Elkhart Community Schools

1. Elkhart Community Schools 1

2. Elkhart Community Schools 2 �Readers of nonfiction have to decide and remember what is important in the texts they read if they are going to learn anything from them.� ~ Harvey & Goudvis Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis (authors of Strategies That Work) share that when we teach the strategy of determining what is important, it is often introduced in nonfiction. Nonfiction text and this strategy go together.Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis (authors of Strategies That Work) share that when we teach the strategy of determining what is important, it is often introduced in nonfiction. Nonfiction text and this strategy go together.

3. Elkhart Community Schools 3 We all know someone like this! We learn very quickly to avoid that type of question. These individuals take almost as long to describe their day as the actual events took. This is also true for many of our students when they attempt to summarize a passage from a book. They have difficulty sifting through all the information and deciding what the most important points are. Today, we�re going to learn about a reading strategy and instructional techniques that can help us decide what�s important when we are reading for information. We all know someone like this! We learn very quickly to avoid that type of question. These individuals take almost as long to describe their day as the actual events took. This is also true for many of our students when they attempt to summarize a passage from a book. They have difficulty sifting through all the information and deciding what the most important points are. Today, we�re going to learn about a reading strategy and instructional techniques that can help us decide what�s important when we are reading for information.

4. Elkhart Community Schools 4 Decisions about importance are based on� The reader�s purpose The reader�s schema for the text content - ideas most closely connected to the reader�s prior knowledge will be considered most important The reader�s sense of the aesthetic - what he or she values or considers worthy or beautiful Allow time for participants to read the slide.Allow time for participants to read the slide.

5. Elkhart Community Schools 5 1. Divide the group into three smaller groups (Group A; Group B; and Group C). Everyone will read the passage entitled The House (this brief passage was sent to you with the PowerPoint). Each group will read it with a different perspective. Group A � Read it as if they were the parents of the boy. Group B � Read it as if they were prospective home buyers. Group C � Read it as if they were a burglar and were considering this home as a future job. 2. As they are reading, they are to highlight important details from the passage. They are to keep in mind what their perspective is. 3. After everyone has finished reading, each small group gets together to share their ideas (all the A�s are together - all the B�s and the C�s). 4. Each small group shares with the large group. 5. Process the differences as a whole group.1. Divide the group into three smaller groups (Group A; Group B; and Group C). Everyone will read the passage entitled The House (this brief passage was sent to you with the PowerPoint). Each group will read it with a different perspective. Group A � Read it as if they were the parents of the boy. Group B � Read it as if they were prospective home buyers. Group C � Read it as if they were a burglar and were considering this home as a future job. 2. As they are reading, they are to highlight important details from the passage. They are to keep in mind what their perspective is. 3. After everyone has finished reading, each small group gets together to share their ideas (all the A�s are together - all the B�s and the C�s). 4. Each small group shares with the large group. 5. Process the differences as a whole group.

6. Elkhart Community Schools 6 The gradual release of responsibility is assumed in teaching all the strategies. In the beginning, students are given a great deal of support and responsibility for learning, and working is gradually released to the students. The gradual release of responsibility is assumed in teaching all the strategies. In the beginning, students are given a great deal of support and responsibility for learning, and working is gradually released to the students.

7. Elkhart Community Schools 7 Modeling should occur frequently using short selections. Teachers should focus not only on conclusions about importance, but on how and why they arrived at those conclusions. It is important to think aloud about how the focus on what you as the teacher believe to be important enhances comprehension. It would also be a good idea to respond in writing to specific questions and include some of your own knowledge. Modeling should occur frequently using short selections. Teachers should focus not only on conclusions about importance, but on how and why they arrived at those conclusions. It is important to think aloud about how the focus on what you as the teacher believe to be important enhances comprehension. It would also be a good idea to respond in writing to specific questions and include some of your own knowledge.

8. Elkhart Community Schools 8 Be sure students provide some evidence or reasoning to support their judgments. As students become more proficient, you will want to diversify the genre of text and let them interact more, not only through discussion, but also by responding in writing to specific questions. Be sure students provide some evidence or reasoning to support their judgments. As students become more proficient, you will want to diversify the genre of text and let them interact more, not only through discussion, but also by responding in writing to specific questions.

