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How to Work with ‘Complex Text’ to Meet the Common
Core State Standards
Wisconsin State Reading Association Thursday, February 6, 2014
Presenter: Winnie Huebsch, Ph.D. Educational Consultant
Emphasis on Reading Instruction in the School
There has been much research done on the teaching of reading over the past 30 years, and we have learned a lot…
But, even with all of the research done, and despite our continued efforts, the reality is that children are not progressing significantly in reading.
The Issues at Hand
There are ever increasing demands on students’ reading abilities in the 21st century…
Technology is significantly impacting the learning process, both for good and ill
The Importance of Informational Reading
We live in an quickly evolving ‘information age.’
Approximately 96% of the sites on the Internet are expository in form.
The majority of reading and writing that adults do is non-fiction, much of it informational.
Academic achievement in a wide range of subjects depends in part on the ability to read and write informational text.
Poor Student Achievement Related to Difficulty
Reading Complex Text Large proportions of American students
have difficulty reading informational texts.
Low income and minority students are particularly likely to struggle.
Some have attributed the ‘fourth grade slump’ to difficulties with complex text.
Yopp Study, 2006 – Limited Focus on Informational Text
Data reveal that narrative texts were by far the literature of choice for preschool through third-grade teachers who read aloud to their students, representing 77% (1,123) of identifiable books.
8% (120 books) of the read-alouds were informational texts,
1% (20) were mixed texts, and 14% (213) were other and consisted primarily
of poetry.
Poor Student Achievement Related to Difficulty
Reading Complex Text
Lower achievement in science may also be linked to difficulty with informational text.
Nearly 44 million adults cannot extract information from text in many circumstances.
The current complexity of the texts students are expected to read is below what is required to achieve college and career readiness
Complexity of college and career texts has remained steady or increased, resulting in a gap.
Text Complexity: Why is this important?
Student Text has become easier over time High school textbooks have declined in all
subject areas over the last several decades.
Average length of sentences in K-8 textbooks has declined from 20 to 14 words.
Vocabulary demands have declined since the 1960s: 8th grade textbooks = former 5th grade texts 12th grade anthologies = former 7th grade
texts
The Case for ‘Struggle’
“Perhaps one of the mistakes in the past efforts to improve reading achievement has been the removal of struggle. As a profession, we may have made reading tasks too easy. We do not suggest that we should plan students’ failure but rather that students should be provided with opportunities to struggle and to learn about themselves as readers when they struggle, persevere and eventually succeed.”
Source: Fischer, D., Frey, N. and Lapp, D. (2012). Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading. Newark, Delaware.; International Reading Association.
…there is evidence that students learn, and perhaps even learn more, when they are taught with challenging texts.
Sources: Morgan, Wilcox and Eldridge, (2000); O’Connor, Swanson and Geraghty, (2010).
The Real Problem…. Grant Wiggins, coauthor of Understanding by Design,
thinks the real problem for teachers won't be identifying complex texts, but rather "staying true to the demands of the standards, without overscaffolding, and in heterogeneous classrooms where teachers may have students reading three levels below proficiency."
To that end, experts advise focusing interventions on what causes students the most difficulty—vocabulary and complicated sentences.
The New Normal…
Thanks to the influx of technology everywhere, many of us suffer from “continuous partial attention” (the increasingly dispersed nature of attention in online environments), making it difficult to focus, analyze and reflect on complex reading tasks.
Times are changing – Digital Natives vs.
Digital Immigrants…
With “digital natives”, (Millenials, Net Generation - born after 1980) the most prominent differences from”digital immigrants” (born before 1980) are related to access speed, instant pleasure, impatience in linear thinking and multitasking or continuous partial attention. (Bayn and Ross, 2007).
Turn and Talk… What are you noticing with your
students in regards to : Use/impact of technology Stamina required to work with difficult
text Attention/ Listening Skills Resourcefulness
No “text to self” analysis in CCS Standard Text-to-self" questions are now absent from the standards, reflecting a push away from personal meaning making and toward more rigorous, evidentiary analysis. ” There are several reasons they are not included: Instructional Time Rigor Equity
Change Involves ALL of Us All teachers are being asked to engage
in working with the reading standards, and to work with examples of complex text across all content areas.
