Content Reading Wendy Otto Pliska.

Content Reading Wendy Otto Pliska

Introductory Reflection
Reflect on the questions below, then discuss one or two: Think about the study strategies you’ve used as a student. What is most effective for you? What middle and high school classes did you dread? Why? Have you ever been explicitly taught a study strategy? If yes, by whom? When? Where? As an adult, when you come across a word you don’t know how to pronounce or whose meaning you don’t know, what do you do? What (and how) do you read for pleasure? How is that different from how you read to gather information (i.e. textbook, cell phone manual)? How would you explain the differences between decoding, comprehension, and analysis to a 4th grader? An 11th grader? A parent?

Blended Format Two face-to-face weekends (Sept 21-22 & Nov 9-10)
Eliminate the middle weekend of face-to-face and replace it with online work and interaction XX prompts to address on our Google Group Page 1+ original posts to each prompt 2+ comments on classmates’ posts for each prompt

Google Group Prompts Find, share, and comment on one Before Reading Strategy Find, share, and comment on one During Reading Strategy Find, share, and comment on one After Reading Strategy Post a brief summary & commentary on both of the independent articles you review Read the “Walking in Their Shoes” article on our wiki and comment on your experiences with critical literacy Read the “Overcoming the Obstacle Course” article on our wiki and comment on your experiences with gender and reading Choose and read two articles on 21st century literacy from the wiki and post your evaluation of the implications of the pieces

Course Registration Info
Course Name: Content Reading Instructor: Wendy Otto Pliska Course Number: Tuition Amount: $930 $780 Catholic school staff

Adolescent Literacy: A Position Statement
Read the IRA’s position statement on adolescent literacy In the margins, jot down: Key ideas for classroom teachers Key ideas for administrators Key ideas for reading teachers/specialists Ideas that surprised you Questions you have

Triple Venn International Reading Association: www.ira.org
Wisconsin State Reading Association:

Key Concepts in Content Reading
Reading must be taught across the curriculum and in all content-area classes; it is not the sole responsibility of the English department nor of the building/district reading specialist Study skills are an integral part of reading instruction at the middle-high school level; teaching students to comprehend text and then take notes, write about the text, and perform well on tests are all crucial to student success in middle-secondary schools Reading and learning from text is an interactive process between the text/author, the student, and often the teacher Most middle and high school content area teachers see themselves as content specialists; in traditional teacher-training programs, the role of the content area teacher in reading instruction has not been emphasized, and many teachers feel unprepared to take on this task Helping students to learn vocabulary is a struggle in all content areas! In addition, many middle and high school teachers assume that students have already been taught the necessary reading and study skills; however, this is often not the case. Or, students may have learned appropriate study skills in their earlier grades that no longer apply to their situations in middle or high school Read-and-test still happens in content area classrooms. Many struggling readers in middle and high school stop reading altogether because they have learned that their traditional method of reading (skim the text, find the answers, fail the quiz) is ineffective, and they have not learned different, more effective strategies. Some middle and high school students have masked poor comprehension and analysis skills by becoming good word callers, but decoding and fluency are not good indicators of comprehension

Class Wrap-Up Please complete your daily reflection tonight and return it to me tomorrow. See you at 8:00!

Welcome Back! Please turn in your daily reflection from yesterday
Any questions from yesterday?

Reading Reasons (Kelly Gallagher)
With a partner, brainstorm as many answers as possible to the following question: Why should we read? Now… try to identify what themes emerged from your list…

Turn and share your list and themes with another group. Which “reasons” did your two groups share? Which did you think of independently?

