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Week 1 Instructional Support for Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Day1—Comprehension

Day2—Vocabulary Day3—Fluency

Day4—Writing

Day5—LiteratureCircles

Jamestown Reading Navigator Week 1 Instructional Support for Miami-Dade County Public Schools

Contents

� To the Teacher � Day 1: Reading Comprehension

o Day 1 Lesson Plan o Sample Selection “Delicious Accidents” o Sample Selection K-W-L Chart o Sample Selection Assessment o Comprehension Strategies and Grouping Considerations o Student Reading Tip: Questioning to Monitor Comprehension

� Day 2: Vocabulary o Day 2 Lesson Plan o Vocabulary Word Card Template o Enriching Vocabulary Introduction and Activities o Vocabulary Strategies and Grouping Considerations o Graphic Organizers

� Day 3: Fluency o Day 3 Lesson Plan o Student Guidelines for Fluency—Trek 1 o Student Guidelines for Fluency—Treks 2–4 o Fluency Assessment Guidelines for Teachers—Trek 1 o Fluency Assessment Guidelines for Teachers—Treks 2–4 o Fluency Strategies and Grouping Considerations

� Day 4: Writing o Day 4 Lesson Plan o Student Guidelines for Writing—Trek 1 o Student Guidelines for Writing—Treks 2–4 o Writing Assessment Guidelines for Teachers—Trek 1 o Writing Assessment Guidelines for Teachers—Treks 2–4 o Writing Strategies and Grouping Considerations

� Day 5: Literature Circles o Day 5 Lesson Plan o Literature Circle Roles and Responsibilities o Literature Circle Discussion Questions

Jamestown Reading Navigator Week 1 Instructional Support

To the Teacher Week 1 Instructional Support includes instruction and activities for teachers and students that introduces the four key reading features covered in Jamestown Reading Navigator:

reading comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and writing. During the course of the first week of instruction, you will introduce, model, and teach each of these features, and conduct Literature Circles. Each of these features can be taught using the selection provided, “Delicious Accidents,” or can be adapted to a selection of your choosing from the inClass Reader anthologies or from the inTIME magazines. Please note that the resources provided in these instructional materials are taken from existing JRN materials, so page numbers do not appear in order. Teachers can pick and chose from these activities to familiarize students with some of the features they’ll find in JRN. These documents are available in their entirety in the JRN print materials or in the Downloads section on the teacher home page of the online Learner Management System. Day 1—Reading Comprehension

Day 1 Lesson Plan presents reading comprehension strategies that are practiced using the selection “Delicious Accidents.” Previewing, monitoring comprehension, and reviewing strategies help students improve their understanding and retention of the material. Day 2—Vocabulary

Day 2 Lesson Plan focuses on teaching students to learn vocabulary actively by participating in taking notes and reviewing a word in many contexts. The lesson teaches vocabulary from the sample selection. Teachers assign students to mixed-ability groups or pairs for the activity. Additional resources offer concise explanations of vocabulary pedagogy followed by more vocabulary activity ideas and graphic organizers for the class as a whole, in small groups, or as individuals. Day 3—Fluency

Day 3 Lesson Plan teaches proper fluency techniques including accuracy, rate, phrasing, smoothness, and expression using the selection “Delicious Accidents.” Demonstrations of fluency techniques, choral readings from the selection, and group readings help the students become more comfortable with reading aloud well. Day 4—Writing

Day 4 Lesson Plan presents students with a writing assignment based on “Delicious Accidents.” The students are instructed to write an essay about their favorite food by first prewriting (brainstorming) about their essay topic, then writing a rough draft, which is then revised and edited. Day 5—Literature Circles

Day 5 Lesson Plan prompts teachers to form student-led literature circles in which students collaborate to answer discussion questions based on the selection “Delicious Accidents” and related to the Guiding Question, “When is Change Good?”

Day 1—Comprehension

Introduction

Explain to students that it is important that they understand what they read. There are many ways that they can check and improve their understanding. These activities will show them a few strategies that they can use. Activity

Before Reading

Tell students that in Jamestown Reading Navigator, they will preview selections before reading them. Create a transparency from the K-W-L chart for “Delicious Accidents,” or draw the chart on the board. Tell students that K-W-L charts are one way to preview a selection. Explain how the chart works, then guide the class as they fill in the first two columns of the chart. Tell students that they will complete the last column when they have finished reading the selection. During Reading

Hand out copies of the selection, “Delicious Accidents.” Tell students that they will be reading the selection and that they should monitor their comprehension as they read. Share with students one or more monitoring comprehension strategies. (See “Questioning to Monitor Comprehension” and “Comprehension Strategies and Grouping Considerations.”) You may choose to use the Monitoring Comprehension Questions for “Delicious Accidents” and have students answer the questions as they read. After Reading

When students have finished reading, explain that they should review what they read to make sure they understand and remember the selection. Have the class review the selection by completing the third column in the K-W-L chart. Finally, tell students that in Jamestown Reading Navigator, their understanding of each selection will be assessed. After they finish each selection, they will take a short quiz. Assess students’ understanding of “Delicious Accidents” by giving the Selection Assessment.

Delicious Accidents

“Name the greatest of all inventors,” American writer Mark Twain asked. “Accident,” he answered. Twain knew that some of our greatest inventions were made by mistake. Much of the food we eat comes from years of hard work and planning, but some was created by accident. Here are stories of some delicious accidents.

In 1905 an 11-year-old boy named Frank Epperson decided to mix a fruit drink. He stirred the drink with a stick and left the stick in the glass. Then he put the glass on the porch and forgot about it. That night it got very cold outside. Frank’s drink froze to the stick. The next morning, he tasted the frozen drink. It was good! As an adult, Frank remembered his “frozen drink on a stick.” He started making the ice pops in many flavors and selling them. He called them “Eppsicles,” but we call them “Popsicles.”

In 1904 many people went to the World’s Fair in St. Louis, Missouri. Here people ate their first ice cream cone. This new treat was easy to eat. People could carry it as they walked around the fair. Who thought of putting ice cream inside a cone? Many sellers at the fair said it was their idea. But credit goes to Ernest Hamwi, a man from Syria. He was at the fair selling a thin, crispy Syrian waffle called zalabia. He didn’t have many customers. Next to him, a boy was selling ice cream. He was doing very well. He was selling so much ice cream that he ran out of bowls. Mr. Hamwi thought of rolling one of his waffles into a cone and putting the ice cream inside. That was the beginning of the ice cream cone.

Potato chips were also invented by accident. In 1853 a cook named George Crum was preparing potatoes. He worked at a restaurant in Saratoga, New York. Mr. Crum cooked an order of fried potatoes for a customer. The man was very picky. He sent the potatoes back to the kitchen. He thought they were too thick and they were not fried enough. George Crum was annoyed. He cut the potatoes again, this time thinner. Again, the customer sent them back. This made George mad. He cut the potatoes as thin as paper. He fried them for a long time and added lots of salt. He knew the man would not be able to eat them with a fork. In those days, it was not polite to pick up food with your fingers at a restaurant. George waited for the potatoes to be sent back again.

But that did not happen. The customer loved the crispy potatoes. He wanted more, cooked the same way. Soon other people at the restaurant wanted the thin, crispy potatoes too. The potatoes made the restaurant famous. At first the potatoes were called Saratoga chips. They were named after the city where the restaurant was located. After a while, someone invented a way to put the potato chips in a bag to keep them fresh.

Potato chips are the number one snack sold in the U.S., but pretzels come a close second. Soft pretzels, the kind you get at the mall or at a fair, were invented hundreds of years ago. A monk in Europe was baking bread. He took

some leftover dough, rolled it into a rope, and then shaped it. In those days, people prayed with their hands crossed over their chests. The monk shaped the dough to look like these praying hands. He baked the dough. The monk named his new bread pretiola, which means “little reward” in Latin. The soft bread was given as a reward to children who were good in school.

But how did the soft pretzel become the hard, salty snack we find in bags today? It happened in Pennsylvania in the 1600s. At that time, a baker’s helper fell asleep while watching the soft pretzels bake in the oven. When he woke up, the oven had cooled and the pretzels were still inside it. When the head baker came in, he was mad. His pretzels were ruined. He wouldn’t be able to sell them and he would have to throw them out. As he was putting them in the garbage, he thought to taste a pretzel. He liked it! It was hard and crunchy, but it was good. He also found that the hard pretzels lasted longer than soft ones, and that was good for business.

Corn flakes were invented in a similar way. In 1894 Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother, Will Keith Kellogg, worked at a hospital. They were looking for a good food for the patients. One day they left some boiled wheat sitting out, and it went stale. They thought about throwing it out, but they didn’t want it to go to waste. They went put the stale wheat through rollers. They wanted to make a sheet of thin dough. This did not happen. They got little flakes instead. Dr. Kellogg toasted the flakes and found that they tasted great. When they added corn to the flakes, the Kelloggs found that the flakes tasted even better. The patients loved the flakes too. Before long, everyone wanted the Kellogg brothers’ cereal for breakfast. In 1906 Will Keith Kellogg started the Battle Creek Toasted Corn Flakes Company, which was later named the Kellogg Company. Today Kellogg’s makes all kinds of breakfast foods.

Chocolate chip cookies are another delicious accidental creation. In the 1930s, a woman named Ruth Wakefield ran an inn called the Toll House Inn. Mrs. Wakefield was famous for her sweets. One day she wanted to make chocolate butter cookies, but she did not have the baker’s chocolate she needed for the recipe. So she took a chocolate bar, broke it into small bits, and mixed it into the dough. She thought the chocolate would melt and she would get chocolate cookies. But when she took the cookies out from the oven, the chocolate had not melted. The chocolate chips held their shape. This mistake turned out to be the most popular cookie of all time. The cookies were so good that Ruth Wakefield sent the recipe to many newspapers. People bought lots of bars of the chocolate used in the recipe. In 1939 someone started selling chocolate chips in a bag, with Mrs. Wakefield’s recipe printed on the back.

Many of our cooking errors taste bad. But ice cream cones, potato chips, pretzels, corn flakes, and chocolate chip cookies are some of the most delicious cooking mistakes ever.

K

What do you know about how foods were invented? W What do you want

to know about how foods were invented? L What did you learn

about how foods were invented?

Delicious AccidentsMonitoring Comprehension Questions

Directions: Check the correct answer to each question.

Were all inventions made on purpose? Yes No

Was the ice cream cone invented at a baseball game? Yes No

Are potato chips the number one snack in America? Yes No

Were soft pretzels invented before hard pretzels? Yes No

Were corn flakes made for people in a hospital? Yes No

Was Ms. Wakefield famous for her sandwiches? Yes No

Delicious AccidentsSelection Assessment

Directions: Read each question. Use what you remember from the selection to choose the correct answer. Write your answer on the line provided.

