Post on 17-Dec-2015
05/30/13
Instructional Shifts Required by the Common Core
Increasing rigor and relevance
Sharing responsibility of teaching reading and writing across content areas
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction and informational text
Reading, writing, speaking and listening grounded in evidence from texts
Practicing regularly with complex text and its academic vocabulary
Emphasizing 3 modes of academic writing
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What is Close Reading?
Methodical investigation of a complex text through…
Answering text-dependent questions Unpacking the text’s meaning Directing students to:
examine and analyze text at a deep level of critical thinking
focus on word/sentence meaning focus on development of events and ideas extract evidence from the text make non-trivial inferences based on what
they have read
Close Reading and the CCSS
Anchor Standards for Reading Prioritize close reading skills of:
Extracting evidence (Standard 1) Making inferences (Standard 1) Reading complex text (Standard 10) Determining central idea/theme (Standard 2) Building knowledge by comparing two or more
texts (Standard 9) Citing evidence to support conclusions (1 & 10)
Close Reading
Dr. Douglas FisherClose Reading and the CCSS, Part
1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w9v6-zUg3Y&feature=relmfu
Close Reading
Dr. Douglas FisherClose Reading and the CCSS, Part
2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=JhGI5zdjpvc&feature=endscreen
Why Depth through “Close Reading” Matters
Close reading instruction:
Requires careful attention to how the text unfolds through asking text-dependent questions.
Focuses on building knowledge through the strategic use of text-dependent questions.
Can prepare students for the kinds of reading tasks they will encounter after graduation.
Despite its name, close reading has a lot more to do with writing than reading! (Fisher)
What Makes Text Complex?
Vocabulary: Knowledge of word meaning Sentence Structure: How the words
operate together Coherence: How particular words, ideas,
and sentences in text connect with one another
Organization: The patterns authors use to communicate complex information
Background Knowledge: The reader’s prior knowledge Educational Leadership, March 2012
The Challenge of Challenging TextTimothy Shanahan, Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey
Elements of Close Reading Instruction
Instruction should… Focus on words, sentences, paragraphs that
pose the biggest challenge to confidence, comprehension, and stamina
Ask text dependent questions that require students to closely examine the text
Ask students to make inferences based on evidence beyond what is explicitly stated
Pay close attention to a variety of text structures
Elements of Close Reading Instruction
A teacher should… Focus on a sequential/integrated line of inquiry Synthesize and organize evidence,
demonstrating understanding both orally and through writing
Become aware of nuances in word meaning AND
Acquire knowledge of general academic vocabulary to understand a range of complex texts
What are Text-Dependent Questions?Text-dependent questions:
Draw the reader back to the text to discover what it says.
Have concrete and explicit answers rooted in the text.
Frame inquiries in ways that do not rely on a mix of personal opinion, background information, and imaginative speculation.
© 2012 The Aspen Institute
Text Dependent Questions
Characteristics: Questions must originate from the text itself Questions focus on a word, sentence,
paragraph(s) Open, not leading questions Provide learning opportunity for students Require thought/discussion about the question
(no right answer immediately provided) Cause students to linger over portions of the
text, looking for specific answers, not just “getting the gist”
Rigorous Text-Dependent Questions should not be…
Low-level, literal, or recall questions
“right there” questions
Focused on comprehension strategies
Just questions…
Text Dependent Questions…
Can be used to… Identify key ideas in complex text
Should cause students to think at higher levels by… Make logical inferences Draw conclusions Engage in arguments based on what the
text syas
Non-Examples and Examples
In “Casey at the Bat,” Casey strikes out. Describe a time when you failed at something.
In “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” Dr. King discusses nonviolent protest. Discuss, in writing, a time when you wanted to fight against something that you felt was unfair.
In “The Gettysburg Address” Lincoln says the nation is dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Why is equality an important value to promote?
What makes Casey’s experiences at bat humorous?
What can you infer from King’s letter about the letter that he received?
“The Gettysburg Address” mentions the year 1776. According to Lincoln’s speech, why is this year significant to the events described in the speech?
