BEST PRACTICES

FORCONTENT LITERACY

South Girard SchoolApril 6 and 19th, 2011

TODAY’S OUTCOMES

Participants will:identify the characteristics of skillful readers.make connections between the developing brain and adolescent learning.identify the components of a strategic lesson to build content literacy.use the components of purposeful planning to analyze lesson plans.

SKILLFUL READERS

• Predict• Question (generate

and answer)• Make Connections • Infer• Draw Conclusions• Summarize • Visualize

• Analyze• Synthesize• Recognize Text

Structure• Use Graphic

Organizers for Thought Processes

• Monitor Comprehension and Use Fix-Up Strategies

SKILLFUL READERS AGENDA

Daily Outcome:By the end of this lesson, you will be able to identify the

characteristics of skillful readers.

Before: Think AloudPurposes: Make predictions, Build Background

KnowledgeDuring: Margin NotesPurpose: Engage with TextAfter: Graphic OrganizerPurposes: Reflect on the Content of the Lesson, Respond to Text

through Discussion

BRAIN RESEARCH AGENDA

Outcomes: Participants will discover characteristics of the adolescent brain.Participants will make connections between the developing brain and

adolescent learning.

Before: Anticipation GuidePurposes: activate prior knowledge; establish a purpose for reading; make

predictionsDuring: Backwards NotetakingPurposes: engage with the text; integrate new information with prior

knowledge; self-monitor comprehensionAfter: Anticipation GuidePurposes: reflect and correct predictions; integrate new information with

prior knowledge

BEFORE: ANTICIPATION GUIDE

Read each statement. Mark in the left-hand column

whether you agree or disagree with the statement.

When directed, locate your table partner and discuss your predictions.

Prepare to share whole group.

DURING: BACKWARDS NOTETAKING

How does it work? Teacher provides students with the graphic

organizer. Students read chunked text taking notes

on the left side of the graphic organizer. They compare with a partner.

The teacher then gives his/her notes. Students write any corrections or additional information on the right side.

NOTETAKING HINTS

Notes are based on key points, concepts, or ideas as the text is read.

Use single words and/or phrases to keep notes brief and to the point.

This may include: brief notes about the important points in the text; sketches of images constructed as the text is read; connections to the text; questions about the text; and first reactions to the text.

AFTER: ANTICIPATION GUIDE

• Reread the statements from the beginning of the lesson.

• Mark new responses in the right-hand “After” column.

• Justify any corrections made after reading.

• Write justifications under the appropriate statements.

STRATEGIC TEACHING/CONTENT LITERACY PLAN

Outcome: Participants will define strategic teaching and identify research-based reasons for implementing strategic teaching.

Before: Quick WritePurposes: set a purpose for reading, activate prior

knowledgeDuring: Talk to the Text & Three-Minute Pause Purposes: engage with the text, self-monitor

comprehension, make connections to the text, integrate new information with prior knowledge

After: 3-2-1Purposes: reflect on the content of the lesson, respond

to text through writing, summarize, make connections

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR DEVELOPING SKILLFUL READERS

Increase Student

Achievement

CollaborativeLeadership

Assessment

Professional Development

AcceleratedIntervention

Strategic Teaching

DURING: TALK TO THE TEXT Silently read each section.Talk to the text as you read, jot your

thoughts in the margin.

Three-Minute PauseAfter each chunk of text, discuss a

question, connection, or interesting point with a partner before moving to the next chunk.

HOW DO WE BECOME STRATEGIC?

1. We develop and refine our content knowledge.

2. We assess our own teaching and our students’ learning.

3. We differentiate our instruction.

4. WE ENGAGE OUR STUDENTS!

STRATEGIC TEACHING

As educators, we are ineffective when our students are actively engaged in a meaningless task or passively involved in a meaningful one.

STRATEGIC TEACHING

THERE ARE FIVE COMPONENTS

OF STRATEGIC TEACHING.

