Educational Lingo–Oh My Take 2

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Education is a world of acronyms and vocabulary that do not seem to fit into the “real world.”  In the spring, in a blog entitled, “Accommodations and Modifications and Educational Lingo—Oh My!” I tried to clarify terms such as accommodation, intervention, progress monitoring and remediation to ensure we use the right word in the right context.    

After many data studies and conversations, we as a school, have decided that we need to “up our rigor.”  We use words like rigor, conceptual understanding, and complexity—what in the world?  This blog will seek to clarify these terms to help you understand what your instructional coach is TRYING to say and wanting you to do!  

The words Rigor and Complexity are the main buzz words at our school right now—but what does this mean?   

Rigor is an overarching term that refers to the teacher’s ability to create a balance between the reader, task and text.  I like to think of the dangling carrot—because this demonstrates the engagement that is created when the reader is matched appropriately (just barely out of reach) to the text and the task. dangling-carrot Rigor requires constant adjustment by the teacher between scaffolding instruction and change in materials and activities.  When a student attains, the teacher should constantly “move the carrot” forward to encourage thinking and learning.  “Moving the carrot” or rigor requires three components working together which are:

1) Conceptual Understanding through the Domains of Literacy

2) Procedural Fluency

3)  Real World Application

More crazy terms—right??  Conceptual understanding simply means that a student can speak, read and write about a concept.  If a child can understand a concept to the point that they can share their thoughts, manipulate the thoughts into another format or put them in writing—they have conceptual understanding of the topic or subject.  Procedural fluency simply refers to the application of foundational skills necessary for the student to show conceptual understanding. They can apply foundational skills effortlessly and automatically.  Finally, real world application refers to taking the new knowledge or information and using it in a meaningful way that requires applying, synthesizing, creating and evaluating.  Real world application does NOT mean that it has to be how they would use it in the real world. It means that it needs to be relevant to the child.  The three components of rigor work together to ensure that you are increasing expectations for students and ensuring that you are “moving the carrot” forward for students to continue learning.

Complexity is more specifically related to text or a task. To examine whether something is complex, you must look at quantitative and qualitative measures.

quant-and-qual

A text or activity is complex when it balances both qualitative and quantitative measures.  If you use a complex text, you may balance it with scaffolding and text features. If the text is less complex, then take away the scaffolding to require students to dig deeper into the text independently.  Don’t fall into the trap of just giving a higher lexile text to students because the lexile is only measuring words, phrases, syllables, etc. A lexile level does not take into account the meaning and author’s craft.  Remember that The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck is lexiled at 680L which is a second/third grade reading band.  Really?  Be careful when choosing text and remember to KNOW it- because the qualities it possesses can make it complex regardless of the lexile or vice versa.

With an increase in rigor and complexity, you hear the words scaffolding, text dependent questions and higher order questioning.  These terms refer to instructional practices utilized by teachers to ensure that you are extending or supporting learning for your students.

Scaffolding is a word that encompasses all the ways teachers support a learner while they interact with text or content.  This can take the form of the materials you provide such as graphic organizers and text feature support. It can take form in the instructional strategies you use such as turn and talk to support thinking or Socratic questioning to extend ideas.

One important element of scaffolding is questioning.  Text Dependent Questions are questions that are tied directly to the text and require the student to find evidence to support their answers WITHIN THE TEXT.  Higher order questioning is similar but usually refers to using the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy or Marzano’s Thinking Levels.   Both of these taxonomies require thinking to develop from the concrete—right there questions to the more abstract.  Both types of questioning have a place and importance in daily instruction. (See resources below for more information on types of questioning)

As we progress through the year, on the blog, I will periodically review educational “lingo” we are using that may be confusing or used inappropriately.  Please remember to ask if you are unsure!  If you do not know, others are probably unsure as well.

Resources:

Bloom’s Taxonomy from Curriculet

http://blog.curriculet.com/38-question-starters-based-blooms-taxonomy/

 

Marzano Question Stems

http://www.hwdsb.on.ca/rosedale/files/2014/12/QUESTIONS-TO-ASK-YOUR-CHILD-AFTER-THEY-READ.pdf

 

 

Encourage Wonder

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Children amaze me with their curiosity.  They lack barriers when they think and can generate ideas outside the box that adults can often not fathom.  Somewhere we, as adults, have forgotten how to open our minds to capture imagination and wonder.

Wonder…a powerful verb. 

Brain research shows that when given an interesting question or image the brain releases a chemical called dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical that actually gives you a bump in mood and seems to stimulate the cells that are associated with learning.  According to LA Johnson (2014) at NPR (www.npr.org), curiosity increases retention of information, the ability to remember minor details and increases the ability to make connections. Each child has a different level of motivation and degree of curiosity which can be impacted by factors such as stress, medications, genetics, etc.

Brain studies show that a person’s attention and engagement lapses throughout a lesson depending on their interest.  You have about 2 minutes to engage a student in a lesson.  We often call this first few minutes of the lesson—the hook.  If you don’t hook a student quickly—they will not engage as sufficiently as they could even with redirecting.  To encourage the engagement we need to hook them with WONDER and curiosity to want to learn more.

How can we as educators cultivate this wonder?  Here are 3 tips!

Tip#1:  Start with a related image or video that provides information about the topic but without text.  By providing a visual for students it helps them to begin brainstorming, categorizing information and synthesizing that information.  By encouraging students to think and discover—you are stimulating divergent thinking.

