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Navigating Expository Text: Characteristics, Demands, and Effective 

Strategies 

Gerlinde Beckers, Ph.D. Earl Cheek, Jr., Ph.D.                  

Louisiana State University 

Session Objective

• This session will explore the characteristics and nature of expository text in content area literacy as well as the challenges presented. Content area vocabulary and comprehensionContent area vocabulary and comprehension strategies will be shared that will meet the diverse learning needs of today’s classroom.

Reading in the Content Areas

• There are many factors that contribute to the difficulty of content reading.

Wh t f t th t thi k i t– What are some factors that you think impact comprehension in the content areas?

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STUDENT

Higher Readability 

Level

Compact Presentation 

of Information

Technical and 

Specialized Vocabulary

Factors

STUDENT

Different Organization 

Pattern

Numerous Concepts

Readability Levels

Objective Measures to Estimate Readability

• Syllable Formulas:– Fry Readability Graph: is one of the most popular, measures sentence length and number of syllables in a word.  Directions:

• Randomly select 3 100 word passages• Randomly select 3 ‐ 100 word passages

• Plot average number of syllables

• Plot average number of sentences

– Flesch‐Kincaid formula: found in Microsoft Word, measures sentence length and number of syllables in a word. 

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Flesch‐KincaidHigher scores indicate material that is easier to read

Lower numbers mark harder‐to‐read passagesharder to read passages

90‐100    Average 5th

grade

60‐70  8th – 9th grade

0‐30  College Level

Organizational Patterns

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What Do Expository Text Look Like?

• General Features– Table of Contents

– Introductions

Summaries– Summaries

– Index

– Pronunciation Key

– Glossary

– Appendix

What Do Expository Text Look Like? Continued….

Text Features

• Titles

• Headings

• Subheadings

Graphic Features

• Diagrams

• Graphs

• Timelinesg

• Boldface print

• Call‐out or side bars

• Highlighted information

• Varied type/font styles

• Framed information

• Maps

• Charts

• Photographs

• Figures

• Tables

Organizational Patterns of Expository TextsText Structure Description Signal Words

Description/List Structure  This structure resembles an outline. Each section opens with its main idea, then elaborates on it, sometimes dividing the 

For example, for instance, specifically, in particular, in addition 

elaboration into subsections.

Cause and Effect Structure  In texts that follow this structure, the reader is told the result of an event or occurrence and the reasons it happened. 

Consequently, therefore, as a result, thereby, leads to 

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Organizational Patterns of Expository Texts continued..

Comparison/Contrast Structure 

Texts that follow this structure tell about the differences and similarities of two or more objects, places, events or ideas by grouping their traits for

However, unlike, like, by contrast, yet, in comparison, although, whereas, similar to, different from 

grouping their traits for comparison. 

Order/Sequence Structure  Texts that follow this structure tell the order in which steps in a process or series of events occur

Next, first, last, second, another

Strategy…..

• THIEVES– T = TITLE

– H = HEADINGS

I INTRODUCTION– I = INTRODUCTION

– E = EVERY FIRST SENTENCE IN EACH PARAGRAPH

– V = VOCABULARY

– E = END‐OF‐CHAPTER QUESTIONS

– S = SUMMARYSOURCE: Gunning, T. (2003). Building Literacy in the Content Areas, p. 224.

Technical and Specialized Vocabulary

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Vocabulary Knowledge• Stahl (1986) describes three degrees of word knowledge:

– Definitional knowledge means that the student can tell what a word meansC l k l d i d di h– Contextual knowledge requires understanding the core concept the word represents and how that concept is changed in different contexts (required before comprehension is fostered)

– Generative knowledge “Oh! That's like ..." It's the process of constructing links between new and old knowledge, It is required before words become part of our expressive, speaking and writing vocabularies

Estimating Students’ Vocabulary

• Important prerequisite for building vocabulary

• Dale and O’Rourke (1971) Four Stages:– I never saw it before

I’ h d f i b I d ’ k h i– I’ve heard of it, but I don’t know what is means

– I recognize it in context – has something to do with

– I know it

• Knowledge Rating Scale

Vocabulary Word

No idea of meaning

Have seen or heard this

Can define Prereading Postreading

Knowledge Rating Scale - Example

Strategy….

Word meaning heard this word

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Before Reading During After Vocabulary Word ? Identify Page Number in

BookWrite the Definition

Write how the word was used in the book

1

I have seen this word or ? I do not know the word.

Knowledge Rating Scale - Example

Strategy….

1.

Definition

Example in Text

2.

Definition

Example in Text

3.

Definition

E l i T t

Selecting Words to be Taught• Ask, “What do I want my students to learn?” lesson objective, benchmarks, standards, grade‐level expectations

• Present only 7 or 8 words at one timeF hi h i it d d t h t• Focus on high priority words and teach to a conceptual level

• Other, less important, less frequently appearing words might be taught to a definitional level.