ONE or More Daily Outcomes

with Daily Assessment

Two Instructional Practices in Every Lesson

1. Chunking

2. Student discussion

THREE PARTS TO A STRATEGIC LESSON

Before

During

After

FOUR STEPS TO EXPLICIT INSTRUCTION

Independent Practice

Guided Practice

Guided Practice

Tell and Explain “Model”

Teacher

Teacher

PartnersGrou

ps

Students

Teams

Self

FIVE COMPONENTS OF ACTIVE LITERACY

Talk

Write

InvestigateRead

Listen

TWIRL

STRATEGIC TEACHING

Strategic teaching is the process of incorporating purposeful planning, connected strategies, and explicit instruction to maximize the understanding and retention of content material.

AFTER: 3-2-1

1. Three ways strategic teaching connects to adolescent brain research.

2. Two important ideas regarding strategic teaching.

3. One summary/definition of strategic teaching in your own words.

PURPOSEFUL PLANNING LESSONDaily outcome: Participants will use the

components of purposeful planning to analyze two classroom lesson plans.

Before: Conversation StemsPurposes: activate prior knowledge; set a purpose for reading

During: Graphic Organizer Purposes: organize information; engage with textAfter: “We Think” Statement

Purposes: reflect on content through writing and discussion

Before: Conversation Stem 1

When a teacher tells the students, “I want you to learn…” what is he/she really saying?

Before: Conversation Stem 2

What is the difference between learning and memorizing?

WHAT IS STRATEGIC TEACHING?

It is a process of incorporating active engagement and academic literacy into all lessons planned.

It requires explicit instruction.

The main focus is student learning.

STEP 1: DETERMINE THE OUTCOMES

Decide what it is the students will be able to do TODAY as a result of this lesson.

The outcome(s) of the lesson should move the students closer to mastery of content standards.

Decide on assessment(s) that will be used to determine if outcome has been met.

STEP 2: PLAN A “BEFORE” STRATEGY

Consider the purposes of before strategies:

activate prior knowledge build background knowledge generate questions make predictions discuss vocabulary establish a purpose for reading

CHOOSING A STRATEGY

Is it a new concept? Plan a strategy that will build some background

knowledge.

Is it a review or continuation? Plan an activity that will activate prior knowledge.

Is there new or unfamiliar vocabulary? Plan a strategy that will involve discussion of

unfamiliar words.

Are there particular parts of the content that need to be emphasized? Plan a strategy that draws attention to important concepts.

REFLECTION

Think about the strategy and purpose(s) of this part of the lesson.

Are they connected and related to the daily outcome(s)?

STEP 3:PLAN A “DURING” STRATEGY

Consider the purposes of during strategies:

engage with the text verify and formulate predictions summarize text self-monitor comprehension

construct graphic organizers use mental imagery integrate new information with prior

knowledge

CHOOSING A STRATEGYIs the text challenging to comprehend?

Choose a strategy that will require students to stop periodically as they read and self-monitor comprehension.

Is the text structure unfamiliar or challenging? Consider using a graphic organizer to help students

organize information from the text.

Is there a large amount of text to be read? Consider chunking the text and choosing a strategy

that will allow small groups of students to read portions of the text and share important information with the entire class.

REFLECTION

Think about the strategy and purpose(s) of this part of the lesson.

Are they connected and related to the daily outcome(s)?

STEP 4: PLAN AN “AFTER” STRATEGY

Consider the purposes of after strategies: reflect on the content of the lesson evaluate predictions examine questions that guided reading respond to text through discussion respond to text through writing retell or summarize

CHOOSING A STRATEGY

Does the content of the lesson build upon previous learning?

Consider a strategy that makes connections and evaluates new information.

Does the content lend itself to visual representations? Consider graphic organizers as a format for organizing information and concepts.

Does the content contain challenging vocabulary? Consider a strategy that will lead to student ownership

of important vocabulary. Is the content open to interpretation?

Consider a strategy that will promote discussion and critical thinking.