Building Blocks: How to “Build” Better Adolescent Readers Students need access to high-interest reading materials. Students must have a time to read and a place to read. Teachers must model the value of reading. Teachers must stop grading everything. Teachers must provide structure to a reading program. Students must want to read; they must see what’s in it for them. From Gallagher, K. (2003). Reading reasons: Motivational mini-lessons for middle and high school. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Reading is rewarding Reading builds a mature vocabulary Reading makes you a better writer Reading is hard, and “hard” is necessary Reading makes you smarter Reading prepares you for the world of work Reading well is financially rewarding Reading opens the door to college and beyond Reading arms you against oppression From Gallagher, K. (2003). Reading reasons: Motivational mini-lessons for middle and high school. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

What’s the Connection Between Reading and Test Scores?? In the journal Reading Research Quarterly, Anderson, Wilson, and Fielding* looked at the correlation between the amount of time fifth graders read and their scores on standardized reading exams Anderson, R.C., Wilson, P.T., & Fielding, L.G. (1988). Growth in reading and how children spend their time outside of school. Reading Research Quarterly. 23, Percentile Rank on Standardized Reading Exam: Minutes of Text Reading per Day Estimated Number of Words Read per Year 98% 90.7 4.7 mil 90% 40.4 2.4 mil 70% 21.7 1.2 mil 50% 12.9 601,000 20% 3.1 134,000 10% 1.6 51,000 From Gallagher, K. (2003). Reading reasons: Motivational mini-lessons for middle and high school. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Sample “Reading Reason:” Reading Well is Financially Rewarding The average lifetime earnings for a student who does not finish high school is $936,000 The average lifetime earnings for a student who does finish high school is $1,216,000 Therefore, a high school diploma is worth $280,000 ($1,216,000 - $936,000) Four years of high school (assuming some time off for illness) is approximately 700 days of school Therefore, students are “paid” $280,000 for 700 days of school Therefore, students earn $400 per day Therefore, students earn $100 to attend my class every day (based on a four-block day) Students who finish college “earn” a lot more per day than that!! If students ask, “then where’s my money?”, the answer is… just like plumbers, doctors, and mechanics, you don’t get paid until the job is done! *data is based on 2000 U.S. Census data, in 1999 dollars From Gallagher, K. (2003). Reading reasons: Motivational mini-lessons for middle and high school. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.

Planning an Effective Reading Lesson
Identify something you plan to have your students read (textbook, novel, short story, poem, current event article, primary source, instructions, etc.) Read the selection for yourself. Then, ask yourself the following four questions: Without my help, what will my students take from this reading? What can they understand on their own? With my help, what do I want my students to take from this reading? Keep in mind: Vocabulary Students’ background knowledge of the subject Students’ reading level Students’ reading attack strategies What can I do to bridge the gap between what my students would learn on their own and what I want them to learn? What support should I offer during the reading process? How will I know if my students “get” it? Use these questions to frame your planning of any reading activity Source: Kelly Gallagher, Magnolia High School, Anaheim Union High School District, Adapted from the handout “Building Deeper Readers” from the WSRA Adolescent Literacy Workshop, September 27, 2008, Waukesha, WI.

Before-Reading Strategies: Discussion Questions
Why do prereading strategies work? How can prediction strategies (like anticipation guides) help students understand what they read? What are the essential components of explicit instruction in the content area? How can you help struggling students use a textbook effectively in a content area classroom? Name one effective before-reading strategy you’ve seen used in a classroom.

Reading in the Content Areas: Before, During, and After Strategies
The keys to comprehension are: the activation of prior or background knowledge, active engagement in the content, and metacognition. In essence, these three categories cover the BEFORE, DURING, and AFTER of content reading.

Reading in the Content Areas: Before, During, and After Strategies
Teacher-Guided Before Activating what students already know about the text Providing important background information Explaining conventions, techniques, and vocabulary Setting purpose(s) for reading During Modeling the strategies effective readers use Guiding with questions and activities After Encouraging initial responses Discussing and developing interpretations Analyzing, clarifying, and extending Evaluating Student-Led Before What do I know about the topic? What do I need to know? What is the organization of the text? What is my purpose for reading? What might I learn from this reading? During Do I understand what I am reading? Does it make sense? What will I learn about next? Do I picture in my mind what I am reading? What in my personal experience helps me to make sense of what I am reading? Do I make changes if things do not make sense? After What do I think? How did this affect me? What did I learn that was new to me? From