We need to ask children to leave their comfort zones by helping them to read harder texts consistently and gradually over time.
New learning skills are needed…
Having the core competencies in the basic skills still matters.
What’s new to the essential skills mix is the increased attention being given to skills such as adaptability, resilience, critical thinking, and the ability to synthesize information.
Overview of the Standards Initiative
Given the continuing stagnation in USA academic achievement, The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was a collaborative initiative of the National Governor’s Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers intended to raise student achievement.
Overview of the Standards Initiative
The Common Core State Standards are NOT meant to be national curriculum.
The focus is not on the actual curricular materials or teaching methods used…)
Rather, they are a set of learning expectations, which have been made more rigorous, in order for our students to be able to compete in a global society.
The nationally driven Common Core State Standard Initiative places a strong emphasis on the role of text complexity in evaluating student readiness for college and careers.
Iti s prudent that we…
Review what the requirements of the Common Core State Standards are
in relation to the requirements of complex text…
Ah yes…
Text Complexity is the New Black!
(everywhere present and necessary).
But how do we recognize it?
Anchor Standard R. CCR.10 Regarding Text Complexity, the anchor statement reads: “Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.” (This is quite general…what does it really mean?)
Common Core Standards Model of Text Complexity
Text Complexity • Levels of meaning • Structure • Language conventionality and clarity • Knowledge demands • Professional judgment
• Word frequency • Sentence length • Text cohesion • Often computer generated
• Motivation • Knowledge/experiences • Purpose • Task complexity • Professional judgment
Qualitative Measures
Text Structure
Meaning / Purpose
Language Features
Knowledge Demands
Literary Texts Informational Texts
1. Component of Text Complexity – ‘Qualitative’
‘Qualitative’ (requires an attentive human reader-teacher judgement): measures of text complexity include
levels of meaning or purpose structure language conventionality and clarity knowledge demands
Literary Texts: Meaning Exceedingly Complex
Very Complex Moderately Complex
Slightly Complex
Meaning: Several levels and compe:ng elements of meaning that are difficult to iden:fy, separate, and interpret; theme is implicit or subtle, oAen ambiguous and revealed over the en:rety of the text
Meaning: Several levels of meaning that may be difficult to iden:fy or separate; theme is implicit or subtle and may be revealed over the en:rety of the text
Meaning: More than one level of meaning with levels clearly dis:nguished from each other; theme is clear but may be conveyed with some subtlety
Meaning: One level of meaning; theme is obvious and revealed early in the text.
Qualitative: Structure Low Complexity High Complexity
Simple, well marked, conventional structures
Complex, implicit and unconventional structures
Chronological order Use of flashbacks, flash-forwards, multiple points of view, manipulations of time and space
Common genres and subgenres Variety of structures (textbooks)
Simple graphics that are often independent of text
Complex graphics that provide independent information and are essential to understanding a text
Simple: He eats his cake.
Compound: He eats his cake, but he doesn’t eat his pie.
Complex: He eats his cake, while he ignores the pie on his plate.
Compound-Complex: While he ignores the pie on his plate, he eats his cake and he drinks his milk.
Qualitative: Sentence Structure
Informational Texts: Text Structure Exceedingly
Complex Very Complex Moderately
Complex Slightly Complex
Organization of Main Ideas: Connections between an extensive range of ideas or events are deep, intricate and often implicit or subtle; organization of the text is intricate or specialized for a particular discipline Text Features: If used, are essential in understanding content Use of Graphics: If used, extensive, intricate, essential integrated graphics, tables, charts, etc., necessary to make meaning of text
Organization of Main Ideas: Connections between an expanded range ideas, processes or events are deeper and often implicit or subtle; organization may contain multiple pathways and may exhibit traits common to a specific discipline
Text Features: If used, greatly enhance the reader’s understanding of content
Use of Graphics: If used, essential integrated graphics, tables, charts, etc.;
Organization of Main Ideas: Connections between some ideas or events are implicit or subtle; organization is evident and generally sequential
Text Features: If used, enhance the reader’s understanding of content
Use of Graphics: If used, graphics mostly supplementary to understanding of the text, such as indexes, glossaries; graphs, pictures, tables, and charts directly support the text
Organization of Main Ideas: Connections between ideas, processes or events are explicit and clear; organization of text is clear or chronological or easy to predict
Text Features: If used, help the reader navigate and understand content but are not essential Use of Graphics: If used, simple graphics, unnecessary to understanding the text but directly support and assist in interpreting the written text
Qualitative: Language Conventionality and Clarity
Simple Complex
Literal language Figurative, ironic, or ambiguous language
Clear writing Conversational language
Purposely misleading language Archaic language
Conventionality
Complexity of
Language
Abstract vs.
