1. Strategies that Work Teaching for Understanding and Engagement
Workshop 8: Non-fiction
Comprehension Strategies
Debbie Draper, Julie Fullgrabe & Sue Eden

2. Agenda for the day 9:00 – Introduction / Reflection
9:30 – Fiction and non-fiction differences
Non-fiction text features
Non-fiction text types / genre
Non-fiction text structures
Signal words
Graphic Organisers
12:30 Lunch
1:15 – Comprehension Strategies
Determining Importance in texts
Summarising
Synthesising
Feedback process / Exit Slips
3:45 Close
10:30 – 11:00 Morning Tea

3. What evidence is there that comprehension is a focus at your site?

4. Time for Non-Fiction Part 1 1:40

5. Learning Environment – School & Classroom
What can you see in classrooms and the staffroom? What plans, resources etc?
Environmental
Print
Anchor Charts
Resources
Libraries $
People
Staff Meeting
Agendas /
PD timetable
Environmental
Print
Word Walls
Improvement
Plan
Data Walls

6. Time for Non-Fiction Part 4 1:22

7. Process - how you learn & teach
Using data to
inform
Gradual Release of
Responsibility
Professional
Learning
Communities
Differentiation
practices
Observation /
Walk Throughs

8. Time for Non-Fiction Part 2 1:09

9. Content - what you learn & teach
Professional
development
for staff
What
strategies
(students)?
Lessons?
What texts
& resources
for staff?

10. What evidence is there of staff and student learning?
Products
What evidence is there of staff and student learning?
Assessment
practices
Teacher
developed
resources
Teacher
programmes
Performance
Development
processes

11. Module 1: Effective Professional Learning and Comprehension
Module 2:Monitoring Comprehension
Module 3:Making Connections
Module 4: Maths & Comprehension
Module 5:Questioning Strategies
Module 6:Inferencing
Module 7: Visualising and Visual Texts
Module 8:Non-fiction reading strategies
Module 9:Fluency and Automaticity
Module 10:Vocabulary

12. How are fiction and non-fiction texts different?
The kapok tree, Ceiba pentandra, is a large, deciduous, tropical tree that is native to tropical America, Africa, and the East Indies. The flowers are pollinated and the seeds are spread by fruit bats.
Anatomy: This fast-growing tree is generally from 45 to over 100 feet (14-30 m) tall; the kapok is the tallest tree in Africa. It has pink, white, or yellow night-blooming flowers borne in clusters. The green leaves are lanceolate (lance shaped) and palmately compound (with 5 to 9 leaflets).
Uses: The light-weight silky down from the seed pods (sometimes called Java cotton) is used as pillow stuffing, sleeping bag stuffing, life jacket stuffing, furniture upholstery, insulation, and for other uses. The yellow-green oil from the seeds is used in foods and to manufacture soap. Young leaves are also cooked and eaten; the wood from this tree is also used.
Classification: Division Magnoliophyta, Class Magnoliopsida, Subclass Dilleniidae, Order Malvales, Family Bombacaceae.
Sometimes referred to as narrative vs expository text

14. Teaching about it
Read two texts – one fiction and the other non-fiction on the same topic to students each day for a week or so.
Ask students to brainstorm similarities and differences.
Create an anchor chart with students.

17. Blurring of the lines

19. Challenges of Non-Fiction Text
Content challenges - read to learn new information outside of their own world
Vocabulary challenges - unique to subject matter, requires a high level of word analysis
Text structure challenges - lack of experience with text type
Text feature challenges - formatting—diagrams, captions, charts, maps, graphs...

