RISING READERS BUILDING COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES Teacher s Resource Guide Sets E-G
Welcome to VersaTiles! VersaTiles is a highly successful supplemental math, science, and reading/ language arts program for grades K 8 that has been used effectively in schools for many years. The unique, self-checking VersaTiles system gives students the freedom to learn, practice, and review concepts at their own pace by matching patterns. VersaTiles Rising Readers combines all the great features of our VersaTiles programs for grades K 8 in an entirely new, exciting way that s ideal for rising readers in the intermediate grades! Fifteen color-coded Student Activity Books provide independent, self-correcting practice activities covering key reading comprehension strategies. The activities are based on engaging book series from ETA/Cuisenaire, such as WorldScapes, Scooters, Story Surfers, and more! It can be used as a stand-alone product or in conjunction with the corresponding literature series, whichever suits your instructional or classroom needs! Here s how it works! As shown below, each level in VersaTiles Rising Readers has five Student Activity Books that cover a range of reading levels. Each Student Activity Book is color-coded to indicate the targeted reading level. Students will rise to a new reading level upon completion of a Student Activity Book. (See also VersaTiles Rising Readers Leveling Chart on page 7.) VersaTiles Rising Readers Overview Chart Set Student Book number Reading Level Reading Level Color E 2 3 4 5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 Red Red F 2 3 4 5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5 5.0 G 2 3 4 5 4.0 4.5 5.0 5.5 6.0 Blue 3
VersaTiles Rising Readers Program Overview VersaTiles is the unique, individualized program that gives your students the freedom to learn, practice, and review concepts at their own pace by matching patterns. Students monitor their own progress, so they take ownership of their personal learning experience and gain self-confidence as they go. VersaTiles is available on many topics, including phonics, mathematics, and reading/language arts. As a teacher, you are a master manager of time and students yet your students learn at different paces. They all need to practice the basics, but they need practice in different areas. You need an engaging program that will help you provide meaningful practice for your students and free up your time so that you can focus on your students individual needs. VersaTiles is the answer to your classroom needs! VersaTiles provides a comprehensive list of strategies correlated to specific set levels, with multiple entry points (see Scope and Sequence, pages 2 and 3). You can identify the specific practice that individual students need, then direct them to the appropriate VersaTiles Student Activity Book. When they open the books, students will discover the fun way to learn, practice, and review skills. Students love VersaTiles because it gives them an opportunity to practice the basics as they solve pattern puzzles. Using VersaTiles will reinforce basic skills, raise test scores, and build your students self-confidence! Self-Paced Learning for Rising Readers After a brief introduction to VersaTiles, students manage their own learning. They work independently or in small groups, check their own work, and track their own progress (using the Student Record Chart on page 89). This feature of VersaTiles helps students develop a feeling of accomplishment and ultimately helps build students self-confidence. With VersaTiles, students do not compete with one another. They simply progress at their own individual pace efficiently, enthusiastically, and confidently. No matter what grade level you teach, no matter what content you teach, no matter what texts you teach with, your goal is to improve students comprehension and understanding. Rasinski et al. 2000 6 Rasinski, Timothy, et al., eds. Teaching Comprehension and Exploring Multiple Literacies. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 2000.