Before-Reading Strategies: Finding Purpose
Read “The House” Highlight all important information

Read “The House” Highlight all information that would be useful for a real-estate agent to know

Read “The House” Highlight all information that would be useful for a burglar to know

Real-Estate Agent Burglar Tall hedges Finely landscaped yard New cedar siding Fireplace Three outside doors New paint Large yard/far away neighbors Dining, Living, Kitchen, Den 4 bedrooms, walk-in closets, 2+ bathrooms Damp basement New plumbing Leak in ceiling Mom gone on Thursdays Hidden by hedges 3 bikes Open side door High-tech stereo system Far away neighbors China, silver, crystal in DR Paintings, coins, and cash in den Furs and jewels in WIC Plasma TVs in sisters’ bedrooms r-DVD, video games, big-screen TV in Mark’s bedroom

Before Reading Strategies: Building Background Knowledge
A Poem With hocked gems financing him Our hero bravely defied all scornful laughter That tried to prevent his scheme Your eyes deceive he had said An egg Not a table Now three sturdy sisters sought proof Forging along sometimes through calm vastness Yet more often through turbulent peaks and valleys Days became weeks As many doubters spread Fearful rumours about the edge At last from nowhere Welcoming winged creatures appeared Signifying momentous success Adapted from: Dooling and Lachman (1971). Journal of Experimental Psychology (88)2: 216‐22. and Inspired by a presentation by Kelly Gallagher at WSRA, September 27, 2008.

Primary Problem: Freshmen were reading To Kill a Mockingbird before they studied 20th Century US History No background knowledge of segregation, lynching, etc. Secondary Problem: Our kids don’t read enough poetry Solution: Front-load a mini-unit on segregation before beginning TKAM Article jigsaw on Civil Rights topics Read book of poetry about the lynching of Emmett Till

Primary Problem: Freshmen were reading Copper Sun without background knowledge of the slave trade Secondary Problem: Not enough exposure to multiple sources, especially current event articles and primary sources Solution: Front-load a 2-day “center” activity before beginning the novel Students rotate through centers, reading information on: Maps Primary sources re: the slave trade and the Middle Passage Current event articles re: human trafficking Poems, art, and fiction about the slave trade

Reading in the Content Areas: Identifying Problem Vocabulary
Knowing the reading level of your texts and the reading ability of your students is key The Problem: Most secondary level non-fiction texts are not “leveled” like elementary texts

Finding Reading Levels
The Old Standard: The Fry Readability Graph How-To: Choose a 100-word passage from the text. Count the number of sentences to one decimal place. Count the number of syllables (avoiding numbers) Plot your point on the graph.

Finding Reading Levels

LUNCH Please return at ___________

Vocabulary Acquisition: Discussion Questions
Why is it so important that content area teachers teach the language of the content area to their students? (i.e. social studies terminology in history class) How can a teacher activate students’ background knowledge of vocabulary? What vocabulary acquisition strategies are most effective? What would you say to students or parents who complain that you don’t teach dictionary skills? What would you say to a supervisor who thinks you spend too much time teaching content area vocabulary?

Vocabulary Acquisition
See separate powerpoint presentation

During-Reading Strategies: Discussion Questions
Were you ever explicitly taught a note-taking strategy? When? What was it? Was it effective? How can you show students how to summarize information? What are your recommendations for when, why, and how graphic organizers should be used?

Taking Good Notes from Text: The 3 Key Questions
What do I write down? BHIVVES How should my notes look? Multiple Options: Two-Column Notes Flashcards Post Its Graphic Organizers How do I use my notes? When/how to study

BHIVVES B – Background Knowledge H – Headings
I – Introduction (Objectives) V – Vocabulary V – Visuals E – End of the Section Questions S - Summary

Two-Column Notes

Note-taking Formats Pros Cons 2-Column Notes Easy to keep organized
Loose leaf is a common school supply Makes studying really easy Inflexible Kind of boring Flashcards Really easy to study Prevents you from writing too much Easy to lose You have to remember to buy index cards and keep them with you You can end up with big stacks after a while Post-its Very flexible & kind of fun Easy to color-code Can move them around to create categories Can use them to highlight key parts of book You have to remember to buy post-its and keep them with you Usually the surface area is pretty small

Using Cornell Notes Record Reduce Recite Reflect Review

Note-taking and Test-Taking Think-Pair-Share
What note-taking and test-taking strategies can and should be taught to students at your levels? How and when would you introduce these topics? Who should be responsible for teaching these skills? How would you talk to parents about these topics?

