READING FOR MEANING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

GATES OF OPPORTUNITY:

Foreign Languages

English

Social StudiesMath

Science

CYCLES OF READING GROWTHEngagement in reading

Confidence reading

Time spent reading

Decoding practice

Vocabulary exposure

Fluency practice

Comprehension practice

CYCLES OF READING FAILURE

Less engagement in reading

Less confidence

reading

Less time spent

reading

Less decoding practice

Less vocabulary exposure

Less fluency practice

Less comprehension

practice

RESEARCH ON STRUGGLING READERS SHOWS OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN…

TIME matters PRACTICE matters “HIGH-SUCCESS” reading experiences matter

There has to be a time each day that students can read something they CAN read and WANT to read. Independent reading on a student’s independent

level allows reading to become a self-extending process, and a cycle of growth.

MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHERS routinely had children reading for forty to forty-five minutes of each hour allocated to reading instruction.

In LESS EFFECTIVE TEACHERS’ classrooms, the time allocated was the same but these teachers often spent fifteen to twenty minutes preparing children to read, and twenty to twenty-five minutes after reading had the children engaged in a variety of follow-up activities.

Thus, in the less effective classrooms, the children

typically read for only fifteen to twenty minutes of each hour of time allocated to reading lessons and in some classrooms

children read even less! Allington & Johnston Exemplary 4th

grade studies (2001)

Because exposure matters, time matters

READING ISN’T ROCKET SCIENCE.

Practice matters.*

WHAT DO THE SQUIGGLES “SAY”?

PHONICS AND THE ALPHABETIC PRINCIPLE

26, 42 Symbols represent sounds…but not in a

1:1 correspondence

Cherry, Tough, The, shriek

phenomenologyph-enomenolog-y

phen-o-men-ology

phenomen-ology

Word Study from pre-K-graduate school…

COMPREHENSION IS A MEANING-MAKING, MESSAGE-GETTING PROCESS

Reading is an interaction

A TALE OF THREE COACHES…

COMPREHENSION IS A MEANING-MAKING, MESSAGE-GETTING PROCESS

Coming nextDiscussed so

far

THE ACTIVITY-“WHAT DO THE SQUIGGLES MEAN?”

What do you do to make meaning out of a difficult passage?

Watch yourself as a reader How

Ask yourself – what do I know? How do I know it? What am I doing to fix what I don’t know?

Why cognitive apprenticeship Model complex invisible skills

HOW DO I KNOW WHAT I KNOW? WHAT AM I DOING TO UNDERSTAND?

“Batsmen & Bowlers” The Batsmen were merciless against the

Bowlers. The Bowlers placed their men in slips and covers. But to no avail. The Batsmen hit one four after another along with an occasional six. Not once did their balls hit their stumps or get caught.

READING IS THINKING…

Predict Connect Infer Visualize Question Summarize

We all do this all the time, but need to be reminded/guided to do it (“think”) while we read.

META-COGNITIVE STRATEGIES: MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE

If you asked the average proficient reader what she does when reading, she might simply say, “I read.” But upon further investigation she would find that she unconsciously processes and problem-solves as she reads, almost like a reflection. We teach our brains to adjust to the different demands of various types of texts, which helps us read an income tax form just as successfully as we read a novel. We may not enjoy both text equally, but we can read each effectively and strategically.”-From The Right To Literacy in Secondary Schools

WHAT DOES READING COMPREHENSION INSTRUCTION LOOK LIKE?

Reading and English classes nation-wide are often instruction-free in an “ASSIGN-ASSESS” cycle.

When students do not understand what they read we often say…

“read it again”“think about it”“try again”“sound it out”

A scientific view of reading comprehension as a meaning-making process

We ASSIGN and ASSESS without teaching because reading comprehension is:

ComplexInvisibleObvious to us as expert readers

HOW DO WE TEACH STRATEGIES? MODEL – PROMPT - GUIDE Gradual release of responsibility= I do, We

do, You do.

Show meHelp me

Watch me!

USING YOUR SAMPLE TEXT (“THE AMAZING BONE”)

Working with those around you, read the sample passage and note which strategy you gravitate towards.

Discuss at your tables how you might “think aloud” about your use of this strategy for that question

NOTE: any strategy could be used with any question, but some are more likely to be helpful than others

MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE…PRACTICE THINKING ALOUD.

1. Use the sample passage and notice what you do to make sense of it

1. Use the strategy sentence starters to help you identify the strategy you feel yourself using,

2. Jot down what you would say to think-aloud.

Tell students the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of your thought process.

When I read this I’m going to _(strategy)__ by __________ because that helps me _______.