Reading Intervention for Rising Readers VersaTiles Rising Readers helps students in the intermediate grades who are one-to-two years behind in their reading skills to review and practice reading comprehension strategies. The activities are carefully designed to support classroom comprehension strategy instruction. These fun and engaging activities include high-interest text passages adapted from a variety of handpicked fiction and nonfiction leveled readers. Text passages cover a variety of genres and include authentic context. The activities support one or more comprehension strategies. Leveled Reading for Rising Readers VersaTiles Rising Readers is a support system for teachers with students at a variety of reading levels. These students have trouble engaging in the practice that is needed in order to improve their comprehension skills when they read. Each set of Student Activity Books spans five reading levels. This allows students to begin the activities at their own reading levels and gradually advance step-by-step until on grade level. The high-interest text in the activities will engage even the most reluctant reader. Benchmark Activities provide assessment for students initial placements. VersaTiles Rising Readers Leveling Chart 6.0 Blue Book 5 5.5 Book 4 5.0 Book 5 Book 3 Reading Level 4.5 4.0 3.5 Book 5 Book 4 Book 4 Book 3 Book 2 Book 2 Book 3.0 Book 3 Book 2.5 Red Book 2 2.0 Red Book VTRR Set E VTRR Set F VTRR Set G 7
Strategic Tutoring Some students require or would benefit from intense, individualized instruction. This is particularly true of the student who struggles with decoding and fluency, but is also true of students requiring shortterm, focused help. Biancarosa et al. 2006, 8 4 Benefits of VersaTiles Rising Readers VersaTiles Rising Readers provides support and practice for reading comprehension strategies taught in most basal programs. The variety of activities at different reading levels allows teachers to select appropriate activities for individual students. The activities provide strategic tutoring and reteaching opportunities in the form of focused reading comprehension instruction, application, and extension. Students learn in context and are exposed to diverse text types in a wide range of genres and writing forms. Text variety helps teachers integrate the activities into existing classroom literacy programs. Text types comply with state reading and language arts standards. Diverse, hand-picked, leveled readers provide a variety of reading levels and high-interest topics. The activities in VersaTiles Rising Readers provide informal, ongoing, formative assessment of students. This assessment can happen on a daily basis and inform teachers of students progress under current instructional practices. The activities support No Child Left Behind (NCLB) goals and can be used to prepare students for standardized testing. The Importance of Teaching Metacognitive Strategies Good and effective readers make sense of what they are reading. They not only make sense of the text, but are also able to use the information it contains. They are able to think thoughtfully or deeply and to make personal connections as they analyze and question what they are reading, hearing, and seeing. Metacognitive, or thinking, strategies help readers improve their text comprehension. When readers use these strategies, they think about how they are thinking. Evidence suggests that when reading comprehension techniques are used appropriately, they assist in recall, question answering, question generation, and summarization of texts. When used in combination, these techniques can improve results in standardized comprehension tests. 2 Explicit, in-depth instruction of comprehension strategies has been shown to be highly effective in enhancing understanding. 3 Acknowledging the instructional needs of rising readers and providing direct instruction in using specific strategies for comprehension can help students become more proficient readers. 8 Trehearne, Miriam P. Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Grades 3 6 Teachers. Vernon Hills, IL: ETA/Cuisenaire, 2006, 99. 2 The National Reading Panel Report. Teaching Children to Read: An Evidence-Based Assessment of the Scientific Research Literature on Reading and Its Implications for Reading Instruction. (Washington, DC: National Institute of Child and Human Development and the Department of Education, 2000), 5. 3 Ibid., 4 4 Biancarosa, C., and C. E. Snow (2006). Reading next A vision for action and research in middle and high school literacy: A report to Carnegie Corporation of New York (2 nd ed.). Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.
The Comprehension Strategies The activities in VersaTiles Rising Readers provide students with practice in using comprehension strategies. Students are required to think about how they are thinking as they read. The complete list of strategies is on the inside back cover of each Student Activity Book for easy reference. Throughout the activities, Consider This boxes highlight specific strategies for in-depth instruction in the processes that readers use to understand what they read. Comprehension Strategy (as it appears in Student Activity Books) Techniques to Use/Examples Explanation Monitoring Comprehension I know when I understand what I read. When I don t understand, I use a fix-up strategy to help me. Click/clunk (identify parts of text that are understood/not understood) Stop after reading a passage, reflect, and share Ask questions during reading Write mini-summaries or outlines Skim text for key words Scan text to locate specific information Fix-Up Strategies Look back reread Look forward skip ahead Slow down (sometimes, speed up) Reread out loud Ask questions and look for answers Make a good guess Explain what is understood so far, to a friend Use pictures, graphs, and charts Discuss the confusing part with someone Visualize make a picture in my head Ask for help Use a dictionary or other resource As they read, readers check to make sure that what they are reading makes sense. They know what they understand, can identify what they do not understand, and use appropriate fix-up strategies when needed. Readers need a fix-up strategy when: the pictures inside their minds stop forming they cannot answer their own questions their minds wander from the text; they read it, but are thinking about something else the page they are now reading has nothing to do with what they thought the text was about they cannot explain what they have just read characters appear and they cannot remember who they are (Trehearne 2006, 49) 2... comprehension instruction is not just one more thing [to teach]. In fact, when it comes to reading, it s likely the most important thing. Harvey and Goudvis 2000, 6 Harvey, Stephanie, and Anne Goudvis. Strategies That Work: Teaching Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. York, ME: Stenhouse Publishers, 2000. 2 Trehearne, Miriam P. Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Grades 3 6 Teachers. Vernon Hills, IL: ETA/ Cuisenaire, 2006. 9
