engaging todays students in texts engaging todays students in texts william mcbride independent...
TRANSCRIPT
Engaging Today’s Students in TextsEngaging Today’s Students in Texts
William McBride Independent Reading Consultant,
Author of “Entertaining an Elephant”
Pupils as Passionate Learners
How Can We Use Brain Research to Help Students Pay Attention
and Retain Information?
Choice (content, process, resource, environment)
Relevance (personal, in context)
Feedback (as immediate as possible)
Engagement (emotionally, physically, verbally)
How Humor Promotes RetentionHow Humor Promotes Retention
OxygenEndorphin Surge
Gets Attention!
Positive Climate
Increases Retention
Discipline
Mental Health
“the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”
Matthews Effect:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Poor Reader
Average Reader
Variation in Amount of Independent Reading
0.0 0 2
0.1 8,000 10
0.7 21,000 20
1.3 106,000 30
3.2 200,000 40
4.6 282,000 50
6.5 432,000 60
9.6 622,000 70
14.2 1,146,000 80
21.1 1,823,000 90
65.1 4,358,000 98
PercentileMinutes of
Reading Per DayWords Read
Per Year
Source: adapted from Anderson, Watson, and Fielding, 1998
Rank of “Rare” Words in Spoken & Written Language
Children’s Books 627 30.9
Comic Books 867 53.5
Adult Books 1058 52.7
Popular Magazines
1399 65.7
Newspapers 1690 68.3
Scientific Articles 4389 128.0
Mr.Rogers/Sesame 413 2.0
Prime Time TV 490 22.7
Cartoon Shows 598 30.8
Expert Witness 1008 28.4
College Graduate 496 17.3
Rare Words per 1000
Communication Medium
Rank of Median Word
Source: adapted from Anderson, Watson, and Fielding, 1998
Frequency Ranking of 86,741word forms where the word “the” ranks #1 in usage, “pass” ranks #1,000, “vibrate” ranks #5,000,
“shrimp” ranks #9,000, and “amplifier” ranks #16,000.
“If most vocabulary is acquired outside of formal teaching, then the only opportunities to acquire new words occur when an individual is exposed to a word in written or oral language that is outside his current vocabulary. This will happen vastly more often while reading than while talking or watching television.”
Source: Cunningham and Stanovich. “What Reading Does for the Mind,” American Educator, (Spring/Summer, 1998) .
Vocabulary Facts
Vocabulary Facts
0.00%2.00%4.00%
6.00%8.00%
10.00%
12.00%14.00%16.00%
18.00%
75+
65-74
55-64
45-54
35-44
25-34
18-24
% decline inreading forpleasure
Age Groups
13.1%
14.4%
17.0%
Source: Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, 2002
1982 – 2002
Brain-based TeachingBrain-based Teaching
0 10 20 30 40
Time in minutes
De
gre
e o
f re
ten
tio
n
Primacy-recency effect
Prime-time-1
Prime-time-2
Down-timeNew Content
Practice & Review
Sense & Relevance
Predicting ABC’sPredicting Vocabulary
Before Reading
TOPIC:
A-B G-HE-FC-D
O-PM-NK-LI-J
WXYZU-VS-TQ-R
Vocabulary Development What Works
• Extensive Reading
• Direct Instruction in Word Meaning
• Direct Instruction in Morphology
• Direct Instruction in Context Usage
• Diverse, interesting, fun activities
Preview Maps
What it looks like: The Americans, The Divisive Politics of Slavery
What is the title? What is this list?
Whose American story is told?
Whose picture is shown?
What is in the purple block of text?
Rewrite first major heading as a question?
Rewrite the first subheading as a question?
Preview MapsPreviewing Texts
Before Reading
Brain-based TeachingBrain-based Teaching
0 10 20 30 40
Time in minutes
De
gre
e o
f re
ten
tio
n
Primacy-recency effect
Prime-time-1
Prime-time-2
Down-timeNew Content
Practice & Review
Sense & Relevance
P.L.A.N.
Predict
Locate
Add
Note
P.L.A.N.The Living Constitution – Article 2. The Executive
The Executive, p. 256
Salary
Qualifications
Electoral College
Terms of Office
Four Years w/ V. Pres.
SuccessionOath of Office
Election Day
Equals # of Senators and Reps
US Map p. 256 picture
Affirmation p. 257
Natural-born citizen – p. 257
?
+
!
?
X
?
Legend: X = familiar / ? = unfamiliar / ! = surprising / + = important
!
What Did I Read?
What it looks like:
Teacher says: “Class, remember that the Middle Ages were filled with war and disease. Now we are going to see a big change in Europe. Follow along as I read and take notes.”
Teacher Reads Aloud: The years 1300 to 1600 saw an explosion of creativity in Europe. Historians call this period the Renaissance. The term means rebirth—in this case a rebirth of art and learning. The Renaissance began in northern Italy around 1300 and later spread north. One reason northern Europe lagged behind is that France and England were at war.
Teachers says: “What did I read? Everyone take two minutes to make some notes about what I just read.”
Teacher says: [after two minutes] “Steven, what did I read?”
Steven says: “Renaissance means rebirth. A rebirth or art and learning.”
Teacher says: “Good. Maria, What did I read?”
Maria says: “It started in Italy and spread north. The north had been having a war.”
Teacher says: “Good. Kim, what did I read?
Kim says: “The war was between France and England.”
Teacher says: “Good. Kevin, what did I read?
Kevin says: “The Renaissance lasted between 1300 and 1600.”
Teacher says: “Good. Anyone have anything else? (No answer) Then let’s go to the next section.”
During Reading
What Did I Read?Guided Reading
Legend: X = familiar / ? = unfamiliar / ! = surprising / + = important
P.L.A.N. + What Did I Read?
The Road to Lexington and Concord
Compare/Contrast Y Notes
Compare/Contrast “Y” Notes Summarizing Differences and Similarities
What it looks like:
During Reading
Topic:______________ Topic:______________
Similarities:
Compare/Contrast “Y” Notes Summarizing Differences and Similarities
What it looks like: Topic: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
During Reading
Topic:______________ Topic:______________
Similarities:
S. Douglas A. LincolnRan for US Senate in 1858
Against slavery Distorted Douglas’s views
Against popular sovereignty
Dramatic speaker
Against slavery
Plain and direct language
Former Whig
For Popular Sovereignty
Distorted Lincoln’s views
Incumbent Senator Ran for US Senate in 1858
Ran for US Senate in 1858
Against slavery
Distorted Lincoln’s views
Distorted Douglas’s views
The systems you have in place
are perfect
for the results you are getting.
Words to Remember
Contact Information
Bill McBride
432 Vicksburg St.
San Francisco, CA 94114
Phone/Fax: 415.826.2310
E-mail:
Workshop Info: www.entertaininganelephant.com
Teacher Price-$6.36
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