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Green Belt: Lesson 2 Green Belt: Lesson 2 Understanding the Qualitative and Reader Task Elements with Lexiles: The Three Elements of Text Complexity School Certification

A Process of Discovery, Support and Mastery THE NATIONAL PATHWAY

CONDITIONS FOR SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION Plan Vision:The “Why are we doing this?” to combat confusion. Skills:The skill sets needed to combat anxiety. Incentives:Reasons, perks, advantages to combat resistance Resources:Tools and time needed to combat frustration. Plan: Provides the direction to eliminate the treadmill effect. Knoster, T., Villa, R., & Thousand, J. (2000)

A Lexile is a measure of both reading level and text complexity on the same scale. Lexiles were developed as a way to measure student reading ability on an independent scale. Lexiles are a more effective way of measuring student reading ability as opposed to grade level equivalents. Looking Back on Lesson 1

The following are key components of implementing the use of Lexiles: Identify a source or program that provides initial assessment of student Lexiles. Identify a method of monitor ongoing changes in reading ability and Lexiles of students Identify the Lexile levels of texts currently in use and those being considered for future use. Looking Back on Lesson 1

Learner Objectives Describe the 3 element model for text complexity Identify the Qualitative elements of Text Complexity and describe how they change the complexity of text Define Reader’s Task and describe its role in text complexity Explain how to use Quantitative (Lexile levels), Qualitative, and Reader’s Task elements to determine Text Complexity

Pre-Lesson Reflection Text Complexity Quantitative Factor (Lexile Measure) Reader and Reader’s Task Qualitative Factor (Meaning & Purpose, Structure, Language, Knowledge Demand)

Part I: A Close Look at Text Complexity

Qualitative Factor of Text Complexity Informational Text Levels of Purpose Structure Language Conventionality and Clarity Knowledge Demands Literary Text Levels of Meaning Structure Language Conventionality and Clarity Knowledge Demands

Informational Text

Level of Purpose Levels of PurposeHow difficult or easy is it to determine the purpose of the text? Is the purpose subtle, implied, or difficult to determine and to what extent?

Purpose – “I Have a Dream” Speech

Structure Structure Structure involves the use of multiple features – Organization of main ideas- Are the main ideas stated in a highly complex way and require inference from the reader or are they sequential and clearly stated? Text Features –If text features are used, are they required by the reader to comprehend the text, or do they merely support the content without being essential to its comprehension? Graphic features – Are graphics sophisticated or simple? Do they provide essential information not otherwise provided in the text and which are essential to comprehending, or are they merely supports and unnecessary for overall comprehension?

x Structure-Text Features

Structure- Graphic Features

Language Conventionality and Clarity Meaning- Is the information stated in a clear, straight forward manner, or is the message dense and abstract, possibly containing figurative language. Is it purposefully misleading or ambiguous? Register- Is the language used contemporary, familiar and conversational or generally unfamiliar, archaic, subject-specific, or overly academic?

x Language Conventionality and Clarity- Meaning

Knowledge Demands Subject Matter Knowledge- Can the reader comprehend the text with everyday practical knowledge? Or does the material require extensive, specialized, or even theoretical knowledge to understand the text? Intertextuality- Is the text absent of other references to texts, or are there references to other texts and allusions to them that the reader needs to be aware of in order to understand?

Knowledge Demands – Subject Matter Knowledge and Intertextuality

Literary Text

Level of Meaning Levels of Meaning (literary text) Does the literary piece have a single level meaning or multiple levels of meaning? Satires, for example, are intentionally at odds with the author’s underlying message.

Level of Meaning Excerpt from George Orwell’s Animal Farm. "Presently, the tumult died down. The four pigs waited, trembling, with guilt written on every line of their countenances. Napoleon now called upon them to confess their crimes. They were the same four pigs as had protested when Napoleon abolished the Sunday Meetings. Without any further prompting, they confessed that they had been secretly in touch with Snowball ever since his expulsion, that they had collaborated with him in destroying the windmill, and that they had entered into an agreement with him to hand over Animal Farm to Mr Frederick.”

Structure StructureStructure involves the use of multiple features – Narration- Is the story presented from one point of view or are their shifts in points of view? Order of Events –Are events in chronological order or presented out of order? Graphic – Are graphics sophisticated or simple? Do they provide essential information not otherwise provided in the text and which are essential to comprehending, or are they merely supports and unnecessary for overall comprehension?

Structure- Narration Harry Potter is told in third person limited, but deviates to the omniscient by switching to the limited view of the other characters from time to time. The Heroes of Olympus also utilizes a change in point of view of characters at intervals.

Structure-Order of Events Nonlinear presentation of ideas in a text increase its complexity and the amount of cognitive demand required to comprehend it.

Structure- Graphics x AD 500L

Lexile Codes AD: Adult Directed NC: Non-Conforming HL: High-Low IG: Illustrated Guide GN: Graphic Novel BR: Beginning Reading NP: Non-Prose

Language Conventionality and Clarity Meaning- Is the information stated in a clear, straight forward manner, or is the message dense and abstract, possibly containing figurative language. Is it purposefully misleading or ambiguous? Register- Is the language used contemporary, familiar and conversational or generally unfamiliar, archaic, subject- specific, or overly academic?