1. A person who creates an invention is called an A. accident. B. intention. C. inventor. D. investor.

2. What means the opposite of the word accident? A. hard work and planning B. disaster C. bad luck D. unexpected event

3. What was the “frozen drink on a stick” first called? A. Fruitsicles B. Eppsicles C. Popsicles D. Frozen Drink on a Stick

4. Mr. Hamwi didn’t have many customers, so he A. wasn’t selling many waffles. B. wasn’t making enough waffles. C. was selling too many waffles. D. didn’t have enough bowls.

5. Why did the customer keep sending the potatoes back? A. He thought they were too cold. B. He thought they were too thick and soft. C. They were not what he ordered. D. He thought they were too salty.

6. Why were potato chips first called Saratoga chips? A. The Latin word for potato is Saratoga. B. The cook’s last name was Saratoga. C. The customer’s last name was Saratoga. D. The restaurant was in Saratoga, New York.

7. Where does the word pretzel come from?

A. rom pretiola, which means “flat bread” B. from pretiola, which means “salty snack” C. from pretiola, which means “little reward” D. from pretiola, which means “praying hands”

8. What did the Kellogg brothers do with the boiled wheat that went stale? A. They boiled it again. B. They threw it out. C. They gave it to the patients. D. They made flakes out of it.

9. What creation was Mrs. Wakefield trying to make? A. chocolate butter cookies B. chocolate chip cookies. C. baker’s chocolate D. chocolate chips

10. What is another word for error? A. food B. taste C. mistake D. awful

Delicious AccidentsAssessment Answer Key

Monitoring Comprehension

Were all inventions made on purpose? Yes √ No

Was the ice cream cone invented at a baseball game? Yes √ No

Are potato chips the number one snack in America? √ Yes No

Were soft pretzels invented before hard pretzels? √ Yes No

Were corn flakes made for people in a hospital? √ Yes No

Was Ms. Wakefield famous for her sandwiches? Yes √ No

Selection Assessment

1. C 2. A 3. B 4. A 5. B 6. D 7. C 8. D 9. A10. C

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Chapter 3Comprehension Strategies and Grouping Considerations

Many struggling readers do not know how the

comprehension process works. As indicated in Reading

Next (Biancarosa & Snow, 2004), “Comprehension

instruction explicitly gives students strategies that

aid them in comprehending a wide variety of texts.”

Think Aloud and Question-Answer Relationship

are two strategies for improving struggling readers’

comprehension of text that are readily adaptable for

flexible grouping.

Think AloudThink Alouds help students understand the kind of

thinking that is required for tasks encountered while

reading. The teacher makes his or her own thoughts

public while reading aloud. This strategy can be used

to demonstrate active reading or to model one or more

specific reading skills. By modeling comprehension

thinking many times during the school year, teachers

offer readers multiple opportunities to observe strategic

reading processes.

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Focus Lesson: Teacher Modeling1. Select a short piece of text to demonstrate

the Think Aloud strategy. Read the text and mark the places where you want to stop and think aloud. Write your thoughts next to these “bookmarks.”

2. Let students know what you’ll be doing. Explain why they’ll need to read and listen.

3. Read the selected text aloud, stopping at your “bookmarks” to verbalize what you’re thinking and thus to make sense of the reading. Be explicit. Demonstrate how good readers question, predict, summarize, review, infer, make connections, and use context clues to help themselves understand unfamiliar vocabulary.

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The following is an example of a Think Aloud.

Excerpt from “Not Asian Enough?”,an online magazine article by Beini Shi (Trek 2 inClass Reader)

Think Aloud (what a teacher might say)

My English improved. And my mother kept telling me to speak Chinese so that I wouldn’t forget any more of the language. She wanted me to be able to speak to my grandparents on the phone when we called. She was worried that I might lose my Chinese roots. (STOP and Think Aloud.) But speaking English was easier than speaking Chinese, since I was hearing it more and more. Also, I spent a good amount of time with my friends at their houses, where everything was pure American. It was once we moved to Los Angeles in 1996 that my story changed. No longer was I the new, quiet Chinese girl who couldn’t say more than a sentence in English. Now I was the new Chinese girl who turned out to be not Asian enough (STOP and Think Aloud.) for some of her Asian classmates.

Why would her mom be worried that she would lose her roots? Won’t she always have come from China? What’s wrong with gaining a second culture?

Here is the title again. What does it mean to be “not Asian enough”? I wonder what it is that bothers the other Asian students.

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Guided Practice Lead students through the following task to increase

their understanding of a Think Aloud. Have students

mark the places in the text where the teacher “thought

aloud” by using sticky notes or two-column notes. Ask

students to discuss the following questions for each time

the teacher stopped to think aloud.1. Why did the teacher stop at this point in the

reading selection?• What were his or her thoughts?• What was he or she trying to

demonstrate how to do?2. How would you work out the same thing?

Collaborative Learning Students can work with a partner or in a small group

to practice a Think Aloud in order to clarify their

understanding of the selection. Have students choose an

inClass Reader selection and take turns thinking aloud as

they read. This gives students an opportunity to connect

language, literacy, and higher-order thinking skills.

Grouping ConsiderationsHere are several suggestions for grouping students to

practice the Think Aloud strategy.

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Homogeneous Reading Levels Students who are

working at the same trek level can practice thinking

aloud together. Ask students to read two pages silently.

After every two paragraphs, have students stop and write

down what they have been thinking about during the

reading of the selection so far. Alternatively, ask them to

write down a question they have about the selection or a

question they would like to ask the author. This prompts

students to monitor their own thought processes during

reading. Have students share their thoughts or questions

so that they can learn what others were thinking about

during the sections of the selection.

Student Choices Another grouping suggestion for

Think Alouds is to allow students to choose a role to

play as they read. Have students work in groups of five.

All students have a role to play from the list below. All

students read one or two paragraphs silently, keeping

their role in mind. When all members have read the

paragraphs silently, one person volunteers to read the

same one or two paragraphs aloud. Then each person in

the group comments on what they were thinking about

based on the role they had while reading.

• Summarizer Restates what occurred in the text to be sure that is what the other group members understood also.

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• Connector Explains what associations he or she made to the text.

• DiscussionLeader Asks questions about the text to measure members’ comprehension of it.

• Evaluator Shares what he or she thought about what was stated in the text and explains his or her feelings about it.

• Predictor Predicts what the author might write about in the upcoming paragraphs and explains why he or she thinks this will happen.

Small-Group Experts In this grouping model,

students are assigned a role from those indicated above

but assemble in “role groups.” In other words, all

students assigned to the same role will meet together.

Group members follow the reading procedure described

above and discuss responses based on their shared role.

Group members then return to their “home group.” The

home group consists of students with different “expert”

roles who come back together for a discussion that

includes summarizing, making connections, discussing

questions, evaluating text, and making predictions.

Question-Answer RelationshipTeachers use questioning to assess comprehension

more often than any other method. Struggling readers,

however, are often puzzled as to where to locate answers

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to reading questions. Readers who rely only on the text

often can’t find answers that require additional sources

of information, while readers who rely on memory rarely

return to the text. QAR (Question-Answer Relationship)

is a reading strategy that teaches students to categorize

comprehension questions based on where the answer is

most likely to be found.

QAR is based on three categories of question

classification described by Pearson and Johnson (1978):

text explicit (answer is directly quoted in the book), text

implicit (answer must be inferred from several passages

in the book), and script implicit (answer requires both

text and prior knowledge). Using QAR teaches students

the relationships between questions and answers so

that they can apply this framework and find answers

accurately and more efficiently (Fisher and Frey, 2004).

The QAR strategy highlights four types of questions:

Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, and

On Your Own (Raphael, 1982, 1984, 1986).

Focus Lesson: Teacher ModelingTeach students the four basic question-answer

relationships. Introduce QAR using a familiar text, such

as “The Three Little Pigs,” in order to model questions.

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Right There Questions• Answers to these questions are stated directly in

the text.• These questions generally include extended

phrases from the selection. • These questions often begin with the words

who, what, where, or when.

Example: What did the wolf do to the first little

pig’s house?

Think and Search Questions• More than one sentence from the text is needed

to answer these questions.• The answer is assembled by combining pieces of

information from the text.

Example: What did the three little pigs use to make

their houses?

Author and You Questions• The answer to these questions can’t be found in

the text.• The reader is required to synthesize information

from the text and make an evaluation.• Determining the correct answer requires the

reader to use logic from the text as well as his or her own logic.

Example: What is the moral of the story?

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On Your Own Questions• Readers are asked to form an opinion.• If the reader has enough background knowledge

of the topic, he or she may not even need to read the text.

• Student responses are usually tested in the form of a short-answer or essay question.

Example: If you were going to construct a house

to withstand strong winds, what types of building

materials would you use and why?

Guided PracticeHave students read “The Negro Leagues” from the Trek 2

inClass Reader. Provide students with the following

questions. Have students categorize each question as one

of the four basic QAR questions. Discuss the categories

of the questions. Then have students answer the

questions. Ask them how using the QAR strategy helps

them answer the questions.

1. Why did the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers think Jackie Robinson could endure the racism he would face? (Author and You question)

2. Who formed the Negro National League? (Right There question)

3. Describe a time when you or someone you know stood up for something or someone you

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believed in even though it was unpopular to do so. (On Your Own question)

4. What were the biggest changes in baseball from 1933 to 1948? (Think and Search question)

5. Why did the Dodgers sign Jackie Robinson to their farm club first instead of to their major league team? (Right There question)

6. Why was the Negro Leagues’ last game played in 1948? (Author and You question)

7. Why would there be a lack of available players during a time of war? (On Your Own question)

8. Who were some of the star players in the Negro Leagues? (Think and Search question)

Collaborative Learning Have students work in pairs or in groups to practice

categorizing questions based on QAR. Ask them to use

the margin questions from “The Negro Leagues” in the

Trek 2 inClass Reader. Have students talk about why they

placed a question in a particular category. Next, have the

groups write their own questions for each QAR category.

Finally, have each group swap its questions with another

group to see if the other group can categorize and

answer the questions correctly.


practice the QAR strategy.

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Student Choices Have students choose a partner

with whom they can categorize questions into the

various types. Provide each pair with a series of

questions on small cards or sticky notes. A chart labeled

with each question type should also be provided (see

page 30). Pairs can work together to place questions into

correct categories. Support English language learners

and less proficient readers by specifying which partner

will read the questions aloud. Make sure all students are

familiar with the text, and have copies available in the

classroom for student use. At the end of the task, choose

several groups to share their choices and explain their

thoughts.

Heterogeneous Reading Levels Students can

categorize types of questions in addition to answering

them. Give each group member an individual question

on a card. Tell students their task is to explain why a

question belongs in a particular category, where they will

go to look for the answer, and what the answer to the

question is. Support striving readers by giving them a

question they can answer. In other words, a student who

is struggling with Right There questions would probably

get frustrated trying to answer a Think and Search

question. And students with very little background

knowledge and low-level reading skills would probably

have difficulty answering On My Own questions.

