1. Language Development Opportunities
Oh, Now I See! Scaffolding Comprehension Strategies in Elementary/Middle Reading
WABE 2010
Yakima, WA
David Irwin
Language Development Opportunities

2. Today we will…
Practice four learner comprehension strategies for use with struggling learners and/or ELLs by discussing and adapting comprehension skill activities

3. What A Decade of Reform said…
Strategies alone (first order) without changes in beliefs (second order) make no difference
Focus on targeted1 GLEs – eliminate non-essential activities
High expectations for all students including those in poverty and ELL
“Powerful teaching and learning” depends not on specific strategies, but on the intellectual demands placed on the student
Fouts, Jeffrey T., A Decade of Reform: A Summary of Research Findings on Classroom, School and District Effectiveness in Washington State, Washington School Research Center, 2003.
1See Ainsworth 2003

4. The Big Reading Picture
Include all Big 5 Components PLUS
Oral Language Development
Phonemic Awareness
Phonics
Vocabulary
Fluency
Comprehension
min.
Choose, prioritize the comprehension strategies
Limit them, 1-3 at a time for several weeks
Use throughout the day, not just at reading time
Independent Reading minutes
Cultural connection - background

5. Comprehension Strategies
Making Connections
Text-to-Self
Text-to-Text
Text-to-World
Inference
Summarizing

6. What is scaffolding and why is it important for ELLs?
On a Post-it, write your own personal definition of scaffolding.

7. One model of scaffolding
Mini-lecture
Explicit instruction
Practice
Teacher modeling
Discussion
Peer modeling
Reciprocal teaching
Cooperative learning
Apply strategies during independent reading
Teacher Centered
Teacher Assisted
Peer Assisted
Student Centered
Increasing independence

8. Another model of scaffolding
Rally Table
Rally Robin
Quiz-quiz-trade
Mix-pair share
Timed pair share
Personal white Boards
Thumbs up
Worksheets
Tickets out
Independent Work
Whole group
Small Group
Partners
Increasing independence
Round table
Round Robin
Numbered heads together
Talking Chips
Shout out
Think aloud
Choral reading

9. Scaffolding Verbal Scaffolding Procedural Scaffolding Modeling: I do
Prompting, questioning, and elaborating facilitate students’ movement to higher levels of language proficiency, comprehension, and thinking:
Paraphrasing
Using “Think – Alouds”
Reinforcing Contextual Definitions
Think-Pair-Share
Procedural Scaffolding
Lead the students through steps to make them more independent:
Modeling: I do
Practice opportunities with others: We do
Independent practice: You do
Graphic organizers

10. What is scaffolding? Find the definition you wrote earlier.
Read it over and make some changes.
What is your new definition of scaffolding?
Share with your group.

11. Scaffolding: Gradual Release of Responsibility
I Do
Modeling the strategy yourself, thinking aloud while writing or charting
We Do
Do the same activity again with students or go to the next step of the activity. Plan to have directions of comments match your actions.
You Do
Paired or independent work after a successful “we do” trial

12. Making Connections
Help kids make in-depth connections related to story
Anchor charts for student responses
Self-to-text, text-to-text, text-to-world
Small group work: releasing responsibility
Miller p 54-

13. Making Connections: Thinking Aloud
Models real inner dialogue
Pick books you like – be real
Use academic language
Starters:
“When I read these words, I thought of…”
When I saw this picture, it reminded me of…”
From this information, I can infer…”
Miller 2002 p. 54

14. Making Connections: Anchor Charts
Chart all student responses – give credit
Discuss which ones are helpful to the story. Vote 1, 2; star, circle; etc.
Students justify their votes
Miller 2002 p. 60

15. Making Connections: Small Group Expectations
Read book to class
Students break up to pairs to record connections with pictures or words
Review helpful connections
Vote 1-2 if necessary
Miller 2002 p. 61

16. Making Connections: Self-to-text
Connect to personal experience that deepens understanding of the story
Mostly oral language
Charts are useful to review connections
List and vote for relevance

