The Importance of Developing a Common Language

Education Transformation Office Summer, 2013-2014

Darliny G. Katz

Purpose Why do we need common

language? How do we develop a common

language?

Why Do We Need Common Language?

Words

Foot, solid, root, peck, square, power, product, yard, mean

Motion, force, fault, degree, wave, current, resistance

Key, bill, race, legend, product, plain, ruler, crop, run, cabinet

Case, mood, tense, article, subject, tone, romance, dash, stress, voice

Vocabulary Carousel Find a partner.

At each chart, each partner indicates their level of understanding for each word.

Talk about what you think this term means within the context of literacy learning.

If you indicate that you can explain the word write a synonym or brief phrase to describe or explain it.

How Do We Develop A Common Language?

What are Some Terms Your Reading Leadership Team Might Need to Explore Together? Screening assessment Progress monitoring Diagnostic assessment Dynamic assessment Static assessment Evaluation Phonological awareness Phonemic awareness Phonics Fluency Expressive vocabulary Receptive vocabulary

Comprehension Metacognition Sources of information Pragmatic working system Lexical working system Schematic working

system Semantic working system Syntactic working system Graphophonic working

system Writing as a process Reading as a process Literacy

Terms used in Literacy Meetings, Lesson Studies and Common Planning

Fluency – the ability to read text quickly, accurately, and with proper expression.

Formal assessment – reliable and valid documentation of students’ strengths and needs collected systematically over time used to guide instruction and program implementation.

Graphophonic working system – in-the-head knowledge of how sounds and letters interact to construct words.

Informal assessment – documentation of students’ strengths and needs collected systematically over time; that may be interpreted differently from teacher to teacher to guide instruction.

Lexical working system – in-the-head knowledge of receptive and productive vocabulary.

Literacy – the ability to construct meaning and communicate meaningfully by reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing.

Metacognition – in-the-head ability to think about one’s thinking.

Assembling working systems – bringing together information networks that interact and function as a whole used to construct meaning and communicate meaningfully.

Assessment – documentation of student’s strengths and needs collected systematically over time to document change and guide instruction.

Comprehension – critical and defensible interpretation of content in context.

Diagnostic assessments – help teachers plan instruction by providing in-depth information about students’ strengths and needs. Diagnostic measures are conducted at any time during the school year when more in-depth analysis of a student’s strengths and needs is needed to guide instruction.

Dynamic assessment – documentation of student’s strengths and needs collected systematically over time while the student is involved in a particular process.

Evaluation – critical appraisal of students’ strengths and needs based on theory and research.

Expressive Vocabulary – words that are used in speaking and writing.

Literacy Terms: Phonological Awareness – one’s sensitivity to, or explicit awareness of, the phonological structure in

language. It encompasses an awareness of individual words in sentences, syllables, and onset-rime segments as well as awareness of individual phonemes in words.

Phonemic awareness – in-the-head ability to notice, think about, and work with the individual sounds in spoken words.

Phonics – a method of instruction that teaches children the relationships between the letters of written language and the individual sounds of spoken language.

Pragmatic working system – in-the-head knowledge of an author’s intent in reading and having a sense of audience in writing.

Productive vocabulary – cognitive inventory of words used when speaking and writing. Progress monitoring assessment – systematically collected documentation of students’ strengths and needs

used to show change overtime and guide instruction. Reading as a process – how individuals assemble working systems to construct meaning from print. Receptive vocabulary – cognitive inventory of words used when reading, listening and viewing. Schematic working system – in-the-head knowledge of content and context; background knowledge or prior

experiences. Screening assessment – initial appraisal of students’ strengths and needs. Semantic working system – in-the-head knowledge of various concepts used to make sense and construct

meaning. Sources of information – elements or working systems used to construct meaning and communicate

meaningfully. Static assessment – outcome measure of students’ strengths and needs based on a given criteria. Syntactic working system – in-the-head knowledge of the grammar or structure of a language. Working system – productive network of information used to construct meaning and communicate

meaningfully. Writing as a process – how individuals assemble working systems to communicate comprehensively and

meaningfully.

Common Updated Language

Focus-lessons rather than mini-lessons Observation lessons rather than model lessons Observation classrooms rather than model

classrooms Generative response rather than corrective feedback Solution-seeking rather than problem-solving Professional learning rather than professional

development Information-intensive environment rather than print-

rich environment

Points to Ponder What are the implications of this

information for your Reading Leadership Team?

What information will you share during your Reading Leadership Team’s planning time today?

How will your Reading Leadership Team identify terms that need to clarify as a group?

Should a definition be provided or just a list for consideration? Why might it matter?

How could this common language be developed school-wide?

Language used in strategic activities during literacy

Decoding Segmenting words Blending words Checking (monitoring) Predicting Anticipating Fluency Integrating Flexibility Phrasing Word recognition Rereading Self-correcting Searching

References:

Froelich, K.S. & Puig, E.A. (2010). The literacy leadership team: Sustaining and expanding success. Allyn & Bacon/ Pearson.

Gersten, R., Compton, D., Connor,C.M., Dimino, J., Santoro, L., Linan-

Thompson, S., & Tilly, W.D. (2008). Assisting students struggling with reading: Response to Intervention and multi-tier intervention for reading in the primary grades. A practice guide. (NCEE 2009-4045). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education.

Little, M.E. (2009). Response to Intervention (RtI) for teachers: Classroom instructional problem solving. Love Publishing Company.

Puig, E.A. & Froelich, K.S. (2011), 2nd ed. The literacy coach: Guiding in the right direction. Allyn & Bacon/ Pearson