Dr. Beth ChristianTennessee State University

Adapted from a Powerpoint Presentation prepared by Dr. Pamela Petty

Reading to Learn: Strategic Instruction in the Content Areas

Every teacher is a teacher of reading.William S. Gray

• Reading is essential in every content subject …

“In fact, rapid progress in these subjects depends in a large degree on the ability of pupils to read independently and intelligently. It follows that good teaching must provide for the improvement and refinement of the reading, attitudes, habits, and skills that are needed in all school activities involving reading.” Farstrup, A. E. & Samuels, S. J. (2002). What research has to say about reading instruction. Newark, Delaware: IRA, p. 186.

Textbooks/Informational Books/Expository Texts Text Books Nonfiction Genres Biographies

Student must be taught strategies to navigate and comprehend content area texts and other expository texts

Content Area Texts are organized in ways that differ from narrative texts…incorporating specialized vocabulary (academic language), charts, graphics, etc…

Teachers must consider both the reader and the structure of the text

Reading is …construction of

meaning from text. It is an active, cognitive, and affective process.

Each reader brings his/her own background experiences, academic abilities, language, culture, attitude etc…to the text

Background knowledge …

And prior knowledge are critical to the reading process.

Reading is Social!

Social Interaction

… is essential to learning.

Communities of learners.

Vygotsky

Best practices in Content Areas

Constructivist approachAddresses multiple

intelligences Builds on Prior KnowledgeInvolves guided reading

experiences Inquiry-basedAllows for student choice Involves authentic

literature/trade books in addition to expository texts

Content area lessons involving reading should include:Pre-reading activitiesDuring-during reading activitiesPost-Reading Activities

http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/learning/lr2befor.htm

Effective Comprehension Routines

Expository Text StucturesReciprocal TeachingQuestioning the AuthorDirected Reading-Thinking ActivitiesKWHL and Concept MappingUsing Trade Books/Literature in the Content

AreasProblem and Inquiry-Based Learning

Figure 9--10 The Five Expository Text Structures

Gail E. TompkinsLiteracy for the 21st Century, 3e

Copyright ©2003 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

All rights reserved.

Figure 9--10 continued

Gail E. TompkinsLiteracy for the 21st Century, 3e

Copyright ©2003 by Pearson Education, Inc.Upper Saddle River, New Jersey 07458

All rights reserved.

What the Research Says About Reciprocal Teaching adapted from Mary Haller March 20,2004

Palincsar and Brown 1986 when reciprocal teaching was used for just 15 days students reading increases from 30- 80%.

According to a study by Palinscar and Klenk 1991, students not only improved their comprehension skills immediately, but they also maintained improved comprehension skills when tested a year later.

Lubliner 2001 points out that reciprocal teaching is an effective teaching technique that can improve on the kind of reading comprehension that is necessary not only for improved test scores but also for an information age.

QTA: Questioning the Author “Questioning the Author is a protocol of inquiries that

students can make about the content they are reading. This strategy is designed to encourage students to think beyond the words on the page and to consider the author's intent for the selection and his or her success at communicating it.”

“The idea of "questioning" the author is a way to evaluate how well a selection of text stands on its own, not simply an invitation to "challenge" a writer. Students are looking at the author's intent, his craft, his clarity, his organization...in short, if the author has done well, students can say so, and they can identify why they say so. Likewise, if students are struggling over a selection of text, it may be because it hasn't been written very clearly. Students can see this, and say so, but then they are invited to improve on it.”

http://www.readingquest.org/strat/qta.html

[McKeown, Beck, & Worthy, 1993]

The Five Reciprocal Teaching Strategies adapted from Mary Haller March 20,2004

Reciprocal Teaching is powerful researched based technique. It is NOT a stand alone methodfor teaching comprehension.

Predicting Questioning Clarifying Summarizing Visualizing

Reciprocal Teachin Bookmarks and other Resources

Content-Area DR-TADirected Reading/Thinking Activity

Activate prior knowledge (Brainstorm)Predict what will be discussed in the textReadConfirm and Revise Predictions

KWLWhat you KNOWWhat you WANT to knowHow you Learned what you want to knowWhat you Learned

K W H L

Verbal DemonstrationsThink-Aloud- Demonstrating thought

processesDemonstrating Summarizing

http://www.indiana.edu/~crls/rogerfarr/mcr/usingta/usingta.html

QAR-Question Answer ResponseStudents learn to locate many sources of

information.

Right ThereThink Aloud and SearchOn my own

ChartingStudents take more responsibility in their

learningSummarize key ideas Visually sense the interrelationships

between these ideas

DRAW ActivityDraw (a question from a hat/box)Reflect/Review (in order to answer the

question)Attend (and participate in a class

discussion)Write (answers to questions in the form of a

quiz)

Discussion WebsTo encourage critical and elaborative

thinkingVisual/graphic representation of thinking

processesExamining alternative points of viewQuestion should be stated so that there is

more than one point of view

School UniformsSchool Uniforms

Should School Uniforms be Mandatory in all

Sumner County SchoolsNO YES

Conclusion

20 Strategies to supportcomprehension of Non-Fiction

Texts

In Tennessee

State Curriculum Standards:http://www.tn.gov/education/ci/english/

reading.shtml

Content Area 3081: www.tn.gov/education/ci/english/doc/ENG_3081.pdf

LiteratureLiterature across the curriculum that relate

to the various content areas

http://www.pampetty.com/adolescentlit.htmhttp://www.pampetty.com/http://www.prenhall/brozo

Fix-Up Strategies Techniques that active learners use when they are trying

to increase their understanding of a particular content-area concept

1. Rereading

2. Reading more slowly

3. Reading ahead

4. Looking back at previous paragraphs/headings

5. Refer to visual aids

6. Make a mental picture

7. Draw of sketch concept

8. Look for examples in the text

9. Check alternative sources