1. DECIDE WHAT'S
IMPORTANT
Strategy ~ 2

2. “Readers of nonfiction have to decide and remember what is important in the texts they read if they are going to learn anything from them.”
~ Harvey & Goudvis
Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis (authors of Strategies That Work) share that when we teach the strategy of determining what is important, it is often introduced in nonfiction. Nonfiction text and this strategy go together.

3. Decisions about importance are based on…
The reader’s purpose
The reader’s schema for the text content - ideas most closely connected to the reader’s prior knowledge will be considered most important
The reader’s sense of the aesthetic - what he or she values or considers worthy or beautiful
Allow time for participants to read the slide.

4. STRATEGIES USED FOR DETERMINING IMPORTANCE
Before reading, determine the purpose for reading.

5. Reading for a Purpose
Students need to have an understanding of the purpose for reading and viewing particular texts before they begin. Teachers can assist students to clarify the purpose of reading by asking the questions:
Why are you reading this text?
Are you reading for enjoyment, to retell, to answer questions, to gain information?

6. Reading for a Purpose
Once a purpose for reading is established, students can be directed about which method of reading will best achieve that purpose. These methods for reading include:
skimming: reading to gain an overall understanding of the content of the text
scanning: reading to locate specific information
rereading: reading to confirm meanings and understandings and to clarify details.
“Skimming and Scanning” may be a part of this process. Skimming and scanning are techniques which allow readers to only attend to the most important information (as determined by the text’s structure and content or by the reader’s own purposes).

7. Determining The Purpose For Reading
ENGAGE STUDENTS IN THE PURPOSE FOR READING
1. Establish one clearly stated purpose - For example, “Read pages to find out what a tide pool is.”
2. Model and directly teach students how to read for the stated purpose.

8. “It is critical to support learners through the learning process and gradually release responsibility to them.”
Keene & Zimmerman - Mosaic of Thought
Independent Application
Independent Practice
The gradual release of responsibility is assumed in teaching all the strategies. In the beginning, students are given a great deal of support and responsibility for learning, and working is gradually released to the students.
Guided Practice
Teacher Modeling

9. Teacher Modeling
Teachers should model thinking aloud about their own process of determining importance during reading.
Modeling should occur frequently using short selections. Teachers should focus not only on conclusions about importance, but on how and why they arrived at those conclusions.
It is important to think aloud about how the focus on what you as the teacher believe to be important enhances comprehension. It would also be a good idea to include some of your own knowledge.

10. Guided Practice
In small or large group mini- lessons, students are invited to share their thoughts about what is important.
Be sure students provide some evidence or reasoning to support their judgments.

11. Independent Practice
Students may work individually, meet in small groups, or work in pairs to compare ideas about what is most important in text and how they came to that conclusion.
Guided Reading or small instructional groups should focus on determining importance during the strategy study. This would be a good time to discuss different conclusions about important ideas if all are reading the same text.

12. STRATEGIES USED FOR DETERMINING IMPORTANCE
Finding the Main Idea

13. Main idea refers to determining what is important.
Main idea is often confused with topic.

14. Main Idea is Difficult for Two Reasons

15. Most main ideas are implied and are not directly stated by the author.
Main idea is difficult.
Most main ideas are implied and are not directly stated by the author.
Must be determined by using the sum of the information provided
Requires the reader to think about several pieces of information at once

16. Main idea is difficult.
Main idea thinking is tentative. Readers alter their thinking as they encounter new information later in the text.

17. Five SECRETS TO FIGURING OUT MAIN IDEA
Rereading what the author has written and thinking about what the author wants us to understand is most important. Put yourself in author’s place.
Examine the words and phrases (the details) for clues to what is important.
Read Slide 17

18. Five SECRETS TO FIGURING OUT MAIN IDEA
3. Ask questions about what, in your experience (schema), the combined clues seem to say about what is valued.
4. Decide what the main idea is by saying, “If I had written this and said things this way, what would that say about what I thought was important?”
5. Remember your purpose for reading. 18

19. Five SECRETS TO FIGURING OUT MAIN IDEA - SUMMARY
Reread (#1 strategy independent readers use when something stumps them in the text.)
Read to find the clues
Put the clues together
Put yourself in the author’s place to figure out the main idea.
Remember your purpose. 19

20. NonFiction Text Conventions Features that Signal Importance
Many textbooks today present information in a variety of visual formats in addition to print, and offer numerous study aids that highlight what is important in the chapter. Unless attention is specifically called to these text features, students often skip over them as they read to complete an assignment. We need to assist students in noticing ways the chapter forecasts organizational structure (i.e. cause/effect, compare/contrast, concept/definition, problem/solution, and so on) and how it signals key concepts and ideas.
Features that
Signal Importance

21. NonFiction Features
“We must teach our students what nonfiction is. Teaching our students that expository text has predictable characteristics and features they can count on before they read allows them to construct meaning more easily as they read.”
~ Debbie Miller
Nonfiction text features help to focus readers as they sort important information from less important details.