17. Making Connections: Text-To-Text
Compare two books
Venn diagram – 3-tab foldable
Also: Text-to-World connections
What are the connections to the world outside of self?
Miller 2002 p. 63

18. Thinking Aloud with Stickies
Write down thoughts on sticky notes – stick them in the book, notebook or poster
Categories:
Confusion/clarity
Huh? I don’t get it. How Why Who When What Where etc?
Oh, now I get this part!
Alternative: ? & Lightbulb
New information
Wow, I never knew ____ before!
Connection
This reminds me of…
I heard/read/remember something like this in _______.

19. Asking Questions “What are you wondering?” Clarify meaning
Why ask questions?
Clarify meaning
Speculate about what’s coming
Examines author’s purpose, style, intent
Locate specific information
Rhetorical questions or make connection

20. Questions: Leaf & Root
“Leaf” questions are “above ground”, literal comprehension knowledge level
Answer is in the text
“Root” questions are “buried”, higher order thinking questions
Information leading to the answer is in the text, but not the exact answer

21. Asking Questions Code questions after forming them. Why?
Do all questions have answers?
How else can questioning skills help our kids besides with reading?
How well can/do ELLs ask deeper level questions?

22. Digging Deeper: Questions
Teach children to make meaningful connections with questions:
Does what I have to say connect to the current topic? …to what someone else said?
Can I support what I say with evidence or experience?
Did someone else already say it?
If I disagree, do I state what the other person said and say why my thinking is different in a nice way?

23. What to say instead of “I don’t know”
Write the following on sentence strips, post on wall
When you hear “I don’t know” refer student to a question choice or help him/her with a new one
Could I please have some more information?
Could you please repeat the question?
Could I ask my partner?
Where can I find the answer?
Can you say that a different way?
Can I have some more time to think?

24. Inference
Connecting prior knowledge with textual clues to draw conclusions, form interpretations and make predictions
Using the term “infer” frequently helps kids internalize its use and function

25. Inference for Vocabulary
3-column Chart (I do, We do), sticky note or 3-way organizer (You do)
List unknown word
What we infer it means
What helps us
Confirm (C) or deny (X) meanings by context, picture, glossary and use strategy to find meanings for the X words
Use the Stranger – jammed, hermit, mercury

26. Word
What we infer it means
What helps us

27. Inference for Prediction
2-column Chart (I do, We do) or Notes (You do)
Fiction: What will happen?
Non-fiction: What will we learn?
What is our thinking (based on pictures and text features)
Read passage
Confirm (C)/deny (X) predictions
Make new predictions; What is our thinking (based in information from text)
Stranger

28. Prediction
What is our thinking

29. Inference for Drawing Conclusions, Making Interpretations
Metaphor and allusion: is there more meaning in these words than meets the eye?
Using schema again to connect text to experience
2-column notes
Text printed on left side
Student highlights on left and writes interpretations on right
On doc cam (I do, We do); on paper (You do)

30. Text
What do we infer
stranger

31. Try it! Dave will model with The Year of Miss Agnes
Pick a book, read and develop your inner conversation to model
Mark places to stop, think, write, ask students for their connections
Write questions (red), answers (green) and connections (purple)
Write them all at first. Days later, have the class help you decide which ones really give more understanding of the story. Rate them 1, 2.
Make inferences about the passage
Anchor chart on Rascal. List 3 of my connections, questions. Questions-red, connections-purple “What connections or questions do you have?” Write them down. Accept all for the fist few weeks. LATER - Rate them by how well they help us understand the story.