Not Text-Dependent Text-Dependent
What did you do as a “Close Reader” when you read the excerpt from ?
Reflect on this question then explain to an elbow partner how you could teach this skill
to your students.
Text-dependent Questioning(Another Specialized Piece of Equipment)
Requires students to return to the text to formulate responses
Moves from literal to
interpretive
Why Ask Text Dependent Questions
80 to 90% of the ELA Reading Standards in each grade level require text dependent analysis
One of the first and most important steps to implementing the ELA Common Core Standards is to focus on identifying, evaluating, and creating text-dependent questions
Deep Reading, the kind encouraged by the common core standards, asks students to “read like a detective”, looking closely for details
Rather than asking students questions about their prior knowledge or experiences, the standards expect students to struggle with text-dependent questions
www.achievethecore.org/steal-these-tools/text-dependent-questions
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80-90% of (CCSS) reading standards require text-dependent analysis yet
over 30% of questions in major textbooks do not.Sue Pimentel, Lead Author of Common Core State Standards
for ELA/Literacy
Inferences
Probe each argument in
persuasive text, each idea in
informational text, each key detail in literary text, and observe
how these build to a whole.
Non-Text Dependent Questions
Examples from Alice in Wonderland: Are books without pictures or
conversations useful? How would you react if you saw a talking
rabbit? Would Alice have followed the rabbit
down the hole if she had not seen it look at a watch?
What do you know about Lewis Carroll?
Text Dependent Questions
What kind of books does Alice find useful?
How did Alice react when she saw a talking rabbit?
Why did Alice follow the rabbit down the hole?
What does the reader know about the rabbit?
Differences in Depth:Text versus Non-Text-Dependent
QuestionsNon-Text-Dependent
QuestionsText-Dependent Questions
Are books without pictures or conversations useful?
What kind of books does Alice find useful?
How would you react if you saw a talking rabbit?
How did Alice react when she saw a talking rabbit?
Would Alice have followed the rabbit down the hole had she not seen it look at a watch?
Why did Alice follow the rabbit down the rabbit-hole?
What do you know about Lewis Carroll?
What does the reader know about the rabbit?
Text Dependent Questions
Do NOT rely on… Personal opinion Background information
Imaginative speculation
Text Dependent Questions…
Require students to engage with text at higher levels.
Discover answers by extracting evidence from the text.
Are CCSS aligned questions (mirror CCSS aligned assessments).
Text Dependent Questions
Level of Text Specificity
CCSS Anchor StandardClose Reading Skill
Text Dependent Question
Word/Phrase Analyze how specific word choices shape tone (Standard 4)
Why wasn’t Alice “burning with curiosity” when she initially saw the rabbit? What events led her to feeling this way?
SentenceAssess how point of view shapes content (Standard 6)
In the opening paragraph, Alice states “what is the use of a book…without pictures or conversation?” What does that sentence reveal about her?
ParagraphSummarize key supporting details (Standard 2)
Around which word or phrase does the meaning of the third paragraph pivot? Explain w/evidence.
Text Dependent Questions and CCSS
• Determine ideas or themes and analyze their development(Standard 2)
• Summarize key supporting details and ideas (Standard 2)• Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas
develop and interact (Standard 3)• Analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or
tone (Standard 4)• Interpret technical, connotative, and figurative meanings
of words and phrases (Standard 4)• Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or
topics (Standard 9)• Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content
and style (Standard 6)• Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse
media and formats (Standard 7)• Assess the validity of the reasoning (Standard 8)• Assess the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence
(Standard 8)
Bands
11-CCR
9-10
6-8
4-5
2-3
K-1 Incre
ased
Ab
ilit
y t
o U
se T
ext
Evid
en
ce
Standards Two through Nine
Bands
11-CCR
9-10
6-8
4-5
2-3
K-1
Standard One
Standard Ten
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Incre
asin
g R
an
ge a
nd
C
om
ple
xit
y
Progression of Text-dependent Questions
Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual ConnectionsInferences
Author’s Purpose
Vocab & Text Structure
Key Details
General UnderstandingsPart
Sentence
Paragraph
Entire text
Across texts
Word
Whole
Segments
Framing Text Dependent Questions
Why did the author choose a particular word? Analyze the impact of syntax of a sentence Collect evidence Test comprehension of key ideas/arguments Analyze how portions of the text relate to
each other and the whole Look for pivot points in a paragraph Track down patterns in a text Notice what is missing or understood Investigate beginnings and endings of a text
Guidelines for Creating Text-Dependent Questions
Step One:
Identify the core understandings and key ideas of the text. (with standards/learning targets in mind)
Step Two:
Start small to build confidence.