Concrete
Figurative vs.
Literal
Ironic vs. Literal
Dense vs. Simple
2. Component of Text Complexity: ‘Quantitative’
Quantitative measures of text complexity, such as word frequency and sentence length, which are typically measured by computer software.
The ‘Readability’ of Texts How we compute manually…
Choose a 100 word selection from a text Count the number of syllables in the 100 words Count the number of sentences in the 100 words Chart on a graph (FRY)
Difficult and time consuming to compute manually….
Quantitative Measures
LEXILE’s Increased Rigor The CCSS often document the LEXILE
FRAMEWORK as a measure of reading complexity, in addition to other computerized readability measures. It measures semantic (meaning) and syntactic (structure) elements.
The Lexile Framework has been modified to meet the new CCSS criteria, encouraging increased rigor across the grades.
Web Address : www.lexile.com
New Lexile Numbers to work with the Common Core
3. Component of Text Complexity: Reader and Task
Reader and task considerations, such as students’ knowledge, motivation and interests, the complexity of the task assigned and the questions posed, are a strong component to text complexity.
Again, teacher judgment here is key.
We are used to narrative structures… Informational text structures differ noticeably
from narrative structures, which rely on story grammar: Characters Setting, time Goal Problem Events/episodes Solution/Resolution
Informational Text Structures: Descriptions Sequencing Causes/Effects Comparisons/Contrasts Problem/Solutions Categorizing
Complex Text is often Informational
New Features Chapters Sections previews Summaries Table of Contents Indices Heading Subheading Bold terms
Graphics Tables Charts Diagrams Figures Photographs Illustrations Captions Side bars
Informational Texts Cross All Areas of Study… Life-cycle books Experiment, activity, craft, how to books Documents, journals, diaries, and albums Concept books Identification/Field Guides Photo essays: Survey books Reference books Informational picture books
Turn and Talk… What proportion of your classroom is
made up of narrative text and what proportion is informational/nonfiction text? Why is that so?
What materials do the students prefer?
Features of Complex Text
Subtle or frequent transitions Multiple and/or subtle themes and purposes Density of information Unfamiliar settings, topics or events Lack of repetition, overlap, or similarity in
words and sentences
Features of Complex Text Complex sentences and uncommon
vocabulary Lack of words, sentences or paragraphs
that review or pull things together for the student
Longer paragraphs, less narrative or mixed structures
Use of the passive voice
Examples of Complex Text Grades Narrative Informational K-1 Green Eggs and Ham –
Dr. Seuss My Five Senses - Aliki
2-3 The Raft – Jim LaMarche Where Do Polar Bears Live?- Sarah L. Thomson
4-5 Bud, Not Buddy –Christopher Paul Curtis
Toys – Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions – Don Wulffson
6-8 A Wrinkle In Time – Madelaine L’Engle
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass – Frederick Douglass
9-10 Farenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
“Hope, Despair and Memory” – Elie Wiesel
11+ Their Eyes Were Watching God – Zora Huston
“Mother Tongue” – Amy Tan
Complex Text requires these Skills
Questioning Making Inferences Paraphrasing Tracing an Argument or Thought
We need to ask more of our kids…
The way we layer text impacts complexity.
Students must dig deeper by comparing structures, vocabulary, content and concept in various texts
Example: Use three texts in a bundle (graphic, music video, poem, short story) – look at relationships between texts
Variety matters Students need to read fiction and
nonfiction, but they also need to engage in working with graphic novels, film, poetry, videos, technical brochures, etc.