Example:  Begin a unit on plate tectonics by showing this graphic from National Geographic.

volc

  1. Have students write all the words that come to their mind when they look at this photograph. (Give them one minute)
  2. Pair students with a partner and have them discuss the words they chose and why. (2 minutes)
  3. Discuss whole group the words they brainstormed and list them on the board.
  4. Then put 4 key vocabulary words for the unit (related to the picture) on the board. Such as fissure, plate, lava, molten and valley. Challenge students to talk to their partners and see if they can match the word or concept to the photograph. They need to be able to explain their thinking. (Give them 3 minutes)
  5. Partner students up with someone new and let them repeat their discussion and change or add any ideas. (2 minutes)
  6. Discuss whole group and label the vocabulary to the photograph. (5-7 minutes)

This activity challenges students to use their background knowledge to apply new vocabulary.  As you discuss vocabulary you can reinforce suffixes, prefixes, root words or examples to help students make connections from the word to the concept.  This allows students to discover new ideas, utilize what they know and make sense of new ideas by talking through their own ideas. This activity cultivates wonder because students are able to begin with their own knowledge and “thoughts” and then build on those ideas with academic vocabulary. We must allow students to access their own knowledge, learn new information and then make this information their own.

Tip #2:  Have props or realia around the room prior to a unit or lesson.  Do not provide information and do not answer questions—just simply let students investigate.

Example 1:  Prior to a Native American Unit have pottery, baskets, Native American blanket, arrowheads, pumpkins, corn, etc. on a table or around the room.

Example 2:  Tape maps to the floor prior to an explorer unit. Be sure that the maps represent different time periods.

Example 3:  When reading a book, create a collection of items so that as you read the book—students can discover what the items represent. (For the book Blue by Joyce Hostetter you could create a basket with blue overalls, a blue glass bottle, a penny, five dollar bill, ration coupon, dried wisteria, seeds, quarantine sign, etc.)

When someone asks a question—what is this for? What is this? Shrug your shoulders and respond—what do you think?  Allow students to discover and make connections.  You don’t have to engage,  just direct them to investigate and ask—what do you think?

Tip #3: Use thought provoking questions.  There is an art in questioning.  If I ask, “what, who, where, when and how (“how does” requires students to explain but “how would” begins to think outside the box) questions…your brain immediately seeks to answer the question  However, when you ask, “WHY” you are immediately demanding the brain to problem solve.  Use question starters like—

  • Can you find evidence to prove (disprove) _______________?
  • Why would _______________________occur?
  • Why would _____________think this way? (make this mistake)
  • How would you _______________________?

As you plan, think about a way to “hook” your students and excite them about the topic. Encourage their discovery.  Pictures, video, realia and asking the right questions can help students want to find out and engage rather than regurgitate back information.  Learning is discovery which must start with curiosity.  It is time to help our students “find wonder!”

 

Other Suggestions:

  • Have students close their eyes and tell them “a story” that could describe a character, historical event, dilemma or controversy, etc.  This allows students to build a visual image of what you will be talking about.
  • Play a song that has a connection to the topic as students come in the classroom.
  • Use an analogy to create a comparison for students
  • Dress up or act something out for students
  • PHOTOGRAPH Gallery Walk
  • Start with a demonstration or a experiment

 

Share any ideas you have to hook students in the comment section!

Language Revisited

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Do you have that one person in your life who just “says it?”  Tells you what others haven’t—your hair is sticking up, you have toilet paper on your shoe,  or NO ONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE TERM LANGUAGE.  I love my Taylorsville colleagues who keep me grounded!

It had not occurred to me but we do use the word language in various ways. Normally, I refer to language in three ways.

 

  1. Language = Student to Student Interaction and communication
  2. Language = Common Core Standards L. 1-6
  3. “Academic Language” = the words, phrases, grammar choices and author’s craft in organizing a text

 

First, language is used to refer to our students’ ability to communicate ideas and thoughts through listening, speaking, reading and writing. Increasing student to student interaction allows time for processing and for students to make sense of knowledge. The four domains of literacy (listening, speaking, reading and writing) are all interrelated and interact to affect one another.

 

Implications for our classrooms: 

  1. Students process information when they have the opportunity to interact.  Speaking helps students make sense of ideas, ask questions and begin to own their own thinking.  By putting ideas into your own words and examples demonstrates conceptual understanding of the topic.
  2. When you move students through a concept by listening then speaking and progressing to reading and writing—you are scaffolding instruction AND building conceptual understanding.
  3. Allowing students to paraphrase and put information into their own words aids students in making connections to the information on a deeper level.

Secondly, I often refer to the Common Core Language Standards as a way to “increase our focus on language.”  These standards are all grounded in the fundamentals of language and the domains of literacy and are written in a pattern that builds on prior knowledge.

 

Standard Meaning
L.1 Understanding of conventions and sentence structure

 
L.2 Understanding of capitalization and punctuation
L.3 Understanding why words were used and chosen and their affect within the text
L.4 Determining word meanings and phrases through context, word parts, reference materials,
L.5 Understanding figurative language, word relationships and nuances in word meanings
L.6 Determining academic and domain specific words and phrases

 

 

 

Implications for our classrooms: 

  1. Language comprises of about 20-25% of the Reading End of Grade Test. Knowing this fact,  a focus on context clues, figurative language, words and phrases that affect characters, setting and mood should all be MAJOR focuses of instruction.
  2. “Language” in the form of words and phrases, woven within the text,  are written to affect the reader—teach students to see subtly and question the techniques used by the author—THIS IS HOW RIGOR IS ATTAINED!
  3. Remember that you must directly teach students what you want them to do. When teaching students how to figure out words and phrases in context teach all the different strategies you might use such as look at punctuation, synonyms, antonyms, grammar, examples embedded, etc. Be explicit when you show students and MODEL what you want for them—then let them try it and apply it.

 

 

Lastly, I refer to language in the form of “academic language” which is the words, phrases, grammar choices which affect the author’s craft and organization of the text.  This can be vocabulary but is usually more subtly the structure in which the text is organized.  When our students have knowledge of how sentences are structured can help students “untangle” more complex text.  Without the grammar and punctuation, students’ prosody (expressive reading and understanding of timing, phrasing, intonation and emphasis) is not possible.