REFLECTION

Think about the strategy and purpose(s) of this part of the lesson.

Are they connected and related to the daily outcome(s)?

STEP 5: PLAN FOR ASSESSMENT OF OUTCOMES

Ultimately, how will we know the lesson outcomes have been met?

Consider: work products separate assessments exit slips observational data

AFTER: “WE THINK” STATEMENT

Complete the following statement:

“After comparing and contrasting the two scenarios, we think…”

SHORT STORY LESSON AGENDAOutcomes: Students will read, comprehend, and summarize the

short story “Thank You, M’am.” Before: Interview ResponsePurposes: establish a purpose for readingDuring: Modified Reciprocal TeachingPurposes: engage with the text, practice note taking; summarize

text; and self-monitor comprehension After: Magnet SummaryPurposes: reflect on the content of the lesson, summarize ; and

respond to text through writing

ENGLISH LESSON PLAN

8th Grade Course of Study Standard 1:

Apply strategies, including making inferences to determine theme, confirming or refuting predictions, and using specific context clues, to comprehend eighth-grade recreational reading materials.

SPIRALING THE STANDARDS

7th Grade Course of Study Standard 3Distinguish among the major genres, including poetry,

short stories, novels, plays, biographies, and autobiographies, and subgenres such as folktales, myths, parables, fables, and science fiction, based on their characteristics.

9th Grade Course of Study Standard 1Identify genre, tone, and plot in short stories, drama, and

poetry and identify organizational structure in essays and other nonfiction text to comprehend ninth-grade recreational reading materials.

 

BEFORE: INTERVIEW RESPONSE

Question: Material possessions are very important to us. Think of a time when you wanted an item so badly that you would do almost anything for that item.

What did you want and what did you do (or think about doing) to get it?

Directions:1. Interview three people - ask the question, record

the response, then move to another person.2. Summarize findings on the front of the note card below the responses you got.

DURING: MODIFIED RECIPROCAL TEACHING TASKS Predictor - guesses about what the author

will tell the group next or what the next events in the story will be.

Questioner - poses questions about the selection: unclear parts, puzzling information, confusing

words or expressions Connector – connects text to personal

experiences, to other concepts already learned, etc.

Summarizer - highlights the key ideas up to this point in the reading.

JOB EXAMPLES FOR MODELED CHUNK

“Thank You, M’am”Predictor- I believe she will call the police. The boy seems small since trying to snatch the

purse caused him to lose his balance. I bet he was stealing the purse because he was hungry.

Questioner – How old is this boy? Why was the women walking alone so late at night? Did the boy know that the woman had a lot of

money in her purse? Will she call the police?

JOB EXAMPLES (CONT.)Connector – My grandmother’s “pocketbook” seemed to have

everything in it. I bet she could have had everything in it except a hammer and nails.

Last Christmas a relative’s purse was snatched at the mall. She still will not go shopping alone.

His teeth did not really “rattle.” This reminds me of our vocab. word exaggeration.

Summarizer – A big woman is walking home alone when a boy runs up and tries to steal her purse. He loses his balance and falls. The woman kicks him in his behind, grabs him by his shirt, and shakes him.

AFTER: MAGNET SUMMARY

Pick five words that you were drawn to in the story.

Write a summary of the story using those words.

Underline each word as you use it.

GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE ESSENTIAL NINE

Researchers at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) have identified nine instructional strategies that are most likely to improve student achievement across all content areas and across all grade levels. These strategies are explained in the book Classroom Instruction That Works by Robert Marzano, Debra Pickering, and Jane Pollock.

GETTING ACQUAINTED WITH THE ESSENTIAL NINE

1. Identifying similarities and differences2. Summarizing and note taking3. Reinforcing effort and providing recognition4. Homework and practice5. Nonlinguistic representations6. Cooperative learning7. Setting objectives and providing feedback8. Generating and testing hypotheses9. Cues, questions, and advance organizers