Session 4K-2 English Language Arts

Common Core State Standards

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Day 3 – AM Session10:30-12:00

OUTCOMESParticipants will increase their knowledge of:1. the importance of using informational or nonfiction

text in the primary classroom2. creating text-based questions3. using nonfiction for a read-aloud4. the value of close reading5. the importance of vocabulary and syntax as

components of complex text.

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Nonfiction Text

With the people seated near you, please discuss:

Why is it important to use informational text in the primary classroom?

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Benefits of Nonfiction• Incorporating informational text in the curriculum in the early years

of school has the potential to increase student motivation, build important comprehension skills, and lay the groundwork for students to grow into confident, purposeful readers.

• Reading comprehension and overall academic achievement can be greatly improved, and learning gaps closed, by systematically increasing the amount of academic background knowledge students learn beginning in the elementary grades.

• Students need a broad and rich knowledge base to recognize and understand the meaning of words and ideas they read throughout

their years in school and beyond.

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Authentic Purposes for Reading Informational Text

Sometimes students in school usually read informational text to answer questions at the back of the chapter, to complete a test prep worksheet, or simply because the teacher said to do so. Some of these activities may be unavoidable, but we need to create classrooms in which students read informational text as often as possible for more compelling purposes. In a recent study, 2nd and 3rd grade students whose teachers encouraged more authentic reading and writing of informational and how-to texts in science showed higher growth in reading comprehension as well as in writing (Purcell-Gates & Duke, 2003).

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How do we create compelling reasons to read informational text?

Teachers can set up situations in which students need information, then encourage students to read to obtain that information. Students may want to find information about the life cycles of frogs before setting up a tadpole tank or learn about the needs of growing things before planting a window box. Teachers can pique students' curiosity: putting out some earthworms for students to observe; demonstrating that water left out in a pan on Friday has “disappeared” on Monday; setting out some magnets with various materials that the magnets will or will not attract. Students will read informational books and other print materials on earthworms, evaporation, and magnetism with

greater interest and purpose after such activities as these. HOW DO YOU DO THIS IN YOUR CLASSROOM?

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How do you create authentic purposes in your classroom for

reading informational text?

(Audience Discussion & Sharing)

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Where do we find high quality science and social studies books?

• The National Council for the Social Studies Notable Social Studies Books for Young People (www.socialstudies.org).

• The National Science Teachers Association's Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children (www.nsta.org).

• Content-area teachers will find many readable, interesting trade books that include important content to match curriculum standards.

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Reading To or With? Informational text may be portioned into small segments for reading to or with students.

There is not a plot moving from chapter to chapter with the reader left dangling at the end of a chapter so they will want to read on as in a novel. Readers can dip into nonfiction text, part by part.

The purpose and the structure of the text may determine the way you read the text. For example:• in science the priority is process.• in social studies is reading about people, events and their

impact.

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Time • In 1st grade classrooms across the nation only 2% of class time is

dedicated to Social Studies (history, civics, geography and economics) and 4% to Science.

• In third grade, students are taught Social Studies 5% of the time and Science is also taught 5% of the time.

Compare the percentages to Reading/Language Arts which is taught 62% of the time in first grade and 47% of the time in 3rd grade.

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Text Based QuestionsWhat are they?

Why are they so important? (Shoulder partner/Triad Discussion)

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Text Based Questions

• The goal is to develop the students’ prowess at drawing knowledge from the text itself.

• Students use evidence from the text to support a claim about the text; thus knowledge is linked directly to the text.

• The questions draw a close connection between comprehension of the text and acquisition of knowledge.

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High-quality sequences of text-dependent questions…

• Elicit sustained attention to the specifics of the text and their impact.

• Cultivates student mastery of specific ideas and illuminating particulars of the text.

• Moves students beyond what is directly stated to require students to make nontrivial inferences based on evidence from the text.

• Demand attention to the text to answer fully.• May begin with relatively simple questions requiring attention

to specific words, details, and arguments and then move on to explore the impact of those specifics on the text as a whole.

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Text Dependent Questions

• Linger over specific phrases and sentences to ensure careful comprehension and to promote thinking and substantive analysis of the text.

• Build on each other to ensure students learn to stay focused on the text so they can learn fully from it.

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You have an excerpt from the text in your hand-outs.

You will discuss a series of high quality text-dependent questions in groups of four.

Hold each other accountable to citing evidence as you discuss these questions.

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In the first two paragraphs, two sentences let us know theauthor is questioning the wolf’s reputation.

Identify the sentences and discuss what about those sentences helps readers know the author’s intent?

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In paragraphs 3-5, what sentence confirmed for you your prediction about the author’s intent?

What is there about the author’s choice of words that helps readers know his intent?

What are the positive qualities of a wolf? (Remember to cite specific evidence).

Why does the author contrast people loving dogs but disliking wolves?

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What argument is the author making?

The word “adaptable” means able to change to fit different circumstances.

How does the writer show us the wolf’s adaptability?

Now, in your teacher role, go back into the text and look for concepts your students will not understand and identify how you would scaffold for those concepts; be prepared to be called upon to share your ideas.

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Application

Using the text The Brain, Our Nervous System by Seymour Simon, work with a partner to develop a sequence of text dependent questions. Be prepared to be called upon to share your questions.

Neurons

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Axon

Cell Body

Dendrite

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Above are neurons (grayish white) and glial cells (red-orange), magnified over 20,000 times.

Neuron’s cell bodies, dendrites, and axons are revealed in these highly magnified computer-colored scanning electron microscope SEMS.

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SharingPlease hold up your text dependent questions,

with your name on them, so the facilitator can come and get them.

We’ll read your text dependent questions from the microphone and return them to you.

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Text Dependent Questions for Slide 7

• What is a messenger? What does a messenger do?

• The text tells us our bodies have special cells with a special role or purpose. Describe those cells and how they work in our bodies. Refer back to the text if you need to do so.

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Student created wall chart to describe the scientific terms on page 7

BODY PART: NEURONS GLIAL CELLS

WHAT DOES IT DO?Special messenger cells

Carries signals back and forth

Outnumbers neurons 10 to 1.

WHAT PURPOSE DOES IT SERVE?

It is how our brain communicates with the other parts of our body.

Supports neurons by 1) supplying nutrients and other chemicals, 2) repairing the brain after injury, and 3) attacking invading bacteria

TEXT-BASED DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

What is a messenger? What does a messenger do?The text tells us our bodies have special cells with a special role or purpose. Describe those cells and how they work in our bodies. Refer back to the text or the wall chart if you need to. What might happen if our bodies did not have neurons or glial cells?

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5 Features of Science Inquiry

• Learner engages in Scientifically Oriented Questions

• Learner gives priority to EVIDENCE in Responding to Questions

• Learner Formulates Explanations from Evidence

• Learner Connects Explanations to Scientific Knowledge

• Learner Communicates and Justifies Explanations

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Thank you

Thank you for coming to this session.

Further Questions?Call or write:Katie MoellerKatie.Moeller@fldoe.org850-245-5160