The Road to Meaning

©Angela Maiers, 2006

Presented by

Angela Maiers, 2007

The Road to Meaning:

Teaching Students To Successfully

Navigate Nonfiction Texts


To nav·i·gate (návvi gàyt )

Definition:

The act or process of moving through a place or towards an identified destination by plotting and following a defined route or course.

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/Pronounce.aspx?search=navigate


““Final Destination”Final Destination”

Students will have the ability to construct new understandings by interacting across and within texts,

summarizing, analyzing, and evaluating themactively. They must be able to use literacy for creative

and critical thinking and for advancedproblem solving. Proficient and advanced readers know and apply multiple strategies to text in order to construct meanings from multiple perspectives

and understand how their meanings may differ from those of others.

NAEP, 2002


Successful Navigation Requires…


Driver Rules and Responsibilities

1. Know Where You Are Going? (Destination)

2. Know Why You Are Going? (Purpose)

3. Know HOW You Are Going to Get There? (Plan)

4. MUST be ACTIVE,ALERT at ALL TIMES!!


Successful Navigation

Driving Reading

Before

During

After

©Angela Maiers, 2006Modeled Instruction: TEACHER DRIVING WHILE EXPLAINING DRIVING DECISIONS

Shared Instruction: SHARING NAVIGATION W/ TEACHER “AT THE WHEEL”

Guided PracticeSTUDENT AT THE WHEEL-TEACHER

COACHING BESIDE”

Independent Practice:

“Driving Solo!”

Where do I want to take kids?

What does independence look like?

How do I as a reader arrive there?

How do I explain that process to students by thinking aloud my“Road to Meaning”?

What task must be shared?

What do I need to do WITH kids to support them toward independence?

What can we work on together to build their confidence and proficiency?

What are/could be bumps in the road?

Where do I need to step in ?

Where/When do Iguide their practice?

Are we there yet?How will I know?

THE ROAD TO INDEPENDENCE


Effective vs. Ineffective Navigation

Activate background knowledge on the subject through reflection and prereading.

Start reading without thinking about the subject or looking over the selection.

Establish a realistic reading plan after examining the assignment length and difficulty through prereading.

Have not assessed the difficulty level or length of the assignment and simply begin reading, attempting to finish one session.

Understand their reading task and set a clear purpose for reading.

Do not have a reading purpose other than trying to get through some pages.

Create a productive study environment and mind set to accomplish their task.

Don’t necessarily acknowledge the challenges of academic reading and often approach tasks with an unproductive mind set and study environment.

Before Reading the Selection


Effective vs. Ineffective Navigation

Give their complete attention to the task.

Interrupt their reading process regularly with mental or environment distractions.

Are familiar with text structure and know how to identify maid ideas, terms, concepts.

Are not very “text-wise” and have no clear sense of text organization and therefore have difficulty identifying important information.

Keep a constant check on their understanding.

Do not monitor their comprehension.

Monitor their reading comprehension and do it so often it becomes automatic.

Seldom use and fix-up strategies when they are uncertain or confused.

Make note of problematic material to later question the teacher and/or other sources.

Rarely or never takes the initiative to seek clarification from the teacher.

While Reading the Selection


Effective vs. Ineffective Strategies

Decide if they have achieved their reading goal.

Are not entirely certain what they have read.

Evaluate comprehension of what was read.

Do not follow with any form of comprehension self-check.

Identify, highlight and annotate main ideas within the text.

Do not identify and organize the main ideas for study purposed.

Synthesize and organize the main ideas for review and study purposes.

Simply glance over or reread pages of the assigned reading before a test.

After Reading the Selection


Elements of Nonfiction Instruction Genre Awareness

Text Features

Text Structures

Content Specific Understandings (Math, Science, History, etc…)

Challenges: “Road Hazards”

Navigating 101


Nonfiction is like an orange…

Because nonfiction is about reading and connectingThe sections to the writers whole idea about the topic.

Sec

tio

n T

op

ic

Sec

tio

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Main Idea Web

Topic:

Oil Spills




Text Features: Signals to the Reader Text organizers• Index • Preface • Table of

contents • Glossary • Appendix • Bibliography• Footnote• Photo Credit

Fonts and effectsTitles HeadingsSubheadings Boldface print Italics Bullets Captions Color, SizeLabelsFont Style

Illustrations and PhotographsIllustrations IconsPhotographs Visual Layout

GraphicsMaps, DiagramsCutaways Cross sections Overlays Charts and Tables Graphs Word bubbles Timelines



Are Headings Important:

You Decide!?!