9. Elkhart Community Schools 9 Guided Reading or small instructional groups should focus on determining importance during the strategy study. This would be a good time to discuss different conclusions about important ideas if all are reading the same text, or ways in which the members of the group drew conclusions about importance if each is reading a different book. Invitational (needs-based) groups can be created for students who need more modeling and explicit instruction. Guided Reading or small instructional groups should focus on determining importance during the strategy study. This would be a good time to discuss different conclusions about important ideas if all are reading the same text, or ways in which the members of the group drew conclusions about importance if each is reading a different book. Invitational (needs-based) groups can be created for students who need more modeling and explicit instruction.

10. Elkhart Community Schools 10

11. Elkhart Community Schools 11 Classifying and sub-dividing information is a natural mental activity, and it is an essential process in classroom learning. But many of our students struggle with perceiving integral relationships in material and, as a result, have difficulty distinguishing attributes, examples, and other details from main ideas. Power Notes provide a systematic way to help students organize information for their reading, writing, and studying. Classifying and sub-dividing information is a natural mental activity, and it is an essential process in classroom learning. But many of our students struggle with perceiving integral relationships in material and, as a result, have difficulty distinguishing attributes, examples, and other details from main ideas. Power Notes provide a systematic way to help students organize information for their reading, writing, and studying.

12. Elkhart Community Schools 12 It is the end of the day and you have a few moments to peruse your daily newspaper. You delve into a story on the stock market that is packed with complex information. You are flooded with information ~ The Dow dropped 32 points; Nikkei Average; Hong Kong Exchange; Continuing crisis; Alan Greenspan; Devaluation of Asian currencies; International Monetary Fund bail-outs. As you read, you focus less on specific details. Instead, you organize your thinking around main ideas, such as causes of current world economic problems and possible impacts on American citizens. As a mature reader, you can �separate the wheat from the chaff.� Power Notes are an effective way to help students distinguish main ideas from supporting details. They are a variation of outlining. It is the end of the day and you have a few moments to peruse your daily newspaper. You delve into a story on the stock market that is packed with complex information. You are flooded with information ~ The Dow dropped 32 points; Nikkei Average; Hong Kong Exchange; Continuing crisis; Alan Greenspan; Devaluation of Asian currencies; International Monetary Fund bail-outs. As you read, you focus less on specific details. Instead, you organize your thinking around main ideas, such as causes of current world economic problems and possible impacts on American citizens. As a mature reader, you can �separate the wheat from the chaff.� Power Notes are an effective way to help students distinguish main ideas from supporting details. They are a variation of outlining.

13. Elkhart Community Schools 13

14. Elkhart Community Schools 14 Start by modeling Power Notes with categories familiar to the students. Point out how the powers relate to each other: power 2�s offer examples or elaboration of power 1�s, power 3�s provide examples or elaboration of power 2�s, and so on. As you model Power Notes, show how indenting helps you recognize how the powers relate to each other, as demonstrated in this football example: Start by modeling Power Notes with categories familiar to the students. Point out how the powers relate to each other: power 2�s offer examples or elaboration of power 1�s, power 3�s provide examples or elaboration of power 2�s, and so on. As you model Power Notes, show how indenting helps you recognize how the powers relate to each other, as demonstrated in this football example:

15. Elkhart Community Schools 15 Allow time for participants to view the visual or graphic representation.Allow time for participants to view the visual or graphic representation.

16. Think about a visit to a museum, an art gallery, a national park, or an historical site when you were escorted through the tour by a guide. A tour guide presents a visitor with a knowledgeable introduction to what is being viewed. The tour helps you focus on what is interesting or important, offers you insight into the exhibit or experience that helps you appreciate it more, and provides a framework for understanding what you encounter. Think about a visit to a museum, an art gallery, a national park, or an historical site when you were escorted through the tour by a guide. A tour guide presents a visitor with a knowledgeable introduction to what is being viewed. The tour helps you focus on what is interesting or important, offers you insight into the exhibit or experience that helps you appreciate it more, and provides a framework for understanding what you encounter.