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Question-Answer Relationship

Answers in the Book

Right There Think and Search

Answers in Your Brain

Author and You On Your Own

Jamestown Reading Navigator Student Reading Tips 12

Questioning to Monitor ComprehensionKeep in Mind: Questioning to monitor comprehension means asking yourself questions while you read to make sure you understand what you read. Here are some good questions to ask yourself as you read to help improve your understanding of the text.

• What is the author’s purpose for writing?• What is my purpose for reading?• Do I understand what I just read?• What does this mean?• Is this part important?• Is anything confusing or not clear to me?• What can I do to help me understand this?

If you find you are having trouble understanding what you read, try these strategies.• Stop reading when you come to a confusing part. Take time to figure it out.• Reread the passage slowly.• Look for context clues.• Think about what you already know about the topic.• Read ahead for information that may clarify the text.• Use sticky notes, index cards, or highlighters to record questions or highlight

the confusing part.• Ask a partner or the teacher if you can’t figure out the confusing part.

Keeping a reading journal can help you understand what you read. Create an entry for each book or article you read on your own. In each entry, write answers to the following questions.

• Did anything in the text remind you of an experience you have had?• Did you have a positive or negative reaction to something in the text?• What part of the text did you agree with? What part did you disagree with?• Which part of the text, if any, was confusing to you?

Day 2—Vocabulary Introduction

Explain that students will often see word cards in Jamestown Reading Navigator. Word cards give them the definition of a new vocabulary word. The card will also include other information such as a sample sentence, related or similar words, and everyday use. Say that you will create your own word card for vocabulary from “Delicious Accidents.” Create a transparency of the word card template or draw a similar card on the board. Show students how you fill out the card for the word credit, using its context from the selection to define it. (For example, Definition: recognition, praise given for something done. Sample Sentence: The credit for the best project went to the new student. Everyday Use: give someone credit for; Related Words: success, achievement, recognize.) Now explain to students that taking notes about a word will help them remember it. Think aloud that you will make a note in the “My Notes” section that relates the word to your life. (For example, the principal gave me credit for helping my students learn JRN.) Modification for English Language Learners

Some students may not yet be able to write lengthy notes. Explain that they can draw pictures on paper word cards. Model drawing a picture to help you recall the word credit. For example, draw a smiley face and explain that giving someone credit is recognizing something well done. Most people are happy to get credit for their work.

Activity

Say that you will create a new word card as the class. Write leftover on the transparency or the board. Ask the class to help you define it (part of something that was not used; something that remains), using context clues in “Delicious Accidents.” Allow a volunteer or ask the class to help you to write a sample sentence using the word. Together, think of related words (remaining, extra, unused) and everyday uses for the word (leftover cake, leftover lunch). Now prompt students to help you think of a note or picture related to the word, such as a big cake plate with half of a cake on it. Now explain that students will fill out their own word cards for vocabulary from “Delicious Accidents.” Write the following words on the board: accident, invention, customer, invented, creation, errors. Divide students into mixed-ability pairs or groups of 4. Assign each group an appropriate vocabulary word. Students can use photocopies of the word card template or mimic the card on their own paper. Students should work together to define the word using its context in “Delicious Accidents.” When groups are finished, have each group share their word, definition, sample sentence, everyday use, related words, and notes with the class. If time allows, try other activities from “Vocabulary Strategies and Grouping Considerations” to reinforce acquisition of the selection vocabulary words.

Jamestown Reading Navigator Word Card

Selection Title: Name:

Vocabulary Word: Definition in My Own Words: (based on how the word is used in the selection) Sample Sentence: Everyday Use: Related Words:

Make notes or draw a picture that will help you remember the word.

CONTINUUM CHART

Has never heard of the word

Has a general sense of the word

Can define the word

Can use the word in various contexts

Has a deep understanding of the word

Enriching Vocabulary Teacher Resource Guide 101

Enriching Vocabulary

Research FindingsThe explosion of vocabulary research has given teachers and students a fresh understanding of how best to learn new words. The practice of providing students with a list of words related to their area of study and instructing them to look up the words in a dictionary doesn’t square with what we now know about vocabulary study. How do students become accomplished learners of a rich vocabulary?

Vocabulary Study ● Focus on useful, higher-frequency

words rather than on a list of all words in a unit.

● Include many opportunities for dialogue and collaborative learning.

● Include multiple, meaningful use of words that extend beyond the classroom.

● Reinforce through related writing, reading, speaking, and listening.

● View acquisition as incremental, proceeding in a series of steps as a learner’s understanding of the word deepens.

● Target conceptual understanding of words rather than simple definitions.

● Include frequent reading of a wide variety of texts.

Teaching Strategies ● Expose students to words numerous

times and in various contexts for deep understanding.

● Connect new words to prior knowledge or background experiences.

● Utilize explicit and implicit practices.

● Include definitional as well as contextual practices.

● Incorporate pictures, artifacts, and associations when possible.

● Use practices that help students become independent word learners.

Why It’s ImportantThe research on vocabulary emphatically states its importance. Vocabulary knowledge is fundamental to reading comprehension and directly affects academic success. When students know words and the concepts underlying words, they have a better understanding of sentences, passages, and complete texts. Conversely, when students approach a text with a vague or nonexistent sense of the key vocabulary, their chances of attaining full comprehension are slim. Although this concept is easy to understand, teaching and learning vocabulary can be complicated.

Many words, especially content-area words such as gravity, capitalism, or loyalty that are deeply conceptual may have layers of meaning. Part of the difficulty in teaching vocabulary, then, is that students approach learning vocabulary words from various levels. The continuum chart below reflects a wide range of word knowledge for each student in a class as he or she encounters a new vocabulary word.

It is clear that vocabulary study is a far more complex task and a more critical component to successful reading than once believed. Acquiring vocabulary is especially crucial for English Language Learners or students who enter school without a strong vocabulary foundation already in place.

102 Jamestown Reading Navigator

How to Teach ItBefore Reading Because new vocabulary words must be used repeatedly for students to internalize meaning, it is important to address vocabulary before students begin reading. Allow students who are reading the same text to collaborate in small groups. Pronounce new words for students and have them repeat the words to facilitate oral recognition. Then ask students to create a Continuum Chart (Graphic Organizer 9 in PDF) such as the one on the previous page for new vocabulary words and indicate their familiarity with each word. (Graphic Organizers are available as PDF files in the Downloads section of the Teacher Home page.) Allow time for students to discuss the words. Ask those who know a particular word to talk to others who do not know the word. If no student knows a word, explain the word’s meaning and provide several examples, such as pointing out that a tutor could be a coach, a teacher, or a friend who provides assistance in a learning task. Ask students to predict meanings and to confirm or revise their predictions after reading.

Point out connections between words, such as common prefixes, suffixes, roots, or words with similar meanings. If you or your students have any personal experiences related to the word, take time to share them. Sharing stories helps students create associations between words and their meanings. For example, tell students about a time you may have been a skeptic about something to help them understand the vocabulary word in Trek 3, Quest 7, Journey 26A. In the same journey, ask students to use the word entangled to describe a time they found themselves tangled up in something.

Ask students to find or draw pictures of key vocabulary, such as arrowhead in Trek 2, Quest 8, Journey 30A, to include on word charts.

These activities help scaffold instruction by previewing words and thus creating a hook for word meaning as students are introduced to new vocabulary in the text.

During Reading Ask your students what they do when they come to a word they don’t know. Chances are they will tell you that they skip it. Students become independent word learners by using an important tool that is always with them—metacognition. They must become metacognitively aware by thinking about their own process of reading. When applied to vocabulary, this process is known as “metalinguistic awareness.” Students who are conscious of words while reading and speaking develop wider vocabularies than students who do not pay attention to words. The “My Notes” feature of Jamestown Reading Navigator supports metalinguistic awareness by encouraging students to stop when they come to an unfamiliar word and to personalize and explore its meaning.

Use the following list of questions to help students develop metalinguistic awareness.

Metalinguistic Awareness● Do you stop when you come to an

unfamiliar word, or do you skip it and continue reading?

● Do you decide if an unfamiliar word is one that you need to know in order to understand what you are reading?

● Do you examine what you already know about a new word, such as its word parts, its similarity to another word, or its use in a sentence?

● Do you use context clues by looking at other words in the sentence or passage to help you understand the meaning of the new word?

● Do you look up the definition of a new word in the glossary or dictionary?

● Do you ask someone nearby what the word means so you can continue reading?

● Do you pay attention to the way others use words in conversation?

● Do you use a word journal or vocabulary log to record new words?


Students must understand which words are critical to the passage they are reading and develop their own strategies for unlocking meaning of important words. Once students become aware of how they develop vocabulary skills, they will be able to create their own list of ways to remember and use new words. Encourage students to become familiar with and to use the vocabulary strategies and graphic organizers on pages 105–108 to facilitate this process.

After Reading Although students may remember the meanings of new vocabulary words while reading, especially when words are hyperlinked to word cards online, as in Jamestown Reading Navigator, they must use the words repeatedly to ensure that the words will become a permanent part of their vocabulary. Each word that is added to a student’s vocabulary will increase his or her capacity for making connections to other words, thus building a stronger and wider vocabulary word bank. It is important to reinforce meanings of new vocabulary to ensure that definitions stick with the learner. One way to accomplish that is by encouraging students to use newly learned words in authentic and meaningful ways through supplemental reading, writing, research, or discussions related to the new words.

After reading, students should refer back to their continuum charts and mark words that they feel they still may not understand. Pair students for word discussions based on their responses and have them engage in projects that target important content-area words. For example, have students explore

the word erosion (Trek 2, Quest 7, Journey 28A) by posing the question: How would you stop erosion on a steep hillside during a heavy downpour? Students should research the topic, talk to their physical science teacher, or contact the local department of environmental protection to help them find an answer. Other students may explore the word perseverance (Trek 3, Quest 3, Journey 12B) by writing about a time they or someone they know demonstrated that characteristic.

The following are practices that reinforce vocabulary development after reading.

● Organize group discussions around words that are concept rich, such as self-defense, regulate, prophetic, or emancipation.

● Target multiple-meaning words, such as magnet; or words that are difficult to define, such as indecision; or words that have a range of meaning, such as catastrophe. Place the words on charts around the room. Have students add meanings or pictures to a word’s chart as their understanding of the word deepens.

● Designate a bulletin board for political cartoons, comic strips, quotes, or words cut from magazines or newspapers related to new vocabulary.

● Provide independent reading time. Suggest texts that support the concepts and subjects students just read. Encourage students to read more about words they find interesting or confusing.


Vocabulary Strategies Vocabulary strategies are tools that can be used for differentiated instruction and adapted to a variety of word study activities before, during, and after reading. It is important to use strategies flexibly to promote active and independent word learning based on individual students’ learning needs and styles.