 

Implications for our classrooms:

  1. Understanding phrases, clauses, punctuation and capitalization directly affects BOTH fluency and comprehension.
  2. Grammar should be embedded in discussions of word meanings and close reading to directly teach fluency and comprehension.
  3. Text choice should include structure that includes complex text which challenges students to examine multiple levels of meaning with subtle nuances that they may miss upon first read.  Ensuring text is “complex” with levels of meaning challenges students to read closer and dig deeper.

In summation, the term LANGUAGE is a HUGE component of EVERYTHING that we do in our classrooms because it truly plays a role in all aspects of learning.  We “use language” when communicating. Authors embed language within text to share meaning and to interest the reader.  Finally we integrate language as our instructional support with listening, speaking, reading and writing. We need to infuse it and use the Common Core Language standards as the “skeleton” of our instruction for our literature and informational standards. It is by infusing the grammar, capitalization, punctuation and an understanding of sentence structure within the areas of reading that you will deepen students’ understanding and comprehension.  Language is complex and certainly not something you can check off a list to show mastery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t Forget the Grammar!

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I recently was in a meeting where the question was asked: Does grammar affect reading? My answer—ABSOLUTELY!  Students must understand how sentences work both orally and in written form.  Having experience with sentence structure, punctuation, and grammar helps students to “untangle” difficult sentences they encounter. Without grammar and  punctuation students’ prosody (expressive reading with understanding of timing, phrasing, intonation and emphasis) is not possible.

Common Core brought three shifts in the English Language Curriculum including the following:

  1. Exposure of complex text AND their academic language
  2. Reading, writing and speaking grounded in the evidence from the text source
  3. Increase informational text

The second shift makes grammar essential to the ELA classroom.  Remember a few weeks ago, in a blog entitled “What Does ELA Rigor and Complexity Look Like?” shared what elements make a text complex.  Academic language is the words, grammar and the author’s craft in organizing a text. The academic language is used to describe the complex ideas that are embedded in the rigorous text. It is this essential shift in our ELA standards that reminds us that we must embed grammar and teach students to use these skills to decode and “untangle” ideas in the text rather than to teach it in isolation.

We think of academic language as only Tier II and III words but it is actually made up of three components which each include a piece aided by grammar understanding:

  1. Words/Phrases and use of multi-meaning words (understanding grammar aids students using Context Clues)
  2. Sentence Dimension including uses of phrases and clauses (embedded Grammar Understanding including punctuation and sentence structure helps students understand complex sentences)
  3. Oral and written language to communicate complex ideas (better understanding of grammar helps writing and oral communication to improve)

When we provide students complex text at any level, they have to “untangle” it and grammar is a vehicle by which this can happen.  Complex text can be used at any grade level.

For example, the BFG by Roald Dahl, is not a particularly complex text upon first glance with a 720 Lexile Level (3rd Grade).  However, in a guided reading group, you could pull out this excerpt:

“Sometimes, on a very clear night,” the BFG said, “’and if I is swiggling my ears in the right direction, “—and here he swiveled his great ears upwards so they were facing the ceiling—“if I is swiggling them like this and the night is very clear, I is sometimes hearing faraway music coming from the stars in the night sky.”

Example of excerpt to give students: excerpt

Try this:

  1. Asking students to read this small section and have them read it independently. Do you think they would know how to use proper intonation while reading? Would they understand the purpose of the hyphen, quotation marks, apostrophe, and commas which each contribute to the meaning and understanding of the words swiggling and swiveled.
  2. Have students “chunk the text” to show the intonation for reading. After or above each “chunk,” ask students to explain what each chunk means through annotation.IMG_1026IMG_1027
  3. Pair students to discuss how similar their “chunks” are to one another.
  4. Have each partner read the excerpt the way they think it should be read and then the other. Have them discuss which sections they felt sounded different between one another and why?
  5. Teacher then should model how to chunk the sentence properly and explain the “grammar” or features (phrases, clauses, punctuation, etc.) that help the reader understand.
  6.  Students should then practice with their partner the correct intonation together for several minutes.

This is a simple activity that will provide direct instruction on fluency AND increase students’ awareness of how sentences are structured.

This type of lesson can follow grammar instruction. If you have been teaching about commas in a list, you can find a complex sentence that embeds a list with commas. Have the students chunk it and figure out how those commas affect the reader and meaning.  Instead of daily grammar practice, you can embed grammar instruction in your guided reading groups each week.

Do not leave grammar out!  Hopefully, this begins your thinking about how grammar plays a part in our students’ comprehension and fluency.   This can be done at any level—even in kindergarten!  See this video for an example:  Kindergarten Butterfly Lesson:  https://vimeo.com/47315992

Try this out in a guided reading group—this is a great example of a close read while working on fluency!  I am excited that my school’s 4th and 5th grade teachers are finding ways to use grammar to deepen learning. Hoping this idea may help!  Look below for some other resources that may help—AND as always—I am here!

 

Resources:

NCDPI ELA Wiki–look at “Juicy Sentences” lesson

This article explains why embedding grammar works–check out this article: Teaching Grammar a Method that Works

PPT from Lynne Weber has some great advice on types of grammar you can focus on and examples.  This is one that will help you learn as an educator!

Article on Sentence Combining which is a great read. Research shows one of the best ways to improve writing of students is to teach and practice sentence combining.

 

Increase Language Coming Back to School

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I love to hear “chitter chattering” as I walk through the halls of my school. I love to hear the excited hum of students when they are passionately sharing ideas and even the slow lull when a student is thinking and trying to make sense of an idea. These sounds of children sharing and thinking remind me that learning is taking place and that students are formulating new ideas from the information they were presented.  Learning does not fully take place until an idea is taken, processed and extended or applied in some form.

In a blog last year entitled:  Why Student Talk Matters ,  I stated the following:  The speaking and listening piece allows our students to access the difficult text by having support while they process and think.  This shows the power of Language. We use the word “Language” often and what we mean by that is the communication of thoughts including reading and writing.  Listening and speaking are vehicles in which our students gain skills to read and write.  They must master one while learning a topic before they tackle the next. We know when we are teaching something difficult such as electricity, our students must listen to gain knowledge, talk about it so that they can process the information and then read about it.  Continuing discussion and processing helps students have the vocabulary necessary to write. If our students can write about a topic–they understand it. Each of these four domains (Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing) are interrelated and interact and affect one another–summation—these are reciprocal.

