Teaching Comprehension and Response in Elementary School EDC 423: Teaching Comprehension and Response in Elementary School September 22, 2011 Dr. Julie Coiro Chafee 615

As you begin today: Please take a sticky note and tear in half. Put your first name on both sticky notes. Review your homework assignment: Comprehension Self-Assessment On one sticky note, write one area of strength in terms of your comprehension strategy use while reading your challenging text. On the 2nd sticky note, write one area for improvement in terms of your comprehension strategy use. Stick each note under the appropriate heading on the front board.

Objectives from last class To explore aspects of key reading comprehension/thinking strategies and see how they are logically applied to diverse texts Before/During/After reading A box of Cheerios! (Classroom Snapshot) A narrative text selection (My Father’s Dragon) An expository text selection (Gorilla Rescue) To assess your own use of reading comprehension strategies with a challenging text (your homework)

Key Reading Strategies M+MDAAVISS MAKE CONNECTIONS M SYNTHESIZE S DETERMINE IMPORTANT IDEAS D SUMMARIZE MONITOR AND CLARIFY S M ASK QUESTIONS A INFER/ PREDICT I VISUALIZE V ANALYZE/CRITIQUE A

Today’s Objectives To reflect on your use of reading comprehension strategies with a challenging text (individually and as a class to inform grouping & instruction) To identify key physical and psychological classroom elements that support literacy learning To practice identifying big ideas and transforming into essential questions with diverse texts

Moving through the semester with your graphic organizer 2 of 8 Big Ideas about teaching comprehension and response in elementary school

ACTIVITY: Supportive Learning Contexts Before - Brainstorm: What would you SEE and what would you FEEL in your classroom space? During - Watch and Notice: What do you SEE and what do you FEEL in these classroom spaces that foster literacy and learning? After - Discuss and Wrap Up: Big Ideas

Big Ideas Chapter 3: (p. 65-77) Supportive Learning Contexts Support comprehension with an inviting culture (that LOOKS and FEELS interesting, engaging, and organized) Consider your beliefs and dispositions as a teacher – How do you relay these to students? Teach Inquiry based problem solving (CPS) Focus on BIG IDEAS – turn topics and concepts into essential questions that can link texts and discussions and connect to the real world > ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Big Ideas Chapter 3: (p. 68) Classroom Checklist WHAT YOU SEE: Comfortable and organized Functional space arrangement (work areas) Aesthetic contributions (plants, music, displays) Print rich environment WHAT YOU FEEL: Teacher’s personality Student-oriented (real jobs and spaces to share their important ideas)

Essential Questions

Essential Questions (Reframe topics to provide purpose and connections; to motivate and engage) Habitats: What makes a good home? For us? For bears? For lobsters? Community: How can we improve our school? Science: How does flight influence and change behavior (for birds, for humans)? Geometry: How can we use what we know about math to build a new playground? A doghouse?

Essential Questions: You Try… Lesson/Big Idea: Questions?

Essential Questions: You Try… Lesson/Big Idea? Questions?

Homework: Read Chapter 6: Classroom Culture and Motivation Read Sweet & Guthrie (1996) (article on wiki) Complete NGT Reflection #3