Examples of vocabulary strategies include

● graphic organizers that prompt deep thinking about words that identify concepts

● experiences that enhance the meaning of words, such as class discussions or field trips

● content-area connections that build upon multiple meanings of words

● vocabulary learning logs, bookmarks, and other tools to help students keep new words

● opportunities for building background knowledge and making personal associations with words

Further ReadingBeck, I., McKeown, M., and Kucan, L. 2002.

Bring Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction. New York: Guilford Press.

Graves, M. 2006. The Vocabulary Book: Learning and Instruction. New York: Teachers College.

Nagy, W. 2004. Teaching Vocabulary to Improve Reading Comprehension. Urbana: National Council of Teachers of English.


Teaching Vocabulary with Graphic OrganizersVocabulary graphic organizers and concept maps help students understand word relationships by exploring concepts represented by new vocabulary words. Graphic Organizers are available as PDF files in the Downloads section of the Teacher Home page. Such graphic organizers can be adapted for a variety of purposes. Students can add columns, circles, boxes, lines, arrows, or other features to the organizers as needed.

Web Diagrams Web Diagrams (Graphic Organizer 1) are good for collaborative word learning as students work together to analyze a word’s characteristics. Customize this organizer by having students write a word in the center circle and asking them to investigate the word by using the outside circles to address categories that specifically apply to that word, such as examples, opposites, similarities, or characteristics.

What are examples

of it?

bleached socks

Where

would it be found?

a hospital room

What does it mean?

spotless

What is its opposite?

dirty or full of germs

What does it look like?

clean snow

Word

immaculate


Word SkeletonsWord Skeletons (Graphic Organizer 10) help students analyze a word by creating concrete examples to illustrate the word. This is especially good for words that refer to a specific event.

Venn Diagrams Venn Diagrams (Graphic Organizer 8) are used to help students compare and contrast words or ideas. This example shows how two similar words can be used in a single sentence.

interruption

What is it?

When might it happen?

Why might it happen?

It is a break in an action, event, or series of events.

During a thunderstorm there might be an interruption in a television show you are watching.

It might happen if a power line comes down during a storm and knocks out the electricity.

Word

trepidation

Definition: state of fear or alarm

vigilance

Definition: watchfulness or caution

If you think someone is breaking into your house, you

might feel trepidation and vigilance at the

same time.


Organized BrainstormingOrganization Charts (Graphic Organizer 11) broaden students’ understanding of a new word by activating prior knowledge. Have students brainstorm words or phrases related to the vocabulary word. Then have them choose the top six words or phrases most closely associated with the word. Encourage students to defend their decision to place a particular word or phrase among the top six. Allow students to group words according to categories under the targeted word, if appropriate.

Association Charts Association Charts (Graphic Organizer 12) are used to assist students in finding personal associations that will help them remember the meaning of a word. Remind students that associations can be found through personal experiences, world events, movies, music, TV shows, or other many kinds of text.

submarine helicopter automobile

water air ground

transportation

Association Chart

Word Definition Sentence Association

optimistic expecting the best outcome

I am optimistic that we will have a weekend with no homework.

Julie is an optimistic person. She always says something positive, no matter what happens to her.


Word Pyramids Word Pyramids (Graphic Organizer 13) are used to encourage students to find connections among related words by placing a key word at the top of the pyramid and finding other words that support the key word in some way. The important part of this activity is that students explain their word choices.

inquire

The police will inquire (ask questions) when they investigate the theft.

investigate

The police will investigate (examine,

study) the theft.

theft

evidence

The police will inquire to find evidence (facts, proof) about the crime.

implicate

The evidence will implicate the thief (show that he or she was involved).

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Chapter 4 Vocabulary Strategies and Grouping Considerations

Vocabulary knowledge is a key factor in reading

comprehension and academic success. However,

delivering sound vocabulary instruction can be

perplexing for teachers. Not only do secondary teachers

have to accommodate students with varying amounts of

word knowledge, but also they must consider what types

of words to teach—general, specialized, or technical—

when planning instruction (Vacca and Vacca, 1999).

General vocabulary is widely used in everyday

conversation and has generally agreed-upon meanings.

Words like attractive, charming, and delightful tend to

retain their meaning across contexts, and the use of

them signals that the subject being described is warmly

regarded. Specialized vocabulary is flexible and

transportable across the curriculum, involving multiple-

meaning words that are often confusing to striving

readers. Students are probably familiar with “trash” as a

meaning for the word junk, but they may be unfamiliar

with the more specialized meaning referring to a Chinese

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sailing ship. Technical vocabulary words are specific

to one field of study. Mitosis and meiosis in science and

circumference in math are examples.

It is important to make explicit vocabulary decisions

about the words that will be taught prior to reading

and vocabulary instruction. Teachers must make careful

choices when deciding what vocabulary words—as well

as the total number of words—to teach so that students

effectively learn and remember these words.

Prioritizing or categorizing words into one of three

tiers is a particularly effective strategy to use (Beck

& McKeown, 1985). Tiers range from the most basic

words (Tier 1) to those words necessary for passage

understanding (Tier 2) to words less frequently

encountered (Tier 3). Beck and her colleagues

recommend focusing on Tier 2 words, as these should

become a part of the student’s oral, written, and reading

language (Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002).

Blachowicz and Fisher (2000) identify four principles

for effective vocabulary instruction. They note that

students should• be actively involved in word learning;• make personal connections; • be immersed in vocabulary;

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• consolidate meaning through multiple sources of information.

Two strategies for effective vocabulary instruction and

flexible grouping include Word Collections and Think-

Pair-Share.

Word CollectionsCollecting words is a strategy that helps students gain a

deeper understanding of the nuances of words that have

the same or similar meanings (Herrell & Jordan, 2002). By

actively collecting words, students build a repertoire of

words and multiple meanings that will increase their

understanding of text they read now and in the future.

Word Cards created on index cards and kept in

index-card holders are a great way to organize word

collections. Word cards can be expanded to include

definitions, sample sentences, characteristics, everyday

use, synonyms, antonyms, examples, and nonexamples

of the vocabulary words as student knowledge increases.

English language learners will benefit from adding the

word and similar words in their own language to their

memory cues. All students can benefit from adding a

sign, symbol, or picture to their word cards as memory

cues to help with word meaning comprehension.

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Word Card

word

definition

sample sentence

characteristics

examples

nonexamples

everyday use

synonyms

antonyms

cognate

Data Gathering Word Charts help students collect new

words in a reading. Students seek the answers to guiding

questions before, during, and after reading. This exercise

helps students identify what they already know about

the word and what information they learned about the

word during and after reading. See the Data Gathering

Word Chart on the next page.

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Data Gathering Word Chart

Vocabulary Word List

Before-Reading Word Knowledge

During-/After-Reading Word Knowledge

1.

2.

3.

Guiding Questions for Before and During/After Reading

Associations:

~What do I already know about this word?

~ What examples can I give or what memories do I have of

this word?

Connections:

~Where might I see or hear this word?

~What jobs might be associated with this word?

~In what kind of book or magazine might I see this word?

~On what kind of TV show might I hear this word?

Predictions:

~What does this word remind me of by the way it sounds?

~ Are there any prefixes, suffixes, or root words to help me

understand its meaning?

~ As I look at the topic, what guess can I make about the

word’s meaning?

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Academic Usage Charts are another way to collect and

organize words. Words that have different definitions

in more than one content area can be placed in an

Academic Usage Chart. One way to organize this type

of chart is to list the word with sample sentences by

content area. See the example charts below.

Academic Usage Charts

Word Social Studies Math Other

area The Amazon Basin is a huge lowland area in Brazil.

The area of the rectangle was about 500 square feet.

Dr. Smith’s area of specialization is pediatrics.

Word Music Science Behavior

conduct Mary was invited to conduct the school’s orchestra.

Many metals conduct heat.

John’s good conduct in the classroom made his teacher happy.

A Shades of Meaning Continuum is another way to

organize words as word collections grow. Words are

ordered along a continuum to further define shades of

meaning. A Shades of Meaning Continuum can resemble

a timeline. For example, words associated with move

could be labeled under “more slowly” toward one end

more slowly more quickly

move

slither crawl saunter stroll march sprint

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of the continuum and under “more quickly” at the

other end. Students could be asked to order the words

slither, crawl, saunter, stroll, march, and sprint in terms of

speed. They would need to decide, for example, whether

it’s faster to saunter or to stroll. Having just the right

word available to them will help students appreciate

the subtlety of language and improve their descriptive

writing.

Shades of Meaning Continuum

Using visuals helps students understand shades of

meaning. Obtain paint samples from a local hardware

store in varying hues of different colors. For example,

blue color samples might include turquoise, azure,

sapphire, cobalt, and navy. The variations in tint from

light to dark serve as the perfect metaphor for shades of

meaning between and among similar words (Fisher, Brozo,

Frey, & Ivey, 2007).

Model shades of meaning by using concrete examples

of gradations in meaning. Using vocabulary words such

as dim, bright, glow, and glaring, engage students in a

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discussion around adding other similar words to the

collection. After a number of responses, let students

work in teams and make choices about a continuum of

terms such as angry, mad, livid, annoyed, irritated, furious,

enraged, and ballistic. To complete the task, have students

develop sentences or pictures using the terms and then

attach the paint samples.

Focus Lesson: Teacher Modeling1. Have students create word cards similar to those

in Jamestown Reading Navigator. Draw a rectangle on the board. Tell students that you have come across a word that is new to your vocabulary. Write jetty on the board.

2. Read the sentence in which the word first appears: “My old fear of slipping between the boards of the jetty and falling into the dark-green water came over me.” Explain that the sentence gives you some context clues: “The phrases slipping between the boards and falling into water help me know that a jetty is made of boards and is over water.” Write in the rectangle under jetty the phrase what it is: a structure made of boards that is over water. Explain that writing down what it is will help you remember the word jetty.

3. Next, draw a picture of a jetty on the word card. Tell students that this is another way to help you remember a word. Then add the following

39

memory-aid prompts in the rectangle: definition, sample sentence, what it isn’t, characteristics, examples, nonexamples, and cognate. Tell students that as you learn more about the word jetty, you will add more information to your word card.

Guided PracticeRepeat the process described in the focus lesson, but

have students choose a vocabulary word. Ask students to

help you fill in the memory-aid prompts on the card.

Collaborative Learning Word Cards, Data Gathering Word Charts, Academic

Usage Charts, and Shades of Meaning Continuums all

support the exploration of word meanings and ways of

using language more effectively. Students can work in

pairs or in small groups to create these word-collection

organizers.


practice Word Collections.

Reading Levels—Homogeneous or

Heterogeneous Students can work in pairs or in small

groups as they share their thinking and background

knowledge about the new words that are presented.

After reading, students can discuss newfound evidence

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to adjust their original thoughts about the words to how

they are used in the text.

Primary Language Levels Pairing a student lacking

English proficiency with a student who is more

advanced will develop the word meaning for both of

them through the use of pronunciation and discussion.

The more advanced student’s notes will look different

than those of the English learner, who should be

encouraged to use words from his or her first language

as well as signs, symbols, and pictures.