Our English as Second Language students rarely participate in conversations about academics, ideas and knowledge. Low socioeconomic families do not ask students to justify ideas, provide evidence, articulate positive or negatives.  This is only happening in our classrooms.  The more our classrooms are filled with academic discussions that require student to use and apply knowledge we are increasing their vocabulary and helping student to connect and own their learning.

Here are 6 simple ideas to infuse Language and “Student Talk” into your classrooms as you go back to school.

Idea #1: Throw and Answer

Learning to answer and formulate ideas into complete sentences helps students when they begin writing.

  1. Throw a ball to a student and ask a question about anything just to get to know them and practice using complete senteces.
  2. Student answers back in a complete sentence.
  3. If student does not restate question or cannot remember the question, they must sit down for three ball tosses.

*No winner to this game but a fun way to practice listening and speaking expectations.

 

Idea #2:   Play “Get to Know You BINGO.”

  1. Students move around the room asking other students the questions on the Bingo Board.
  2. Student must restate the question and answer the question for the student. Then they sign the box of the question they answered.
  3. All boxes are filled in to finish.
  4. Offering a prize for completion is always fun.

See Bingo Board Example here:  Bingo Board

 

Idea #3:  Read Aloud

  1. Read aloud a book which is above the reading level of the class to expose them to rich vocabulary.
  2. When you come to a great vocabulary word—stop—ask—What do you think this means?
  3. Reread the sentence. Have student turn and talk about what they think the word means and why.
  4. Discuss whole group.

 

Idea #4:  Act Out the Rules

  1. Divide students into the number of groups to correlate to the number of rules that you have.
  2. Give each group a rule.
  3. Give them 10 minutes to produce a skit to teach the rule to the class.
  4. Set the timer.
  5. Have each group present their skit.
  6. Have the audience turn and talk after each skit to put the rule in “their own words.”
  7. Discuss the rule in whole group and have several students rephrase the rule in their own words to solidify thinking.
  8. Have students turn and talk to each share an example of why this rule is important.
  9. Discuss whole group.
  10. Continue with next Skit until all are complete.

 

Idea #5:  Sing a Song/Rap about Safety

  1. After reading or discussing the safety procedures, have students create a song or rap to tell others what to do for that safety situation (Tornado, Lock In, Fire, etc.)
  2. Give students 10-15 minutes to work. Encourage them to brainstorm ideas and then put it to the tune of a song they know.
  3. Stop students after given time and tell them they have 5 minutes to “practice” for show time.
  4. Have each group perform their song.
  5. Have students turn and talk to share the most important detail that they learned and why it is important.
  6. Discuss whole group.

 

Idea #6 Character Trait Hunt

  1. Put a character trait on an index card or half sheet of paper for each student.
  2. Put this word on each child’s back.
  3. The students walk around and as they meet one another—they have to either verbally explain or act out the word on the child’s back but they cannot use the vocabulary word.
  4. After about 10-15 minutes, each child will be paired with a partner to “guess” their word and explain why they think that. The person cannot tell them if they are correct or not but can respond with another explanation or “act out.”
  5. Put students with a different partner and repeat
  6. Let students look at their word.
  7. They should write their name on the back of the card and a real world example of the word.

Character Trait List from Read Write Think

Optional:  Pair students to share their examples or discuss whole group.

Remember language is the vehicle in which we gain knowledge.  Take time to let students talk and do not “steal their discovery.”  Letting go of some control and letting students speak can be scary but the results will be worth it.  Students who are struggling need 100 exposures to a concept before it “sticks.” We have to let them express what they know so we can see if it has truly “stuck.”

HAPPY FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL!

 

What Does ELA Rigor and Complexity Look Like?

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This week has been filled with cleaning, decorating, organizing and previewing materials for students.  Looming over these activities and our new school year is the challenge of raising our ELA expectations. What does that look like?

Some people think rigor or complexity in a reading classroom is simply asking higher order questions, doing a close reading, and giving more difficult text but it is actually MORE than that!  You probably have heard in math that rigor is obtained through procedural fluency, conceptual understanding and real world application.  I think these same elements of rigor are needed in the ELA classroom in the following form:  strong standards, high level text, knowledge of the reader, authentic tasks, application of strategies and explicit instruction.

Last week, I shared that the Common Core standards are already written in a scaffolding manner. (See this link to review this information:  Blog on Fiction Text Structure )   The standards address all domains of literacy including listening, speaking, reading and writing.  When teaching a concept it is important that students first hear the information, learn to speak the concept through language, read about it and then apply their learning through writing. This encourages students to think conceptually because you are moving them through the concrete to abstract developmentally.  In addition, to using these domains, the standards are building on one another to maximize higher order thinking and deepening of understanding by revisiting a text for different purposes. These standards are the “blueprint” for conceptual understanding.

Tip 1: If you are encouraging student to student interaction, you are deepening understanding of the topic and increasing the opportunity for students to build vocabulary and formulating ideas for written responses.

We think of text as being the most important element of rigor. If we want to challenge, we give more difficult text. Right?  Not exactly!  Text becomes complex and rigorous if you consider both quantitative (the mathematical reading level) and qualitative (quality of text and structure) measures.

See chart below.

 

Qualitative

 Quantitative
Looks within the text for the depth of the writing and complexity.

  • Figurative or Literal Language
  • Concise or Strongly Descriptive
  • Levels of Meaning or perspectives
  • Non-conventional text structure, narrator or writing style
  • Tier III vocabulary
  • Singular or multifaceted Plot
 Measures the word frequency and length of sentences.

