Session 2 Teaching Comprehension Strategies with Explicit Instruction

Good Morning!! Please sit at your tables from yesterday Fill out Frayer Model on explicit instruction (red paper) Discuss homework article with group focusing on the questions listed on the homework sheet.

As a Group… What were the key points in the homework article?

Comprehension Strategies Vary depending on the source. We will be looking at following strategies today: connecting to background knowledge, making inferences and predictions, generating and answering questions, and understanding and remembering word meanings!!!

Why is teaching strategies important? Responses…

What is the best way to teach strategies? Responses…

Explicit Instruction and Strategies Explicit instruction provides an excellent framework for teaching strategies because it provides a rationale, an example of how to use, practice using it with supports, and integration into repertoire through independent practice

Sample Mini-Lesson Strategy: Connecting to Background Knowledge Method: Quickwrite

Quickwrite- Stated Purpose A quickwrite is used to organize thoughts and connections to a text. We are using it before reading a text. By responding to a question you can prepare for the topic coming up and think about what you already know. I will ask a question and give you five minutes to write down anything you think of about the topic. If you get stuck just keep writing about anything until another idea comes into your head.

Quickwrite-Teacher Demonstration I am going to read a part of Teaching Hope by Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writer Teachers. Question for quickwrite: What do you know about Erin Gruwell and Freedom Writer Teachers? What is special about Erin Gruwell and Freedom Writer Teachers?

Quickwrite-Teacher Demo I am going to think about the movie “Freedom Writers” and the book Freedom Writers Diary Based on these I know Erin is a teacher from Long Beach. She teaches in a diverse school. There is a lot of violence in the surround communities. Many of her students come from low-income households and have struggled in school. She is very successful with these students because she sees the potential in every student and works hard to motivate and engage them…

The Freedom Writer teachers are selected through applications to attend workshops taught by Erin Gruwell where she teaches them about the methods she used within her classroom to get results. Last night, I had pizza for dinner and went to bed very late. They tend to be the teachers willing to go the extra mile, put in the extra hour, make the extra effort, and connect with every student to ensure success of all students.

While I was completing my quickwrite I thought about everything I knew in my head about these questions. I wrote as much detail I could think of but did not go into a lot of detail. When I read the text I will have a better understanding of what is going on because I thought about what I already know!! Also, when I couldn’t think of anything else I kept writing until I thought of more information about Erin and the FW Teachers!

Quickwrite- Guided Practice Now lets do one together. We are going to be reading a chapter out of TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY by Jay Asher. I know this book is about a girl who commits suicide. So, the question is: What is the saddest event that has happened in your life? Let’s go around the room and each person give me sentence about this topic

Quickwrite- Guided Response Student responses

Quickwrite- Independent Practice Now, its your turn to try it. The text we will be reading about is on race. Question: What is race? Is race important?

Quickwrite- Explicit Instruction Questions, Comments, Concerns…

Create your own lesson Either with your whole table or a partner at your table complete a strategy lesson using explicit instruction. Each table has a different strategy to focus on. There is information at your table about your strategy and different methods to use.

Create your own lesson, cont. You need to complete the following: –Choose your method from the information sheets –Write a stated purpose for the method –Create a teacher demonstration of the method using one of the texts brought. –Create a guided practice of the method. –Create independent practice of the method. Refer to the green lesson template from yesterday if you get stuck You will give a BRIEF description of the lesson created to the group Please write out what you do so copies can be made an distributed to the group!!

WORK TIME PRESENTATIONS

Wrap-Up Any questions, comments, or concerns… Please complete and turn in reflection sheet For next time: Complete a comprehension strategy lesson using explicit instruction in your class and complete Putting Ideas into Practice sheet Session 3: Reading Widely