Strategies for Reading in the Content Areas

Strategies for Reading
in the Content Areas
by
Sue Z. Beers
suebeers@netins.net
Hold kids accountable for
reading – make them read!
 Give them the tools and
strategies they need to be
successful in their reading.

THINKING from
words on a
page…
CHOICE
PURPOSE
INTEREST
BACKGROUND
KNOWLEDGE
A Marsden Giberter
Glis was very fraper. She had dernarpen Farfle‟s marsden. She did
not talp a giberter for him. So, she conlanted to plimp a marsden
binky for him. She had just sparved the binky when he jibbed in the
gorger.
“Clorsty marsden!” she boffed.
“That „s a crouistish marsden binky,” boffed Farfle, “but my
marsden is on Stansan. Agsan is Kelsan.”
“In that ruspen,” boffed Glis, “I won‟t wank you your giberter until
Stansan.”
1) Why was Glis fraper?
2) What did Glis plimp?
3) Who jibbed the gorger when Glis sparved the blinky?
4) Why didn‟t Glis wank Farfle his giberter?
“PingPong”
Reading
Read the question –
Look for the answer…
Read the question –
Look for the answer…
Read the question –
Look for the answer…
1/17/2013
6
Reading is used to gather
ideas…
Learning happens when the new
information is connected to the
learner’s own experience and
background.
The Learner:
Attitudes,
Ability and
Perceptions
Reading Task:
•Clarity
•Purpose
•Background
Knowledge
Text Features:
•Text Cues
•Organization
al Patterns
•Text
Selection
Processing
Strategies:
•Pre-reading
•During-reading
•Post-Reading
Research-Based Classroom
Instruction
Classroom
Environment:
Comfort,
Order, Safety
Elevator Speech
How will improving
students‟ ability to read
your text improve student
learning of your content?
1/17/2013
9
Show value in reading
 Help students see the connection
between effort and achievement
 Provide students with the skills and
strategies they need to be effective
readers
 Hold students accountable for their
reading

The Learner:
Attitudes,
Ability and
Perceptions
Reading Task:
•Clarity
•Purpose
•Background
Knowledge
Text Features:
•Text Cues
•Organization
al Patterns
•Text
Selection
Processing
Strategies:
•Pre-reading
•During-reading
•Post-Reading
Research-Based Classroom
Instruction
Classroom
Environment:
Comfort,
Order, Safety
1/17/2013
12
Sticky
Notes
Page Protector
Note Strips
The Learner:
Attitudes,
Ability and
Perceptions
Reading Task:
•Clarity
•Purpose
•Background
Knowledge
Text Features:
•Text Cues
•Organization
al Patterns
•Text
Selection
Processing
Strategies:
•Pre-reading
•During-reading
•Post-Reading
Research-Based Classroom
Instruction
Classroom
Environment:
Comfort,
Order, Safety