  • Lexile Level
  • Any mathematical reading level

You have to use both of these together to determine what will challenge your students. For example, Harry Potter and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day have similar lexile levels but clearly the depth of these texts are very different. There is actually a rubric (called a placemat) that can help you determine if your text is complex. You can find this document at North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in their ELA livebinder.  This placemat addresses how to ensure a text is complex by looking at various variables.

I like to use my “homemade” version for K-5 because it just seems more manageable to me. Click here to Access:  Complexity Rubric

text

This “homemade” rubric helps you decide if the text is complex by examining different elements of the text (Qualitative and Quantitative) such as text structure, language, point of view, amount of background knowledge needed to understand text, vocabulary and the reading level.  Each element is given a point value to determine if the text is “above average.”

Tip #2:  Take into account the reading level AND the structure of the text when choosing a text for students. If the book has a lower reading level, than you will need to pull out the figurative language or multiple perspectives of two characters to make it more complex for your students. If you have a higher text, you may first look at basic 5W questions and then move into the higher concepts using the order of the standards.  It is important to always ensure students have basic understanding before digging deeper.

The reader and task is the next element you must consider in choosing complex text.  How proficient is the reader with multiple problems?  Can the reader distinguish figurative language from literal text?  Does the reader have sufficient background knowledge to pick up on subtle hints and inferences embedded in the text? When answering these questions, it helps you to decide where you need to scaffold and support readers with direct instruction and modeling.  Making sure the task is appropriate but not “too easy” is a challenge.

Tip #3:  Really think about what you are asking students to do with a text. What is the purpose of the task? The task should be real world or application of knowledge—not just simply regurgitating the story elements or sequence. These basic activities can be completed through annotation, reflections, class and peer discussions.  A task should be saved for applying knowledge or skills learned by the reader. Examples of great authentic tasks can be found at the following site by John Mueller:  http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/tasks.htm  Some pretty amazing ideas here.

The last elements are strategies and instruction which could take several blog posts to cover. So, the basics are that the instruction should be focused on the reader and allow the reader to discover rather than for the teacher to “teach it” or tell it to others.  Instruction should include higher order questioning that requires students to ground their answers in the text with evidence. This requires students to reread and discover new ideas within the same text. Strategies that help students learn are ones that scaffold learning but do not give answers. Think aloud, modeling, close reading, annotation and discussion—all require students to gain information but do the work themselves which is an important part of ensuring text complexity.

Tip #4:  Really think about the strategies you are using and if they are appropriate for the group of students you have. Consult this resource which I inerited many years ago (not sure of the original source) and modified it over the years. The chart shows best practice strategies and their effectiveness for certain students.  Check it out here:  Instructional Strategies Matrix

As you can see, RIGOR and COMPLEXITY in reading is not an easy task. Rigor is attained by instilling conceptual understanding through the domains of literacy, having students matched appropriately with text and task to ensure they are stretching to their maximum with the proper scaffolds in place.  Procedural fluency in reading is when students can clearly apply the strategies as they read to fully comprehend the text. Real world application is matching task to text and ensuring that the task has relevancy and requires students to use their knowledge in new ways.  Teachers must really know the text,  reader and the standards because each element must work together.  A text is just a text—until you pair it with the correct standard, reader and task.

**We will talk more about this in the coming weeks…begin to dabble with looking at the different elements as you plan! Remember to ask questions because that is how we make sense of new information. You are not learning if you do not start out a bit confused–questions help you sort it out and make meaning!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deeper Into Fiction Text Structure

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As a new school year begins, fiction is the first reading hurdle teachers begin to tackle. Last year, in three posts about fiction text structure, I shared the following:  skeleton-6Without YOUR skeleton your body would have no shape and would not function. We have to help students see how an author creates the text by writing it with a structure or literary elements.

 

big five

The basic elements that “hold fiction up” can be referred to as the Big 5.

It is not enough for students to simply tell you the character names, the setting, problem, etc. They must dig deeper to see how the author crafted the connection between all of these elements—that is where the depth or rigor comes in to the process. So, what does rigor look like with these elements…?

To begin, you must introduce literary elements by defining the term. An element is a “part or piece” of something and literary refers to literature a.k.a. fiction—so, literary elements are the pieces of a fictional story.  But taking it to the next step is crucial. These parts or pieces work together as one unit or structure so each piece depends on the other.  We need to make the connection to our students, even our youngest students, that these pieces work together to create a story.  These same pieces are used repetitively so once they see the pattern—they can make predictions and have better comprehension because they know what to expect.

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Here is how I introduce story structure to students…notice how it looks like a mountain.  This is the analogy I use with students.

We must explicitly teach students as they are learning to read that text is predictable.  Each story or chapter that they read is much like a mountain in that the actions HAPPEN-PEAK- and then WIND DOWN to the conclusion. The characters and setting are introduced in the beginning (Exposition) to help the reader learn important background information needed for the story.  As the characters interact and the events begin to happen a problem occurs in the story.  The rising action and climax is the action trying to solve the problem (often involving the pattern of three).  The story begins to wind down by the problem being solved.  As text becomes more complex and there is more than one plot happening—the structure changes. But, by the time students are reading at this level—their comprehension is strong enough to learn about flashback/foreshadow and other literary devices.

 

Here are questions and tips for the literary elements you teach that will help you deepen thinking and help students make connections between the “pieces” to the whole.

 

It is important that students understand that characters are normally introduced in the beginning of a story. The author takes time to describe the character so the details are important to making predictions about the character’s purpose in the story. Really focus students on actions, dialogue, thoughts, feelings because it is the way the author has to “show you” inside a character.  You can equate this to a movie—an author has to tell you in words what you normally would observe. Show a movie trailer and ask the students to write down words to describe the character as they watch.  Make sure you ask them to substantiate their thinking with evidence from the movie.   Let them turn and talk after and brainstorm with a peer.  As a class discuss character traits and their evidence. Have students write phrases an author might use to describe the character to see the connection between an action and trait.  Be sure to ask students questions to help them look for connections between characters (relationships), motivations and inclinations which can lead them to making better inferences and conclusions.