22. NonFiction Features Labels Captions Comparisons Graphics Maps
Fonts and Effects
Table of Contents
Index
Glossary
Appendix
Allow participants to read through the list. More information related to text features can be found in Strategies That Work – Chapter 9 and Appendix F.
In addition to these text features, students need to learn to attend to text clues that signal importance. These would include phrases such as, “For example; For instance; In fact; In conclusion; Most important; But…; Therefore; On the other hand; and Such as.”
A powerful instructional idea would be to create an Anchor Chart related to these text features
(See Strategies That Work, page 121, for more information.)

23. Another idea
to help students

24. Graphic Organizer (2 Column Notes)
Ladder Material
Main Idea
Supporting Details
Different ladders should be used for different applications OR
Aluminum is strong, light, and non-corrosive, but conductive of electricity
Wood is nonconductive if kept clean and dry, but heavy and susceptible to rot
Fiberglass is strong and non-conductive
You should consider your purpose and application when choosing a ladder
Once again the versatile two column notes outline also comes in handy as an aid to guide students towards understanding the strategy of Determining Importance. When using two columns, the left column would state the main idea and the right column would list the details that support the topic.

25. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom?
FIRST and Second DAY – Teacher gives students the reading assignment and explains the purpose for reading.
Teacher reads aloud. Students read text silently along with teacher for 5 minutes. Teacher models his/her own determining importance in the reading assignment for students.

26. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom
What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom? First and Second Day
Modeling Example
Let’s look at the title and the paragraphs.
To decide what is most important (the main idea), I first have to get “inside the author’s head” or put myself in the author’s place to decide what the author values or considers important.

27. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom
What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom? First and Second Day Modeling
I reread the sentences and try to decide how the author is feeling.
I look for details or clues such as “aluminum ladders aren’t good around electricity” and “wooden ladders are heavier and susceptible to rot” to help me know what the author thinks is important.

28. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom
What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom? First and Second Day Modeling
When I combine these detail or clues with my own experience of painting my gutters and painting my ceilings , I decide what all these words have in common; all the words seem to convey the idea that different jobs require different ladders.
With teacher’s direction, students fill in graphic organizer for main idea and supporting details.

29. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom?
THIRD DAY – Teacher gives students the reading assignment and explains the purpose for reading (guided practice).
Teacher and students read text silently for 5 minutes, and teacher asks students for details or clues that help them know what the author thinks is important.
As students offer examples, with the teacher’s direction, the class fills in the graphic organizers for supporting details.

30. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom
What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom? Guided Practice Third day continued
Teacher asks students to combine the details or clues with their own experience to decide what the author’s main idea is.
As students offer examples, with the teacher’s direction, the class fills in the graphic organizers for main idea.

31. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom?
Teacher gives students guided practice by following the Third Day format through the week ending 3/17/06.

32. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom?
From 3/20 to 3/30 – Teacher gives students independent practice. Teacher gives students the reading assignment and students determine purpose for reading.

33. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom
What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom? Independent practice
Students maintain 5 minutes of silent reading.
Students write supporting details and main idea on graphic organizer.
Teacher asks for supporting details and main idea and discusses answers with class. Students may correct graphic organizers.

34. What does Determining Importance look like in my classroom?
TWICE A WEEK -
Teacher gives students the reading assignment.
Students sustain 5 minutes of silent reading.
Students fill in graphic organizers.
The teacher asks for main ideas and supporting details.
A system of distribution and collection of graphic organizers is in place.

35. DECIDE WHAT'S IMPORTANT
A ninth grade student shared with his teacher that, "Determining importance is like a strainer, and the words are like noodles in a pot. It sifts out the water and leaves the noodles.”
Let’s continue to work with all our students, giving them the tools they need to be successful readers.