Literacy in the Middle Grades Teaching Reading and Writing to Fourth to Eighth Graders, 2e Second Edition Gail E. Tompkins California State University, Fresno Prepared by Helen Hoffner Holy Family University This multimedia product and its contents are protected under copyright law. The following are prohibited by law: any public performance or display including transmission of any image over a network; preparation of any derivative work, including the extraction, in whole or in part, of any images; any rental, lease, or lending of the program. © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 2 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Literacy instruction should be developmentally appropriate and embody the elements of:  Active Learning  Social Interaction  Authentic Activities  Strategy Instruction  Individualization  Inquiry Learning Literacy Instruction Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 3 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Chapter 1 Major Learning Theories  Constructivism  Sociolinguistics  Information Processing Theory  Behaviorism

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 4 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Constructivism  Describes learning as the active construction of knowledge  Recognizes the importance of background knowledge  Advocates collaboration, not competition  Suggests ways to engage students so they can be successful Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 5 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.  Views reading and writing as social and cultural activities  Explains that students learn best through authentic activities  Advocates culturally responsive teaching  Challenges students to confront injustices and inequities in society. Chapter 1 Sociolinguistics

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 6 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Information Processing Theory  Recommends integrating reading and writing  Views reading and writing as meaning-making processes  Explains that readers’ interpretations are individualized  Describes students as strategic readers and writers Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 7 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Behaviorism  Focuses on observable changes in behavior  Views the teacher’s role as providing information and supervising practice  Describes learning as the result of stimulus-response actions  Uses incentives and rewards for motivation Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 8 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. A Balanced Approach to Instruction Balanced programs usually embody these characteristics: Reading Teachers develop students’ ability to comprehend a wide range of texts. Writing Teachers teach students to use the writing process. Explicit Instruction Teachers provide explicit instruction. Learning Tools Students are taught to use reading, talk, and writing as tools for learning. Motivation Teachers use authentic and meaningful activities to engage students’ interest. Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 9 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Organizing for Literacy Instruction  Literature Focus Units  Literature Circles  Reading Workshop  Writing Workshop  Basal Readers  Literature Anthologies  Specialty Textbooks Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 10 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Effective Teachers Scaffold Students’ Reading & Writing Modeled Reading & Writing Teachers read aloud to model how expert readers read and expert writers write. Shared Reading & Writing Students assume partial responsibility for completing their work. Teachers provide appropriate assistance as needed. Guided Reading & Writing Small groups of students meet with a teacher to read a book at their instructional level. Independent Reading & Writing Students work at their own pace. Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 11 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Purposes of Classroom Assessment  Determining Students’ Reading Levels  Monitoring Students’ Progress  Diagnosing Students’ Strengths & Weaknesses  Documenting Students’ Learning Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 12 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Characteristics of a Classroom Community  Safety  Respect  High Expectations  Risk-taking  Collaboration  Choice  Responsibility  Family and Community Involvement Chapter 1

Literacy in the Middle Grades 2e Gail E. Tompkins 13 © 2010 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Scaffolding English Learners Teachers scaffold English Learners’ oral language acquisition and literacy development by providing opportunities for them to participate in:  Explicit Instruction  Conversation  Small-Group Work  Read-Alouds  Building Background Knowledge  Authentic Literacy Activities Chapter 1