Standards and Comprehension Nina Yochum & Ellen Pesko CIERA Summer Institute 2002 Comprehension & Informational Text - Examples of Instruction & Assessment
Examples from exemplary teachers Shelley Building knowledge of persuasive text structure Carla Writing and Illustrating persuasive text Integrating the study of informational text with science curriculum Ilse Informational text - persuasion in written & spoken form Integrating genre & craft, applying language arts to a school issue, & developing shared standards
Standard 8: Genre & Craft All students will explore and use the characteristics of different types of texts, aesthetic elements, and mechanics - including text structure, figurative and descriptive language, spelling, punctuation and grammar-to construct and convey meaning. B4: Identify and use aspects of the craft of the speaker, writer, and illustrator to formulate and express ideas.
Shelley: Building knowledge of persuasive text Persuasive Writing Key Features: Students state their point of view Students give evidence supporting their point of view Students state what they want Use of Big Book reading of Little Bear
Persuasive Text in the Elementary Grades Elementary curricula seldom include persuasive writing - emphasis is on narrative, description, or reports. National data - students have little exposure to persuasive writing until late in high school or even college (NAEP, 1990). Children generally score lower on assessments of comprehension of non-narrative text. Research indicating limited access to a variety of non-narrative text (Smolkin & Donovan,2001; Duke,2000 ) We know little about how elementary school children might respond to opportunities to read and write persuasive texts.
Varieties of informational texts Donovan & Smolkin(2002) identify four genres most often found in schools - story, non-narrative information, narrative information, dual purpose Narrative information texts include those that describe sequence, such as a life cycle, or processes (Milk from Cow to Carton, Aliki), or how to do something (e.g., Janet Van Cleave s books on chemistry or biology).
Convincing Little Bear Shared reading of the book Little Bear Re-reading to look for point of view and evidence - made chart paper list of student responses Shared writing - Letter to Little Bear to persuade him to get ready for winter Independent writing - Write letter to Little Bear to tell him to get ready for spring Criteria: point of view, supporting evidence, and what they wanted Little Bear to do
Maki s Poem Picture
Kayla s Poem Picture
Chris Poem Picture Spring is here. The butterflies are out. Leaves are out. The squirrels are here. The birds are here. So wakeup Sleepy head.
Chantel s Poem Picture
Carla Persuasive Text & Shared Standards Purpose - to explore one type of text (posters) to identify how text and illustrations can convey meaning; to create a poster using the elements they have identified Focus: Making posters to encourage the school community to be safe, kind and responsible on the playground.
Critical Standard 12 All students will develop and apply personal,shared and academic criteria for the enjoyment, appreciation, and evaluation of their own and others oral, written and visual texts.
What makes a poster a poster? Teacher displayed many posters - students walked around to observe posters Sharing of their observations - what were their favorites? Teacher held up other texts (newsletter, magazine). Asked students if these were posters? Why? Students did another walk around in partners and asked What is it that makes a a poster a poster? In class discussion, students again asked What makes a poster? Attributes were recorded on chart paper.
Attributes of a Poster Gives information to many at the same time. Has big pictures, all the white space is used. Is usually very colorful. Has large writing so it can be seen from far away. Very few words, but they are important words. They can persuade and inform (introduced by teacher)
Teacher numbered all the posters. Students instructed to view all posters with a partner. Partners chose two posters that best displayed the attributes of posters. Scenario of a playground safety issueprincipal was considering no recess in the afternoons. What do you think? Discussed rules in light of forms of writing studied over the year. Discussed value of a letter to the principal as opposed to posters.