 

Character

  • What does the character look like? Do any of the physical traits make you judge the character different?
  • How does the character act? Do their actions make you like or dislike them? Why?
  • Are the characters similar or different? How? (Good vs. Evil?)
  • How does the character feel about ________________?
  • Is one character more important than another? Why? How do you know? (primary and supporting characters)
  • What is the mood of the character? What caused the mood? (significant event)
  • What character traits do they posses? What dialogue, actions, thoughts or feelings help you determine your opinion?
  • How would the character act in a different situation? How do you know?
  • How does the character feel about ____________? Why?  What can we infer from the character from this?
  • What is the mood of the character? What caused the mood? Did the mood change? How is the mood of ____________different from ____________________?  What can we infer about these characters?  Why did the author decide to make their feelings different?

 

Getting a quick answer for setting such as outside, inside, a forest, etc. is normal but really makes students dig to see that descriptions of the setting help to let you know if suspense is building or if a change in a character may be ready to happen.  Read sections of description and have students sketch what they think the author described. Have the students label their descriptions with key words from the text. This activity builds vocabulary, helps build connections and more importantly helps you to see if students are able to visualize as they read.

 

Setting

  • Are you surprised by the setting of the story or does it seem appropriate? Explain
  • Are the characters comfortable in this setting? Is one more comfortable than another? Why?
  • Is the setting described by the author? What details are given that are most vivid? Why?
  • Does the setting help the reader create a mood in their mind? If so, what mood? What words make you feel this way?
  • What word best describes the setting? Why? What was the most vivid adjective used by the author to describe the setting? Why?
  • Read an excerpt aloud. Have students sketch the setting or character. Have them label with details from the text.
  • Would the characters have to change if the setting was different? Explain

 

When Setting Changes

  • How did the characters change or react to the new setting?
  • What caused the new setting? (significant event)
  • Did the setting cause a mood change in a character? more than one character? different moods? Why?
  • How is the setting different? How will if affect the characters differently?

 

Events directly correlate with the character’s mood and actions.  When students notice a mood—have them tell you what event is happening because this is significant.  Stories have a main problem and students need to know that as they read more difficult text, they will encounter plots with several problems throughout the story.  Learning to note the problems, which they affect and if they are a primary or secondary problem is crucial for students to understand more complex text. Really examining events helps students understand why we learn cause and effect and how the pieces of a story begin to fit together. Out of sequence the story does not make sense.

 

Problem

  • What is the problem?
  • Who caused the problem? Why?
  • Is the event a problem for all characters? Explain why it might be different for different characters.
  • Why is this a problem for ________________ and not for _______________? What does this tell us about these characters?
  • How will the problem affect _____________________? Explain
  • Did the problem cause any other problems? Explain?
  • Is this a primary problem or secondary? How do you know?
  • Does the problem cause a character to change their mood or belief in something?

 

To solve a problem, an author will often go through a series of attempts (pattern of three).  Helping students see that these attempts are the author’s way of keeping you interested (suspense).  Solutions are normally found close to the end and are a sign that the story or chapter is wrapping up.

 

Solution

  • Was the problem completely solved?
  • Were all characters pleased with the solution? Explain why or why not.
  • Are there any effects from the solution?
  • Does the solution cause another problem? Explain
  • How does the solution affect each character?
  • Can you make a prediction about what will happen next?
  • How does the solution teach a lesson? Do all characters learn a lesson?

 

The Common Core Reading Standards are already in a scaffolding pattern as they are written.

The first 3 standards are classified as Key Ideas and Details because they are examining basic pieces or elements of a text.

  • RL.1 and RL.2 focus on general understanding of the text including the basic Who, What, When and Where questions. L.2 begins to have students see how pieces fit together to determine a theme or main idea.
  • RL.3 begins to examine a character. Looking deeper at text, illustrations and other characters to determine more about a character. (CHARACTERIZATION:  Direct and Indirect)

 

Standards 4-6 go deeper into the text and require rereading and close reading to examine text in a different way. These are classified as Craft and Structure because students are digging into the literary elements and looking for relationships.

  • RL.4 demands students to dig deeper into the text at words and phrases. What are the meanings? What do they tell us about a character, setting, mood or event?
  • RL.5 begins in K-2 as understanding the structure of fiction is different from non-fiction and basic sequence of events. As students gain understanding and move to more complex text, they are asked to examine how events fit together and how one section, event, or chapter may build on the next and work in an interrelated fashion.
  • RL.6 is the point of view standard which requires students to first distinguish their own opinion from the author and the story. Once they master this skill they can begin to see how multiple characters see ideas, events, and dialogue differently and how it affects events, characters and the problem/solution.

 

The final three standards are the most complex because they are the Integration of Knowledge and Ideas standards.  These require students to use multiple ideas together, find connections and make comparisons and contrasts.

  • RL.7 requires students to examine illustrations and how they contribute to the text. This moves into the tone and how the author’s phrases, word choices and descriptions can directly affect characterization, settings, events and plot development.
  • RL.8 is not applicable to fiction
  • RL.9 is the standard that has students compare and contrast. Not just comparing an entire story to story but looking at different elements and examining them across texts or excerpts.

 

As you begin planning this year, think about how you will use a text and move students from one standard to another within that text. It is by rereading and reexamining the text in different ways that you move students to the depth of the standard. Simply asking questions is not enough but moving students in a pattern that requires them to rethink, reread and formulate new ideas will lead to better comprehension of the text.  I challenge you to reread the same text for several days and continue to deepen the students understanding with a higher level of questioning.

 

Happy Fictional Text Planning!  Remember I am available if you need help!