20. Terminology
Text Types
Genre
Text Form
Text Features
Text Structures

21. Text Types / Genre / Text Form
letter
advertisement
debate
poster
blog

22. Non-fiction Text Features
Revisit the differences between fiction an non-fiction texts
What special features of non-fiction texts have you noticed?
NB: This process could be used for non-fiction digital texts as well

23. Non-fiction Text Features Match

24. Teaching about it
Revisit the non-fiction books (or look at others, use IWB etc)
Locate with students some of the features they notice
Create a list with students – introducing the correct vocabulary for each feature
Talk about the purpose of each text feature

25. Block Diagram with cut-aways

26. Cut away diagram with detail

27. Diagram with colour coding
head
body
abdomen
leg
mandible
antenna
eye

29. Exploded diagram
Exploded diagram

30. Numbered Diagram

31. Scale Diagram

32. Flow Chart

33. Maps

34. Tree Diagram

35. Storyboard

36. Table

37. Picture Glossary
Picture glossary

39. Teaching about it
Text Feature
Purpose
Example

41. Convention Purpose How it Helps Caption Comparison Close-Up
Information directly relating to a photo or illustration
Tells the reader what to focus on in the picture that is important
Comparison
Show size relationship between two or more objects of ideas
Helps the readers take something familiar to show how it relates or compares with something new
Close-Up
A smaller more detailed section of the larger photo or illustration
It allows the reader to see inside or a smaller part of a large area so we can understand it in a more detailed way
Table of Contents
Located in the front of the book to share a list of key topics or chapter in which the book addresses in the order in which they appear in the text
It allows me to see the chapters and topics and know exactly what pages they are on so I can get to the information I need in the quickest way.
Glossary
Index
Cutaways
Print Size

43. Brainstorm a list of text features. Create a space on the wall.
Brainstorm a list of text features.
Create a space on the wall.
Ask your students how much space should be dedicated to each text feature (usually pictures and captions take up the most space and italicised words take up very little.)
Draw dividing lines and label each box with the name of a feature.
Provide stacks of resources for students to cut out.
Have students cut out text features and glue them on the mural.

44. Interactive Whiteboard Resources

51. Revisit Terminology Text Types Genre Text Form Text Features
Text Structures

52. Text Types / Genre / Text Form
letter
advertisement
debate
poster
blog
Text Features / Text Conventions

53. Text Structures
The Building Blocks

54. Non-fiction or Expository Texts
Expository texts (nonfiction) have different structures than narrative texts (fiction).
Non-fiction texts have:
Descriptions
Sequences
Compare/contrast
Problem/solution
Cause/effect
Question/answer

61. imply means to use nuances in tone of voice or writing to suggest something Infer means to use evidence to draw a logical conclusion Assume means to make judgement upon without having all the facts

63. Signal Words Point the Way…
Text Structure & Signal Words
Description/
Hierarchical List
Cause &
Effect
Compare/
Contrast
Problem/
Solution
Question &
Answer
Sequence
For instance
For example
Furthermore
Such as
Also
To begin with
Most important
In fact
In addition
And to
illustrate
Since
Because
This led to
On account of
Due to
As a result of
For this reason
Consequentially
Then…so…
Therefore
thus
In like manner
Likewise
Similar to
The difference
between
As opposed to
After all
However
And yet
But
Nevertheless
On the other
hand
One reason for
the…
A solution
A problem
Where
The question is
One answer is
Recommendations
include
How
When
What
Next
Why
Who
How many
The best
estimate
It could be that
One may
conclude
Until
Before
After
Finally
Lastly
First…last…
Now…then
On (date)
At (time)
First, second
Meanwhile
Not long after
initially

64. Teaching students how to recognise and represent the
organisational patterns commonly
used by authors can significantly
influence students’ learning and
comprehension.
Palinstar, Ogle, Carr, 97

66. Text Structure
If you know the text structure of a text, then you can summarise it more easily.

69. Have a look at the NAPLaN Texts
Choose one text each to view, analyse and then to share with others at your table
What is the text type?
What is the text structure?
What text features can you see?
How could you use this knowledge with students or staff?