Rules children generated Be Safe Be Kind Be Responsible
Kabla s Evaluation Picture
Child s bekind picture
Children share picture
Carla: Building Links between Language Arts and Science 1) Science curriculum included a study of animals 2) One science topic was properties - (ex. water, soil) 3) Study of poetry was part of working with different genres in language arts 4) Combined science and language arts goals in an interactive read aloud of The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
The Important Book Cover Book by Margaret Wise Brown. Published by Harper Trophy
The Important Book Read Aloud Example
Read Aloud of The Important Book for Interactive read aloud of The Important Book (engaged children in predicting what was important) Shared writing of the important thing about a whale using framework from the book Students had previously chosen an animal to research and written important attributes of their animal Used their research to think about what was important about their animal. After writing their poem, children illustrated their work
Picture of Elephant
Elephant The important thing about an elephant is that it has a trunk. It has a tail. It has legs. It is big. And it has a backbone. But the important thing about an elephant is that it has a trunk.
Picture of Lion
Lion The important thing about a lion is that it is fearless. It roars. It hunts. It has four legs. And it has a nose. But the important thing about a lion is that it is fearless.
Ilse Persuasive writing and speaking Multiple standards Standard 8 - Genre & Craft (informational - persuasive writing) Standard 10 - Ideas in Action - (using oral and written text to explore school issue) Standard 12 - Critical Standards - (develop personal and shared criteria for evaluation of their own and others text)
Ideas in Action - Standard 10 All students will apply knowledge, ideas and issues drawn from texts to their lives and the lives of others. B3: Use oral, written, and visual texts to identify and explore school and community issues and problems, and discuss how one individual or group can make a difference.
Ilse Lesson from student needs 1.Students approached the teacher with the complaint that they did not have playgound balls. 2. Students took positions - one group represented the PTO, the other group represented the class. 3. Arguments were listed on chart paper. 4. Students asked what was best form (from Writing Chart) to use to communicate to the PTO
Arguments students thought PTO would use NO WE BOUGHT BALLS FOR YOU. WE BOUGHT BALLS WE THOUGHT WOULDN T WEAR OUT. MAYBE YOU WERE TOO ROUGH YOU LOST BALLS TOO. YOU MIGHT FIGHT ABOUT THE BALLS.
Arguments for New Play Ground Balls YES OTHER CLASSES HAVE BALLS AND WE DON T. WE LOST SOME BALLS AND SOME GOT WORN DOWN. MAYBE WE WERE TOO ROUGH BUT NOW WE KNOW BETTER AND WE LL BE GENTLE. WE WON T PLAY WITH THEM BY THE FENCE. THE PERSON WHO BRINGS THE BALL OUT, BRINGS IT IN. WE LL MAKE A NEW JOB CALLED BALL MONITOR. WE ALREADY KNOW HOW TO SHARE AND HAVING BALLS HELPS US.
Forms of Writing Chart TYPES OF WRITING SIGNS POETRY NOTES DIRECTIONS LABELS LETTERS STORIES ADS POSTERS APPLICATIONS LISTS INFORMATION BOOKS
Writing letters to the PTO 1. Students composed letters in groups. 2. Groups gathered and compared their letters. 3. A class letter was composed and sent to the PTO. 4. PTO sent a return letter with equipment 5. Examined class letter to identify what made it a quality letter.
Letter to the PTO Dear PTO, Can we have some new balls for our classroom? Some of our balls we lost and others were worn out. Maybe we were too rough with the balls but now we will be gentle. We won t play with the balls by the fence. We are making a new job called the ball monitor. The ball monitor will share the balls. Having balls in the classroom helps us share. Yours,
Rubric developed Conventions has spacing; has all the parts of a letter; correct spelling; capitals in right spot; has correct punctuation Voice interesting; our thoughts and feelings Content and Ideas thought about what others might say and gave our answers; tells clearly what we want or need; gave good examples; gave support
Constants in these examples 1) Support for student initiatives within a planned framework. 2) Support for important social interactions during reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing. 3) Support for making connections between their literacy learning, and issues, ideas, and problems within school and community. 4) Use of informational text to explore means and ends of written language.
IRA & NAEYC advocate: projects that engage children in using reading and writing for multiple purposes while they are learning about topics meaningful to them,,,,, Capitalizing on the active and social nature of children s learning, early instruction must provide rich demonstrations, interactions and models of literacy in the course of activities that make sense to young children, (Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children, 1998)