Know how to make text make sense
Have strategies to use
Know how to struggle with text
Develop the patience and stamina to stick
with a text
Know what is separating them from success
with the text
Know what they should do to fix the problem
Teaching reading in your
content area is about teaching
students how to use reading to
think about and learn the
content… to help them interact
with the text to understand
concepts at a deeper level and
retain it longer.
Active processes in which students…
• Construct meaning from what they
read
• Use prior knowledge and experiences
to make connections
• Make sense of what they are reading
/ learning
 Plan for reading: preview, activate prior
knowledge, predict, create questions, type of
reading skill to use, purpose…
 Monitor
reading:
engaged with content,
assessing own attitudes, adjust style when needed
 Evaluate
understanding:
summarize, review purpose, communicate learning
What about kids who can‟t
read?
•
Students who struggle with reading KNOW
they struggle with reading; they know they
lack the single most important tool for
success in school… and they know that not
having that skill opens them to ridicule from
peers and from teachers.
•They do anything they can to distance
themselves from the place and the people
who will remind them that they can‟t read.
Kids who can‟t read…
• Non-readers would prefer to get into trouble for not
doing their work rather than be embarrassed in front of
their peers for doing it wrong.
• They KNOW they can‟t read; they‟ve known it for
years.
• Not all struggling readers sit at the back of the room,
head down, bored look…give the gifted student the
right text and s/he can stumble over ideas, worry over
words, get lost, and be confused about meaning.
ANYONE can struggle
given the right text.
The struggle isn‟t the
issue; the issue is what
the reader does when
the text gets tough.
The amount of distributions from net investment income
and net realized capital gains are determined in
accordance with federal income tax regulations, which
may differ from generally accepted accounting principles.
These “book/tax” differences are either considered
temporary or permanent in nature. Key differences are
the treatment of short-term capital gains, foreign
currency transactions, organization costs and other
temporary differences. To the extent that these
differences are permanent in nature, such amounts are
reclassified within the capital accounts based on their
federal tax-basis treatment; temporary differences do
not require reclassifications. To the extent distributions
exceed net investment income and/or net realized capital
gains for tax purposes, they are reported as distributions
of paid-in capital.
-Semi-Annual Report for ING Mutual Funds
What strategies do your
STUDENTS use when they
encounter text they don‟t
understand?
“Aliterate”
Those who CAN
read, but who
choose not to
read.
“We need to discover how a
student‟s unique brain is
wired for reading and
writing and then use a
range of approaches that
matches his or her “literacy
style.”
- Thomas Armstrong
Rehearsal
Taste
Touch
Sight
Sound
Sensory
Pay
Input Attention
Short
Term
Memory
Smell
Elaboration
Long
Organizatio
Term
n
Memory
Retrieval
Working
Memory
FORGOTTEN
Ability
READING
TASK
Difficulty of Text
“Groan
Zone”
“Flow
Zone”
“Drone
Zone”
Student Ability
www.lexile.com
Instructional Reading Level
+ 50
1050
1000
-100
900
75%
Comp
90%
Comp
GRADE
Reader Measures
Text Measures
1
Up to 300L
200L-400L
2
140L-500L
300L-500L
3
330L-700L
500L-700L
4
445L-810L
650L-850L
5
565L-910L
750L-950L
6
665L-1000L
850L-1050L
7
735L-1065L
950L-1075L
8
805L-1100L
1000L-1100L
9
855L-1165L
1050L-1150L
10
905L-1195L
1100L-1200L
11-12
940L-1210L
1100L-1300L
Ability
Interest
READING
TASK
Prior
Knowledge
Ability
Culture
Gender
SES
Interest
READING
TASK
Prior
Knowledge
Environment
Learning
Style
Students often know
how to read, they just
don‟t use (or know how
to use) effective
strategies to get the full
meaning from the text
they read.
3 Main Barriers to Content Area Reading
1) Content-specific vocabulary.
2) Prior knowledge about the
content area subject.
3) Understanding of text features
and organization of the text.
Know how to make text make sense
 Have strategies to use
 Know how to struggle with text
 Develop the patience and stamina to
stick with a text
 Know what is separating them from
success with the text
 Know what they should do to fix the
problem

…an effective teacher knows
where to hit with the right
tool, at the right time, and
with the right content to
make learning happen.
It’s what teachers
do with the time
that makes the
difference!
Instructional
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
11.
12.
Direct, explicit comprehension
instruction
Embedded in content
Motivation and self-directed
learning
Text-based collaborative
learning
Strategic tutoring
Diverse texts
Intensive writing
Technology component
Infrastructure
Extended time for literacy
13. Teacher Teams
14. Leadership
15. Comprehensive and
coordinated literacy program
10.
Ongoing formative assessment of students
Professional development
Ongoing summative assessment
Explicit
strategies presented
New tools / strategies modeled
Many independent practices of
tools and strategies
Students use tools and strategies
independently
Multiple contexts for apply tools
and strategies
 Student
discussions about what is
read
 Asking students to explain their
thinking
 Wide variety of text available
 Teachers model their own thinking
Let‟s look at how this might look in the
classroom…
INDEPENDENT STRATEGIC READERS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Know how to approach new words and
increase vocabulary.
Connect new knowledge to make personal
meaning.
Think ahead to what might be coming in
the reading.
Continually evaluate one‟s own
understanding of what is read.
Create images of what is read.
Periodically summarize what is read.
Use text features, cues and organizational
patterns.
Have a plan for how to approach the
reading task.
1/17/2013
44
Vocabulary knowledge affects comprehension.
* Methods that encourage students to actively
construct meanings help students learn and retain
word meanings longer.
* The less cognitive energy students must spend
figuring out the words on the page, the more
energy they can spend figuring out what the text
means.

