The Six Minute Solution PLUS : Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary

Development

• A research based supplemental program designed to help students strengthen and improve reading skills – Gail N. Adams and Susan Van Zant

• Intermediate Level available July 2011• Primary and Secondary in development

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Six Minute Solution PLUS for Reading Comprehension

• Direct instruction and practical application of research proven comprehension strategies

• Test taking strategies for multiple choice, cloze and short answer formats

• Strategies for answering questions typically found on standardized tests

Six Minute Solution PLUS for Vocabulary Development

• Research based instructional routine for teaching vocabulary

• Strategies for developing word consciousness and vocabulary expansion

Six Minute Solution PLUS for Test Practice

• Practice opportunities to respond to the types of questions typically found on standardized assessments

Testing Genre

• Cognitive understanding of the different questioning formats

• Knowledge of the testing vocabulary

• Ability to determine the information needed to correctly respond to different questions

Teach Testing Genre

• Common question stems and difficult questions

• Test specific and academic vocabulary

• Provide distributive practice

Characteristics of the Testing Genre : Questions

• Common Question Stems– Which of these facts is not correct?

• Questions that ask students to identify the main idea, determine fact from opinion, match antonyms, or interpret the author’s view point of view are often the questions that students miss on state assessments.– Which of these is a theme in this passage?– Which words are antonyms?– Check the statement with which the author probably disagrees

Author’s Purpose One question that students often miss is author’s

purpose. The author probably wrote this passage

a._____ to entertain the readerb._____ to provide information about kitesc._____ to persuade the reader to buy

kitesd._____ to convince the reader to fly a

kite.

For Example :

• After the potatoes are peeled you must…• How does Jose feel when the kites dive…?• Check the meaning of the underlined word in

this sentence. (pitch)• The third paragraph is mostly about…• The author would probably agree with…

Additional Examples

• What is the best title for this selection?• What is the theme of this passage?• What event happened before?• This selection is an example of …(genre)• Unhappily can be best described as….

Characteristics of the Testing Genre : Academic Vocabulary

• Words used in the classroom, in textbooks and on tests.

• Words likely to be encountered frequently across content areas.

• Words that are different from those commonly used outside the classroom in terms of vocabulary, syntax, and grammar.

Characteristics of the Testing Genre : Academic Vocabulary

• Test vocabulary includes words such as: best answer, what, which, why

• It also include academic words such as: contrast, define, describe, antonyms, theme, passage, paragraph

• Understanding test vocabulary and academic language is difficult for many students, especially struggling readers and second language learners.

Twelve Words That Trip Up At Risk Students on Standardized Tests

Larry Bell, 2003Strategies that Close the Gap

• Trace• Analyze• Infer• Evaluate• Formulate• Describe

• Support• Explain• Summarize• Compare• Contrast• Predict

Testing Genre : Distributive Practice

There is a mountain of evidence suggesting that spacing study time leads to better memory of the material…

—Daniel T. Willingham, American Educator, Summer 2002

Practical Application of Reading Comprehension Strategies

• Cooperative Learning• Question Answering• Summarization• Graphic and Semantic

Organizers• Comprehension Monitoring• Question Generating• Multiple Teaching Strategies

Cooperative Learning

• The Six Minute Solution partner format lends itself well to cooperative learning.

• Studies show that when students are placed with a partner or within a small group and provided clearly defined tasks that require active engagement………

• They help each other increase their understanding of what has been read by explaining the material in their own words. (Klingner, Vaughn, & Schumm, 1998).

Question AnsweringUse of questions to guide

and monitor student comprehension.

QAR Strategy

• Shows the relationship between questions and answers

• Categorizes different types of questions• Assists students in analyzing,

comprehending and responding to text• Helps refute the common

misunderstanding held by students that the text has all the answers.

Types of QAR :In the Text or In My Head

• Right There (literal)The answer to the question is “right there” in one sentence; the

question and answer have the same wording

• Think and Search (literal)The answer to the question requires searching across the text; the

question and answer have different wording

• On My Own (inferential and evaluative)The answer to the questions comes entirely from students’ prior

knowledge without even reading the text

• Author and Me (inferential)The answer to the question comes from the students’ prior

knowledge and text clues provided by the author.

Summarization• Instruction in

summarization improves memory for what is read, both in terms of recalling information and answering questions about the selection.

Summary Writing Frame 1

This passage was about _____________________________. First, I learned___________________. Next, I learned___________________. Finally, I learned

______________________.

Summary Writing Frame 2

Write your topic sentence first ( name the who or the what and tell the most important thing about the who or the what). One important fact about _____________ is ________________ _______________________________.Another important fact is ___________ _______________________________.A final important fact is _______________________________.

Graphic & Semantic Organizers

• Teaching students to organize the ideas they are learning from their reading into a visual display helps them to remember what they learned and leads to better comprehension of content area subjects such as social studies and science.

Comprehension Monitoring

• Students are taught to monitor their own comprehension by paying attention to what they are reading and noticing when they begin to lose the meaning.