32. Visualization
Help students create mental images by having them work together to draw pictures based on text:
Tell a personal story or use a book, picture at first, then text only, then poetry
Have students “think in their head” about what they see before telling it
Then have them describe what they see one by one
Highlight any new, interesting vocab they might use or help them with new words
Miller Ch 6 p 78-85

33. Visualization
Choosing text: do students have enough schema to make images from this text?
Do they have the vocab and what new words do they need?
Make copies of several passages; s. can choose
Partners go to a corner and draw their images
Miller Ch 6 p 78-85

34. Visualization
Discuss why they chose to draw what they did. Why is it important?
The partners’ images can influence each others’ – sharing schema
Highlight any new, interesting vocab they might use or help them with new words
Write responses to the readings and pictures
Practice for several weeks. Save vocab lists for use in writing stories or poetry of their own.
Miller Ch 6 p 78-85

35. Drawing outside inside (front) Describe my image:
(picture is on the back of this page)
What it reminds me of (connection):
Continue with Rascal

36. Summarizing Story Pyramid Sketch to Stretch (main idea/detail)
Sketch in color – 3 minutes
One sentence - main idea
3-4 sentences – supporting details
Final draft
Organizer has versions for elementary, secondary.

37. Digging Deeper: Visuals
Reading spaces, bulletin boards, book displays. See p 98 for ideas.
Map your room.
Do you have
Group reading space (carpet)
Individual/partner reading spaces
Inviting/instructional visuals
Student work
Books/authors

38. Digging Deeper: Tools Do you have on hand:
Paper, bond & construction in colors
Markers/colored pencils/crayons
Sticky notes
Two-column note pages (spirals for older kids)
Story maps
Venns (paper for making 3-tab foldables)

39. So What Now…
I can use the ___________________________strategy with my ___________________ group or class. How I need to modify it: What materials I need:

40. Download and Contact www.langdevopps.com dave@langdevopps.com
Forms, templates, questions, bookings:

41. Acknowledgements Material in this presentation draws on the work of
Ainsworth, Larry (2003) Power Standards: Identifying the Standards that Matter the Most, Advanced Learning Press
Archer, Anita (2006) “Dynamic Vocabulary Instruction in Secondary Classrooms,” presentation at OSPI January Conference, Seattle, WA.
Beck, McKeown & Kucan (2002) Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction, Guilford Press
Beck, McKeown & Kucan (2008) Creating Robust Vocabulary: Frequently Asked Questions & Extended Examples. Guilford Press.
Calderon & Rowe (2005) “Project ExC-ELL: Expediting Comprehension for English Language Learners in Secondary Schools” training, Johns Hopkins University.
Cummins, J. (1981) The role of primary language development in promoting educational success for language minority students. In Schooling and language minority students: A theoretical framework (pp. 3-49). Los Angeles: Evaluation, Dissemination, and Assessment Center, California State University, Los Angeles.
Echevarria, Vogt & Short (2008) Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model, 3rd Edition, Pearson.
Echevarria & Graves, (2003) Sheltered Content Instruction: Teaching English Language Learners with Diverse Abilities 2nd Edition, Allyn & Bacon.
Figueroa, Richard (2002) “Scientifically Based Reading Research”: The Definitional Dilemma for California Migrant Education Students (draft), UC Davis.

42. Krashen, Stephen (1993) The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research, Libraries Unlimited.
Montaño-Harmon, Dr. Maria (2003) “English for Academic Purposes” training, California State University Fullerton.
Miller, Debbie (2002) Reading with Meaning: Teaching Comprehension in the Primary
Grades. Stenhouse.
National Reading Panel (2000) Report of the National Reading Panel: Teaching Children to Read.
Russell, Sarah (2007) Powerpoint slides & ideas. Washoe School District, Reno NV.
Thomas, W. & Collier, V. (1997) School effectiveness for language minority students. George Mason University.
Vacca & Vacca (1999) Content Area Reading: Literacy and Learning Across the Curriculum, 6th Edition, Longman.
Zike, Dinah (1989) Big Book of Projects: How to design, develop, & make projects from kindergarten through college, dinah-might adventures, San Antonio.
Zwiers, Jeff (2004) Building Reading Comprehension Habits in Grades 6-12: A Toolkit of Classroom Activities, IRA.