2. Supporting Students’ Reading of Complex Texts

3. Strategy Instruction Teach students comprehension strategies they can use to tackle more complex texts

4. Comprehension Strategies (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Look at pictures, titles, headings Make predictions Verify/revise predictions Set purposes for reading Activate prior knowledge Relate new knowledge to prior knowledge Identify patterns in text Summarize text while reading Create mental images while reading Question one’s understanding while reading Highlight or make marginal notes about important aspects Make inferences that enhance comprehension Skim text

5. Strategy Instruction Model (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Create a safe and risk-free environment Reduce processing demands Provide explicit instruction Create opportunities for student verbalization

6. Reduce Processing Demands (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Concrete – That which is readily apprehended by itself – What is familiar is mentally concrete – Relative from individual to individual Objects can acquire a sign function (children are imaginative). They are able to see things as more than one thing (chalk- rocket) Instruction must leave the mind illuminated with an awareness of meaning beyond the physical Gradually move to abstraction

7. Explicit Instruction (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Explanation – Declarative Knowledge – Procedural Knowledge – Conditional Knowledge Modeling (show) Guided Practice (authentic contexts) Independence

8. Explanation (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Declarative Knowledge (WHAT) – Information about task structure, task goals, beliefs about the task and one’s ability Procedural Knowledge (HOW) – Information about how to perform the task; step by step instructions Conditional Knowledge (WHEN & WHY) – Information about when and why to use the strategy

9. Verbalization as a Means of Making Covert Thoughts Overt (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Speech is an organizing function Engaging in think alouds while doing physical activity encourages children to use planful discourse This discourse is a transitional form between external and internal speech

10. Role of Teacher in Strategy Instruction (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Provide explicit instruction Model/demonstrate the strategy to be taught Reduce cognitive processing demands initially by moving from concrete to abstract Provide scaffolded support during guided practice Coach and encourage students by providing elaborated feedback that focuses on the positive Provide faded support and gradually increase the processing demands Provide independent practice Transfer to new situations Teach strategies so that they may be employed flexibly and on a continual basis

11. Gradual Release of Responsibility The Gradual Release of Responsibility is a research-based instructional model developed by Pearson and Gallagher (1993). In this optimal learning model, the responsibility for task completion shifts gradually over time from the teacher to the student.

12. Diagram by Regie Routman

13. Gradual Release of Responsibility Consider this model as you are implementing strategy instruction. This may help you to determine how much support to provide and when.

14. Review of the Strategy Instruction Model (Almasi & Fullerton, 2012) Label the parts of the strategy instruction model on the included strategy lessons Check your responses on the labeled strategy lessons