1. Text Complexity and Academic Vocabulary Tully 7-12 Catie Reeve Phyllis Litzenberger March 21, 2014

2. Common Core Literacy Shifts 1. Balancing Informational & Literary Texts (Grades PK-5)2. Knowledge in the Disciplines (Grades 6-12)3. Staircase of Complexity4. Text-based Answers5. Writing from Sources6. Academic Vocabulary

3. Common Core Literacy Shifts 1. Building Knowledge Through Content Rich Nonfiction 2. Regular Practice with Complex Text and Its Academic Language 3. Reading and Writing Grounded in Evidence From Text, Both Literary and Informational

4. Current Understanding In your grade level teams, discuss your current understanding of the Staircase of Complexity and Academic Vocabulary shifts.

5. On your tables… Common Core Learning Standards Appendix A Supplemental Information for Appendix A Why Complex Texts Matter- David Liben Selection of Authentic Texts for Common Core Instruction: Guidance and a List of Resources for Text Selection Selection of Authentic Texts for Common Core Instruction: Guidance and a List of Resources for Text Selection

6. Know/Need to Know What questions do you have? What are you wondering about the role of text complexity and academic vocabulary within a common core aligned curriculum ?

7. Common Understanding Create common grade-level definitions of the Staircase of Complexity and Academic Vocabulary shifts and record them on chart paper.

8. Why complex texts?

9. Appendix A Research indicates that: … while the reading demands of college, workforce training programs, and citizenship have held steady or risen over the past fifty years or so, K-12 texts have, if anything, become less demanding. Too many students reading at too low of a level. (Less than 50% of high school graduates can read sufficiently complex texts.) What students can read, in terms of complexity, is greatest predictor of success in college (2006 ACT study)

10. Increasing the staircase of Complexity Standard 1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it… Standard 10: Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.

11. What Kinds of Complex Text?

12. Measuring text complexity: The three-part model Quantitative Computer Software Qualitative Human Reader Reader and Task Our students and what we ask of them

13. Quantitative measures Readability formulas that measure… Word frequency Word length Sentence length Text length Text cohesion ANYTHING THAT CAN BE COUNTED!

14. Text complexity bands Text Complexity Grade Bands in the Standards Old Lexile RangesLexile Ranges Aligned to CCR expectations K-1N/A 2-3450-725420-820 4-5645-845740-1010 6-8860-1010925-1185 9-10960-11151050-1335 11-CCR1070-12201185-1385

15. www.lexile.com

16. Remember, however, that the quantitative measure is only the first part of the text complexity triangle. Quantitative measures should never be used in isolation! Quantitative Measures The quantitative measure may be validated, influenced, or even over-ruled by our examination of qualitative measures and the reader and task considerations.

17. Qualitative Measures “…those aspects of text complexity best measured or only measurable by an attentive human reader…” CCSS, Appendix A, p. 4

18. Life Experience Cultural Knowledge Content Knowledge Intertextuality Figurative language Familiarity Vocabulary Sentence structure Simplicity Conventionality Genre Organization Narration Text features and graphics Density and Complexity Levels of meaning Explicitly or implicitly stated purpose Meaning and Purpose Structure Knowledge Demands Language Use qualitative values to identify specific grade levels and teaching points.

19. Literary rubric

20. Informational rubric

21. Qualitative features of text complexity explained

22. Group work Get into groups of 3 or 4. Make sure your group contains at least one member from each discipline (ELA, Science and Social Studies). Discuss the qualitative features of text (Purpose, Structure, Language, Knowledge Demands). What questions do you have? Attempt to answer them within your group. What specific qualities make a text more complex within each feature?

23. With a partner practice using the rubrics by analyzing at least one text from the selection in the folder at your table. Discuss your results with your table group. Evaluating text

24. ACADEMIC VOCABULARY

25. Importance of Vocabulary Up to 74% of a student’s reading comprehension depends his understanding of the vocabulary.

26. Academic Vocabulary Tier OneWords of everyday speech Tier Two Not specific to any one academic area Generally not well-defined by context or explicitly defined within a text Wide applicability to many types of reading Tier Three Domain specific Low-frequency Often explicitly defined Usually heavily scaffolded

27. Academic Language Knowledge of the language of a discipline is necessary for student success in a subject. Words work differently in different disciplines (e.g., “function,”) Each discipline has their own set of words to represent their valued concepts and literacy processes. EngageNY.org Antonacci & O’ Callaghan (2011) 27

28. Academic Vocabulary in ELA 28 Tier 3 Words archetypeepic poetrymythologyOdyssey Tier 2 Words summonsaffirmativetitanicdisintegration

29. 29 Tier 3 Words abolitionradicalsecedemartial law Tier 2 Words inclinedaggressivesublimeconvictions Academic Vocabulary in History

30. Academic Vocabulary in Science 30 Tier 3 Words cell membrane cell wallnucleuscytoplasm Tier 2 Words buzzescrammedshuttlingcranking