70. Sometimes referred to as narrative vs expository text
Revisiting....
The kapok tree, Ceiba pentandra, is a large, deciduous, tropical tree that is native to tropical America, Africa, and the East Indies. The flowers are pollinated and the seeds are spread by fruit bats.
Anatomy: This fast-growing tree is generally from 45 to over 100 feet (14-30 m) tall; the kapok is the tallest tree in Africa. It has pink, white, or yellow night-blooming flowers borne in clusters. The green leaves are lanceolate (lance shaped) and palmately compound (with 5 to 9 leaflets).
Uses: The light-weight silky down from the seed pods (sometimes called Java cotton) is used as pillow stuffing, sleeping bag stuffing, life jacket stuffing, furniture upholstery, insulation, and for other uses. The yellow-green oil from the seeds is used in foods and to manufacture soap. Young leaves are also cooked and eaten; the wood from this tree is also used.
Classification: Division Magnoliophyta, Class Magnoliopsida, Subclass Dilleniidae, Order Malvales, Family Bombacaceae.
Sometimes referred to as narrative vs expository text

71. The 4 Main Parts of Tree
CROWN- where the tree increases each year in height and spread of branches by adding on a new growth of twigs.
LEAVES- make up the crown and produce food for the tree (photosynthesis).
TRUNK- supports the crown and produces the majority of the tree’s useful wood.
ROOTS- anchors the tree, absorbs and stores water and nutrients.

72. Types of forests
Different kinds of forests grow in different parts of the world. Forests can be naturally occurring (native) or planted by people (plantation).
Native forests include coniferous forests, deciduous forests and rainforests.
Conifers are evergreen. Pine trees are a kind of conifer. They grow in places where the winter is long and rainy. In autumn, the leaves of trees in deciduous forests change colour and fall off.

73. Papermaking
Sometimes trees from plantations are used to make paper. Stripped logs are chipped into small pieces by knives mounted in massive steel wheels (used in chemical pulping process). The chips pass through vibrating screens, whereby both undersized chips, dust etc and oversized chips are rejected. Accepted chips are then stored in huge bins ready for the next process.
Mechanical and chemical pulping processes are used.
Finally the pulp passes to a blend
chest where chemicals are
added to obtain the required
characteristics to the finished
paper such as density and colour.

74. Human Impact in Forests
Low latitude forests are mostly affected by human influence through farming and logging. As a result the amount of forest land has diminished decreasing biodiversity and increasing the number of endangered species.
Monsoon forests like other forests are being continuously stressed by human activities. Much of this deforestation results in the washing away of soil during monsoon season due to the trees no longer binding the soils, and often ending in mud slides. The lack of vegetation resulting from deforestation also diminishes animal populations.

75. How to Save Tropical Rainforests
Deforestation of tropical rainforests has a global impact through species extinction, the loss of important ecosystem services and renewable resources, and the reduction of carbon sinks. However, this destruction can be slowed, stopped, and in some cases even reversed Teach others about the importance of the environment and how they can help save rainforests. Restore damaged ecosystems by planting trees on land where forests have been cut down. Encourage people to live in a way that doesn't hurt the environment. Establish parks to protect rainforests and wildlife. Support companies that operate in ways that minimise damage to the environment.

76. What future can we create instead?
Climate change and deforestation can still be stopped. We can create a different kind of world. What world do you want to create?
Stop buying and using so much stuff.
Use less energy when you do use stuff.
Try not to throw any stuff away.

79. Learnt nothing Learned a lot Highly enjoyable
Not enjoyed at all
Name:
Site:
EXIT SLIP
Name one thing of value that you learned today.
How will you apply your learning in the next week or so?
What could we observe (film, photograph) at your site?
Do you have any suggestions for future workshops?

80. Module 1: Effective Professional Learning and Comprehension
Module 2:Monitoring Comprehension
Module 3:Making Connections
Module 4: Maths & Comprehension
Module 5:Questioning Strategies
Module 6:Inferencing
Module 7: Visualising and Visual Texts
Module 8:Non-fiction reading strategies
Module 9:Fluency and Automaticity
Module 10:Vocabulary

81. August 26th (Friday, T3, Wk 5) Module 11: Maths and Comprehension
July 22nd (last Friday of holidays)
Module 12: Structures and Processes for Comprehension instruction
August 26th (Friday, T3, Wk 5)
Module 13: Planning for Instruction
September 2nd (Friday T3, Wk 6)
EXPO – 28th October
(Friday Term 4, Wk 2)
Module 14: Digital Comprehension
4th November (Friday T4, Wk 3)