Using Diverse Texts to Engage Learners

1. Using Diverse Texts to Engage Learners Sarah Metarko and Bethany Turo

2. Why? “When children cannot find themselves reflected in the books they read, or when the images they see are distorted, negative, or laughable, they learn a powerful lesson about how they are devalued in the society of which they are a part. Our classrooms need to be places where all the children from all the cultures that make up the salad bowl of American society can find their mirrors. Children from dominant social groups have always found their mirrors in books, but they, too, have suffered from the lack of availability about others. They need the books as windows onto reality, not just on imaginary worlds. They need books that will help them understand the multicultural nature of the world they live in, and their place as a member of just one group, as well as their connections to all other humans.” –Rudine Sims Bishop, Summer 1990

3. What does research say? “The connections…between the cultural relevance of text and reading proficiency indicate that teachers can help support the reading development of their ELLs by considering cultural relevance when selecting texts. As revealed through the retellings and miscue analysis, the readers in this study were more successful in making meaning when provided with texts they could relate to.” – Ann E. Ebe (2012)

4. Use diverse texts to boost student choice, student talk, and engagement with BOOK Clubs and Mentor Texts

5. Getting started with Book Clubs Key Protocols Before getting started with book clubs, it will be important to review the following procedures: • Appropriate behaviors during both independent reading time and group meeting time • Elements of a good conversation (with sentence stems, if necessary)

6. Setting up your Book Clubs • Group students in different “bands,” roughly according to reading level. These should be large enough that you can make several smaller groups within each band. Due to the variety of reading levels in classrooms, it is natural that you might have kids at different reading abilities within each band. As long as they are not several grade level apart, they should be fine. • Select titles of varying genres and topics for each band to preview. • Allow students to preview book. You could do book talks, a book pass, or any other method that works. Have students rank their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice. • Use this information to make each book club. Keep groups to five students or less to ensure everyone has time to participate during group discussion time.

7. Connection to Communication Standards Strand: Communication and Multimodal Literacies​ 4.1 The student will use effective oral communication skills in a variety of settings a)Listen actively and speak using appropriate discussion rules b) Contribute to group discussions across content areas c) Orally summarize information expressing ideas clearly d) Ask specific questions to gather ideas and opinions from others e) Use evidence to support opinions and conclusions f) Connect comments to the remarks of others g) Use specific vocabulary to communicate ideas h) Demonstrate the ability to collaborate with diverse teams, while sharing responsibility for the work i) Work respectfully with others, and show value for individual contributions

8. Connection to Reading Standards Strand: Reading​ 4.4 The student will expand vocabulary when reading​ • Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words e) Develop and use general and specialized vocabulary through speaking, listening, reading, and writing 4.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fictional texts, literary nonfiction, and poetry b)Identify the theme f) Identify the conflict and resolution h) Draw conclusions/make inferences about text using the text as support The identified standards are just a starting point for standards you could address through Book Clubs. There are many more reading standards on which you could focus in your Book Clubs throughout the year.

9. Mentor TextsMentor texts can be used in both reading and writing READING • Record different examples of unknown words and the context clues that help you understand them that you find in mentor texts • Use graphic organizers to track different text patterns (cause and effect, compare and contract, etc.) • Keep track of texts with different themes or characters with memorable traits that you encounter in your reading WRITING • Use mentor texts to familiarize students with different styles of writing • Record different examples of transition words and phrases that authors use in their writing • Draw attention to the vivid language and specific word choice that authors use when writing, and how word choice may chance depending on audience

10. Connection to Writing Standards Strand: Writing​ 4.7 The student will write in a variety of forms to include narrative, descriptive, opinion, and expository. ​ e) Recognize different forms of writing have different patterns of organization k) Use transition words and prepositional phrases for sentence variety l) Utilize elements of style, including word choice, and sentence variation

11. Connection to Writing Standards (Continued) ​ Strand: Writing​ 4.8 The student will self- and peer-edit writing for capitalization, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, paragraphing, and Standard English​ f) Use quotation marks with dialogue The identified standards are just a starting point for standards you could address with Mentor Texts. There are many more reading standards in addition to writing standards on which you could focus throughout the year.

12. Bibliography Bishop, R. S. (1990). Mirrors, Window, and Sliding Glass Doors. Perspectives: Choosing and Using Books for the Classroom, 6(3), https://scenicregional.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Mirrors-Windows-and-Sliding-Glass-Doors.pdf Ebe, A. E. (2012). Supporting the reading development of middle school English language learners through the culturally relevant texts. Reading & Writing Quarterly, 28(2), 179-198, doi:10.1080/10573569.2012.651078

13. Contact Us Sarah Metarko, Fourth Grade Teacher Occoquan Elementary School, Prince William County Schools Email: metarksm@pwcs.edu Twitter: @SMetarko Bethany Turo, Literacy Coach, LA Department Chair Fred Lynn Middle School, Prince William County Schools Email: turobl@pwcs.edu Twitter: @beth_turo

14. Disclaimer • Reference within this presentation to any specific commercial or non-commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer or otherwise does not constitute or imply an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the Virginia Department of Education.