They have to be able to transfer their reading skills from one genre to another, so that they have opportunities to transfer their meaning.
Choosing the right materials is crucial
Ideas and Organization Does the material
Present one idea at a time? Provide specific and concrete information? Show relationships among ideas that are
explicit and simple (e.g.cause/effect, description, sequence?
Use short paragraphs that begin with a clear topic sentence followed by details?
Use boldfaced titles and headings?
Choosing the right materials is crucial
Language Does the material
Use straightforward vocabulary? Include some specific scientific or
technical terms? Present special or technical terms in
context? Use short direct sentences? Is there
enough complexity?
Choosing the right materials is crucial
Graphics and Format Does the material
Incorporate illustrations and graphics to support and provide content?
Show clear relationships between the text and illustrations?
Have illustrations that are elaborate and clarify the written text?
Use a readable type size, typically 14 point or higher?
Have small blocks of text with considerable white space?
Recommendations for Student Achievement with Complex Text
In the early grades, increase read alouds that incorporate uncommon vocabulary and complex syntax
In upper elementary, ensure that students close read two-four complex texts per week, alternating among content areas
In secondary grades, ensure that each teacher in all content areas includes the close reading of two-four complex texts per month
For older students, try highlighting:
Highlighting tips: Important passages Names of people Unfamiliar vocabulary Quotable lines Key research, statistics & facts Themes & main ideas
Suggestions for working with Complex Text
Consider the purpose and the reader Use Lexiles or other quantitative
measures only when appropriate Present a variety of sources to show
different perspectives Use multiple texts to add depth to your
lessons Support students by layering meaning
8 tips for Teachers Concerning Complex Text
1. Begin by committing yourself to complex text instruction because it is the most important preparation for college and career. 2. Begin with short complex texts that are worth reading and rereading. 3. Slow down and chunk the texts into small parts for careful analysis. 4. Concentrate on developing sequences of text dependent questions that lead students through an examination of difficult text.
5. Focus a bit less on providing prereading and context support and more on scaffolding students while they are reading. 6. Make the text the center of classroom discussion and the primary source of evidence and insight. 7. Ensure that student writing is based on evidence from specific texts. 8. Develop a sequence of increasingly difficult texts around a key topic.
8 tips for Teachers Concerning Complex Text
Actions You Can Take Now
Activate the students’ understanding regarding ‘struggle’ as a good thing
Develop rich vocabulary with your students
Increase the volume of reading daily Build up reading ‘stamina’ – length of
time Encourage adaptability, flexibility and
creativity of thought
Actions You Can Take Now Have students slow down!! Reread!!
Think it through… Adjust time during instruction-
informational text reading is more difficult
Use technology wisely (Internet, Smartboards, Ipods, Ipads,Google) to access informational readings
A Little Goes a Long Way…. Limit the amount of time spent on
graphic organizers. Often we are spending much of class completing them rather than focusing on the primary text. Be careful when using graphic organizers!! Use them wisely to support the text, not replace it…
Teacher Resources for Complex Text
Go to the sources you already know and start there! Favorite websites, books, materials. Analyze for complexity.
Review your nonfiction selections- they are often complex. Review the amount of narrative versus expository text in
your classroom! Add more informational text. Access your library. Consult with your IMC specialist and
ask for materials of several reading levels for content area subjects.
Discuss selections at a staff meeting – can we share?
Teacher Resources for Complex Text
Weekly Reader: www.scholastic.com Teacher Vision: http://www.teachervision.fen.com/ In the News for K-5: (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
http://hmhinthenews.com/ Cobblestone: An American History Magazine for
grades 5-9: http://www.cobblestonepub.com/magazine/COB/
National Geographic – www.nationalgeographic.com Primary Sources - Digital Vaults (The National
Archives): http://www.digitalvaults.org/ Reading Rockets: www.readingrockets.org
Teacher Resources for Complex Text
Enchanted Learning ($20.00 per year individual, $125.00 per school subscription) http://www.enchantedlearning.com/Home.html
Scholastic: http://www.scholastic.com/teachers
A Great APP A great APP to download to your mobile device: Common Core Standards – available from the iTunes APP store
Remember… The ideas is not to either limit a student
to a low level text or allow him or her to struggle without support in a difficult text, but instead to provide texts and couple them with instruction. As students progress they should be given more challenging materials and taught, encouraged and supported to use deeper skills of analysis.
