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Using a Language Lens to View Reading Comprehension Deficits: Assessment and

Intervention Considerations

Kim Murza, Ph.D., CCC-SLP

University of Northern Colorado 2016 National RiteCare Conference

October 15, 2016

Disclosures

◻Financial Disclosures ◻I receive a salary from the University of Northern Colorado

◻Nonfinancial Disclosures

◻I am the University of Northern Colorado RiteCare Director ◻I serve on the Colorado Speech-Language Advisory Council for the

Department of Education

Learning Outcomes

◻After completing this session, you will be able to:

1. Develop and test a diagnostic hypothesis about a child’s difficulty comprehending text.

2. Identify common language underpinnings related to reading comprehension.

3. Describe evidence-based intervention techniques to support children with language impairments who have trouble comprehending text.

1. Language underpinnings

2. Diagnostic hypothesis/diagnostic teaching

3. Knowledge, skills, strategies

4. An evidence-based inference generation strategy intervention

5. Questions/comments

Advanced Organizer

Key Changes in the ELA Standards

“Do a few essential things differently such that many more students can perform at a college and career-ready level by the time they leave high school.” David Coleman

Shifts Text complexity and emphasis on informational texts Analyze, infer, give evidence Writing to sources Emphasis on short, focused research projects Mastery of writing and speaking (effective argument) Academic vocabulary (tier 2 vocabulary) (particularly important

for English Language Learners J.B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy & Council of

Chief State School Officers, 2011

Reading Anchor Standards Related to Reading Comprehension and Specifically Inference

◻CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.1 ◻Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make

logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

◻CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.3 ◻Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and

interact over the course of a text.

◻CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.6 ◻Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style

of a text.

◻CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.R.10 ◻Read and comprehend complex literary and information texts

independently and proficiently. ■National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers.

(2010). Common Core State Standards (English Language Arts). Washington, D.C.

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An Example 7

◻CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

An Example 9

◻CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.3.2 Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

synthesizes smaller, related

ideas into a gist statement

holds information

in working memory

uses textual evidence

to support ideas

identifies the features

of an idea

Understands the notion

of big and small ideas

Diagnostic Hypothesis

The Problem: Nicholas is not reading on grade level.

Why? He cannot comprehend what he reads.

Why? He is not able to identify the main idea.

Why? He does not understand the notion of concept hierarchy (big vs. small).

Why? He hasn’t been taught?

He has a language disorder?

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Ehren, B. J. (personal communication, May 2009)

Diagnostic Teaching Session 11

Before Reading During Reading After Reading

What I will say/do What the student will say/do What the student

did Conclusion

about Dx Hyp

and Intervention

Ideas

Introduce Nicholas to the

idea of a concept

hierarchy. Have him

complete a simple

categorization task.

Nicholas will use a hierarchical

graphic organizer to sort words

by “big” and “small” ideas.

Contextualize the concept

with a passage. Focus

on identifying big ideas.

Nicholas will read a passage

aloud and stop to think aloud

when he finds a big idea. He

will work with the

teacher/clinician to underline the

big ideas.

Ehren, B. J. (personal communication, May 2009)

Cognitive & Linguistic Foundations

◻Activity!

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Take a look… 13

9th & 10th Grade Writing Example

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1a Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.1b Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.

9th & 10th Grade Writing Example

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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Knowledge, Skills, and Strategies Oh My!

Differentiating Knowledge, Skills, and Strategies

◻Knowledge: the information you have ◻Skills: actions or procedures you are competent in using ◻Strategies: approaches you use to apply knowledge and skills

wisely in specific situations

◻Although knowledge and skills form the building blocks for strategies, teaching strategies is different from teaching knowledge and skills.

◻Ehren, 2009

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Think, Pair, Share

◻Potential problematic components: ◻Absent strategies that need to be acquired as conscious choices ◻Conscious steps and strategies that need to be automatized to free

up mental space ◻Maladaptive or weak skills that need to be brought to conscious

attention and modified ◻Ukrainetz, 2007

So What Do I need to Know about Inference Generation to Help My Students?