Effective vocabulary instruction requires active
and positive student participation. (Carr & Wixson,
1986)

Personal engagement with a new word can lead to
deep processing of meaning. (Dole, Sloan & Trathen,
1995)

Researchers have named vocabulary knowledge
as the most important factor in reading
comprehension. (White, Sowell & Yanagihara, 1989)
Context clues can be helpful in
figuring out what a word
means…
But be careful…
The questions that p________ face as they
raise ch_______ from in________ to adult life
are not easy to an________. Both fa________
and m_________ can become concerned when
health problems such as co_________ arise
any time after the e_______ stage to later life.
Experts recommend that young ch________
should have plenty of s_________ and
nutritious feed for healthy growth.
B________ and g________ should not share
the same b________ or even sleep in the
same r________. They may be afraid of the
d_______.
- from the work of Rachel Billmeyer
Word Play –
The Research to Support It




Word play is motivating and an important
component of the word-rich classroom.
Word play calls on students to reflect
metacognitively on words, word parts, and
context.
Word play requires students to be active
learners and capitalizes on possibilities for
the social construction of meaning.
Word play develops domains of word
meaning relatedness as it engages students
in practice and rehearsal of words.
Take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding,
subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new
definition.
“Intaxication”
Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which
lasts until you realize it was your money
to start with.
Coming back to life as a hillbilly.
Bozone
The substance surrounding stupid people
that stops bright ideas from penetrating.
The bozone layer, unfortunately shows
little sign of breaking down in the near
future.
The gulf between the author of sarcastic
wit and the person who doesn’t get it.
Inoculatte
To take coffee intravenously when you are
running late.
The grueling event of getting through the
day consuming only things that are good
for you.
Dopeler effect
The tendency of stupid ideas to seem
smarter when they come to you rapidly.
A
Specific
Confederacy
Words
R
M
I
S
Rebel
Specific Union
Words
Sherman
Military Words
Battle and
Places
E
Rifle
Atlanta
Infantry
Sniper
 7-14
meaningful exposures to
a word before it become part of
your working vocabulary
 Best
to explicitly teach the key
vocabulary of the content area
 For
words that are conceptually
difficult
 For words that relate to a single
topic
 For words that are important
◦ Important to understanding the
assigned reading
◦ Important to general utility in
the language
Word Recognition Chart
commission
rendezvous
secede
diplomacy
strategy
tactic
corps
regiment
Confederate
 TYPE
words in ALPHABETICAL order
on one half of page (folded
vertically)
 Write a quick description of the
word in as few a words as possible
(one line only)
 Use word recognition chart to
“front-load” the words prior to
students reading the assignment