Language Conventionality and Clarity

1. What would you say about the meaning for this piece? 2. Is it stated in a straight forward or abstract way? 3. Does figurative language obscure the message? 4. How about register? 5. Does the language used err on the side of contemporary or archaic?

Knowledge Demands Life Experiences- Can the reader comprehend the text with everyday practical knowledge? Or does the material require extensive, specialized, or even theoretical knowledge to understand the text? Cultural/Literary Knowledge- Is the text absent of other references to texts, or are there references to other texts and allusions to them that the reader needs to be aware of in order to understand? Subject Matter Knowledge- Does the text only require everyday subject matter knowledge or extensive or specialized knowledge?

1. Think of at least two examples of complex texts in the literary category where subject matter or type of reading (as with poetry) adds to complexity. 2. Think of one literary text that makes reference or allusion to another text that the student needs to be familiar with to understand. Knowledge Demands

Reader and Reader’s Task

The Reader Cognitive Capabilities Motivation Knowledge Experiences

The Reader’s Task Teacher- Led Tasks Individual Tasks Question Types

Teacher-led Tasks Does this text require modeling of cognitive comprehension strategies? Does this text require modeling of text structures? Does this text require modeling of text features ?

Individual Tasks Does the task provide sufficient challenge for the reader while avoiding protracted frustration? Are suitable supports for accountable talk (e.g., language frames) furnished?

Question Types

Lesson Material for the Gettysburg Address

Bloom’s Taxonomy

Part II: Stepping into the Classroom with Text Complexity

Determining Text Complexity A Four-Step Process: Quantitative 1.Determine the quantitative measures of the text.

Determining Text Complexity A Four-Step Process: Qualitative 2.Analyze the qualitative measures of the text. 1.Determine the quantitative measures of the text.

Determining Text Complexity A Four-Step Process: Reader and Task 3.Reflect upon the reader and task considerations. 2.Analyze the qualitative measures of the text. 1.Determine the quantitative measures of the text.

Determining Text Complexity A Four-Step Process: Quantitative Qualitative Reader and Task 4.Recommend placement in the appropriate text complexity band. 3.Reflect upon the reader and task considerations. 2.Analyze the qualitative measures of the text. 1.Determine the quantitative measures of the text.

Where do we find texts in the appropriate text complexity band? Choose an excerpt of text from Appendix B: We could…. or… Use available resources to determine the text complexity of other materials on our own.

Rubrics for Measuring Qualitative Component

Checklist for Considering Reader and Reader Task

Understanding the Reader Personal Interaction and Relationships Student Surveys Student Interviews Information Learned about Students through Journaling Background Information about Behaviors or Special Needs Socio-economic Information

Planning the Task Determine whether students will need support to complete the task. If students will need support, will it be teacher-led activities or student collaborative support. Ensure all question types are text-based and lead the learners to develop higher order thinking skills. Two resources for developing higher order thinking skills offered in this lesson: Bloom’s Taxomony PDF and The Four Question Types.

 Simplified texts often synonymous with restricted, limited, and thin in meaning  Academic vocabulary can only be learned from complex texts  Mature language skills can only be gained by working with demanding materials  No evidence that struggling readers— especially at middle and high school— catch up by gradually increasing the complexity of simpler texts Why not use simplified text?

What it looks like in your curriculum? Evaluate and integrate exemplars where appropriate Utilize department or grade level meetings to select appropriate books with colleagues and evaluate currently used texts Consider selecting texts that can be taught across the curriculum Teaching of literacy strategies across the content areas to decipher complex text

What it looks like in your classroom? More teacher-led instruction with complex text and less focus on changing the text. Reliable methods of moving students to more challenging levels of reading at a quicker pace Independent reading assignments for all students including at-risk students.

What it looks like in your assessment? Formative Assessment is Key! Ask students to apply a concept or skill taught in class to a new, yet comparable, situation. Make students aware of Bloom’s taxonomy, and then ask students to form high-level questions about the material for other students to answer.

Knowledge Check Question: Which of the following is NOT an element of the qualitative component of text complexity? a)Structure b)Language Conventionality and Clarity c) Knowledge Demands d)Question Types

Knowledge Check Question: View the book page presented on the next slide from the story Bats at the Beach. Which of the following do you know you should consider in its text complexity measurement? a)Text Features b)Intertextuality c)Graphic Features d)Register

Knowledge Check Question: View the book page presented on the next slide from the story Bats at the Beach. Which of the following do you know you should consider in its text complexity measurement? a)Text Features b)Intertextuality c)Graphic Features d)Register

Homework Assignments

Green Belt Lesson 2 64 Please log into the Common Core Institute Wiki to access materials you will need.

Go to B.pdf and visit exemplars for both literary, social studies, and science/math/technology in your grade level. Share the name of one with your peers or PLC that you would like to use in the near future, and explain briefly why you chose it. B.pdf Then go to these-tools/text-complexity and explore the resources for text complexity. Share one thing you found and describe to your peers or your PLC. these-tools/text-complexity

Print the qualitative evaluation rubric and use it to assess one of the texts that you use in class. Share the name of the text and the score you gave it for the qualitative element with your peers or PLC. Go to the link below and watch a video about how a group of schools planned for text complexity into their curriculum. e6tH8jQk&feature=youtu.be e6tH8jQk&feature=youtu.be Homework Assignment

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