17. Continuing on with our museum tour analogy --- We need to emphasize the importance of the tour guide. Unless individuals are already quite knowledgeable, they will probably miss some significant elements of the experience if they wander about by themselves. This is also true of students struggling to make sense of textbook readings in your classes. A "chapter tour" can provide them with enough direction and background so they can learn what's important in their reading. As educators, we assume the role of the tour guide. Continuing on with our museum tour analogy --- We need to emphasize the importance of the tour guide. Unless individuals are already quite knowledgeable, they will probably miss some significant elements of the experience if they wander about by themselves. This is also true of students struggling to make sense of textbook readings in your classes. A "chapter tour" can provide them with enough direction and background so they can learn what's important in their reading. As educators, we assume the role of the tour guide.

18. Read SlideRead Slide

19. Many textbooks today present information in a variety of visual formats in addition to print, and offer numerous study aids that highlight what is important in the chapter. Unless attention is specifically called to these text features, students often skip over them as they read to complete an assignment. As part of this tour process, we as the tour guide need to assist students in noticing ways the chapter forecasts organizational structure (i.e. cause/effect, compare/contrast, concept/definition, problem/solution, and so on) and how it signals key concepts and ideas. Many textbooks today present information in a variety of visual formats in addition to print, and offer numerous study aids that highlight what is important in the chapter. Unless attention is specifically called to these text features, students often skip over them as they read to complete an assignment. As part of this tour process, we as the tour guide need to assist students in noticing ways the chapter forecasts organizational structure (i.e. cause/effect, compare/contrast, concept/definition, problem/solution, and so on) and how it signals key concepts and ideas.

20. While students are reading a U.S. history textbook, they can easily become immersed in the details of a section and miss major themes or ideas. A Chapter Tour of their book can help them focus on changes and problems, two concepts that predominate in history texts. While students are reading a U.S. history textbook, they can easily become immersed in the details of a section and miss major themes or ideas. A Chapter Tour of their book can help them focus on changes and problems, two concepts that predominate in history texts.

21. The first chapter tour you guide your students through will orient them to the special organizational features of your textbook. �Skimming and Scanning� and frontloading may be a part of this process. Skimming and scanning are techniques which allow readers to only attend to the most important information (as determined by the text�s structure and content or by the reader�s own purposes). The first chapter tour you guide your students through will orient them to the special organizational features of your textbook. �Skimming and Scanning� and frontloading may be a part of this process. Skimming and scanning are techniques which allow readers to only attend to the most important information (as determined by the text�s structure and content or by the reader�s own purposes).

22. It is a good idea to develop variations in your Chapter Tour. This will serve to remind students of the critical features you emphasized in the text and it will allow you to include additional aspects you want brought to the students' attention. Eventually, students can be asked to create their own chapter tours that show their understanding of key ideas. It is a good idea to develop variations in your Chapter Tour. This will serve to remind students of the critical features you emphasized in the text and it will allow you to include additional aspects you want brought to the students' attention. Eventually, students can be asked to create their own chapter tours that show their understanding of key ideas.

23. Elkhart Community Schools 23

24. Elkhart Community Schools 24 Nonfiction text features help to focus readers as they sort important information from less important details.Nonfiction text features help to focus readers as they sort important information from less important details.

25. Elkhart Community Schools 25 Allow participants to read through the list. More information related to text features can be found in Strategies That Work � Chapter 9 and Appendix F. In addition to these text features, students need to learn to attend to text clues that signal importance. These would include phrases such as, �For example; For instance; In fact; In conclusion; Most important; But�; Therefore; On the other hand; and Such as.� A powerful instructional idea would be to create an Anchor Chart related to these text features (See Strategies That Work, page 121, for more information.)Allow participants to read through the list. More information related to text features can be found in Strategies That Work � Chapter 9 and Appendix F. In addition to these text features, students need to learn to attend to text clues that signal importance. These would include phrases such as, �For example; For instance; In fact; In conclusion; Most important; But�; Therefore; On the other hand; and Such as.� A powerful instructional idea would be to create an Anchor Chart related to these text features (See Strategies That Work, page 121, for more information.)