What activities do I ask students to do to learn the
vocabulary terms?
◦ Generate own explanations/descriptions
◦ Create nonlinguistic/visual representations
◦ Ask questions to help generate information
◦ Other
What opportunities to I provide to ensure periodic
review?
How do I monitor how well they know the terms?
How do I help those struggling with terms/phrases?
What READERS can do:
• Use clues to help define the word
• Try to connect the unknown word to words/ideas/concepts they
know
• Use available resources (e.g. glossary, thesaurus, dictionary)
• Know they must use the new word about 7 times in the next few
days
• Create a definition in their own words
• Create a mental or visual image of the word
• Identify key characteristics of the word
• Identify examples and non-examples
• Periodically review their understanding of the word
What TEACHERS can do:
• Provide a consistent structure for attacking the new word.
• Make connections with students‟ prior knowledge by telling
stories or creating descriptions that explain the definition.
• Identify key characteristics of the word.
• “Front load” the vocabulary by sharing the words at the
beginning of the new unit.
• Insist that students learn the meanings of prefixes, suffixes,
and roots that are used often in their content area.
• Talk about how this strategy can help the students become
independent strategic readers.
What It Is . . . And What It’s Not
Definition
Characteristics
Word
What It Is . . .
And What It’s Not
Free Wheelin’
On each of the wheels, enter vocabulary words, parts or components of the subject of the
reading, or important places or people from the reading. Randomly select a “spoke” from each
wheel and combine the ideas or words together to form a new idea or strengthen your
understanding of the two words or ideas.
Wheel 1
Wheel 1 Choice:
Wheel 2 Choice:
How are the two choices connected
Wheel 2
Wheel 1 Choice:
Wheel 2 Choice:
How are the two choices connected?
The Five-Step Process
Using this five-step process will help you learn new words and phrases. The first two steps will
be provided by your teacher. Make notes about what your teacher presents in the first two boxes.
Add your own definition or explanation of the word or phrase in the fifth box and create another
picture that helps you remember the word’s meaning in the fourth box. The fifth box is used for
additional examples or information that will help you expand your understanding of the word.
WORD OR PHRASE: ____________________________________
Teacher’s Explanation:
Teacher’s Picture:
My Own Explanation:
My Own Picture:
Additional examples or information that increases my understanding:
My Personal Vocabulary List
Scan the reading assignment, looking for words that are unfamiliar to you. List those words in
the left-hand column. Make a guess about what you think the word means in the middle column.
As you read the text, use clues from the reading (or from the glossary) to explain what the word
means.
Unfamiliar Word
My Guess about Its Meaning
What It Really Means
Degrees of Meaning
In describing or naming a situation or event there are often a variety of words that can be used.
These words have “degrees of meaning” that can be put on a scale that shows how the intensity
of the words relate to one another. Your teacher will provide you with a word. Your task is to
find other words that are similar in meaning, but have various degrees of intensity. Write these
words on the scale below in the order that you think indicates the mildest to the strongest degree.
Then in the space to the right of each word, write a definition or explanation that explains the
each word.
WORD:
MEANING:
MEANING:
WORD:
WORD:
MEANING:
WORD:
MEANING:
WORD:
MEANING:
WORD:
MEANING:
VOCABULARY BINGO
Randomly select 24 words from the list supplied by your teacher and write them in the blank
squares below. As your teacher gives you the definition of a word, circle the word that matches
the definition on your BINGO card. Call out “Bingo” when you have completed a row, column
or diagonal line of five words in a row.
B
I
N
FREE
G
O
INDEPENDENT STRATEGIC READERS:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Know how to approach new words and
increase vocabulary.
Connect new knowledge to make personal
meaning.
Think ahead to what might be coming in
the reading.
Continually evaluate one‟s own
understanding of what is read.
Create images of what is read.
Periodically summarize what is read.
Use text features, cues and organizational
patterns.
Have a plan for how to
approach the reading task.
The Reading Assignment:
• Do students know WHAT to read?
Do students
know WHY they‟re
reading (purpose)?
•
The Reading
Assignment
Read
Process
Discuss
vs.
Frontload
Read
Process/
Discuss
1/17/2013
71
The Reading Assignment:
• Do students know WHAT to read?
• Do students know WHY
they‟re reading (purpose)?
• Are students
prepared? WHAT do
they BRING TO the
reading?
READING ASSIGNMEN T PLANN ING
Reading Assignment: ____________________________________________ _
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Purpose / Expected Results: _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary:
__________________
___________________
Words I Don’t Know:
__________________
__________________
___________________
__________________
__________________
___________________
__________________
__________________
___________________
__________________
Pay Special Attention to:
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
READING ASSIGNMENT PLANNING
Reading Assignment: ____________________________________________ _
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Purpose / Expected Results: _________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Vocabulary:
__________________
___________________
__________________
__________________
___________________
__________________
__________________
___________________
__________________
__________________
___________________
__________________
Text Features
To Watch:
_____ Italicized words
_____ Headings / sub-headings
_____ Pictures / Graphs
_____ Bold-faced words
_____ Footnotes
_____
Suggested Reading
Tips:
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
_____
Pay Special Attention to:
Scan
Make predictions
Make inferences
Use a graphic organizer
Summarize
Analyze perspective
Organize details
Take notes
______________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
To increase student
understanding of the
content area, help
them become better
readers of content
area text.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Have strategies to use when encountering new
words.
Connect new knowledge to make
personal meaning.
Think ahead to what might be coming in the
reading.
Continually evaluate own understanding of what is
read.
Create images of what is read.
Periodically summarize what is read.
Use text cues and features and text organization to
aid understanding.
Have a plan for how to approach the reading task.
Category
Effect Size
%ile Gain
# Studies
Identifying similarities and differences
1.61
45
31
Summarizing and Note Taking
1.00
34
179
Reinforcing effort and providing
recognition
.80
29
21
Homework and practice
.77
28
134
Nonlinguistic representations
.75
27
246
Cooperative learning
.73
27
122
Setting objectives and providing feedback
.61
23
408
Generating and testing hypotheses
.61
23
63
Questions, cues and advance organizers
.59
22
1251
Readers construct meaning from
the information the author
provides in the text and the
information they bring to the
text.
“External
Text”
(Author)
Text
Meaning
“Internal
Text”
(Reader)
In the early 1860’s, A____________ issued
the Emancipation _________. This order
freed millions of s_______. The C_________
had the authority to enforce this order.
Emancipation alone did not give the former
s_________ a new life. Decades of economic
hardship and unequal rights continued.
A____________ plan was supported by many
R_____________.
In the early 1860’s, Alexander II issued the
Emancipation Edict. This order freed
millions of serfs. The Czar had the
authority to enforce this order.
Emancipation alone did not give the former
serfs a new life. Decades of economic
hardship and unequal rights continued.
Alexander’s plan was supported by many
Russians. From Teaching Reading in Social Studies by Doty, Cameron
and Barton
The brain searches for familiar
patterns in new information.
The brain only pays attention to
meaningless information for a
short time; if it cannot make
sense out of it, it will not process
the information further.
ATTENTION!!!
Anything that captures students‟
attention and gets their minds
engaged, has the potential to produce
learning.
No attention / engagement = NO
LEARNING.
To what do your students
pay attention?
The KEY PREDICTOR of successful
comprehension is
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE.
How do you
help students
prepare for the
reading task?
Pre-Reading: What do I already know
or think I know about the topic?
 During Reading: How does what I am
learning make sense with what I
already know?
 After Reading: What new learning did
I gain from the text? What did I read
about that I didn‟t know before?

