Developing Strategic Readers Developing Strategic Readers Dr. Connie Cain FLaRE Coordinator Just Read, Florida!

Who wants to improve their students’ reading comprehension?

Researchers found that reading comprehension can be increased…  In 15 to 20 days,  From 30% to 80% on comprehension tests  With strong results for struggling readers from low achieving urban areas  With students in primary through secondary grades  In large group settings and peer led groups  And the students maintained comprehension skills when tested a year later. According to Lori D. Oczkus in Reciprocal Teaching at Work: Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension, in studies by Palinscar and Brown, 1984; Palinscar and Klenk, 1991, 1992; Cooper, et. al. 2000; and Carter, 1997.

What is this magic method? What is this magic method?

Rosenshine & Meister (1994) reviewed 16 studies and found that reciprocal teaching is a technique that improves reading comprehension. Rosenshine & Meister (1994) reviewed 16 studies and found that reciprocal teaching is a technique that improves reading comprehension. Lori D. Oczkus. (2005). Reciprocal Teaching at Work Reciprocal Teaching

What social skills do students need to work effectively in groups? What social skills do students need to work effectively in groups?

Find Someone Who…  Find Someone Who… Directions  Find Someone Who… Record Sheet  Essential Social Skills for Group Work

What are the social skills needed for effective group work?   Take turns & share air- time   Listen Actively   Make eye contact   Lean in, nod confirm   Pull other people in   Ask follow-up questions   Be tolerant of others’ ideas   Piggyback on ideas of others   Speak up when you disagree   Disagree constructively   Stay focused, on task   Support your views with the text   Be responsible to the group

What is a proficient reader? “Proficient readers monitor their comprehension during reading they know when the text they are reading or listening to makes sense, when it does not, what does not make sense, and whether the unclear portions are critical to the overall understanding of the piece.” E. O. Keene & S. Zimmermann. (1997). Mosaic of Thought, p. 43

What is a strategic reader? “A strategic reader has the personal understandings, skills, and motivation to consciously and unconsciously select and integrate many sources of information when reading and thinking about text… that is being an active reader thinking before, during and after reading to make sense of and use texts.” Connie Cain, discussion quote from reading class lecture at UCF, RED 5514, 2005

Instructional Practices versus Strategic Behaviors (Strategies) (Instructional practices are often referred to as “strategies” which causes confusion.)

Instructional Practices versus Strategic Behaviors

Instructional Practices are what teachers do to teach the “in the head” work that effective readers do to comprehend text. Instructional Practices are used to teach Strategic Behaviors.

Instructional Practices (teacher methods)  Developing Social Skills  Reciprocal Teaching  Discussion Groups  Think Alouds  Anchor Lessons for Strategic Behaviors  Mini-lessons for social, cognitive, or literary skills  Text Coding  Jigsaw  Assessment Strategic Behaviors (in the head thinking processes)  Monitoring / Metacognition  Previewing*  Knowing how words work  Identifying text patterns  Self-questioning*  Making connections  Visualizing  Inferring  Determining Importance  Summarizing  Evaluating/ Author’s Craft

Instructional Practices  Developing Social Skills  Reciprocal Teaching*  Discussion Groups  Think Alouds  Anchor Lessons for Strategic Behaviors  Mini-lessons for social, cognitive, or literary skills  Text Coding  Jigsaws  Written Discussions  Assessment Strategic Reading Behaviors  Monitoring comprehension  Predicting*  Knowing how words work  Identifying text patterns  Generating questions*  Making connections  Visualizing  Inferring  Determining Importance  Summarizing*  Evaluating/ Author’s Craft

Reciprocal Teaching  Predicting  Questioning  Clarifying  Summarizing  All the other strategic behaviors fall under the category of Clarifying

Clarifying  Clarifying hinges upon the reader monitoring comprehension and then (the reader) doing something to make sense of the text when meaning is lost or confusing.

Teach Social Skills  What should group work look like?  What should group work sound like?  “It is difficult to be mean to someone you know.”  Find Someone Who …  Membership Grids

Topics Group Members Name Membership Grid

How do you teach the technique of reciprocal teaching?  By modeling using “think alouds”  By slowing down the reading process  By scaffolding with guided practice  By teaching social skills for effective group work  By teaching students to think about and reflect on their strategic behaviors (metacognition)  By using mini-lessons to advance learning

Teachers will find a need to write your own Mini-lessons and Anchor Lessons using resource books and a variety of texts, such as picture books and news articles. Here is a flowchart for developing mini-lessons. Teachers will find a need to write your own Mini-lessons and Anchor Lessons using resource books and a variety of texts, such as picture books and news articles. Here is a flowchart for developing mini-lessons. Adapted from Literature Circles Heinemann Institute: Building Better Student Book Clubs K-12, Harvey Daniels, 2006.

“I’ve notice a problem…” OR Let’s try something new…” Teacher explains why it matters AND Teacher connects to own reading or group work Guided Class Meeting   Students brainstorm solutions   Teacher adds own ideas   Students choose a solution   Students commit to implement Skill or Strategy Lesson   Define skill/strategy   Practice with short text   Share responses   Students commit to implement Groups meet and apply mini-lessons ▼ Debrief outcomes Adapted from Literature Circles Heinemann Institute: Building Better Student Book Clubs K-12, Harvey Daniels, 2006.

Explicit Scaffolded Instruction  Tell Them  Show Them  Think Aloud  Model Again  Guided Practice / Reciprocal Teaching  Fish Bowl – Jigsaw – Record Sheets - Bookmarks  More Practice moving in small steps toward Independent Work  Mini Lessons based on observations- cognitive, social & literary

Scaffolding  Anchor Lessons for 8 strategies (Develop your own)  Think Alouds (Write your own / sample)  INSERT (Teach them to Code)  Cooperative Table Groups (Fish Bowl)  Mini-lessons (Write your own)  Role Cards (Make Them)  Bookmarks (Copy)  Table Group Summaries (Copy)  Literature Discussion Sheet (Copy)  Self-Assessment Form RT Literature Circles (Copy)  Using the RT Team when reading (Independence)

Simulation Activity  Divide students into groups of 4 each  Find Someone Who…  Membership Grid  Role Sheets  Annotated Reading & Text Coding  Record Sheet  Roles should only be temporary and lead to independence  Use a variety of support to teach the process  Teach for Independence and Flexible Thinking

Reciprocal Teaching at Work

Resources Resources Billmeyer, R., & Barton, M. L. (1998). Teaching reading in the content areas: If not me, then who? Aurora, Co: McREL. Heinemann Professional Development (2006). Literature circles: Build a better book club K-12. Portland ME: Heinemann Workshops. Keen, E. O., & Zimmermann, S. (1997). Mosaic of thought: Teaching comprehension in a reader’s workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Oczkus, L. D. (2003). Reciprocal teaching at work: Strategies for improving reading comprehension. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.