THE AMAZING BONE

I notice I decide the first two paragraphs are setting up her mood. I know that because I must have been making inferences about how the character was feeling all along.

I’ll say: When I read this I’m going to make inferences by using what I already know to make guesses about how characters are feeling because that helps me use what I know to understand the story.

MY THINK-ALOUD It was a brilliant day, and instead of going straight

home from school, Pearl dawdled. I know when people dawdle they’re wasting time, based on that I guess she doesn’t want to get where she’s going. She watched the grownups in town at their grownup work, things she might someday be doing. This makes me think she’s daydreaming. I wonder why. She saw the street cleaners sweeping the streets and she looked in at the bakers taking hot loaves of pumpernickel out of the oven and powdering crullers with sugar dust. I know its exciting and comforting to watch hot baked good coming out of the oven, so I’m thinking she’s slowing down and daydreaming because she’s happy or content, not dreading wherever she’s going.

EXPLAINING STRATEGIES IN ACTION

Turn to a neighbor and explain what strategy you chose and how it helps you make the text make sense.

Jot down what you might say to make your thoughts visible in a think aloud.

RAND READING STUDY GROUP MODEL OF READING COMPREHENSION

BUILDING MOTIVATIONEngagement in reading

Confidence reading

Time spent reading

Decoding practice

Vocabulary exposure

Fluency practice

Comprehension practice

MOTIVATION TO READ

The expectancy theory of motivation:

I can x I want = motivation (I will)

I can = confidence in knowledge and skillsI want= interest, desire incentive

42% of high school English teachers in Greene County that responded to a survey say most of their students do not like to read.

MOTIVATION REQUIRES

High-success experiences with texts Confidence Ability

5-finger rule – struggling readers may not self-monitor

CHOICE In almost every theory of motivation, choice

automatically builds engagement.

Explicit purposes for reading Supports comprehension Answers: “Why this text?” “Why me?” “Why right

now?” Provides a goal and directs thinking

SETTING A PURPOSE FOR READING Read this: (because I said so)

The two boys ran until they came to the driveway. “See, I told you today was good for skipping school,” said Mark. “Mom is never home on Thursday,” he added. Tall hedges hid the house from the road so the pair strolled across the finely landscaped yard. “1 never knew your place was so big,” said Pete. “Yeah, but it’s nicer now than it used to be since Dad had the new stone siding put on and added the fireplace.”

There were front and back doors and a side door, which led to the garage, which was empty except for three parked 10-speed bikes. They went in the side door, Mark explaining that it was always open in case his younger sisters got home earlier than their mother.

SETTING A PURPOSE FOR READING Read this: as if you are a real estate agent about to sell

the house

The two boys ran until they came to the driveway. “See, I told you today was good for skipping school,” said Mark. “Mom is never home on Thursday,” he added. Tall hedges hid the house from the road so the pair strolled across the finely landscaped yard. “1 never knew your place was so big,” said Pete. “Yeah, but it’s nicer now than it used to be since Dad had the new stone siding put on and added the fireplace.”There were front and back doors and a side door, which led to the garage, which was empty except for three parked 10-speed bikes. They went in the side door, Mark explaining that it was always open in case his younger sisters got home earlier than their mother.

SETTING A PURPOSE FOR READING Read this: as if you are a robber planning to rob the

house

The two boys ran until they came to the driveway. “See, I told you today was good for skipping school,” said Mark. “Mom is never home on Thursday,” he added. Tall hedges hid the house from the road so the pair strolled across the finely landscaped yard. “1 never knew your place was so big,” said Pete. “Yeah, but it’s nicer now than it used to be since Dad had the new stone siding put on and added the fireplace.”There were front and back doors and a side door, which led to the garage, which was empty except for three parked 10-speed bikes. They went in the side door, Mark explaining that it was always open in case his younger sisters got home earlier than their mother.

SETTING A PURPOSE PROVIDES

A reason (builds a sense of “I want to…”) for motivation

A focus A directed, reading, thinking activity What to pay attention to

What not to worry about Why you should be interested

What’s not important A reason to think as you go helps you notice

when you aren’t making meaning You will notice when meaning breaks down if you have

a goal of understanding something

CHECKLIST FOR CLASSROOMS THAT SUPPORT READING FOR MEANING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

1. Students have access to texts they can read and want to read every day

2. Students have time to read on their own everyday

3. Students have clear explanations of the code system of written English with practice

4. Teachers model the thought-process it takes to make meaning from a text

5. Students have specific purposes for reading

THANK YOU!

This powerpoint is posted online:

https://sites.google.com/site/greenecountyliteracy/

Further questions or comments:Rachael Gabrielrgabriel@utk.edu