An Introduction to Rigorous Reading Comprehension PK-3 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH 1 Rigorous Reading Comprehension with a focus on English Learners (ELs)Supporting Implementation of High Standards

Goals LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Understand the relationship among text, task, and talk. Study one model of rigorous reading comprehension instruction for the support it provides to English learners. Learn how to use a rigorous read aloud lesson to support reading comprehension of age- appropriate complex text for ELs Understand some of the issues faced by students learning to read in English when it is not their first language

Norms for Participation 3 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Be respectful No side-bar conversations See others point of view No judgments of others Provide useful feedback Provide opportunity for all to speak Support each other and collaborate Cell phones and should be set on vibrate No talking or texting on cell phones at study group table Come prepared to contribute to the conversations Feel a collective responsibility for each others learning and for adhering to the norms

Lauren Resnick,Founder IFL LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

“Accountable talk is talk that is orchestrated by LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH teachers so that students learn to formulate responses to problems, interpretations of text that are correct in disciplinary terms and go beyond what was actually written there.” Lauren Resnick 5

Goal of IFL Rigorous Reading Comprehension Lessons LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Rigorous reading comprehension lessons are an approach to read alouds that are designed to enhance young children’s ability to construct meaning from decontexualized language.The goal of the IFL Rigorous Reading Comprehension lessons include not only promoting comprehension, but also expanding language and vocabulary development.

Research Finding 7 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH One of the most persistent findings in reading research is the direct link between the depth of students’ vocabulary knowledge and their reading comprehension. Baumann, Kame’enui, et al., 2003 and McKeown, Beck, Omanson,& Perfetti, 1983

Task 1: An Introduction to Rigorous Reading Comprehension Article Study 8 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

Task 1: An Introduction to Rigorous Reading Comprehension Article Study: Quick Write 9 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Beck, I. L. & McKeown, M.G. (2001). Text Talk: Capturing the benefits of read-aloud experiences for young children. The Reading Teacher, (55), Quick write: Review the pre-reading text respond to the question, “What are the authors are saying support students’ reading comprehension?”

Task 1: An Introduction to Rigorous Reading Comprehension Article Study: Quick Write 10 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Read your quick write to a partner. Prepare to share your partner’s thinking with the large group

Task 1: An Introduction to Rigorous Reading Comprehension Article Study: Significant Quotes LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Select a significant quote from the text that you think is important to the argument made by Beck and McKeown.Say why you think the quote is significant to the argument the authors are making. If you can, tie this significance to how it affects English Learners (ELs).Study the Example and model yours similarly. Turn to a Partner once you complete the assignment. Read your significant quote to your partner and say why you thought it was significant to the argument. Be prepared to share with the large group. 11

LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Significant QuoteWhy Significant to Argument “Researchers suggest that the most valuable aspect of the read-aloud activity is that it gives children experience with decontextualized language, requiring them to make sense of ideas that are about something beyond the here and now (Cochran-Smith, 1984; Heath, 1983; Snow, 1993; Snow & Dickinson, 1991; Snow, Tabors, Nicholson, & Kurland, 1995). As Donaldson (1978) pointed out,children come to school well able to think and reason about the world in situations that make human sense to them. What they have to learn to do in school is to think and reason in “disembedded contexts”...to use symbol systems and deal with representations of the world.” (pp. 88–89) Page 1. This quote is significant to the argument Beck and McKeown make because the importance of intensive, interactive English language development instruction for all English learners is critical. The focus on developing academic language (the decontextualized language of the schools, the language of academic discourse, of texts, and of formal argument). This area has been neglected, and essential for providing English learners access to the Common Core State Standards.

LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Text Based Discussions Help Students: –Learn to use knowledge in “creative and critical” ways to solve open-ended problems, develop and defend interpretations, and write their own texts. –Have higher levels of achievement on standardized tests. –Find their experiences more fun and engaging. 1313

14 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Task 2: An Introduction to Rigorous Reading Comprehension Standards Study

Task 2: An Introduction to Rigorous Reading Comprehension: Standards Study 1515 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH –What do you notice about the skills and habits that New Standards values in terms of literacy?