Strategies As students gain practice in using word

study to further their reading progress, tools such as the

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Shades of Meaning Continuum, the Academic Usage

Chart, and the Data Gathering Word Chart can be used

by students in groups, in pairs, or on their own.

Think-Pair-ShareEnglish language learners are often placed in mainstream

content-area classes while they are still working to

develop English proficiency. According to the Double the

Work report from the Alliance for Excellent Education

(Short & Fitzsimmons, 2007), these students are faced with

the necessity of doing double the work—learning a new

language while studying new core content in English at

the same time.

Think-Pair-Share is a structured opportunity for

peer-modeled cooperative discussion. There are three

stages of student action. In the THINK stage, the teacher

gives students a question or prompt and a short time to

think about it. Students then PAIR up to discuss their

responses. Finally, the pairs are asked to SHARE their

thinking with the rest of the class.

The purpose of Think-Pair-Share needs to be clear

to the students before they begin. A topic for student

thought might be to ask students, before they read

“Bringing the Wild Wolves Home” in the Trek 2 inClass

Reader, to think of all the words they associate with the

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topic of wolves. Or, before they read “September 11” in

the Trek 3 inClass Reader, ask students what they know

about the events on this day in U.S. history.

THINK Explain to students that they are going to

THINK for a few moments about a question or prompt. Tell students the question or prompt. Set a timer for 15–20 seconds. Tell students that this is their thinking time.

PAIR When the timer goes off, have each student

PAIR with another student to discuss their responses. Vary the time based on how much background knowledge you believe your students have about the question or prompt. Too much time makes students uneasy.

SHARE Ask pairs to SHARE their responses with the

whole class.

Collaborative LearningCore-content vocabulary presents special challenges

for students. As students are often asked to listen to

explanations, explain and justify their work, read and

respond to word problems, and read specialized text, it

is critical to set up collaborative tasks in the classroom

that will provide the opportunity for all students to

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develop a conceptual framework, practice skills, and

use academic language. Students will become more

proficient at using academic language as they spend

time actively engaged and working in groups or with

a partner. Students can work together to activate prior

knowledge, solve problems, explain their work to others,

and develop a deeper understanding of concepts.

To support English language learners, teachers should

make careful choices about who will speak first in each

group. This should be done in a very low-key manner:

“Tyler, in your group, I’d like you to speak first. Maria,

please do the same in your group.” Then the dialogue to

compare thoughts and ideas can begin. Less proficient

students will have heard their partner’s ideas and thus

will have something to build upon. Think-Pair-Share

requires talk to be successful. As students work together

to jointly construct understanding, their content

knowledge increases as well as their ability about how

to talk about it together, or “share.” Over time, wording

becomes more explicit, comprehension is clarified, and

dialogue moves toward written language. Writing is

another way of learning and “sharing.”

Grouping ConsiderationsHere are some suggestions for grouping students to

practice the Think-Pair-Share strategy.

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Skill Strengths and Skill Weaknesses Make sure

students get plenty of opportunities to build background

knowledge and vocabulary by adding “Pair Squared.”

This means simply that students work with one partner

as a pair for a period of time, and then they work with

another partner as a second pair. This increases students’

chances of hearing additional information. Pair Squared

is a way to bring students together who can benefit from

peer modeling, and who also need an opportunity to

try out and practice new knowledge. Begin by pairing

students who are weak in vocabulary with those who

are stronger. Have the more proficient student begin the

paired discussion. After the initial pair of students has

been given sufficient time to complete the talk or task,

change the partners and give the two striving students

a chance to work together. This will give them practice

time at their own level. It also will give their former

partners a chance to work together and extend their

knowledge, perhaps with an additional question

or prompt.

Heterogeneous Reading Levels Before reading,

assign pairs a task to help them predict what their

reading selection will be about. Give students several

key vocabulary words and pictures associated with the

topic, and let them predict what the topic might be.

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Use Think-Pair-Share as a discussion model. During

reading, ask students to stop periodically and add words

that they think are essential for explaining this topic or

retelling the information in the text. At the end of the

reading, have pairs work together to write 3–5 summary

sentences explaining or retelling the text content using

essential words from each group member’s list.

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Word Definition Sentence Association


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Title


Day 3—Fluency

Introduction Tell students that in Jamestown Reading Navigator they will learn how to read fluently—in a smooth and accurate manner. Read aloud the following sentence with no expression and in a monotone: Much of the food we eat comes from years of hard work and planning, but some was created by accident. Ask students what they did or did not like about how you read the sentence. Ask for suggestions on how you might read it better. Then reread the sentence with proper inflection, expression, and tone. Activity Explain to students that there are five main things that a reader can control that can affect fluency. Ask students to guess what these might be. Write them on the board as the students guess. When the students have finished guessing, complete the list as follows:

Accuracy—reading words correctly Rate—reading speed Phrasing—grouping words during reading Smoothness—reading without stumbling Expression—using rhythm and emphasis to show meaning Explain how each of these five aspects affects fluency by first describing the aspect, and then by reading the example sentence five times, each time distorting one of the fluency aspects. Tell students that you are going to read the first paragraph of the selection “Delicious Accidents” together. Read at an appropriate student pace. Once you have completed the first paragraph, ask students to read through the fluency aspects again and decide what they need to work on most. Then reread the first paragraph together. Once students have become familiar with the fluency aspects, separate them into groups of 3–4. Ask them to read the second paragraph of the selection together. Then instruct them to take turns reading the rest of the selection individually. Modifications for English Language Learners

ELL students or other beginning students should be instructed separately at this time, using only the example sentence above. Explain the meaning and pronunciation of any unfamiliar words, then lead choral readings of the sentence until you feel each student has made good progress. Then ask each student to read the sentence individually. If the students successfully get to this point, move on to the next sentence in the selection. Additional materials, “Fluency Strategies and Grouping Considerations,” teacher fluency evaluations for Treks 1–4, and student fluency rubrics for Treks 1–4, can be used to supplement instruction.

Jamestown Reading Navigator Student Guidelines for Reading Aloud

Score 1 Score 2 Score 3 Score 4

Knowing Words

Often I do not know words that I see.

I try to sound out the words I don’t know.

•

•

Sometimes I do not know words that I see.

I try to fix my mistakes.

•

•

I can read most words when I see them.

If I make a mistake, I fix it.

•

•

I can read words when I see them.

I don’t make many mistakes.

•

•

Speed of Reading

I read aloud very slowly.

• I read aloud slowly. I might read easy parts very quickly.

• I am not too slow. I am too fast sometimes.

• I am not too fast or too slow.

•

Reading Words in Groups

I read one word aloud at a time.

I often forget to pause at commas or periods.

•

•

I can read a few words together at a time.

I can forget to pause at commas or periods.

•

•

I group words as I read.

I mostly pause at commas and periods.

•

•

I group words as I read.

I use commas and periods to guide me.

•

•

Reading Smoothly

I often need to stop when I read.

I stumble over hard words.

•

•

I may need to stop at hard parts.

I can stumble over words.

•

•

I do not usually need to stop when I read.

Sometimes I stumble at a hard word.

•

•

Mostly I read without needing to stop.

I do not stumble over words.

•

•

Lively Reading

I read each word the same way.

• I read each word the same except for words before commas or periods.

• I read important words louder.

I read as if I am talking normally.

•

•

I read important words louder.

I read as if I am telling a story.

•

•

Student Guidelines for Reading Aloud

Trek 1

In Trek 1, you record yourself reading aloud. Your teacher listens to the recordings. What does your teacher listen for? This chart will help you understand. It will help you know how well you read aloud. It can help you set goals. Then you can work to read better.

Read each row. Give yourself a score of 1 to 4. Be honest. How did you do?

Jamestown Reading Navigator Student Guidelines for Reading Aloud


Accuracy reading words correctly

I have a hard time reading words that I see.

I try to sound the words out.

•

•

Sometimes it is hard for me to read words.

I try to fix my mistakes.

•

•

I can read most words when I see them.

If I make a mistake, I fix it.

•

•

I can read words when I see them.

I don’t make many mistakes. If I do, I fix it.

•

•

Ratereading speed

I read aloud very slowly.

I read the whole passage slowly.

•

•

I usually read aloud slowly.

I might read an easy part very quickly.

•

•

I mostly read at a good rate.

I’m not too slow. Sometimes I read too quickly.

•

•

I read at a good rate for the whole passage.

I’m not too fast or too slow.

•

•

Phrasinggrouping words during reading

I read aloud one word at a time.

I can forget to pause at commas or periods.

•

•

I read some words in groups.

I might forget to pause at commas or periods.

•

•

I group words together as I read.

I usually pause at commas and periods.

•

•

I group words together as I read.

I use commas and periods to guide me.

•

•

Smoothnessreading without stumbling

I often need to stop when I read.

I stumble over words I don’t know.

•

•

I may need to stop at hard parts.

I might stumble over words I don’t know.

•

•

I don’t usually stop when I read.

Sometimes I will stumble at a very hard word.

•

•

I read the whole passage evenly.

I rarely stumble over words.

•

•

Expressionusing rhythm and emphasis to show meaning

I read each word at one even volume.

Sometimes it sounds like one long sentence.

•

•

I read each word at one even volume.

I pause between sentences.

•

•

I don’t read each word in the same way. I stress important words.

I try to read as I talk normally.

•

•

I change my voice for different words. I stress important words.

I try to read as if I’m telling a story.

•

•

Student Guidelines for Reading Aloud Treks 2, 3, and 4

In Treks 2, 3, and 4, you often record yourself reading aloud. Your teacher listens to your recordings. What does your teacher listen for? This chart will help you understand what your teacher expects in a good recording.

Read each category. Give yourself a score of 1 to 4. Be honest. Set goals for yourself to improve any areas where you score less than 3. To find your total reading aloud score, add all of your scores together and divide that by 5.

No attempt. Attempts at decoding are unsuccessful.

Student reads word by word.

Word recognition is good.

Student reads expressively.

Name

Class

OVERALL SCORE

PERCENTAGE SCORE %

To enter the student’s fluency score in the Learner Management System, click Assign/Edit

Grades in Classes/Students on the Teacher Home page.

SCORE 1Poor

SCORE 2Fair

SCORE 3Good

SCORE 4Excellent

Oral Reading Assessment Guidelines—Trek 1This guide will help you evaluate students’ oral reading performance. In each of the five categories shown, score the student’s fluency recording using the scale of 0 to 4. Use a score of 0 only for missing or inappropriately submitted recordings. After evaluating the student in each category, average the scores and record an overall score in the Learner Management System.

Students in Trek 1 should be evaluated using the following holistic rubric:

SCORE 0

Oral Reading Assessment Guidelines—Trek Jamestown Reading Navigator

trek 1 oral.indd 1trek 1 oral.indd 1 1/26/07 11:30:27 AM1/26/07 11:30:27 AM


ACCURACY Word recognition is poor (below 85%); the reader attempts to decode but is usually unsuccessful.