 

 

Earlier Posts on Fiction Text Structure: 

Fiction Text Structure:  https://thiskelly.edublogs.org/2015/10/10/fiction-text/

Fiction Text Structure for K-2 Students:  https://thiskelly.edublogs.org/2015/10/16/fiction-text-structure-k-2-or-remediation-students/

3-5 Fiction Text Structure: https://thiskelly.edublogs.org/2015/10/17/3-5-fiction-text-structure/

 

 

 

 

Neuroplasticity is HOPE for Mindset Change

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“We become what we think about all day long.” 

Ralph Waldo Emerson

 

Walking the halls this week, I heard more than once, “I can’t” or “I am not good at this.”  It started me thinking about how this mindset begins and how can we help students make changes and begin to feel—HOPE!  How do our students begin to have a mindset that tells them they cannot achieve?

A fixed mindset, one without hope, is bred in an environment where students are inundated with negative outlooks and reminders of limited resources or even criticisms of education and hope for the future. Our schools are becoming flooded with more and more students who face financial hardships in their homes.  According to dosomething.org, in 2011, there were as many as 46.2 million Americans living in poverty (1 person earning less than $23,021 per year). The children who live in this environment are 1.3 times more likely to have learning and developmental delays. They are often two years behind by 4th grade.

According to Eric Jensen (May 2013), we know students from low income families are less likely to engage in school.  Lack of effort or being unmotivated is often a lack of hope and is fostered by a give up attitude that they may be immersed in each day.  Living in poverty is difficult and the stress of the environment may spill over as a lack of optimism.  This lack of hope leads to a fixed mindset, a feeling that “it is not worth the effort.” This can be perceived as “lazy” by teachers. In actuality, it is a lack of belief that has occurred repeatedly and has become a mindset habit.

Connecting these thoughts with brain research, there IS HOPE!  Within the last few years, we have come to understand that the brain is not a fixed entity much like a machine. Our brain is constantly changing based on our actions and thoughts.  The concept of our brain being able to change constantly is called neuroplasticity.  Plasticity is how our brain learns new information and how to do new activities. Our students need to know that their brain can change and is malleable. They can’t do it yet!! Practice, effort, trying new strategies helps students move from can’t to can.

For example, when you are learning a new motor task, you utilize two sections of the brain called the SMA (Supplementary Motor Area) and the M1 (Primary Motor Area) which work together almost like a highway.  When you repeat the motor task and increase the blood flow to this area of the brain, you are also rousing impulses and sprouting axons and dendrites.  We know when you are creating dendrites, you are learning.  When we use this “highway” repetitively, we are creating a strong pathway and this makes the task much easier. Think about learning how to play the guitar. When you begin, the pathway is weak but with repetitive practice, the skill of playing the guitar becomes more fluent and quick.

With the same idea above, we can change a child’s fixed mindset to one of growth and hope. A person with a growth mindset believes they can work hard, practice and improve or get better. It is not just that you practice and you learn but that trying harder and trying new strategies can help you succeed not only at the task at hand but in the future.

charact

We need to teach our students the concept of neuroplasticity and that our brains are always changing and their actions can increase their abilities. Work to increase a positive attitude by always praising effort and an increase in choices that show the student is trying.  A mindset is not changed easily but with repetitive positive words that affirm effort will help to increase a student’s motivation.

When we can get a child to try—we have increased our chances to meet the goal. I am not encouraging empty praise but an increase in explicitly guiding students in what steps they can take to improve or succeed. With repetitive reinforcement that quitting is NOT an option but that there is HOPE for success—it just takes effort which brings GROWTH.

state

**There are tons of Growth Mindset resources available online. If you want to learn more or for me to help you find something–just ask!

 

Resources that inspired or were cited in this Blog:

Article (2014) by Margie Meacham entitled, “The Growth Mindset Starts in the Brain”:  https://www.td.org/Publications/Blogs/Science-of-Learning-Blog/2014/09/The-Growth-Mindset-Starts-in-the-Brain

Statistics from dosomething.org

Article (2013) by Eric Jensen enttitled, “How Poverty Affects Classroom Engagement.” Accessed on July 28, 2016.

Video from Sheridan College accessed on July 30, 2016:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vo-rcVMgbI

 

 

 

Learning and Self-Confidence

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I have been inspired this week by watching students at Summer School who have become completely different learners. No they have not magically jumped to proficient according to Reading 3D or state standards BUT they are excited, engaged and becoming more confident. My research this week has been on how self-confidence affects learning.

Self-esteem or confidence actually resides in the frontostriatal section of the brain which is located between the ventrial striatum and the prefrontal cortex (Decision making, personality and social parts of brain) according to Anna Almendrala (2014).   The venrial striatum is associated with feelings of motivation and reward.  Studies have shown that with continual positive or negative statements and emotions an increase or decrease can occur in the activity of this pathway of the brain. Therefore this affects the person’s self-esteem.

According to Susana Martinez-Conde from Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, our brain “makes use of two types of knowledge everyday:  explicit knowledge (the “know what” type) and implicit knowledge (the “know how”).   She uses the example of explicit knowledge is knowing your math facts which is something concrete but implicit knowledge is riding a bike which is something you know how to do. Implicit knowledge is not as easy to explain to someone because it uses many functions and actions to complete the action—you know how to do it.

Self-confidence is an element added to these two types of knowledge which affects our ability to share or retrieve this knowledge based on what she calls real memories or fake (subconscious).  Our subconscious (fake memories) actually is the foundation for how our own confidence is ascertained.  Our subconscious is much like a “recorder” because it is taking information from all of our senses and recording impressions.  Our subconscious is different from other information taken in from our brain which is manipulated, organized and utilized in a purposeful way.  The information from our subconscious is simply brought in and impressions recorded. When we are engaged in certain activities, these impressions will cause anxiety or enjoyment or lack of confidence based on previous information gathered by our subconscious.

Powerful Information!!  Think about a student from a home where literacy is not celebrated. This could be for various reasons; parents uncomfortable reading, lack or unstructured time, unstable environment.  The events are not necessarily remembered but an overall impression is being created in the brain as the subconscious records the events. These recordings are creating negative feelings that will be associated with literacy. In contrast, our children who grow up in literacy rich homes feel comfortable with reading and more willing to try because the subconscious has recorded positive attributes with the event.