Strategy Techniques to Use/Examples Explanation Using Text Structures/Features I can decide whether text is fiction or nonfiction by looking at how a text is organized. Then I make a plan for how I will read the text. Fiction Text Structures: setting, characters, plot, problem, solution Nonfiction Text Structures: description, sequence, compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution Text Features: captions, charts, descriptions, diagrams, directions, drawings, glossary, graphs, headings, index, labels, lists, maps, photos, procedures, table of contents, title, topic sentences, varied print (bold and italics) Readers recognize how a text is organized and then organize their thinking to match the text structure. Narrative texts tell a factual or fictional story. Expository texts provide and explain information. Reading without understanding is like eating without digesting. Trehearne 2006, 99 Visually Representing Text (see pages 9 92) I can use a variety of graphic organizers, such as Venn diagrams and word webs, to help me understand what I read and see how a text is organized. Retelling I can use my own words to talk about the important parts of what I read in the correct sequence and with some details. Plot organizers Semantic maps or webs Venn diagrams Story maps Story map comic strips Sequence charts/flow charts Compare/contrast charts Cause/effect charts Problem/solution charts Oral retellings Written retellings Readers Theater News reports Literature circles Readers represent text in a concrete, visual way. This helps them remember what they have read. It also helps them activate and organize prior knowledge around a topic. Readers respond to what they have read by using their own words to tell about it. They tell about what they need to know and remember in a way that makes sense to them. They identify what is important and retell the information in a logical order. Inferring I can use the clues in a text and something I already know to read between the lines or make an informed guess. Draw conclusions Make predictions Evaluate information/make critical judgments Connect what is read, seen, or heard in the text with personal or world experiences Interpret text to create new thoughts and understandings Readers go beyond the literal meaning to what is implied. They use their own experiences and background knowledge to help them make sense of, and gain deeper insights into, the text. (Trehearne 2006, ) 2 Summarizing I can write or talk about just the important ideas of what I read. Delete unnecessary information Delete repeated information Replace a list of items with one word Replace individual parts of an action with one word Readers provide the gist or essence of what they read. They condense the text into a manageable chunk and integrate the big ideas. 0, 2 Trehearne, Miriam P. Comprehensive Literacy Resource for Grades 3 6 Teachers. Vernon Hills, IL: ETA/Cuisenaire, 2006.
Strategy Techniques to Use/Examples Explanation Summarizing (continued) Choose a topic sentence if there is one Create a topic sentence if one is not there Participate in reciprocal teaching Asking Questions and Answering Questions I can ask and answer questions before, during, and after reading to help me understand. They may be on the page and/or off the page questions. I can answer my own questions and the questions of others. Clarify meaning Make predictions Focus on author s style, purpose, or viewpoint Find a specific answer Self-monitor Evaluate text: fantasy/reality, fact/opinion Make value judgments Readers ask themselves questions to gain a clearer insight into the text and to clarify their own thinking. They learn that not all questions have one answer, and some answers are not found in the text. Questions are often aimed at the author, themselves, or others. Synthesizing I can make connections to create my own new ideas. I can make textto-self, text-to-text, or text-to-world connections to help me understand what I read. Share, recommend, criticize, and evaluate text Make inferences about a deeper understanding of the text or about lessons the author may be trying to teach Readers combine different sources of information in a way that makes sense to them. They incorporate their personal experiences and prior knowledge and put their own spin on the information in the text. Using Prior Knowledge (Predicting) I can use what I already know to help me understand something new. Anticipation guide Identifying, categorizing, and sorting Vocabulary prediction KWLM chart (What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I Have Learned, What More Do I Want to Learn?) SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) CATS (Covers, Author, Title, Skim) Readers bring their own personal experience (schema) to what they are reading. They connect what they already know with what the text is about. This provides a basis for making predictions and setting up expectations about the book. Prior knowledge is also used in making inferences while reading. Visualization I can imagine and can describe how something I read about looks, sounds, tastes, feels, or smells. Drawings and sketches Dramatic arts responses: interviews, tableaux Readers form mental pictures in their minds to relate what they are reading (abstract) to something concrete. The mental pictures help them recall details and create their own interpretations of the text.