Word recognition is marginal (86–90%); the reader often self-corrects but unsuccessfully.

Word recognition is good (91–95%); the reader often self-corrects successfully.

Word recognition is excellent (96% or above); self-corrections are necessarily few and usually successful.

RATE The reading rate is slow and laborious.

The reading rate is somewhat slow or inappropriately fast.

The reading rate is adequate but sometimes unevenly fast or slow.

The reading rate is consistently conversational and appropriate.

PHRASING The reader reads word-by-word in one tone, often not recognizing phrases, clauses, or ends of sentences.

The reader reads in groups of two or three words, often not recognizing phrases, clauses, or ends of sentences.

The reader has good expression but may pause in mid-sentence.

The reader reads expressively, showing understanding by recognizing phrases, clauses, and ends of sentences.

SMOOTHNESS The reader pauses, hesitates, and repeats words many times.

The reader pauses and hesitates when encountering challenging parts.

The reader encounters occasional breaks in reading due to specific words; the reading is generally smooth.

The reader encounters very few breaks; the reading is smooth and even.

PROSODY The reader ignores punctuation and reads each word with equal emphasis.

The reader pays attention to punctuation, but reads in a monotone.

The reader uses expression appropriately to facilitate meaning.

The reader appropriately employs expression to enhance the text, using intonation, rhythm, and vocal stress to clarify meaning.

Name

Class

OVERALL SCORE

PERCENTAGE SCORE %

To enter the student’s fluency score in the Learner Management System, click Assign/Edit


SCORE 1Poor

SCORE 2Fair

SCORE 3Good

SCORE 4Excellent

Oral Reading Assessment Guidelines This guide will help you evaluate students’ oral reading performance. In each of the five categories listed, score the student’s fluency recording, using the scale of 0 to 4. Use a score of 0 only for missing or inappropriately submitted recordings. After evaluating the student in each category, average the five scores and record an overall score in the LMS.

119_128 Prac Fluen.indd 126119_128 Prac Fluen.indd 126 1/26/07 5:34:41 AM1/26/07 5:34:41 AM

46

Chapter 5Fluency Strategies and Grouping Considerations

Fluency—the ability to decode and understand words,

sentences, and paragraphs in a smooth and accurate

manner—is a critical component of literacy (Fisher &

Frey, 2004). Automaticity, which is the ability to read for

meaning with no conscious attention to word structure,

allows students to focus on meaning rather than simply

on word recognition.

Fluent readers know how to chunk text into

appropriate phrases that preserve syntax and the author’s

purpose. They read smoothly, with little hesitation,

and are pleasing to listen to. Their reading is filled with

expression, and they have an intuitive sense—based on

meaning—of where to read with emphasis. Conversely,

disfluent readers, unaware that a word does not make

sense, don’t spontaneously self-correct reading errors.

They might read word by word, and they consequently

struggle with comprehension. They are often unaware

of punctuation and chunk phrases in a way that inhibits

meaning.

47

Teachers can provide engaging and motivational

strategies to help students become fluent readers.

Rereading has been shown to be an effective

instructional strategy for building fluency (Mastropieri,

Leinart, & Scruggs, 1999). Struggling readers are less likely

to engage in repeated readings of a piece of text, while

fluent adolescent readers understand that rereading is

an important comprehension tool—especially when

engaged in dense, content-area text. Repeated Reading

and Reader’s Theater are two strategies that effectively

instruct students in building fluency skills and that are

readily adaptable to flexible grouping.

Repeated ReadingAccording to the National Reading Panel, Repeated

Reading is the most effective strategy identified for

improving fluency. Repeated Reading is a fluency-

building strategy that consists of rereading a short,

meaningful passage several times (Samuels, 1979).

Students develop oral fluency on two levels: speed

and accuracy. When students can read fluently with

automaticity, they can focus their attention on extracting

meaning from the text. Repeated Reading offers students

lots of engaged reading practice, which is critical to

improving fluency and word recognition.

48

Focus Lesson: Teacher Modeling1. Choose a passage of text and model expressive

oral reading as the students read along silently. Having students follow along in the text (shared reading) offers them an opportunity to examine the grammar and mechanics of written language while listening to it being read aloud. Explain that the purpose of this task is for all students to practice their oral reading: seeing the words, saying them aloud, and listening to themselves.

2. Evaluate your oral reading in terms of fluency components such as accuracy, speed, phrasing, and smoothness.

3. Read the passage aloud again several more times.

Guided PracticeConsider using a familiar poem. Poetry generally has

built-in rhythm, and the written format lends itself to

natural phrasing boundaries. 1. Give students copies of the poem or display it

so it is large enough for the group to see. Model reading the poem aloud.

2. Next, have students read the poem aloud along with you. This is very supportive for students who are unsure of pronunciation and uncomfortable reading aloud. When all students and the teacher read as one voice, some students who initially just listen will feel comfortable joining in.

49

3. Read the poem together several more times. Depending on the group size, you may choose to assign alternate lines to read the poem in two voices.

4. Have students brainstorm positive comments when evaluating fluency by using the following fluency vocabulary. Spend some time practicing positive comments so that students will be able to evaluate fluency components. Consider putting these words and phrases (and others contributed by students) into a chart and displaying it in the classroom.

FLUENCY VOCABULARY

Collaborative Learning For the first Repeated Reading practice session, pair

students. Have them use the following tongue twisters.

This is especially effective for helping ELL students with

phonemic awareness by repeating a single sound or

sound combination.

quicker less pausing faster

reading rate more words right listen

phrasing just right speed

expression pauses make sense better

smoother fewer words repeated understand

50

A flea and a fly flew up in a flue.

Said the flea, “Let us fly!”

Said the fly, “Let us flee!”

So they flew through a flaw in the flue.

Sheila is selling her shop at the seashore,

For shops at the seashore are so sure to lose.

Now she’s not so sure of what she should be selling!

Should Sheila sell seashells or should she sell shoes?

Direct students to read the tongue twister, poem, or

other selection one time silently; then, taking turns, each

student should read it aloud at least twice. After each

student has completed the final read, he or she should

self-evaluate by making at least one comment about

what was done well and one comment about what needs

work or improvement. Then this student should receive

positive feedback from his or her partner. Jamestown

Reading Navigator’s Teacher Resource Guide contains

Oral Reading Assessment Guidelines to help students

give appropriate feedback in the categories of accuracy,

speed, phrasing, and smoothness.


practice the Repeated Reading strategy.

51

Reading Levels—Homogeneous or

Heterogeneous Consider pairing students who are

reading the same inClass Reader trek level. Let students

choose a 50- to 100-word passage they would like to

practice reading, and have them read to one another.

Students can also be paired with a partner who is

reading at a slightly higher reading level for better

modeling and feedback. Working in pairs promotes

cooperation and social skills. Varying partners over

the school year will help strengthen the community

of learners in your classroom.

52

Oral Language Levels Students developing English

proficiency can participate at varying levels depending

on their skills. Ask proficient students to act as fluent

reading models so that language learners have lots

of opportunity to hear written language read aloud.

Hearing the words while following along in a suitable

text will serve to strengthen word recognition and

comprehension. Encourage ELL students to read aloud

along with the proficient students.

Student Choices When students have self-selected

a text they are interested in that will give them lots of

reading practice, ask them to choose a paragraph or

two and practice reading their selected text orally. Let

students choose a partner to read aloud to so they can

increase their level of participation. After students have

several practice sessions, schedule some class time for

students to read their selection aloud to the class.

Reader’s TheaterAdolescents are generally not motivated to reread text

without a specific, authentic purpose. Teachers can

design and implement many tasks, such as Reader’s

Theater, that have a specific purpose in order to engage

middle and high school students in repeated reading

activities.

53

To perform Reader’s Theater, students practice a

text many times and then read it aloud to the class in a

dramatic fashion. The practice sessions provide plenty of

opportunity for students to explore the text and become

actively involved in it. Engaging in several rereading

rehearsals ultimately results in increased fluency and

comprehension (Herrell & Jordan, 2002).

Reader’sTheatertexts are usually chosen and adapted

into scripts by the teacher while he or she works with

small groups of students. Adapting text to readers’

varying skill levels will meet the needs of individual

students. Jamestown Reading Navigator’s inClass Reader

anthologies are an excellent source of material that can

easily be adapted into suitable text appropriate for a

Reader’s Theater presentation. Consider using selections

that are already presented as a script, such as “Lost and

Found” in Trek 2 and “Ev’ry Time I Feel the Spirit” in

Trek 3.

Each group member will need two copies of the entire

text. It is helpful for students to highlight their parts

with a neon marker. Have a folder available to store

all scripts, and tell students the additional copy can be

taken home for individual practice and rehearsal. The

emphasis is not on memorization but on the polished

delivery style of a smooth and engaging reader.

54

Dailypracticeandrehearsals are at the very heart of

this fluency task. Students must be given sufficient time

to practice. They need time to read, reread, and discuss

their presentations. By the time the students read to

the class, they are able to provide a clear, fluent, and

thoughtful interpretation of the text, making it engaging

and comprehensible to their peers (Fisher, Brozo,

Frey, & Ivey, 2007).

WhenpresentingReader’sTheater, students

generally stand with their scripts in hand. The

announcer may introduce the text and present the

background information needed for all class members

to comprehend the presentation. Little or no props

are necessary, although their use may increase student

interest and enjoyment. Audience members have been

instructed on what is expected of active listeners.

Teachers might help students understand the important

role that the audience plays in oral presentations.

Focus Lesson: Teacher Modeling1. Choose text for Reader’s Theater and write a

paragraph from it on the board. Demonstrate to students how to divide the text into meaningful phrases or chunks. As you read the paragraph to the students, place vertical lines where you think the text should break.

55

2. Next, read the paragraph aloud in a dramatic fashion, being mindful of the chunks. Discuss how phrasing, intonation, expression, and stress can make a reading more dramatic.

Guided Practice1. Give students copies of the text that you used in

the focus lesson. 2. Work with students to divide the rest of the

paragraphs into meaningful phrases or chunks. 3. Help students practice reading the text with

dramatic expression. 4. Assign characters or roles to students based on

the text. 5. Allow students time to practice reading their

parts to a partner. 6. Hold a Reader’s Theater presentation.

Collaborative Learning Students should be familiar with the selection before

they are assigned characters or roles. For informational

text, consider the features and structure of the text when

assigning students. Additional roles may be included,

such as that of an announcer to “set the stage” for the

dramatic reading. It is vital to make sure other class

members have the background knowledge necessary for

understanding and connecting to the Reader’s Theater

presentation in a meaningful way.

56


practice Reader’s Theater.

Oral Language Levels Scripts may contain several

difficulty levels. Two or more students may be assigned

to read one important piece of text, such as a speech or

a letter. This support gives less fluent readers a chance

to revisit text and the information it contains, which is

critical to content-area learning (Fisher, Brozo, Frey, & Ivey,

2007).

