1. Digging Into Informational Texts
Lora Drum Curriculum Specialist Catawba County Schools

2. Digging In… Icebreaker Activity
1. Dig into your purse, bookbag, lunch bag, wallet, pocket, notebook, etc. and find examples of informational texts
2. Choose one to share with the group- try to select the most unusual or interesting example
3. Share examples with whole group

3. Make It Real: Strategies for Success with Informational Text -Hoyt
Digging a little deeper…
What kinds of informational texts have you read in the past 24 hours?
As adults, 86% of what we read is informational
Make It Real: Strategies for Success with Informational Text Hoyt

4. Also, saying “non-fiction” tells what
Use the term “informational text,” rather than “non-fiction,” with students …
“Informational text” communicates more clearly the purpose of the text: to gain information, rather than to be entertained.
Also, saying “non-fiction” tells what
it is NOT, rather than what it is. 4

7. Why Include Informational Text?

8. “ If we include more informational text in early schooling, we put children in a better position to handle the reading and writing demands of their later schooling. We would like to see a day when children “read to learn” and “learn to read” from the earliest days of schools and throughout their school careers.”
- Nell Duke

9. Reading Development is Genre Specific
“The research of Nell Duke, Michigan State University, suggests that we understand that reading development is genre specific. Reading fiction will not necessarily help you be better at reading a cookbook, directions, or a computer manual.”
This explains why just teaching fiction is not enough 9

10. Common Core State Standards
Shift: focus on more informational texts
By grade 4:
50/50 balance
Grades 6-12:
70 informational/30 literary

11. “In the Information Age the importance of being able to read and write informational texts critically and well cannot be overstated. Informational literacy is central to success, and even survival, in schooling, the workplace and the community.”
-Nell Duke,
Michigan State University

12. What do we know about the 21st Century World ?
95% of daily reading and writing will be devoted to non-fiction or informational materials and tasks
Over 1.9 billion readers and writers are now on the Internet; 96% of the sites on are expository in form
Futurists predict that by 2020 the amount of information will double every 73 days
Only .01 percent of that information will be printed information
"How Much Information." School of Management & Systems.
2000. Regents of the University of California. 13 March, 2004.

13. Strategy: I Remember!
Encourage students to listen carefully as you read.
Tell them they need to remember something that they think is interesting or important.
Tell them that each time you stop reading they will share “I Remember” information with their partner.
Students learn that recalling facts and information is different than keeping track of a story line in fiction.

14. Ten Strategies for Building Comprehension of Informational Text
1. Have a clear vision of effective comprehension of informational text.
2. Increase exposure to and instructional time with informational text.
3. Start early to lay a foundation for learning from text.
4. Provide many opportunities to read and be read to.
5. Explicitly teach strategies for reading and comprehending informational texts.

15. 6. Model strategies for reading IT.
7. Foster rich talk with and about informational text.
8. Make reading-writing connections with informational text.
9. Increase attention to the unique and challenging characteristics of informational text.
10. Promote use of informational text for authentic purposes as much as possible.

16. Model use of text and layout features
Title Captions near pictures
Table of Contents Labels on pictures
Photographs Different kinds of print (bold, italic)
Drawings Drawings that compare things
Lists Diagrams
Descriptions Cross-section drawings
Directions Glossary
Headings Questions/answers
Index Bullets
Charts Info about the author’s research
Maps Insets 16

17. Physical Text Features
Text organizers
Index
Preface
Table of contents
Glossary
Appendix
Bibliography
Footnote
Photo Credit
Fonts and effects
Titles
Headings
Subheadings
Boldface print
Italics
Bullets
Captions
Color, Size
Labels
Font Style
Graphics
Diagrams
Cutaways
Cross sections
Overlays
Tables
Graphs
Charts
Word bubbles
Timelines
Distribution
Maps
Flow Charts
Students must be taught what to look for in nonfiction. Often, some of the most important information may be a caption, italicized, in bold print, or in headings. Knowing where to look can help readers find the information they need more quickly, often without having to read the entire text. These are tools that authors use to make meaning without directly stating something.
Illustrations and Photographs
Illustrations Icons
Photographs Visual Layout

18. ©Angela Maiers, 2008

19. tail
mouth
©Angela Maiers, 2008

20. ©Angela Maiers, 2008

21. ©Angela Maiers, 2008

22. ©Angela Maiers, 2008

23. ©Angela Maiers, 2008

25. Strategy: Say Something!
This works the same as “I Remember!” except that students begin making connections to the text and discussing those connections. The discussion gets much broader than a simple retell or restatement of facts.

26. “Text-Wiseness”
Teaching students how to recognize and represent the organizational patterns commonly used by authors can significantly influence students’ learning and comprehension.
Palinstar, Ogle, Carr, 97

27. Nonfiction Text Structures
Description
Compare/Contrast
Cause and Effect
Chronology/Sequence
Procedural
Persuasive
Question/Answer
Problem/Solution

28. Signal Words Point the Way…
Text Structure & Signal Words
Description/
Hierarchical List
Cause &
Effect
Compare/
Contrast
Problem/
Solution
Question &
Answer
Sequence
Until
Before
After
Finally
Lastly
First…last…
Now…then
On (date)
At (time)
First, second
Meanwhile
Not long after
Initially
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

29. Purpose: The Reason for Writing
Authors purpose is defined as the reason authors write. Authors write for different purposes.
To Persuade
Author’s Purpose
PIE To Inform
To Entertain
To Explain
It's important for readers to recognize purpose.

30. Get Them To Think About the Writer!
WE MUST
Get Them To Think About the Writer!

31. A few suggestions worth digging into…
Text Features Powerpoint
Glogster
Text Mapping

32. 32

34. So what do we do now?
Ways to Increase Comprehension of Informational Text
Increase availability of informational text.
Increase exposure to informational text.
Increase instructional time with informational text.
Increase explicit teaching of comprehension strategies, along with lots of opportunities for guided and independent practice.
Increase attention to the unique features of informational text.
Ensure that informational text is used for
authentic purposes as much as possible.
-Nell Duke, 2005

35. Recipe for Informational Literacy by Linda Hoyt
Measure 2 cups of curiosity
Add I caring teacher
Stir gently with interesting information
Allow to steep in student-generated questions
Blend in time to read and time to write
Sprinkle generously with think alouds, reading strategies, and craft lessons for informational writing
Add a dash of hands-on experience
Mix thoroughly with small-group instruction and assessment
Whisk in a rich mix of tools for gaining meaning
Simmer in an atmosphere where information is celebrated all day
Spread over a lifetime of reading and writing

36. Questions/Comments:
Contact Information Powerpoint