What READERS can do:
• Be aware that their prior knowledge is important to understanding
the text
• Seek new ways to connect new knowledge to what they already
know
• Read widely from multiple sources
• Constantly increase background knowledge experiences
• Take a few seconds before reading to review what is already known
• Demonstrate interest in multiple topics
• Read and discuss often to deepen their understanding
• Share ideas with another person about what is known about the
topic prior to reading
What TEACHERS can do:
• Provide multiple opportunities for students to read
• Encourage students to share their experiences
• Use graphic organizers to help students make connections
• Use brainstorming to identify prior knowledge and interests or
experiences
• “Plant seeds” in early units to create prior knowledge
• Share content-specific vocabulary at the beginning of the unit
• Give opportunities for students to see how things are alike and
different
• Encourage students to re-read when they don‟t understand,
stopping to think about how the reading relates to their own life and
experience
• Provide reflective journals with prompts or questions to help
student connect their learning with their prior knowledge
How Sure Are You?
Pencil Facts…
Ink Facts…
“I’m not too sure about this…”
“I’m pretty certain these are true…”
In Stone Facts…
“I know for sure that these are true…”
Ready-Set-Go-Whoa! Learning
Ready
What do I already know
about this topic?
Set
What do I think I will
learn?
90 –
second
scan
Go
What new information did
I learn?
Whoa
What questions do I still
have about this topic?
Ready-Set-Go-Whoa! Learning
Ready
What do I already know
about this topic?
Set
What do I think I will
learn?
Go
What new information did
I learn?
Whoa
What questions do I still
have about this topic?
Connections, Points and Questions
!!!!!!!!!!!
Connections
*********
Most Important Points
?????????
Questions I Have
This matches something I already
knew!
This seems to be the main ideas of
the reading.
I’m not sure I still understand what
this means.
Common Ground
Similarities
Differences
Differences
Comparison Matrix Chart
Characteristics
Items to Compare
Type of Government
Gross Domestic
Product
Population
Population Growth
Rate
United States
Federal Republic
9,255 Trillion
248,058,881
.9%
Canada
Federation of 10
Provinces and 3
Territories
722.3 Billion
31,592,805
.4%
India
Federal Republic
1,805 Trillion
1,029,991,145
1.55%
Cuba
Communist State
18.6 Billion
11,184,023
.5%
Japan
Constitutional
Monarchy
2.95 Trillion
126,771,662
.17%
CONCLUSIONS
Both U.S. and India
are Federal Republics.
The per capita dollars would be much
higher in the United States than in the
other countries.
Japan’s birthrate is
significantly lower.