Heterogeneous Reading Levels All students

will benefit from instruction on presentation skills.

Introducing a simple poem highlighted into different

parts and assigning students to chorally read the various

lines is a safe, nonthreatening activity designed for

whole-class participation that serves as an introduction

to Reader’s Theater. The class can then be divided into

heterogeneous groups, depending on the chosen text.

Characters or roles can be assigned based on individual

student needs.

Day 4—Writing

Introduction

Tell students that they will be writing a short essay about the selection “Delicious Accidents.” Ask for a volunteer or volunteers to briefly explain or summarize the selection. Explain that writing is a process. First students will be presented with a writing assignment. The assignment will define the writing topic, purpose, audience, writing prompt, and rubric. Next they will begin writing rough drafts—organization of ideas into a whole. Then students will revise their drafts—rewriting sloppy sentences, flushing out important statements and ideas, and making sure their essays make sense. After revision, students will clean up their essays by checking spellings and grammar. Finally the essays will be ready to be turned in. Activity At your discretion, either give the following writing assignment for students to complete in groups of 3–4 or individually:

Topic: Food Purpose: To write an essay about a mistake that created your favorite food Audience: Your teacher Writing Prompt

Think about your favorite food. Then write a fictional story describing a mistake that created that food. Here are some ideas to help you write your essay. Think about

• what part of the world your favorite food is from. • which ingredients are used in your favorite food. • different mistakes that could create your favorite food. Choose the best

one. Be sure to follow the rubric as you write.

• Describe the person and situation that created your favorite food. • Tell what the food was like before it was turned into your favorite food. • Use descriptive words to tell how your favorite food was created. • Use commas where necessary. • Ask yourself questions to be sure your writing is easy to understand. • Use correct spelling.

Prewriting Students should have the opportunity and time to think through each aspect of the rubric before they begin writing. Encourage students to use lists, webs, outlines, or free writing about the Writing Prompt in order to generate creative ideas.

Rough Draft Students should write their ideas quickly and without concern for grammar, conventions, or spelling. They should concentrate on creating content and organizing their ideas into a coherent whole. Revising This is the most important step of the writing process. Students should read through their rough draft several times and revise any unclear sentences or ideas. Encourage individuals to ask other students to read their drafts, and have groups make sure every student is satisfied that the draft follows the writing assignment. If students have trouble, ask them to answer the following questions about their draft:

1. Are there any parts that are confusing and could be clarified? 2. Which parts could use more or less detail? 3. Is the story clear and interesting? 4. Does it follow logical organization? 5. Has each aspect of the assignment been followed?

Editing Once revisions have been made, instruct the students to edit the draft by checking spellings, punctuation, usage errors, and sentence fragments or run-ons. Final Draft Have the students copy the final draft on a clean piece of paper. Instruct them to turn in their revised and final drafts to you at the end of class for grading. Modifications for English Language Learners Instruct ELL students or other beginning students to write about their favorite food. Students should be asked to first make a list of words related to their favorite food. Then they should create a short poem, sentence, or paragraph about their favorite food, based on their level of ability. Ask students to have other students read their writing when they are done and revise their writing based on the advice of the other students. Remind students to look up words they are unsure of in the dictionary, and to ask you or more advanced students to review grammar. Students can spend any additional time illustrating their writings, or writing about other foods they like. Ask students to turn in their writings to you at the end of class for grading. Additional materials, including Chapter 6 from Flexible Grouping: “Writing Strategies and Grouping Considerations,” writing assessment guidelines for Treks 1–4, and student writing rubrics for Treks 1–4, can be used to supplement instruction.

Jamestown Reading Navigator Student Guidelines for Writing


Focus The topic is not clear.

The details do not go together.

•

•

The topic is not very clear.

Some details do not belong.

•

•

There is a clear topic.

The details go well together.

•

•

There is a clear and interesting topic.

Everything goes together.

•

•

Order Ideas do not follow each other.

There is no order.

•

•

Ideas do not really follow each other.

The order is confusing.

•

•

Ideas follow each other.

There is a clear order.

•

•

Ideas are clear.

The order of ideas makes sense.

•

•

Ideas and Support

Ideas are confusing.

No details explain the ideas.

•

•

Ideas are not explained.

Some details do not belong.

•

•

Most ideas make sense.

Details explain the ideas.

•

•

Ideas make sense and are explained.

Ideas share something new.

•

•

Writing Rules The words are all easy words.

Many words are not spelled correctly.

•

•

Many words are easy words.

Some words are not spelled correctly.

•

•

The words are not all easy words.

Most words are spelled correctly.

•

•

Some words are new.

Words are spelled correctly.

•

•

Student Guidelines for Writing

Trek 1

In Trek 1, you write on your own. Your teacher reads your writing. What does your teacher look for? This chart will help you understand. It will help you know how well you write. It can help you set goals. Then you can work to be better. You can become a better writer.

Read each row. Give yourself a score of 1 to 4. Be honest. How did you do?

Jamestown Reading Navigator Student Guidelines for Writing

In Treks 2, 3, and 4, you often write in response to prompts. Your teacher reads your work. What does your teacher look for? This chart will help you understand what your teacher expects in good writing.

Read each category. Give yourself a score of 1 to 4. Be honest. Set goals for yourself to improve areas where you score less than 3. To find your total writing score, add all of your scores together and divide that by 4.

Student Guidelines for Writing

Treks 2, 3, and 4


Focus The essay is not about the topic.

It does not address the audience or the prompt.

•

•

The essay is only somewhat about the topic.

Extra details do not have to do with the topic.

•

•

The essay is about the topic.

The essay answers the prompt.

•

•

The essay is about the topic.

The essay answers the prompt and tells something new about the topic.

•

•

Organization The essay is not clearly organized.

Ideas in the essay do not follow each other clearly.

•

•

The essay is somewhat organized.

Ideas might not follow each other clearly.

•

•

The essay is organized.

Ideas follow each other clearly.

•

•

The essay is well organized.

Ideas follow each other in a logical order.

•

•

Developmentof Ideas

Ideas are not complete or do not make sense.

Ideas are not clearly connected to each other.

•

•

Ideas are not well explained. There is not much support for ideas.

There are extra details not related to the ideas.

•

•

Ideas are explained with many details.

The details make the topic clear.

•

•

Ideas tell something new or interesting about the world.

Details make the ideas and topic clear.

•

•

Spelling and Grammar

Sentences are all simple or do not make sense.

There are many confusing errors in spelling and grammar.

•

•

Sentences are all simple.

There are errors in spelling and grammar.

•

•

Sentences make sense. Not all sentences are simple.

There are only a few errors in spelling and grammar.

•

•

Sentences make sense and some are complex.

There are very few errors in spelling and grammar.

•

•

Improving Writing Teacher Resource Guide 115

Writing Assessment Guidelines (Trek 1)

FOCUS • The poem does not appropriately address the audience.

• Extraneous information is included.

• The poem appropriately addresses the audience.

• The poem is unified and easy to understand.

ORGANIZATION • The progression of ideas is lacking.

• The organization of the poem is not apparent.

• The poem lacks a sense of completeness.

• The introduction and/or conclusion is lacking.

• Transitions are lacking.

• The introduction and conclusion give a sense of wholeness.

• Transitions link ideas.

• The introduction and conclusion are meaningful.

• Ideas are presented in a logical order.

DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS

• Ideas are presented as a fragmented list.

• Ideas are incomplete or illogical.

• Connections between ideas are lacking.

• Ideas are explained only briefly.

• Extraneous details are presented.

• Most ideas are well developed.

• Ideas are insightful.

CONVENTIONS • Significant errors in spelling and in structure of phrases or sentences impede communication.

• Errors in spelling and in structure of phrases of sentences are numerous.

• Word choice is limited.

• Errors in spelling and in structure of phrases of sentences are limited.

• Word choice is varied.

• Spelling and structure of phrases or sentences are accurate.

• Word choice is effective.

Name

Class

OVERALL SCORE

PERCENTAGE SCORE %

To enter the student’s writing score in the Learner Management System, click Assign/Edit


SCORE 1Poor

SCORE 2Fair

SCORE 3Good

SCORE 4Excellent

109_118 Imp Writ.indd 115109_118 Imp Writ.indd 115 1/26/07 5:33:49 AM1/26/07 5:33:49 AM


Writing Assessment Guidelines (Treks 2, 3, 4)

FOCUS • The topic is not addressed.

• The essay not does appropriately address the audience.

• The topic relates only loosely to the prompt.

• Extraneous information is included.

• Each paragraph relates to the topic.

• The essay addresses the given audience.

• The essay is unified and easy to understand.

• The essay demonstrates insight and involvement in the topic.

ORGANIZATION • The progression of ideas is lacking.

• The organization of the essay is not apparent.

• The essay is wordy or repetitious.

• The essay lacks a sense of completeness.

• The introduction and/or conclusion is lacking in its purpose.

• Transitions are missing.

• The introduction and conclusion give a sense of wholeness.

• Transitions link ideas.

• The introduction and conclusion are meaningful.

• The text structure is clearly developed.

• Ideas are presented in a logical order.

DEVELOPMENT OF IDEAS

• Ideas are presented as a fragmented list.

• Ideas are incomplete or illogical.

• Connections between ideas are lacking.

• Ideas are limited in number or explained only briefly.

• Extraneous details are presented.

• Support is adequate but uneven.

• Ample details support and clarify the topic.

• Most ideas are well developed.

• Details are specific and elaborated.

• Ideas are insightful.

CONVENTIONS • Significant errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and sentence structure impede communication.

• Sentences are awkward or simple.

• Errors in punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and sentence structure are numerous.

• Sentence structure shows limited variety.

• Word choice is limited.

• Language conventions are limited.

• Word choice and sentence structures are varied.

• Punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and sentence structure are accurate.

• Word choice is effective.

• Writing is fluent.

Name

Class

OVERALL SCORE

PERCENTAGE SCORE %

To enter the student’s writing score in the Learner Management System, click Assign/Edit


SCORE 1Poor

SCORE 2Fair

SCORE 3Good

SCORE 4Excellent

109_118 Imp Writ.indd 116109_118 Imp Writ.indd 116 1/26/07 5:33:49 AM1/26/07 5:33:49 AM

57

Chapter 6Writing Strategies and Grouping Considerations

Using writing-to-learn prompts differs dramatically

from using the conventional writing process. Writing-

to-learn prompts are a powerful tool that encourages

students to think about the content they are learning.

These prompts offer students the opportunity to recall,

clarify, and question what they know and what they still

wonder about (Fisher, Brozo, Frey, & Ivey, 2007).

Integrating writing with reading enhances

comprehension because the two are reciprocal processes.

Students who are given the opportunity to write in

conjunction with reading show more evidence of critical

thinking about reading (Biancarosa & Snow, 2004).