Professional Development Gallery Walk: Consultation & Work Time
Any questions you have so far about the Article Review and/or Gallery Walk assignments? Please finish the reflections and have them ready for me at the next meeting in December Please feel free to stay and ask individual questions and/or work on your projects

Class Wrap-Up Please complete your daily reflection and return it to me before you leave. Make sure to keep up with the Google Group assignments. Please or call me with any questions!

Content Reading, Session Two
Welcome Back! Any questions from last time?

Using Trade Books and other Fiction in the Classroom
What are some problems associated with textbook use? How can trade books be useful in a content-area classroom? How can self-selected reading and teacher read-alouds be used in content-area classrooms? How can teachers involve students in inquiry-related activities? How would you respond to an administrator who believes that teacher read-alouds are a waste of time in middle and high school content areas?

Why Teach Literature? To help young people explore their own feelings about literature. To help young people explore their own feelings and understandings about their personal experiences. To introduce students to great literary treasures. To introduce students to other cultures, especially those distant from their own experience. To provide a meaningful context for learning to read. To develop students’ aesthetic sensibilities. To develop critical thinking and writing skills. To learn to “read the world” from a critical perspective To discuss and come to deeper understandings of timeless themes such as love, loss, identity, heroism, etc. To create an opportunity to discuss contemporary issues. To help students think for themselves, and to create their own philosophies of life and living. To help students to “live through” experiences that are distant from them in time, place, and experience, thereby widening and deepening their experience. From: Wilhelm, J. D. (2009, February 5). Let them read trash! An exploratory study into the engaged reading of non-traditional texts and what this means for teachers. Conference Presentation presented at the annual convention of the Wisconsin State Reading Association , Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The Flow Experience Flow is the mental state of operation in which the person is fully immersed in what he or she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity. In other words: “on the ball,” “in the zone,” “in the groove,” or “keeping your head in the game.” Proposed by Mihály Csíkszentmihályi, referenced and built upon by Jeff Wilhelm and other educational researchers From: Wilhelm, J. D. (2009, February 5). Let them read trash! An exploratory study into the engaged reading of non-traditional texts and what this means for teachers. Conference Presentation presented at the annual convention of the Wisconsin State Reading Association , Milwaukee, Wisconsin. and Flow. Wikipedia. Retrieved (2009, November 19) from

The Flow Experience Csíkszentmihályi identifies the following nine factors as accompanying an experience of flow: Clear goals, expectations, and rules. Concentrating (a high degree of concentration on a limited field of attention) A loss of the feeling of self-consciousness Distorted sense of time Direct and immediate feedback (successes and failures in the course of the activity are apparent, so that behavior can be adjusted as needed). Balance between ability level and challenge (the activity is neither too easy nor too difficult). A sense of personal control over the situation or activity. The activity is intrinsically rewarding. People become absorbed in their activity, and focus of awareness is narrowed down to the activity itself. Not all are needed for flow to be experienced. From: Wilhelm, J. D. (2009, February 5). Let them read trash! An exploratory study into the engaged reading of non-traditional texts and what this means for teachers. Conference Presentation presented at the annual convention of the Wisconsin State Reading Association , Milwaukee, Wisconsin. and Flow. Wikipedia. Retrieved (2009, November 19) from

The Flow Experience So… what kind of curriculum/classroom activities meet these conditions? What can we as thoughtful practitioners do to help students get “in the flow?” Would modifying our approach help us compete with video games, computers, etc? From: Wilhelm, J. D. (2009, February 5). Let them read trash! An exploratory study into the engaged reading of non-traditional texts and what this means for teachers. Conference Presentation presented at the annual convention of the Wisconsin State Reading Association , Milwaukee, Wisconsin. and Flow. Wikipedia. Retrieved (2009, November 19) from

Literature Circles See separate powerpoint

Class Wrap-Up Please complete your daily reflection tonight and return it to me tomorrow. See you at 8:00!