31. How to Build Academic Language Make It Intentional Select high-leverage, meaningful vocabulary for explicit, student- centered, instruction. Make It Transparent Make vocabulary instruction explicit through effective questioning, modeling, and instruction that builds understanding of the word AND the text. Make It Useable Provide regular opportunities for students to practice with high- leverage vocabulary in writing tasks and in discussion about text. Make It Personal Provide a volume, and variety of independent reading that includes both fiction and non-fiction texts. EngageNY.org (adapted from Fisher, 2008) 31

32. Two Aspects of Vocabulary Context Words students can figure out from content Words for which the definition needs to be provided Amount of Instructional Time Words that need more time: abstract, have multiple meanings, and/or are a part of a word family Words that need less time: concrete or describe events/processes/ideas/concepts/experiences that are familiar to students EngageNY.org 32

34. Misconception Alert! EngageNY.org 34 License to ignore some words doesn’t mean ignore ALL words. Select words critical to understanding the text. Select words critical to the disciplinary thinking we do with text. Spending time on words doesn’t mean copying dictionary definitions Commit to text-based word work

35. Try This: Text Analysis Vocabulary Analysis of an text. Read the excerpt. Annotate for vocabulary words potentially challenging to your students. Share your list with a partner. In pairs, prioritize your words by placing your annotated words on the blank Academic Vocabulary Quadrant Chart. EngageNY.org 35

36. Transparent Approaches Effective questioning of the language in the text: Open-ended Text-dependent Analyzes word relationships Explicit modeling of textual analysis. M ISCONCEPTION A LERTS : Questioning and modeling aren’t “transmitting.” Students must do the work of learning. (Marzano & Pickering 2005; Nagy, 1989; Nagy & Scott, 2000; Paribakht & Wesche, 1997) EngageNY.org 36

37. Useable Approaches Using high-leverage vocabulary in writing tasks Quick write prompts, collaborative writing tasks, assessments Use high-leverage vocabulary in discussion tasks Discuss language use M ISCONCEPTION A LERTS : Writing and talking about vocabulary does not mean writing and reciting definitions. Use vocabulary to think, write, and talk about the text. EngageNY.org 37

38. In Action… Teaching Academic and Scientific Vocabulary- Common Core Literacy Teaching Academic and Scientific Vocabulary- Common Core Literacy

39. Vocabulary Strategies Frayer Model Semantic Mapping Semantic Feature Analysis Linear Arrays

40. Frayer Model

41. Semantic Mapping

42. Semantic Feature Analysis

43. Linear Arrays

44. WRITING FROM SOURCES SUBSHIFTS

45. Common Core Literacy Shifts 1. Balancing Informational & Literary Texts (Grades PK-5)2. Knowledge in the Disciplines (Grades 6-12)3. Staircase of Complexity4. Text-based Answers5. Writing from Sources6. Academic Vocabulary

46. Writing from Sources Subshifts Subshift AWork with sources Subshift B Grapple with complex text and content; leverage academic vocabulary Subshift C Emphasize questioning, inquiry, and explaining understanding rather than defense Subshift D Follow inquiry process: questions, sources, information, scope and plan  product Subshift EUse technology and other minds Subshift FRepeat

47. Writing from Sources Writing needs to emphasize the use of evidence to inform or make an argument rather than personal narrative or decontextualized prompts.

48. Writing from Sources While narrative still has an important role, students develop skills through written arguments that respond to the ideas, events, facts, and arguments presented in the texts they read.

49. ELA/Literacy Shift 5: Writing from Sources Our Students Need to… Generate more informational text Organize evidence to support a claim Compare evidence from multiple sources Make arguments using evidence So We Need to… Spend less time on personal narrative Present opportunities to write from multiple sources Give opportunities to analyze and synthesize ideas Develop student’ ability to argue a point with evidence Give students permission to reach their own conclusions about what they read and articulate those conclusions

50. Writing Progressions EngageNY.org 50

51. Productive Inquiry

53. “In essence, the standards and the tests that will assess them are expecting that students become researchers – not graphic organizer filler-in-ers, not text copiers, but independently thinking, curious, and rigorous researchers…”

54. “…Taking time to teach students to research well is taking time to teach them the skills of the standards. Teaching students to research well is teaching them to learn well.” Christopher Lehman, Energize Research Reading & Writing, p.3

55. All roads lead to research!

56. Why do Core Research? Our students need to be able to find, evaluate, and apply information now. More importantly, the ability to research and to express an understanding of it are authentic college and career ready skills.

57. How is Core Research different? The focus is on inquiry-based research. It’s about research to help students deepen their understanding of a topic and support them as they express that understanding. It’s not about searching for information to support conclusions we’ve already made.

58. How is Core Research different? InquiryCoverage Teacher selection and direction Assigned topics and isolated facts Student as information receiver Reliance on a textbook Hearing about a discipline One subject at a time Attitude of question and reflecting with cognition Start with a question Investigation is open Center is within student Answers involving building ideas Messy, recursive Open-ended From Barbara K. Stripling “Inquiry-Based Learning.” Curriculum Connections through the Library

60. Inquiry Skills and Strategies Connect: Initiate Inquiry Wonder: Generate Questions Investigate: Gather Information Construct: Deepen Understanding and Finalize Inquiry Express: Develop and Communicate Evidence-Based Perspectives REFLECT

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