1. Finding Science Docs for Students
This is going to be fun..
Finding Science Docs for Students
Sharon Einstein Flesher-Duffy

2. What is text complexity?
Well, according to Common Core (drum roll please)
Seriously folks, this is it said…

3. You aren’t off the hook that fast!
Science
Math
Art
Each subject has its own language and vocabulary
As we teach, we need to help students access increasingly difficult materials over time
This process will help them become college or career ready!
Harder
Harder
EASY

4. What the standards say:
“When reading scientific and technical texts, students need to be able to gain knowledge from challenging texts ... Students must be able to read complex informational texts in these fields with independence and confidence because the vast majority of reading in college and workforce training programs will be sophisticated nonfiction.”
(This is in your brochure so don’t worry about it)
(And in the standards:

5. Our students must acquire skills in
Our students must acquire skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening and language in order to:
Demonstrate Independence
Build content knowledge
Respond to varying audience, task, purpose
Comprehend and Critique
Be able to dialog with people outside their box
Use technology appropriately
Value evidence
In a science way, a math way, an art way…

6. How is this different from what we have been doing?
We start them here Take them there…
This is nothing new, just a reminder as to why we are here and what we are doing.
We start with easy concepts, text, ideas, vocab and gradually get to the harder stuff.

7. How do we find appropriate texts?
We have access tons of resources
Many resources can be found in databases
Visit your local library (unabashed plug)
Lexiles are here to help
Lexiles are a text measure that can be matched with a reader measure (???)
(Lexiles drive me crazy, prepare for the Lexile Rant!)

8. Lexiles Mary is reading at an 900L
(we know, she took a test)
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is a 940L (we know a test was done on the text)
Quick give Mary, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
STOP: Not so fast – these are measures that we can use, but they aren’t fallible – we still need to think.

9. ReADIBILITY scALES
Usually measure text complexity (sentence length) and difficulty of vocabulary (based on word banks)
Today, readability algorithms tend to be carried out by computers.
What happened to the human
brain in this process? Ummmm…

10. Lexile Readability cont…
Readability scales don’t take into consideration: Organization: How the material is offered Interest: Ask me about the practice PSAT Student Background knowledge or development Stuff like: dialect, speech patterns, even… Number of times a difficult word is used in a text. Technical materials can use a hard word a number of times, this pushes the Lexile up while not really making it a hard text to understand. If you pre teach the vocabulary, problem solved!

11. Lexiles got harder
In order to have our students become college ready the test measures have been raised. But not our students’ skills.
Grade Band
Lexile Band
Core Curr. Lexile Band
6-8
860L-1010L
925L-1185L
9-10
960L-1115L
1050L-1335L
11+
1070L-1220L
1185L-1385L
So…

12. Use Lexiles as a guide, but use your

13. You can also look up an Lexile of a text – see brochure.
How????
EBSCO school databases to the rescue! You can search within Lexile ranges. Each school has a subscription Ask your librarian for the user name and password Use: Mas Ultra School Edition Middle Search Plus Primary Search

14. Use your super searcher skills
Check this out!
Use your super searcher skills
Use Advanced Search

15. More cool EBSCO STUFF
If you discover a periodical you really like, you BROWSE publications. WOW!

16. Copyright Disclaimer
Just remember, you can use an article in a “just in time” kind of way. BUT you can’t use an article year after year without getting permission from the copyright holder.

17. EBSCO has other cool resources
While only the school editions have LEXILES, EBSCO and other databases have a lot of cool stuff for you to use. In EBSCO check out:
Greenfile (environmental stuff)
Academic Search Premier (college stuff)
Professional Development Collection (for educators)
Health Source (consumer health info)
Newspaper Source (uhh, Newspapers)
Business stuff

18. AND then there is NPL!!!
Nashua Public Library has TONS of great stuff!!!

19. Check out these databases:
They don’t contain Lexiles, but they are powerful tools
Access Science – From McGraw Hill
Biography in Context – Learn about people
Britannica Online – Encyclopedia
Consumer Health Complete – Attention Anatomy teachers
Gale Virtual Reference Library – Good Science reference books among others
HelpNow! – LIVE TUTORS – for those kids with internet who need extra help

20. Bibliography (Yes, I am a good Librarian)
"Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, S Science, and Technical Subjects." Common Core State Standards Initiative. N.p., June Web. 2 Nov HIEBERT, ELFRIEDA H. "Beyond Single Readability Measures: Using Multiple Sources Of Information In Establishing Text Complexity." Journal Of Education (2011): Professional Development Collection. Web. 5 Nov HIEBERT, ELFRIEDA H. "The Common Core State Standards And Text Complexity." Teacher Librarian 39.5 (2012): Professional Development Collection. Web. 5 Nov MasteryConnect. Common Core Standards. Apple App Store WEB. 4 Nov "Matching Readers with Text." Lexile Framework for Reading. MetaMetrix, n.d. Web. 4 Nov Shanahan, TimothyFisher, DouglasFrey, Nancy. "The Challenge Of Challenging Text." Educational Leadership 69.6 (2012): Professional Development Collection. Web. 5 Nov

21. Need Help? Feel free to Holler!
Focus, people!
My name and contact info are on the brochure.