Multiple Teaching Strategies

• The use of two or more combinations of four strategies : question generation, summarization, clarification and prediction of what might occur.

Reciprocal TeachingBrown and Palincsar 1984

– Predicting- prior knowledge, anticipation, think about

– Clarifying- key vocabulary that is unknown, big ideas

– Questioning- formulate questions, discuss, read

– Summarizing- section by section of key ideas, paraphrase

Question Generating• Teaching students to ask themselves

who, what, when, where, why and how questions as they read can lead to improvement in comprehension and the ability to recall what has been read.

Strategies for Answering :• Main idea questions• Literal detail questions• Inferential information questions• Compare/contrast questions• Cause/effect questions• Title selection questions• Determination of author’s purpose questions• Determination of author’s viewpoint questions• Fact/opinion questions• True/false questions• Time/order sequential questions• Making generalizations questions

Strategies for Testing Formats

• Multiple choice questions• Cloze questions • Short answer questions

Vocabulary Strategies for Determining :

• The meaning of a word from context questions• Correct synonyms, antonyms and homophones• Contextually appropriate multiple meaning words• The meaning of unknown words using morphemic analysis

• morphemic analysis• Categorization and classification

Instructional Routine

• Introduce the word.• Present a student

friendly explanation.• Illustrate the word

with examples.• Check the students’ understanding.

Martin Luther King : A Man of Peacepassage 516

1. Introduction- “The key word is segregation.”2. Explanation- “Segregation means to set apart, to separate

one group from another.”3. Examples of segregation : Dr. King was opposed to the

segregation of African Americans in the south. Segregation of certain animal species in a zoo is necessary for their safety.

4. Check for understanding : “If the example is one of segregation, say segregation. If not, say no” “Separating hospital patients with the flu from other patients” ““Combining ingredients in a recipe” “Assigning male and female students to separate classes”

How Should Strategy Instruction Be Provided?

• Explicit

• Intensive

• Extensive

Implementation and Instructional Options for the

The Six-Minute Solution PLUS program materials.

Six Minute Solution Plus : Partner Model Sample Weekly Schedule

Mon. All partnerships have new Practice Passages. Partners read the title of the passage, the key word for understanding, key word definition and examples. Partners preview the entire passage for accuracy by whisper-reading or silently reading while underlining any unknown words. Teacher monitors and identifies any words unknown to either partner. The accuracy check is untimed. Option 1- No timings on Mondays. Have partners use the allotted six minutes for previewing Practice Passages and studying the key word for understanding.-Option 2- Allow extra time (10-15 minutes) on Mondays. Have partners first preview their Practice Passages for accuracy and study the key word for understanding. Then, conduct partner fluency practice during the allotted six minutes.

Tues-Thurs

Six Minute Solution procedure: Fluency practice

Fri After conducting the final fluency timing of the week, students complete the comprehension and vocabulary exercises for their respective passages.-Option 1- Partners work collaboratively for a period of time designated by the classroom teacher (10-15 minutes).-Option 2- Student partners return to their desks following the fluency timing and complete the comprehension/vocabulary exercises as an independent assignment.

Progress Monitoring

• Essential for monitoring improvements and making instructional decisions

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Six Minute Solution Plus : Whole Class Model

• Preparation : • Select one passage for whole class

instruction. • Identify the specific comprehension

strategies and type of questions addressed in the passage.

• Ensure that each student has a copy of the passage , a copy of the corresponding comprehension questions and vocabulary exercises as well as a graphic organizer if one is needed for a specific question type.

Six Minute Solution Plus : Whole Class Model

• Instructional Routine : 1 Read the title of the passage and identify the

key word for understanding.2 Demonstrate, by thinking aloud, how to

determine a prediction about the passage content

3 Direct students to read the passage using one or more of the following passage reading procedures* : Choral, Cloze, Partner, Silent

Six Minute Solution Plus : Whole Class Model

5. Read each comprehension question with the students and discuss the strategy for answering that type of question.

6. Read each vocabulary question with the students and discuss the strategy for answering that type of question.

7. Optional: Summary Writing8. Check for understanding

Six Minute Solution Plus : Small Group Model

• Students who are reading at grade level but need more individualized instruction in comprehension and vocabulary. In this case, grade level passages would be used for instruction.

• Students who are reading below grade level. In this instance, instructional level passages would be used for instruction (i. e. 4th grade students reading from 2nd grade passages).

• Students who are reading above grade level. level. In this case, students would read passages above their chronological grade level.

Six Minute Solution Plus : Individual Model

• Classroom

• Tutoring

• Home School

In Summary :Six Minute Solution PLUS :Reading

Comprehension and Vocabulary Development is : •An extension of the Six Minute Solution fluency program at the end of the week for partners to practice strategic reading and semantic exercises. •A means for directly teaching reading comprehension strategies and vocabulary expansion using grade level expository passages.•An opportunity to provide distributive practice for test preparation.

Contact Information

Gail Adams

gail@gailadamsreading.com

www.gailadamsreading.com