This immediately made me think of this quote from Ghandi.

Ghandi

The implications I have gathered through my research is that most likely our lowest performing students have developed a negative feeling or impression of the topic in which they struggle.  When a negative thought is repeated many times it is actually being “recorded” and causes stress when the child engages in this activity. For example, speaking publicly is very difficult for me because I lack confidence in that area and I have over the years developed negative feelings about being in that situation.  To combat this low self-confidence or negative feeling in our students, we must replace the negative connotation with positive repeatedly.

Positive affirmation can simply be a smile!  Smiling, positive feedback, encouraging words and simply being patient can help a child begin to “record” positive subconscious thoughts as they engage in the activity such as reading.  The more positive and comfortable the student feels, the more likely they are to try harder and build higher self-confidence.  For students who are extremely shut down, a tangible reward paired with positive feedback can begin to create the connection between the task and a good experience.

Positive feedback and sometimes a tangible trip to the prize box will activate the venrial striatum (home of reward and motivation) which connects to the frontostriatal (home of self-confidence).  When these two sections of the brain work together, you are increasing both self-confidence and motivation which increases the engagement and openness to learn.

It is powerful to think that we can help change a person’s self-confidence and motivation. How often as teachers do we hear, “I can take a horse to water but I can’t make them drink.”  I do not believe that old adage is true. With repetitive positive affirmation and helping a student feel success we can improve their motivation to try. This in turn will begin to build self-confidence.  These factors together can increase the change of learning because the child becomes open to receive the information. We may not be able to “make them drink” but we can certainly motivate them to want to try!

For a related article, check out my April Blog entitled, “Too Much Stress= Impeded learning.”  It explains how the brain reacts to stress and how it affects learning. In today’s blog it shared how confidence affects learning and how the subconscious can put learners in a state of stress. The April article focuses on how the brain reacts to high amounts of stress. In a state of continual stress, the brain will respond by short circuiting that pathway and stop impulses. This results in the lack of input and messaging in the brain which makes it short circuit that pathway and stops learning. In addition, a constant state of stress causes inability to stay on task, inattention, and lack of self control. (Poor behavior–sound familiar??)

https://thiskelly.edublogs.org/2016/04/15/too-much-stress-impeded-learning/ ‎

 

Articles that were cited and helped inspire this Blog:

Article by Anna Almendrala for Huffington Post:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/16/self-esteem-brain_n_5500501.html accessed on July 20, 2016.

Article by Susana Martinez-Conde and Richard J. Haier on June 2008 entitled Ask the Brains: What are ideas? Does confidence Affect Performance.  Accessed on July 22, 2016:  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/what-are-ideas/

Quote from values.com

 

 

 

Literature to Build Sense of Self

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In a recent conversation, a person was relaying their perception of the qualities that I possessed and those that I lacked or needed to work on. During this conversation, I found myself hearing the conversation as if I was hovering above and viewing it as a movie.  I call these moments “cinematic brain epiphanies” which basically means my brain has to switch to another perspective for me to actually grasp the event happening. This conversation was so disconnected to my own belief of self.  Was she talking about me? Is this how people see me?

This left me with the following question to ponder:  Is our self-concept built on what we see through the looking glass and know about ourselves or is it found in the reflection we see from the eyes of another?

Our self concept is made up of the beliefs we hold for ourselves which is filtered through the view of others.  Since we cannot be a fly on the wall and truly determine what others think of us, we use their words, body language, actions, etc to determine a belief system based on what we think others believe which is called meta-perspective.  

What makes our sense of self so different at times from what others believe?  Others determine a judgment from both visible and invisible traits that they perceive.  R.D. Laing (2008) states, “A direct perspective is taken when you observe and interpret another’s behavior while a meta-perspective occurs when you try and, Infer another’s perceptions or understand their experience.”  Our outlook and self-concept is constantly being shaped by how others treat and react to interactions with us. It is shaped by how we both perceive and respond to these perceptions.  When two perspectives are disconnected it leads to a  feeling of misunderstanding and a lack of interpersonal connection.

Both our own self-concept and meta-perspective are  shaped by two elements:  visible and invisible self.  When our students peer through the looking glass they are showing others their visible self. Their appearance, their actions, language, etc. help to share how they feel about themselves and the “visible self” they show others.  What we forget to remind our students is that others are interpreting their actions and equating these with character traits or emotions. For example, you do not speak up when you talk which can be interpreted by some as shy, disinterested or disrespectful. All three different interpretations of the same action. What we show others is the data they use to interpret who we are. Our actions and words should speak louder than our visible self and ensure it is the self we want others to see. A lack of self confidence or self-concept can skew our behaviors around someone and therefore affect their perception of us.

My original question:  Is our self-concept built on what we see through the looking glass and know about ourselves or is it found in the reflection we see from the eyes of another?  Both.  Our self concept is built by what we see every day but also what we project to others.  We must develop a true sense of who we are looking at in the mirror but also our words, actions, gestures, body language, etc. should show the world who we are as well.  

My “epiphany” was that I had not allowed this person to see who I was because I did not reflect it.  As you plan for the new school year, begin to explore resources and ideas to help students develop a positive sense of themselves AND to learn that their invisible self is shown through the visible.  Choose literature with strong and interesting characters that show students how actions, dialogue, thoughts and feelings make direct connections to character traits.  By our students making this connection, they can develop a stronger sense of who they are and make connections that how they act and do is creating their self image, meta-perception AND character.

A few Resources:

From: www.youngteacherlove.blogspot.com

inferring

Character Trait List:

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson175/traits.pdf

 

Book List to teacher Character Traits:

http://www.humbleisd.net/cms/lib2/TX01001414/Centricity/Domain/1486/Character%20traits%20Suggested%20Book%20Lists.pdf

 

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