The procedure is actually quite simple. First, you arrange things into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is. If you have to go somewhere else due to lack of facilities, that is the next step. It is very important not to overdue things. The whole procedure will at first seem complicated, but soon will become just another fact of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but then one can never tell. After the entire procedure is complete, one arranges the materials onto different groups once again. Then, you are ready to be put items into their proper places. Eventually, they will be used once more, and the whole cycle will have to begin again.


A newspaper is better than a magazine, and on a seashore is a better place than a street. At first, it is better to run than walk. Also, you may have to try several times. It takes some skill but it is fairly easy to learn. Even young children can enjoy it. Once successful , complications are minimal. Birds seldom get too close. One needs lots of room. Rain soaks fast. Too many people doing the same thing can also cause problems. If there are no complications, it can be very peaceful. A rock will serve as an anchor. If things break loose from it, however, you will not get a second chance.


Poised between going on and back, pulled both ways taut like a tightrope-walker. Fingertips pointing the opposites, now bouncing tiptoe like a dropped ball or a kid skipping rope, come on , come on, Running a scattering of steps sidewise, how he teeters, skitters, tingles, teases, and taunts them. He is only flirting, crowd him, crowd him. Delicate, delicate, delicate, …NOW!


What DO Headings Do?

• GIVE THE TOPIC!!• Indicate aspect of the topic• Set up Expectations• Hint about the Main Idea• Help Reader prepare and focus• Provide transition between parts the text• Allow the reader to make more successful

connections B, D, and A reading• Provide preview of the entire article


Convention Purpose How it Helps

Caption Information directly relating to a photo or illustration

Tells the reader what to focus on in the picture that is important

ComparisonShow size relationship between two or more objects of ideas

Helps the readers take something familiar to show how it relates or compares with something new

Close-Up A smaller more detailed section of the larger photo or illustration

It allows the reader to see inside or a smaller part of a large area so we can understand it in a more detailed way

Table of Contents

Located in the front of the book to share a list of key topics or chapter in which the book addresses in the order in which they appear in the text

It allows me to see the chapters and topics and know exactly what pages they are on so I can get to the information I need in the quickest way.

Glossary

Index

Cutaways

Print Size


Visual Text: Cross Section


Text Structure: The Roadmap to Meaning

• Description• Compare/Contrast• Cause and Effect• Chronology/Sequence• Procedural• Persuasive• Question/Answer• Problem/Solution

©Angela Maiers, 2006F a ir y T a les

R e a lis tic ta les

T r ick ste r ta les

P o u rq u o i ta les

C u m u la t ive ta les

E p ics

L e ge n d s

F a b les

M y th s

T a ll ta les

T raditionalF o lktales

S c ie n ce F ict ion

F a n ta sy

F antasy

H isto ric a l F ic t ion

R e a lis t ic F ic t ion

R ealism

F iction

R e cr e at ion

M a th em a t ics

S cie n ce

A r ts

L a n gu a ge

H e a lth

S o c ial S tu d ie s/Issues

In fo rm ational

M e m o ir

A u tob io g ra p h y

B iography

N o n-F ict ion

L it er at ur e

The Places You Will Go


“Text-Wiseness”

Teaching students how to recognize and represent the

organizational patterns commonly used by authors can significantly influence

students’ learning and comprehension.

Palinstar, Ogle, Carr, 97




Signal Words Point the Way…

Text Structure & Signal Words

Description/ Hierarchical List

Cause & Effect

Compare/Contrast

Problem/Solution

Question &Answer

Sequence

For instanceFor exampleFurthermore

Such asAlso

To begin withMost important

AlsoIn fact

In additionAnd to

illustrate

SinceBecause

This led toOn account of

Due toAs a result of

For this reasonConsequentially

Then…so…Therefore

thus

In like mannerLikewiseSimilar to

The difference between

As opposed toAfter allHoweverAnd yet

ButNeverthelessOn the other

hand

One reason for the…

A solutionA problem

WhereThe question isOne answer is

Recommendations include

HowWhenWhatNextWhyWho

How manyThe best estimate

It could be thatOne may conclude

UntilBeforeAfter

FinallyLastly

First…last…Now…thenOn (date)At (time)

First, secondMeanwhile

Not long afterinitially


The fire was started by sparks from a campfire left by a careless camper. Thousands of acres of important watershed burned before the fire was brought under control. As a result of the fire, trees and the grasslands on the slopes of the valley were gone. Smoking black stumps were all that remained of tall pine trees.