Remember…
“A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present.” Confucius
Excellent Resources for Working with Complex Text
www.digitalvaults.org www.teachingchannel.org https://www.teachingchannel.org/
videos/jigsaw-method
References http://www.digitalvaults.org/ www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxefsLG2eps http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IPxt794-yUhttp://
www.corestandards.org http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy Wisconsin Department of Public Instrution Academic Standards: http://standards.dpi.wi.gov/stn_ela-tchingandlrng “What is so Complex About Text Complexity – Powerpoint
presentation; Tamara Maxwell, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
Fischer, D., Frey, N. and Lapp, D. (2012).Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading. Chapter 1. International Reading Association.
www.teachingchannel.org
References http://www.achievethecore.org/steal-these-tools/text-complexity/
quantitative-measures http://www.lexile.com/using-lexile/lexile-measures-and-the-ccssi/
defining-text-complexity/
http://www.achievethecore.org/ http://textproject.org/professional-development/text-matters/7-
actions-that-teachers-can-take-right-now-text-complexity https://www.georgiastandards.org/Common-Core/Pages/
TextComplexityRubrics.aspx http://vimeo.com/27251914 http://lessonsandlaughs.blogspot.com/2012/05/its-about-time-
we-focus-on-text.html
References http://www.eyeoneducation.com/bookstore/client/client_pages/
pdfs/White%20Papers/Blackburn_TextComp_0412%20Final.pdf http://www.visualthesaurus.com/cm/lessons/tackling-text-
complexity-through-annotation/ http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ http://cooperativelearning.learnhub.com/lesson/9592-seinfeld-
teaches-history http://www.visualthesaurus.com/ http://lexile.com http://wakulla.fl.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/
scrapbook/default.php?sectiondetailid=6435&
References http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb11/
vol68/num05/Too-Dumb-for-Complex-Texts?.aspx http://schools.nyc.gov/Academics/CommonCoreLibrary/About/
InstructionalExpectations/accordion_principalconference/UnpackingCIE.htm
http://beyondpenguins.nsdl.org/issue/column.php?date=August2009&departmentid=professional&columnid=professional!literacy
http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED403589&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED403589
http://www.readingrecovery.org/pdf/conferences/NC06/Handouts/Beeler_preconference.pdf
References http://www.ciera.org/library/presos/2001/duke/duke-
improvecomprehension.pdf:/ Gambrell. L. (2004). On the Road to Reading
http://www.ed.gov/pubs/RoadtoRead/part3a.html Reading Online: Comprehension Strategies
Hall, K. and Sabey, B. (2007). Focus on the Facts: Using Informational Texts Effectively in Early Elementary Classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal. 35 (3). 261-68.
Harvey, Stephanie. Hoyt, L. (2002). Make it Real: Strategies for Success with Informational Text. Portsmouth, N.H.: Heinemann.
Moss, B. (2004). Teaching expository text structures through information trade book retellings. The Reading Teacher. 710-718.
Pappas. (1993). In Handbook of Reading Research, Volume I, p. 354. Guilford Press.
Piccolo, J.A. (1987). Expository text structure: Teaching and learning strategies. The Reading Teacher, 40, 838ﾐ847.
References http://www.lessonplanz.com/Lesson_Plans/Language_Arts/
Making_Books/index.shtml http://teacherweb.com/tx/cadwallader/cchavez/index.html http://www.makingbooks.com/freeprojects.shtml http://www.readingonline.org/articles/handbook/pressley/, http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4483 http://www.stenhouse.com/pdfs/8196ch05.pdf Yopp R. and Yopp, H. (2006) Informational Texts as Read-
Alouds at School and Home. Journal of Literacy Research. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IPxt794-yU http://catlintucker.com/2013/04/common-core-reading-
understanding-analyzing-complex-texts/ http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ901229