26. Elkhart Community Schools 26 Participants are to bring a teacher�s edition to this session (elementary teachers should bring a social studies text; secondary teachers should bring a text from their primary area). Participants are to plan a �tour� for their students. They should work on a chapter they will be teaching in the future. They should keep in mind which text features they are going to emphasize to the students. They may work in small groups. You may wish to have some time for sharing after an appropriate amount of work time. If time will not allow you to complete this activity ~ You may elect to introduce it and let participants finish on their own or in grade level/department meetings.Participants are to bring a teacher�s edition to this session (elementary teachers should bring a social studies text; secondary teachers should bring a text from their primary area). Participants are to plan a �tour� for their students. They should work on a chapter they will be teaching in the future. They should keep in mind which text features they are going to emphasize to the students. They may work in small groups. You may wish to have some time for sharing after an appropriate amount of work time. If time will not allow you to complete this activity ~ You may elect to introduce it and let participants finish on their own or in grade level/department meetings.

27. Elkhart Community Schools 27 The next three slides give us a few more suggestions as we work with our students. The next three slides give us a few more suggestions as we work with our students.

28. Elkhart Community Schools 28 In the Past� You were asked to �highlight the most important parts of the material.� How many of you highlighted almost the entire page? Were you ever told �how� to figure out what are important details? Allow time for participants to read the slide. Allow time for participants to read the slide.

29. Elkhart Community Schools 29 When students highlight or mark text in nonfiction materials, they should keep the following guidelines in mind ~ Look carefully at the first and last line in each paragraph. Highlight only necessary words and phrases. Don�t get thrown off by interesting details. Try not to highlight more than half of a paragraph. ~ Continued Allow time for participants to read the slide. Allow time for participants to read the slide.

30. Elkhart Community Schools 30 Make notes in the margins. Cue words will be followed by important information. Nonfiction has many features that signal important information. Pay attention to surprising information. You may be learning something new. Allow time for participants to read the slide. Allow time for participants to read the slide.

31. Elkhart Community Schools 31 V.I.P. (Very Important Points) Students cut sticky notes so there are slim strips of paper extending out from the sticky edge. As students read, they tear off pieces to mark points in text they feel are significant. After reading, students compare the points they marked. They must justify their answers. �I chose to mark this point because�� This idea is from Linda Hoyt from her book, Read, Revisit, Retell. Hoyt suggests starting with a short article first. This idea is from Linda Hoyt from her book, Read, Revisit, Retell. Hoyt suggests starting with a short article first.

32. Elkhart Community Schools 32 Coding I � Important L � Learned something new * � Interesting/important Aha! � Big idea surfaces S � Surprising S!!! � Shocking !!! - Exciting Students can use the codes listed as they read, to draw their attention to critical pieces of information.Students can use the codes listed as they read, to draw their attention to critical pieces of information.

33. Elkhart Community Schools 33 Once again the versatile two or three column notes outline also comes in handy as an aid to guide students towards understanding the strategy of Determining Importance. When using two columns, the left column would state the topic and the right column would list the details that support the topic. A third column could be used to add notes the students may enter.Once again the versatile two or three column notes outline also comes in handy as an aid to guide students towards understanding the strategy of Determining Importance. When using two columns, the left column would state the topic and the right column would list the details that support the topic. A third column could be used to add notes the students may enter.

34. Elkhart Community Schools 34 Pass out sample of anticipation guide (Disappearing Frogs). Participants will complete the Anticipation Guide, but will not read the material as the instructions at the bottom direct. Using anticipation guides can assist a teacher in determining the knowledge level of a class before a lesson has begun. It also helps students get an idea about what they will be reading.Pass out sample of anticipation guide (Disappearing Frogs). Participants will complete the Anticipation Guide, but will not read the material as the instructions at the bottom direct. Using anticipation guides can assist a teacher in determining the knowledge level of a class before a lesson has begun. It also helps students get an idea about what they will be reading.

35. Elkhart Community Schools 35 A fifth grade student shared with his teacher that, "Determining importance is like a strainer, and the words are like noodles in a pot. It sifts out the water and leaves the noodles.� Let�s continue to work with all our students, giving them the tools they need to be successful readers. A fifth grade student shared with his teacher that, "Determining importance is like a strainer, and the words are like noodles in a pot. It sifts out the water and leaves the noodles.� Let�s continue to work with all our students, giving them the tools they need to be successful readers.