Writing-to-learn prompts encourage students to

think about their own learning and to find the words

to explain their understanding and the processes

involved in making meaning. Two kinds of writing-to-

learn prompts are RAFT and Exit Slips. These writing

strategies are easily adaptable to flexible grouping

situations.

58

RAFTRAFTs are writing-to-learn prompts that offer creative

structure. The prompts have students use what they

have read to create a new piece of writing. Changing the

perspective allows students to share what they know

about the content at hand (Santa & Havens, 1995).

The letters in RAFT represent these prompts:

R = Role (Who’s the writer? What’s the writer’s role?)

A = Audience (For whom is the writing written?)

F = Format (What’s the genre of the writing?)

T = Topic (What’s the subject of the writing?)

Reluctant readers are also reluctant writers. RAFT

is an excellent strategy to support the emerging writer,

as adaptations to the assignment can be made to give

students choices that will help them succeed. There

are many types of formats that are shorter and less

intimidating for novice writers, such as postcards, comic

strips, obituaries, memos, advertisements, love letters,

scripts, songs or raps, thank-you letters, and itineraries.

As students become increasingly familiar with RAFT

writing, create class charts that list possible roles,

59

audiences, formats, and topics for students to use. As

students complete online journeys and inClass Reader

selections, have them use RAFT writing as a way to

indicate the main ideas presented in the selection. RAFT

writing isn’t meant to produce polished writing pieces;

rather, it is a way for the teacher to tap into a student’s

level of understanding of a particular text. Students may

choose to further develop their RAFT piece by taking it

through the conventional writing process.

Building in peer discussion opportunities before

responding to the RAFT helps jump-start student

writers, many of whom often have trouble getting

started. RAFT writing supports oral language

development as students engage in conversation with

peers, using their knowledge and skills to exchange

ideas. Teachers may respond to student ideas by reading

their RAFT writing, asking questions about the RAFT,

and challenging student ideas.

Focus Lesson: Teacher Modeling1. Introduce RAFT to students, explaining what

each letter stands for as you write it on the board.

60

2. Model RAFT using content that is familiar to most students, such as “The Three Little Pigs.” Review the story and then tell the students that these are the role, audience, format, and topic that you want to write about: Role, Second Little Pig; Audience, police; Format, police report; Topic, what occurred when the Second Little Pig would not let the wolf inside his house.

3. Next, write a short story incorporating your RAFT ideas.

Guided Practice1. Have students read an inClass Reader selection.

Allow time for discussion about the selection.2. Write the RAFT letters on the board. Ask

students to identify the role, audience, format, and topic related to the selection they want to write about.

3. Next, have the students work together to write a short story incorporating the RAFT ideas.

Collaborative Learning Once students have practiced the RAFT writing

prompts, teachers have the option of grouping students

to work together on a RAFT. This will require students

to use academic language to complete the task. It also

allows adolescents to develop their abilities to think

critically (Ivey & Fisher, 2005).

61

Write the following chart on the board.

Group 1: Students Whose Last Name Starts with A–M

Group 2: Students Whose Last Name Starts with N–Z

R = Alexandra ScottA = the people of PhiladelphiaF = advertisementT = lemonade with a purpose

R = Alex’s motherA = the people of the United

StatesF = thank-you letter T= lemonade stand news

Tell students that each group is assigned to write a story

using the RAFT ideas listed for that group. Give students

about 15 minutes to write their stories. Then have each

group read its story to the class. Discuss how and why

the stories are different.

Grouping Considerations Here are several suggestions for grouping students to

practice the RAFT strategy.

Homogeneous Reading Levels Assign students

to groups of four. Each student has a sheet of paper

with RAFT written vertically on the page. Each student

completes one category of RAFT and passes the paper

to the next person in his or her group. The result is

that each student contributes to RAFT and gets an

opportunity to read peers’ ideas. Next, have students

write a short story together using the RAFT ideas.

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Heterogeneous Reading Levels Students can work

together in pairs. Pair classmates who read at slightly

different reading levels. Have pairs collaborate on a

RAFT and then on writing together. Pairs should discuss

ways to improve or edit their writing.

Primary Language Levels Group students lacking

English proficiency with students who have more

advanced English proficiency. Have students discuss

the story they read. Then have them complete a RAFT

assignment. Ask students to respond to the prompt

orally and then to write their RAFT together. In a natural

way, ask a more advanced English-proficient student to

act as the scribe for the team, thus providing another

layer of scaffolding for English learners.

Exit SlipsExit slips are writing-to-learn prompts used at the end of

the class. The prompts help elicit student involvement

with a lesson as it draws to a close. Some exit slips

prompt students to list a specified number of things

learned in class that day. Other prompts emphasize the

process of learning. For example, students might be

prompted to write about what confused them in the

day’s lesson on cause-and-effect signal words.

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These brief writing responses let students consider

new information, make and clarify connections with

previously learned material, and predict and summarize

what they’ve learned (Rothenberg & Fisher, 2007).

Additionally, students are asked to document their own

learning processes. Writing-to-learn prompts require that

students use different kinds of knowledge at different

times (Fisher & Frey, 2004). Teachers may use exit slips to

assess the effectiveness of their own teaching; to make

instructional decisions about what to revisit, clarify, and

elaborate upon; and to help plan small-group work.

An exit-slip strategy can be an activity for a small group or for an individual student.

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Exit slips are small sheets of paper that students

complete at the end of the class. A quarter-sheet of

notebook paper is a good size for an exit slip. Students

are given several minutes to jot down their thoughts.

There are no wrong or right answers; that is, students do

not receive a grade. Instead, the emphasis is on student

thinking.

Writing prompts for exit slips include three categories:1. Prompts that document learning • I would explain what I learned to my little

brother by telling him . . . • Today I changed my mind about . . . • What I would like to tell someone else about

what I learned today is . . .

2. Prompts that emphasize the process of learning • One thing I need to ask the teacher is . . . • I am confused about . . . • What I would like to learn next is . . .

3. Prompts that evaluate instructional effectiveness • The thing that helped me pay attention

today was . . . • The thing that most helped me understand

the content today was . . . • Something that did not help me learn in

class today was . . .

(Fisher, Brozo, Frey, & Ivey, 2007)

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Focus Lesson: Teacher ModelingModel an example of exit-slip prompts and responses

that give students the opportunity to document their

knowledge. 1. Have students read “The Crash Room” in the

Trek 3 inClass Reader. Then write the following prompts on the board.

• The Crash Room is . . . • The code system . . . • One description that really stuck with me

was . . . • People are changed by the ER because . . .2. Think aloud as you write your responses to the

exit-slip prompts.

Guided PracticeAnother type of exit-slip prompt encourages

metacognition. These prompts ask students to write

about their understanding of the lesson or selection. 1. Choose an inClass Reader selection for students

to read. Write the following prompts on the board.

• Two things from today’s selection or lesson that I truly understand are . . .

• One thing that still doesn’t make complete sense to me is . . .

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• One thing I thought was interesting or that gave me an “Aha!” moment was . . .

• One question I have about the selection or lesson is . . .

2. Elicit responses from the students. Explain that there isn’t just one correct response to these prompts.

Collaborative Learning Teachers can use exit-slip responses to plan small-group

collaborative learning opportunities. Exit slips are a

particularly effective formative assessment for teachers of

English language learners. Since exit slips are designed

to assess content knowledge and not writing mechanics,

small groups may be formed that support those students

who are developing their English proficiency. Responses

to prompts let teachers consider learning styles and

content knowledge when teaming up students.


practice writing exit slips.

Small-Group Experts Small-group experts can share

content knowledge and help peers who may need

further clarification. Students benefit from exchanging

ideas with peers and from having an authentic reason to

practice academic language.

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Skill Strengths Grouping students based on skill

strengths offers them a chance to extend their thinking

while building literacy skills. Consider having students

who have a good grasp of the reading content respond to

exit-slip prompts that will allow them to apply their new

knowledge. The writing prompts should include words

and phrases such as show, explain, compare, infer, what

if, and convince. Encourage an oral discussion before

students write.

Primary Language Levels Consider grouping more

proficient English learners with less proficient English

learners. English language learners of all levels will

benefit from the opportunity to speak about and clarify

their understanding of new information in their native

language. Ask the “language brokers” to partner with the

less proficient English language learners to help them

make sense of the content and write responses to the

exit-slip writing prompts.

Day 5—Literature Circles

Introduction

Ask students if they or someone they know is in a Book Club. Ask them to describe the purpose of a Book Club (to read and discuss books that interest the members). Tell students that Literature Circles have a similar purpose. Next, explain that members of Book Clubs are given roles with responsibilities, such as discussion leader or scribe. Tell students that they will each be a member of a Literature Circle to discuss the selection, “Delicious Accidents.” Remind students that members of a Literature Circle collaborate, or work together, to complete activities, to answer discussion questions, and to listen and respond to the thoughts of other members. Activity Put students into groups of 4 or 5. Review with all students the roles and responsibilities they are expected to fulfill in their Literature Circles. Assign a role to each student. (You may also choose to have students divide up the roles themselves.) Remind students that although they have different roles, they are all expected to read the selection and participate in the discussion. Have students in each group silently reread the selection, “Delicious Accidents.” Then have the group read the selection aloud. Share with students the discussion questions for “When is Change Good?” (inClass

Reader Teacher Guide, p. 17). Have each group discuss the questions among themselves, adhering to their assigned roles. Have each group speaker present a one-minute summary of his or her group’s discussion to the class. If time allows, conduct a whole-class discussion about “When is Change Good?”

Name Class Date

Literature Circle Roles and Responsibilities

Trek, Quest

Guiding Question

Assigned Role

Roles and Responsibilities

Discussion Leader—Your responsibility is to guide the group in answering the discussion questions for the Trek, Quest (Unit) the group has read. The main focus of the questions is the Guiding Question and how this question relates to the selections in this Quest. You may find that the members of your group have not read the same selections in this Quest. That is okay, since all selections in the Quest have some relationship to the Quest’s Guiding Question. As members answer the questions, you should follow up with additional questions, clarify members’ points, and expand on members’ comments. Be sure to get the group back on target if the discussion gets too far away from the topic.

Activity Leader—Your responsibility is to pass around all handouts to members. Lead the members in reading and following activity directions. Keep the members on task. Collect materials when finished.

Time Keeper—Your responsibility is to be mindful of the time allotted for the activities and discussion. Occasionally remind the members to keep moving along so that all tasks get done on time.

Scribe—Your responsibility is to take notes on the members’ answers to the discussion questions.

Group Speaker—Your responsibility is to speak for the group at the end of the session. You may be asked to summarize the group’s answers to the discussion questions.

Notes about my role and responsibilities in the Literature Circle.

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Trek

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Literature Circle Discussion Questions

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Name Date

Unit 1: When Is Change Good?

1. What major changes took place in the selection you read?

2. Are these changes good or bad? Why?

3. Why or how did these changes happen?

4. Who helped make these changes?

5. Did the selection you read remind you of any similar changes you know about? If so, share your thoughts with the group.

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