Ticket In: Write or draw your definition of background knowledge.

Workshop Objectives: To achieve a shared definition of both background knowledge and inference; To achieve a shared definition of both background knowledge and inference; To determine the role that background knowledge plays in inferential thinking; To determine the role that background knowledge plays in inferential thinking; To decipher inference-based performance indicators/learning targets for explicit literacy instruction and on-going formative assessment. To decipher inference-based performance indicators/learning targets for explicit literacy instruction and on-going formative assessment.

What is background knowledge? 1. Share your definition of background knowledge with two other people Note what your definitions have in common Note any striking differences.

Background Knowledge: Academic: Domain (Biology) Domain (Biology) Topic (amphibians) Topic (amphibians) Concept (biogenesis) Concept (biogenesis) Vocabulary (metamorphosis) Vocabulary (metamorphosis) Text Features Text Features --External (e.g. title) --External (e.g. title) --Internal (e.g. text structure) --Internal (e.g. text structure) Reading process (strategies) Reading process (strategies)Non-academic: Life experiences Life experiences Attitudes → EFFICACY Attitudes → EFFICACY Motivation Motivation Interests Interests “practical intelligence” “practical intelligence” (ex: best back-road to avoid construction on Route 96) (ex: best back-road to avoid construction on Route 96) Sternberg and Wagner (1986); Marzano.(2004). ASCD.

Why background knowledge? ↓ background knowledge = ↓ comprehension ↑ background knowledge = ↑ comprehension ↑ background knowledge = ↑ comprehension

Task: Support/Refute Statement #1 1. Note your degree of agreement or disagreement and provide evidence. Background knowledge impacts a reader’s perspective of a text. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree

Task: Support/Refute Statement #2 1. Note your degree of agreement or disagreement and provide evidence. Surface-level background knowledge is useful to comprehending text. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree

Task: Support/Refute Statement #3 1. Note your degree of agreement or disagreement and provide evidence. Background knowledge must be activated to be of use. Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Agree Agree Disagree

Instructional Goal: to improve comprehension via background knowledge Apply Confirm & Build Activate

Share an effective strategy that you use to help students activate, apply, confirm and/or build background knowledge. Apply Confirm & Build Activate

Transfer Ticket In: Read the following text and then write in the margins what you think is happening: Hocked gems financing him, our hero bravely defied all scornful laughter that tried to prevent his scheme. “Think of it as an egg, not a table,” he said. Then three sturdy sisters sought proof, forging along sometimes through calm vastness, yet more often over turbulent peaks and valleys… until at last welcome winged creatures appeared signifying monumentous success.” --Adapted, Dooling and Lachman. 1971

Define Inference: Given the following definitions of inference, determine whether you inferred while you were reading the paragraph. BK (background knowledge) + TC (text clues) = I (an inference) BK (background knowledge) + TC (text clues) = I (an inference) What is in the mind + What is in the text = an educated guess What is in the mind + What is in the text = an educated guess

Word, phrase, quote or picture from text Background Knowledge Inference “hocked gems financing him” “gems” brings to mind the rich and the past (gems = currency) “financing” = securing $ to do or get something “him” is someone who had to sell/pawn his final assets (probably not wealthy) to support his “scheme” (efforts)

Hocked gems financing him, our hero bravely defied all scornful laughter that tried to prevent his scheme. “Think of it as an egg, not a table,” he said. Then three sturdy sisters sought proof, forging along sometimes through calm vastness, yet more often over turbulent peaks and valleys… until at last welcome winged creatures appeared signifying monumentous success.” Christopher Columbus

Let’s Process: Did your thinking shift as new information was added?

Miller, Debbie. Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades. Portland: Stenhouse, Capturing shifting student thinking:

As you are presented with information, fill in the provided double-entry diary: Text Clue Inference

He put down $10.00 at the window. The woman behind the window gave $4.00. The person next to him gave him $3.00, but he gave it back to her. So, when they went inside, she bought him a large bag of popcorn. Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can’t Read What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers Portsmouth: Heinemann,

Let’s Process: Beers’ inferences (64) Beers’ inferences (64)

How do I determine the types of inferences that I should model? Get metacognitive– Read with an eye to I! Get metacognitive– Read with an eye to I! Explore the kinds of inference-based questions that are on your assessments. Explore the kinds of inference-based questions that are on your assessments.

ELA Grade 3, January 2008 ELA Grade 3, January 2008 “Balloon Volleyball” “Balloon Volleyball” Questions 16, 18 and 19 Social Studies Grade 5: Nov Social Studies Grade 5: Nov Questions 4, 17 and 20 Questions 4, 17 and 20

When we infer, we… Predict Draw Conclusions InterpretEvaluate

“ Inferring is the bedrock of comprehension.” -Harvey and Goudvis

Instructional Tips: 1. Turn the word infer or inference into something “more concrete”: Define inference for students Define inference for students Allow students to generate their own definitions… Allow students to generate their own definitions…

Kid Talk: “To make discoveries the author doesn’t tell you “To make discoveries the author doesn’t tell you in the words.” “Finding an inference is like being a detective. You look for clues and put them together with what you already know to figure out the secrets in the book.” “Finding an inference is like being a detective. You look for clues and put them together with what you already know to figure out the secrets in the book.” “An inference is when you spill your thinking on the book.” “An inference is when you spill your thinking on the book.” “When I infer, I have a conversation with the book. It tells me what it knows and I tell it what I know.” “When I infer, I have a conversation with the book. It tells me what it knows and I tell it what I know.”

Instructional Tips: 2. Generate a list of types of inferences on a large poster that you/students can point to * Form a conclusion *Recognize bias *figure out unknown words INFER:

3. Give kids tools to hold their thinking:

Oral language Questioning Writing Projects & performances 4. Elicit evidence of student thinking and learning:

Oral Language:

Written Language:

“Outlandish Responses: Taking Inferences Too Far” (97-106). Distinguish between fact and opinion, with assistance (grade 4).