Step Three:
Target vocabulary and text structure.
Step Four:
Tackle tough sections head-on.
Step Five:
Create coherent sequences of text-dependent questions.
Step Six:
Identify the standards that are being addressed.
Step Seven:
Create the culminating assessment.
A systematic approach to creating text- dependent questions for complex texts while aligning them with the demands of the CCSS.
Tools for Creating Text-Dependent Questions:
Text-Dependent Question Worksheet
© 2012 The Aspen Institute
Activity
Read the opening of Brian Lies’ Bats at the Beach With a partner, write one Text-Dependent
Question for each stanza aligned to a CCSS anchor standard
Share your question with others at your table
Evaluate your TDQ based on the samples provided
From Martin Luther King’s author’s note “Letter from Birmingham
Jail”
Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
What words gave you somemeaning to this text?
From Martin Luther King’s note to “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:
Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.
Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
From Martin Luther King’s note to “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:
Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.
Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
From Martin Luther King’s note to “Letter from Birmingham Jail”:
Begun on the margins of the newspaper in which the statement appeared while I was in jail, the letter was continued on scraps of writing paper supplied by a friendly Negro trusty, and concluded on a pad my attorneys were eventually permitted to leave me.
Creating Text-Dependent Questions for Informational Text
An effective text dependent question delves into a text to guide students in extracting the key meanings or ideas and events found there.
Text dependent questions begin by exploring specific words, details, explanations and arguments.
Teachers investigate the text through utilizing the Anchor and/or Grade-level Reading Standards to generate the question.
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” demonstrates that:
Basal reading programs by the four major publishers comprise 80% of all the texts used in elementary and middle school
Most of these texts rely heavily on non-text based pre-reading activities that “digest and regurgitate” the primary text and eliminate the need for close reading…
Text-Dependent Questions and Basal Readers
© 2012 The Aspen Institute
Text-Dependent Questions and Basal Readers
… which wouldn’t be necessary anyway since most of these basal readers include a high proportion of non-text dependent questions (including the writing prompts for basal texts)…
… and required students to perform multiple tasks that are irrelevant to understanding the text being read (i.e. focus on using comprehension strategies as an end in themselves)
Because of Winn Dixie—Examples of Non-Text Dependent Questions
Was there ever a time where an
animal scared you? (Personal experience)
Can bears really eat people? (Imaginative speculation)
Will Opal and Amanda ever be friends? (Opinion)
Explain how reading this story made you feel about visiting a library? (Background knowledge and personal experience)
TDQ: Beware of Basals
As you read this story, what do you think about plants and animals in Florida?
How can an older woman make her library safe from unwanted visitors?
This author has won prizes for her books. Why? Find a part of this story you think could win a prize. –- This of course asks the student to have a grasp of the criteria that publishers use in awarding prizes
In Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal tells about her experiences after moving to a new town. Think about a time that you were a newcomer to a place or situation. Now use vivid words to write a memoir about that experience. --- In addition to having very little to do with the selection this question assumes that all 4th or 5th graders have had that experience. More insidiously and as with all these questions it privileges students who have discussed these types of questions with adults- usually children from more educated families.
A systematic approach to revising Basal reader questions to align them with the demands of the CCSS.
Tools for Creating Text-Dependent Questions:
Basal Reader Review Worksheet
© 2012 The Aspen Institute
www.kellyphilbeck.com
kelly.philbeck@education.ky.gov