Comprehensionp

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Comprehension =  Interaction of Reader, Reading Situation, and Text

During Reading Strategies and Activities

Prereading Strategies and Activities

Post Reading Strategies and Activities 

List‐Group‐Label

• A brainstorming technique in which students tell what they know about a topic and organize that information

• Steps:– Write topic

– Student tell what the topic makes them think about 

– List all the responses

– Categorize the words into groups of three or more

– Label the categories 

Egypt• List

– Nile River

– Papyrus

– Cataract

– Mummy

Ph h

• Group– Nile River

– Pyramids

– Pharaoh

– Mummy

– Papyrus

– Cataract

Hi l hi– Pharaoh

– Pyramids

– Hieroglyphics

– Rosetta Stone

– Hieroglyphics

– Rosetta Stone

• LabelPlaces People ThingsNile River Pharaoh PapyrusPyramids Mummy Cataract

HieroglyphicsRosetta Stone

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Semantic Mapping

• A graphic organizer that uses lines and circles to organize information according to categories– Steps– Steps

• 1 ‐ Announce the topic and invite brainstorming responses 

• 2 – Group and label responses

• 3 – Discuss and revise the map

• 4 – Use the map as a reference as they read, revising and adding as needed

Egypt

People

Semantic Map for Egypt

MummyPharaoh

Egypt

PlacesThings

Nile River Pyramids Papyrus CataractRosetta Stone

Concept Map• A concept map organizes information according to categories but ALSO uses words to show interrelations among concept.

• Steps:

1 list key terms or concepts– 1‐ list key terms or concepts

– 2‐ arrange concepts from most general to most specific

– 3‐ add linkage words that relationships among their concept

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Example of a Concept Map

South Asia has various physical features and landforms

Such as Such as Such as

Mount EverestIndo‐Ganges 

PlainIndus River Valley

The highest peak, 29,035 above sea 

levelGood farmland

The site of one of the world’s oldest 

civilizations

Such as Such as Such as

is is is

Frayer Model

• The Frayer model is a  four square graphic organizer that prompts students to analyze the concept (definition and characteristics) and synthesize/apply  knowledge by thinking of example and non‐examples

• Steps:Steps:

– 1 provide a definition

– 2 list characteristics

– 3 provide examples and non‐examples 

Definition:The  way of life in which individuals  and groups react with their environment

Characteristics:is sharedis learned

is based on symbolsis integrated

Example of a Frayer Model

Non‐Examples:GeneticsRace

Heredity

Examples:CustomsBeliefsArt

Technology

Culture

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Semantic Feature Analysis

• Semantic Feature Analysis is a graphic organizer that uses a grid to compare a series of words or other items on a number of characteristics

• Steps• 1 Choose a category

• 2 Create a grid

• 3 Determine feature possession

• 4 Discuss the grid

• 5 Extension activities

Example of a Semantic Feature Analysis

Sources of Energy

Renewable nonpolluting cheap Can be use anywhere

Safe Widely used

biomass + ‐ + + + ‐

coal ‐ ‐ + + + +

geothermal + + ? ‐ + ‐

Natural gas ‐ ‐ + + + +g

nuclear ‐ ‐ ‐ + ‐ ?

oil ‐ ‐ + + + +

sun + + ‐ ‐ + ‐

water + + ‐ ‐ + ‐

wind + + ‐ ‐ + ‐

Venn Diagram• The Venn diagram is a graphic organizer that uses overlapping circles to show relationships between concepts and ideas.

• Steps:– 1 Define characteristics for first group1 Define characteristics for first group 

(differences/contrast)

– 2 Define characteristics for second group   (differences/contrast)

– 3 Define similarities of both groups (likenesses/compare)

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Example of a Venn DiagramSouthwestern People

Hohokams

lived 

in holes dug 

Anasazi

lived

in pueblos

Bothwere excellent farmers and

in the ground 

covered with logs 

called pit houses

made of 

stone 

or adobe brick

used advanced irrigation systems

Cloze Procedure• 250‐300 word passage

• First and Last sentences remain intact

• Every 5th word is deleted and left blank

• (optional) supply word bank• (optional) supply word bank

• Steps:– Instruct students to read and supply the words to fill in the blanks

– Discuss word choices

– Reread text to make corrections

Cloze Procedure Example

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K‐W‐L

K – What I Know W – What I Want to Learn

L – What I Learned

Guiding Questions

• Types of Questions:– Right there ( explicit)

– Think and Search

Author and You (implicit)– Author and You (implicit)

Questions????

Readers are plentiful: thinkers are rarethinkers are rare. ~ Harriet Martineau

Contact Information:Gerlinde Grandstaff-Beckers, Ph.D.Louisiana State University325 Peabody HallBaton Rouge, LA 70803(225) 578-8003gbecke1@lsu.edu