Scope and Sequence Overview A detailed Scope and Sequence for VersaTiles Rising Readers is provided on page 3. It is intended to help you assign meaningful practice to your students and integrate VersaTiles into your current curriculum. The Scope and Sequence is divided into categories according to the comprehension strategies covered in the VersaTiles Rising Readers program. Here s how to read the Scope and Sequence: This column shows the scope and sequence for Set E. The highlighted number indicates the Student Activity Book number. These are the pages within the Student Activity Book that contain an exercise for the comprehension strategy. Each row shows the scope and sequence of a comprehension strategy across the entire spectrum of the program. 2
VersaTiles Rising Readers Scope and Sequence SETS COMPREHEnSIOn STRATEGy E F G Monitoring Comprehension Using Text Structures/ Features Visually Representing Text :2 3, 4 5; 2:6 7, 0 ; 3:2 3, 2 3; 4:5 7; 5:4 5, 0 3 :, 8 9, 4 5, 8 9, 22 23; 2: 3, 0, 3, 6 7, 20 2; 3:6 7, 2 2; 4:6 9, 6 9, 22 23; 5:2 3, 6, 20 23 :4 5, 22 23; 2:4 5, 8 9, 22 23; 3:6 7, 4 5; 4:4 7 2 3; 5:4 5 Retelling :20 2; 2:6 7; 3:4 5, 20 2; 4:20 2; 5:8 9 Summarizing :2 3; 2:2, 22 23; 3:; 4:4; 5:20 2 Synthesizing :20 2; 2:20 2; 3:4 5; 4:20 2; 5:8 9 Inferring :, 0 ; 2:2 3, 3; 3:4 5, 8 9; 4:, 4 7, 0, 8 9; 5:2 3, 6 7, 2 3, 22 23 Generating Questions/ Answering Questions Using Prior Knowledge (Predicting) :6 7; 2:4 5; 3:8 9, 22 23; 4:0, 2 3; 5:, 4 5, 6 7 :2 3, 0 ; 2:4 7; 3:2 3; 4:, 0, 4 5; 5:2 7, 2 3 Visualization :6 7; 2:8 9; 3:0 ; 4:2 3; 5:8 9 :8 9, 2 3; 2:, 4 5, 4 5; 3:0 3, 22 23; 4:2 3, 6 7, 22 23; 5:0 3 :2 7, 0 5, 8 9; 2:2 5, 0 5, 20 2; 3:2 3, 6 2; 4:2 3, 6 9, 6 2; 5:2 7, 2 3, 8 9 :6 7, 4 5, 8 9; 2:2 3; 3:2 3, 20 2; 4:6 7; 5:6 9, 8 9 :4 5, 6 7; 2:8 9, 6 7; 3:0 ; 4:4 5; 5:2 3 :6 7; 2:8 9, 6 7; 3:; 4:2 3; 5:4 5 :4 5, 6 7, 22; 2:8 9, 6 7; 3:6 3, 8 9; 4:4 7, 2 3, 20 2; 5:2 3, 4 5 :0, 4 5, 22; 2:2 3, 6 7, 0, 20 2; 3:4 9; 4:4 5, 8 2; 5:4 5, 6 7, 22 23 :, 6 7, 8 9, 23; 2:6 7, 2 3, 8 9; 3:4 5; 4:, 4 5; 5:, 4 5, 20 2 :8 9, 2 3, 22; 2:, 6 7; 3:8 9; 4:0, 4 5; 5:22 23 :20 2; 2:22 23; 3:4 5; 4:0 ; 5:6 7 :6 7, 6 7, 8 9; 2:2 3, 5; 3:4 7, 20 2; 4:4 5, 8 9; 5:2 5, 6 7 :2 3, 6 9, 2 5; 2:4, 6 3; 3:2 3, 6 9, 8 2; 4:6 7, 0 5, 22 23; 5:4 5, 8 9, 2 3, 6 9, 22 23 :8 9; 2:6 7; 3:8 9; 4:2 3; 5:8 9, 2 3 :6 7; 2:8 9; 3:4 5; 4:8 9; 5:2 3 :4 5; 2:4 5; 3:2 3; 4:; 5:0 :4 5, 6 7; 2:2 3, 2 5, 8 9; 3:4 5, 2 3, 8 9, 22 23; 4:4 5, 8 9, 6 7; 5:2 3, 0, 4 5 :20 23; 2:2 3, 6 7, 20 23; 3:0, 4 9, 22 23; 4:2 3, 6 7, 22 23; 5:4 5, 8 9, 20 2 :0 ; 2:, 22 23; 3:, 4 5; 4:8 9; 5:, 6 7 :2 3; 2:4 5, 6 7, 22 23; 3:, 4 7; 4:2 3, 22 23; 5:4 5, 8 9 :, 22 23; 2:20 2; 3:0, 22 23; 4:6 7, 20 2; 5:20 23 Review/ Identification :24; 2:24; 3:24; 4:24; 5:24 :24; 2:24; 3:24; 4:24; 5:24 :24; 2:24; 3:24; 4:24; 5:24 3