3 C’s Connection 1: Background knowledge (incl. key vocab) Connection 2: Text type (organizational structure) Connection 3: Establish a purpose for reading Connection 4: Overview

20. Before: Connect! 3 C’s “What comes to mind when I say the word______?” “What do/does ___________remind you of?” “What do you see in your mind when I say ______?” “What words are you seeing that you need to know more about?

21. Before: Connect! 3 C’s Building Background Knowledge: Pre-teach new vocab Present visuals Connect to personal experience

22. Before: Connect!Prepare for the genre How is it organized? 3 C’s Picture the structure. Set up a “mental closet” to contain the information. Think about what you expect in this structure.

23. Before: Connect!Have a focus for reading. 3 C’s Decide what you are looking for. (page 86)

24. Before: Connect! Get an Overview 3 C’s THIEVVES: Title Headings Introductory paragraph Every first sentence of every paragraph Visuals and Vocabulary End-of-chapter questions Summary

25. The Reading Process:During: Concentrate! 3 C’s Adjust the environment: eliminate all sensory distractions Visualize: Look for imagery in the text Visualize the organizational structure Monitor comprehension: Be prepared to reread and/or seek outside help Be an active reader: Anticipate, react, predict, question connect

26. The Reading Process:After:Complete! 3 C’s Write, talk, or draw

27. Cooperative Learning Protocol for Improving Reading Comprehension 4-Roles in the Group 1. I’m the summarizer. 2. I’m the question asker. 3. I’m the word clarifier: 4. I’m the predictor:

28. Let’s summarize: The ABOUT, AND technique: It’s about geckos 1. It’s about…….. (one or two words) 2. and…. It’s about birds and how they stick to vertical surfaces.

29. Summary Starters: Text I: It’s about the Industrial Revolution and how it changed family life. Text II: It’s about Eos and Tithonius and how their ill-fated love story played out. Text III: It’s about England and why it is to be treasured. Text IV: It’s about the different kinds of taxes and what they are used for.

30. Cooperative Learning Protocol for Improving Reading Comprehension QAR: Question-Answer Response 3 Kinds of questions: 1. “Right there”: The answer is stated directly I. Yes/No II. Who/what/when/where/why/how 2. “Put it together”: The answer is implied in the text 3. “Beyond the Text”: The answer is not given; the text evokes the question

31. Where do I need help? Understanding the vocabulary Remembering what I read Answering the questions Making connections: Text-to-text Text-to-self Text-to-world Visualizing Concentrating Taking notes K-W-L Chart Summarizing

32. Five Gears of Reading: Skim it: Scan it: Sample it: Read it: (optional) Study it: Go back, as necessary, getting a more useful and permanent understanding. This may involve working with a partner, taking notes, creating graphic organizers, and other meaning-making activities. Now that you’ve let the text wash over you, read it thoroughly: every word, every sentence, every graphic. Glance over it; (30 secs per page); get the gist; be able to state what it is about in a complete sentence Look it over with an eagle’s eye, scanning for specific information, such as information that has key words to answer questions Find a segment that is most interesting to you and read it carefully. www.amybenjamin.com

33. Focus Groups: Consider the “99 Ways” List. What practices are already in place and working for you? 10 Minutes: Report out, please

34. Time Interdisciplinary connections strengthen learning Simultaneous use of instructional time: Teach skills that allow students to process information independently

35. Can my students read the textbook independently? Preparation: Read one page, timing yourself. Compose 5 basic comprehension questions Assess the vocabulary: How many words on the page will be problematical for the students? Are there sufficient context clues for readers to determine meaning of unfamiliar words?

36. Can my students read the textbook independently? Formative Assessment: : Ask students to read the targeted page in class and time themselves. Note the students who took significantly more time. Ask students to answer the 5 basic comprehension questions. Note the students who have more than 2 wrong. Ask students to identify the words that they don’t understand after reading the passage. Note the students who identify more than five words.

37. Can my students read the textbook independently? How to help: Intensify the “Before” reading strategies that connect reader to text. Provide pictures Provide simplified versions

38. Enjoyment: Reading anything we want, just for fun! stories, newspapers, comics, magazines, graphic novels, teen romances, sci-fi, adventure, humor…. • Components of successful free reading programs in schools: • Lavish access to all kinds of appealing reading material • No accountability (ie, tests) • Teacher modeling • Regular time set aside for reading • Sustained over time (multiple years) • Comfortable environment, conducive to reading • Opportunities for discussion • Staff training on the benefits and management of SSR • Source: The SSR Handbook: How to Organize and Manage a Sustained Silent • Reading Program. Janice Pilgreen. Boynton/Cook. Portsmouth, NH. 2000 www.amybenjamin.com