R EADING FOR MEANING IN ELEMENTARY S CHOOL

G ATES OF OPPORTUNITY : Foreign Languages English Social Studies Math Science

C YCLES OF READING GROWTH Engagement in reading Confidence reading Time spent reading Decoding practice Vocabulary exposure Fluency practice Comprehension practice

C YCLES OF R EADING F AILURE Less engagement in reading Less confidence reading Less time spent reading Less decoding practice Less vocabulary exposure Less fluency practice Less comprehension practice

R ESEARCH 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 4 th grade studies (2001) Because exposure matters, time matters

R EADING ISN ’ T ROCKET SCIENCE. Practice matters.*

W HAT DO THE SQUIGGLES “ SAY ”?

P HONICS AND THE A LPHABETIC PRINCIPLE 26, 42 Symbols represent sounds …but not in a 1:1 correspondence Cherry, Tough, The, shriek

phenomenologyphenomenology ph-enomenolog-y phen-o-men-ology phenomen-ology Word Study from pre-K-graduate school…

C OMPREHENSION IS A MEANING - MAKING, MESSAGE - GETTING PROCESS Reading is an interaction

A TALE OF THREE COACHES …

C OMPREHENSION IS A MEANING - MAKING, MESSAGE - GETTING PROCESS Coming next Discussed so far

T HE ACTIVITY - “W HAT 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

H OW DO I KNOW WHAT I KNOW ? W HAT 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.

R EADING 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.

M ETA - COGNITIVE S TRATEGIES : MAKING THE INVISIBLE V ISIBLE 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

W HAT 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: Complex Invisible Obvious to us as expert readers

H OW DO WE TEACH STRATEGIES ? MODEL – PROMPT - GUIDE Gradual release of responsibility= I do, We do, You do. Show me Help me Watch me!

U SING YOUR SAMPLE TEXT (“T HE 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

M AKING 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 _______.

T HE 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.

M Y 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.

E XPLAINING 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

B UILDING MOTIVATION Engagement in reading Confidence reading Time spent reading Decoding practice Vocabulary exposure Fluency practice Comprehension practice

M OTIVATION TO READ The expectancy theory of motivation: I can x I want = motivation (I will) I can = confidence in knowledge and skills I 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.

M OTIVATION 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

S ETTING A PURPOSE FOR R EADING 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.

S ETTING A PURPOSE FOR R EADING 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.

S ETTING A PURPOSE FOR R EADING 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.

S ETTING 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

C HECKLIST 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

T HANK YOU ! This powerpoint is posted online: Further questions or comments: Rachael Gabriel