Words for Comparison-4th Grade Holt Mathematics Text

Similarity SamecompareAlikeMatchEqualTogetherSimilarEquivalentSynonymComparativeAnalogyEqualityEvenRegular

DifferenceDifferentContrastNot AlikeMismatchDoes not MatchUnequalSeparateOppositeDissimilarAntonymContrastableInequality UnevenIrregular



tail

mouth




Content Specific Understanding• Careful reading or skimming• Scanning• Assessing the text through the index• Using heading ,captions, pictures,…• Determining what to read, order of reading• Noting organizational pattern• Deterring what to pay attention to• Determining what to ignore• What information fits with schema, what is

new: how to sort it


AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Things readers of science know…

• Things readers of literature know…

• Things writers know…

• Things readers of history know…

• Things readers of math know…

• Things readers of internet know…

• Things readers of_________ know…


Things Readers of Math Know…Speed Matters-slow down!Reread CONSTANTLY!!-Deal with mis-

understanding right away!!Every Word Counts!!-Little repetitivenessMath is not linear-cross check, pause, reread,...Understand before going on!Do not skim diagrams!Word/symbols have specific meanings!Write/Draw as you read!Keep Up and DO NOT FALL BEHIND!!


Things Readers of Science Know…

Use and activate prior knowledge Formulate hypothesis Establish plans Evaluating and understanding concepts Compare/Contrast Making inferences Describe and recognize patterns Determining importance of information Visuals are critical!


Things Readers of History Know…

• History is about the human condition• Must relate to life today!• Reading visual information-critical• Focus on causes and outcomes• Connecting prior understandings and using them

for future problems• Inferring concepts/words in sentences and

paragraphs…• Special knowledge of dates, symbols, and

terminology needed to read, write, and discuss understandings of history in language of historians


Navigating Nonfiction:

The BIG Picture




WK 1 WK 2 WK 3 WK 4 WK 5 WK 6 WK 7 WK 8 WK 9

NF NF NF F F F NF NF NF

Whole Group Explicit Instruction : 9 Week Plan


GRADE LEVEL TEXT FEATURE TEXT STRUCTURE TEXT FORMAT

KG Labels

T of Cont.

Arrows/Lines

Photo

Exposure

And

Discussion

Journals

Plays

1st Index

Fonts

Headings

Captions

Exposure

And

Discussion

Journals

Plays

2nd Glossary

Bold

Italics

Bullets

Exposure

And

Discussion

Journals

Plays

3rd Graphs

Tables

Visual Layout

Maps

Description

Procedural

Compare/Contrast

Journal

Plays


GRADE LEVEL TEXT FEATURE TEXT STRUCTURE TEXT FORMAT

4th Data Analysis

Sub Heading

Quotations

Diagrams

Cause and Effect

Question and Answer

Editorials

Emails

Diary

Memoirs

5th Timelines

Sidebars

Bibliography

Footnotes

Asteric

Chronology

Persuasion

Problem and Solution

Editorials

Emails

Diary

Memoirs

6th Timelines

Sidebars

Bibliography

Footnotes

Asteric

Chronology

Persuasion

Problem and Solution

Editorials

Emails

Diary

Memoirs


Content Bibliography I See What You Mean by Steve Moline Nonfiction in the Primary Years by Nell Duke Teaching Non-Fiction 2-4 and 4-8 Scholastic Prof. Books Nonfiction Matters by Stephanie Harvey Nonfiction in Focus by Kristo and Bamford Text Forms and Features by Margaret Mooney Make It Real by Linda Hoyt Informational Text by Margaret Mooney and Linda Hoyt Reading and Writing in Multiple Genre by Byers Picture Story Books to Teach Literary Devices by Susan Hill

Education

The Road to Meaning