Welcome Back! Please turn in your daily reflection from yesterday
Any questions from yesterday?

Using Bloom’s Taxonomy to Improve Reading Comprehension AND Critical Thinking
From

Critical Thinking Discussion Questions
How would you suggest a content-area teacher balance comprehension (literal) and higher-level questions about a text? What is the relationship between levels of comprehension and the types of questions teachers ask in text-related discussions? Some teachers believe that because literal comprehension is necessary to answer “higher-level” questions, it is unnecessary to ask literal-level questions. Do you agree? Why or why not? What is metacognition, and why is it important for struggling readers?

Write to Learns Write to Learns are… Impromptu Unpolished Short
Reflective Metacognitive Informally graded

Write to Learns Research says…
75% of research studies “favored writing to learn over conventional instruction on the same content” Metacognitive prompts are the most beneficial Writing frequently is more beneficial than writing sporadically Short pieces (5 minutes or less) are sufficient Teacher feedback isn’t necessary

Write to Learns Research says (cont’d)… From VanDeWeghe, 2005
Writing supports critical thinking processes by helping students… Make connections between new content and prior knowledge Synthesizing knowledge Exploring relations and implications Building outlines and conceptual frameworks Improvement in writing and overall performance takes time to develop From VanDeWeghe, 2005

Write to Learns Pamela Flash, the Associate Dean of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Writing, observes that… “without [write to learn activities], students might not otherwise give themselves enough time and space to reflect on class content, or to forge connections that will allow them to remember and use ideas from assigned readings, lectures, and other projects.”

Write to Learns Notes on procedure (Flash, 2005) and (Writing Activities, 2001): Give an important rationale for the activity Present the prompt both orally and visually Model the activity (do it with your kids and model your thinking) Describe the next steps Be clear about time limits Ask students to reflect Be patient If you collect work, provide some kind of feedback

Write to Learns Effective write-to-learn assignments…
Are short Are explicitly integrated into class content Elicit multiple responses Where appropriate, receive some content-focused (vs. grammar-focused) response Aren’t formally graded (Flash, 2005) and (Writing Activities, 2001).

Sample Write to Learn Activities
3-2-1 Anticipate! Class Minutes Concept Cubing Connect-Two Vocab Sentences Data Developing Documented Problem Solutions Entrance/Exit Passes & Night Writes How-to Papers Invented Dialogue Muddiest Point One-Minute Paper Pro/Con Grid Rate Your Knowledge Scenarios Statement and Solution Write your Own Exam! Writing Better Vocab Sentences

Write-to-Learns Please look at the Write-to-learn templates from the wiki Choose 2-3 and modify them for use in your classroom Be prepared to share your ideas

Write to Learn Resources
Flash, P. (2005). Teaching with writing. Retrieved Jan. 20, 2006, from University of Minnesota Center for Writing website: VanDeWeghe, R. (2005, November) Research matters. English Journal, 95 (2), Writing activities. (2001). Retrieved Jan. 20, 2006, from Workshop: Writing activities that get students thinking and learning. Website:

BREAK Please take a ten minute break!

Changing Trends in Secondary Literacy
RtI at the Secondary Level (see separate powerpoint)

Lunch/Gallery Walk Set-up

Gallery Walk Protocol Please take your time and take in your colleagues’ work Make sure to get a handout from each display

Course Evaluations Please complete the official Viterbo evaluations and place the scantrons on the desk After class is done, please go to the surveymonkey link on our wiki to complete my informal class evaluation

Final Exam/Wrap Up Final Exam due via no later than Sunday, November 25 Any questions?

Content Reading Wendy Otto Pliska.

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