Teaching Close Reading of Complex Texts … Learning (and Teaching) Argumentation Structures

REVIEW… Text Complexity – Quantitative Factors Word difficulty is determined by… COUNTYING SYLLABLES & SENTENCE LENGTH Fry Readability: sentence length & syllables [Grades 1-12] [Do this by hand] Flesh-Kinkaid: sentence length & syllables [How many years of schooling to understand the content … 0-12] - Use Microsoft Word (Tools: Options: Spelling) Gunning-Fox Index: sentence length & difficult words (3 syllables) [How many years of schooling to understand the content…0-17] Juicy Studio’s Online Readability CalculatorOnline Readability Calculator WORD FREQUENCY (Chall’s List, Coxhead Academic List) LEXILE LEVELS (of the text AND of the reader) WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Text Complexity – Qualitative Factors Considerate texts facilitate comprehension and have been written to be responsive to readers Three key elements: – Structure: (narrative = story grammar; expository = many structures such as…) & headings – Coherence: systematic connections and logical flow within the text – Audience Appropriateness: assumptions about what knowledge the reader brings What if the author doesn’t use these important structural cues to create coherence? (or if you have struggling readers who don’t notice/use them)? WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Potential Reading Guide (Fireworks) Ask synthesis questions: What key chemicals are involved in producing explosives and what are the differential effects of each? Create advanced organizers to highlight the ways YOU want your students to connect the key ideas Causes Effects Noise Color Ask compare questions: What special considerations are to be made when combining chemicals? Ask challenge questions: How do fireworks connect with electron configurations and atomic properties?

Using Digital Tools to Change Accessibility of Texts

What can you control? And how? NOT REALLY – JUST BY SELECTION How can you design/change/scaffold the task? HUMAN RATED Levels of meaning Structure Language conventionality Clarity Knowledge demands COMPUTER SCORED Word length Word frequency Sentence length Text Cohesion Co-Metrix and Lexiles Last class: Fireworks text And other texts Add scaffolds With reading guides And graphic organizers WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The Case for Struggle? Struggle Alone vs. Struggle With Support Productive Failure (Ch 1, p. 11 ) = Supported Struggle – Role of “easy” texts with big, complex ideas – Role of guided high-level questioning before, during, and after reading – Role of conversation/dialogue during re-readings – Role of summary, synthesis, transformation

Noticing Good Teaching What are ten effective teaching techniques that Ms. Chin uses that foster “supported struggle” with a complex text?

10 Effective Teaching Techniques for Supported Struggle 1.Pre-read with authentic purpose (character change) 2.Pre: Provide organizer (Beginning, middle, end) 3.During: Read hard text indep. for purpose (get familiar with character, language, and how change) 4.During: (Time 1) Annotate and note author craft 5.After: (Time 1) Dialogue/conversation with evidence- based reasoning 6.During: (Time 2) Revisit purpose to analyze more closely 7.During: (Time 2) Think-aloud (notice strategy links) 8.After: (Time 2) Discuss with text-dependent questions 9.After: Respond/Transform (Write/new dialogue) 10.Together: Use dialogues and writing as multiple forms of formative assessment (to prepare for PARRC test!)

Making Quality Arguments What are the key components of a good argument (oral or in writing)? How can we effectively teach students these components? Meet in groups of three Teach using handouts Consider effective practices among all three of you Discuss as a whole group

Teaching Work Groups Marissa, Nicole, & Andrew Amanda, Lennyn, & Mackenzie Deborah, Ryan, & Laura Laura, Jay, & Stephanie Eric, Mark, & John

Homework Upload your handout to the wikispace Write/type 2 page Argument: Text Rigor, Text Accessibility or Both? – Use claims, evidence, and warrants – Consider alternative side as well Read Tovani, Ch. 5: Why Am I Reading? Read Beuhl Ch. 2: Frontloading (6 pages) with OPTIONAL 1 page reading guide Review Diverse Text Assignment (we’ll discuss assignment and questions you have next class)