Whole Group Discussion New Standards Speaking & Listening 1616 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH –According to the New Standards, what do students need to know and be able to do as participants in reading comprehension? –Why are those habits and skills important for college and career readiness? –From your experience, how much practice and expertise do EL students have in understanding complex text?

8 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Text, Task, and Talk

LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Text Based Discussions are Rare –Questions most typically asked of students by teachers and textbooks are recitation questions. –Predominate pattern in the I-R-E. 1818

NAEYC on this Model of Read Aloud LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH “What these and other studies have found is that the effectiveness of a read-aloud depends on a number of factors. Successful read- alouds rely on active engagement in the reading by both adults and children. They also involve careful selection of high-quality texts; open-ended questions asked by adults and children; discussions about the book, building from what children already know; predictions by children of what they think might happen or come next in the book; and talk that ties the book to life beyond the classroom or the here and now. This is called using decontextualized language. It can mean, for example, relating the book to something that might happen in the future or something that happened in the past.” NAEYC,

Task 3: Rigorous Reading Comprehension PK-3 Video Study 10 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

Norms for Collaborative Study 20 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Goal of all conversations: To advance our own learning, not to “fix” the practice of others. –Facilitator chooses lens for study. –Agree to read/watch through the designated lens. –Cite specific examples from text or video. –Build on others’ ideas. –Use language that is respectful of those in the video and in the group.

Context of The Wolf’s Chicken Stew Video 19 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Content:Comprehension of a fiction text in a shared reading lesson using a rigorous comprehension approach Text:The Wolf’s Chicken Stew byKeiko Kasza Teacher:Ms. Yvette Celorio Reyes Coach: School: Ms. Gloria Sullivan Wooldrige Elementary School Principal: Ms. Linda Purvis Austin ISD, Austin, Texas

23 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

Video Study In what ways does this lesson embody the principles of rigorous comprehension instruction for English speakers and English learners? How does this discussion align to the expectations of rigorous standards for reading?What do you notice about how students are building skills and habits that the are valued by rigorous reading comprehension standards? What else can be done to scaffold the understanding of English Learners? 2424 Task 3: Rigorous Reading Comprehension PK-3:

Video Study What did the teacher do to engage students in focusing on the story?What did students do? 25 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Task 3: Rigorous Reading Comprehension PK-3:

Video Study How does this lesson support students to engage in rigorous reading comprehension? How does it support the teacher? 26 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Task 3: Rigorous Reading Comprehension PK-3:

Ways in Which This Lesson Enacted Principles of 27 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Rigorous Reading Comprehension Instruction Students were: Engaged in a rigorous task, with an appropriate text and open-ended questions that promoted long answers Given time to talk to each other, and with the teacher Required to cite the text and engage in Accountable Talk ®

Ways in Which This Lesson Enacted Principles of 28 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Rigorous Reading Comprehension Instruction Building meaning as the story was read. Addressing confusing issues as they came up in the story. Using background knowledge to support comprehension. Agreeing and disagreeing to clarify understanding. Using wait time to formulate their thoughts and find the words to express their intent. Building vocabulary in the context of classroom work. Discussing the story meaning in Spanish first.

Academically Productive Talk 36 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

Reflection 40 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH What did you learn and/or what insights did you gain about rigorous reading comprehension from our work today? What are the implications of your insights for your role? How will you structure and facilitate rigorous reading comprehension?

Bridge to Practice for Principals 31 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH By _, observe at least two classrooms where teachers are working with students on rigorous reading comprehension using and interactive read aloud approach. Collect evidence on the Evidence Sheets provided. Write a reflection on,“What worked for the students? How was the teacher handling the pictures? How was that going? What questions do you have?Be prepared to share your reflection with your colleagues on.

Bridge to Practice for Teacher 32 LEARNING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER © 2013 UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH By _, select a short text to read aloud to the students and pre-select the vocabulary you think will may give the students difficulty understanding the text. Create student friendly definitions for the vocabulary.Decide where you will stop to discuss text and formulate the questions and follow up questions you will ask.Read the text to students. Then, reflect in writing on your experience conducting a rigorous read-aloud.What went well?What did not? What questions do you have?Be prepared to share your reflection with your colleagues on _.