Inference Generation

◻The cognitive process of connecting information from a variety of sources to come to a conclusion.

Background knowledge

Contextual cues

(social/text)

Inference generation

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Inference Generation in Reading

Take a Look… Categories of Inference Generation in Reading

◻Magliano & Graesser (1991) ◻11 categories of inferences

◻Local interpretation of text elements ◻Global understanding of the passage

◻Several of these inference categories in reading appear most related to social inference

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Inference Categories Specific to Social Inference

Inference

Category

Definition

Theme Inferences about the main idea or moral

of the story

Author’s intent Inferences concerning the motivation of

the author in writing the text

State Inferences about the condition of the

world based on the timeframe of the text

Superordinate

goal

Inferences concerning why a character

might do something

Emotion Inferences about the character’s

emotional responses to story events

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Keys to Inference Generation Intervention in Reading (Murza et al., 2014)

Keys

Modeling inference generation

Instruction in text structure

Questioning by the teacher and the student

Activation of prior knowledge

Work in prediction skills

Strategy instruction Hughes, Ruhl, Schumaker, & Deshler, 2002;

Lancaster, Schumaker, Lancaster, & Deshler, 2009; Schumaker et al., 1982

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ACT & Check Strategy

ACT & Check Ask yourself a question Consider the text Think about what you know and take a good guess Check your guess

Based on a research-validated instructional

methodology designed to teach strategies to students (Ellis, Deshler, Lenz, Schumaker, & Clark, 1991)

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ACT & Check Strategy: Research Results

25 adults with high-functioning ASD were randomly assigned to either a treatment or control group.

One hour, twice a week for six weeks, in groups of 3–5

Treatment group demonstrated significantly superior performance on 1 of 2 measures of inference generation in reading (p =.04; g = .97, 95% CI .17 to 1.76) and 1 measure of metacognitive ability (p = .001; g = 1.41, 95% CI .56 to 2.26) compared to control group

Significant differences between groups were not found on general measures of reading comprehension or social inference ability (p > .05; d = .001).

■Murza, Nye, Schwartz, Ehren, & Hahs-Vaughn, 2014

Delivery of the Intervention 29

◻Ellis, Deshler, Lenz, Schumaker, & Clark (1991)

Eight-Stage Instructional Sequence

Stage 1 Pretest and Make Commitments Gather baseline data to increase individual’s

awareness of the necessity of strategy

instruction and increase his/her motivation to

learn the strategy.

Stage 2 Describe Explicit instruction in each component of the

strategy including overt and covert

processes.

Stage 3 Model Instructor uses a “think-aloud” procedure to

walk students through each overt and covert

process of each step of the strategy.

Stage 4 Verbal Practice Students demonstrate an ability to

automatically name each strategy step and

explain key information.

Delivery of the Intervention 30

Eight-Stage Instructional Sequence

Stage 5 Controlled Practice and

Feedback

Students are provided with multiple opportunities to

practice using the strategy with less demanding

material to build their confidence and help them

become independent in their use of the strategy.

Stage 6 Advanced Practice and

Feedback

Students are provided with multiple opportunities to

practice using the strategy with materials similar to

those he/she encounters on a daily basis.

Stage 7 Posttest and Make

Commitments

Gather data to demonstrate mastery of the strategy

and make commitments to generalization of the

strategy across settings, situations, and time.

Stage 8 Generalization Students demonstrate the generalization of the use

of the strategy across settings.

Ellis, Deshler, Lenz, Schumaker, & Clark (1991)

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Example

“I want to go home,” I said, my voice perilously near trembling, and without a word he

started up the engine, let in the clutch and turned the car round the way that we had

come.

From Jamestown Readers’ Timed Readings in Literature Series (Spargo, 1989). Passage 15 excerpt from Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier.

Character Condition: How have the character’s emotions changed? Did some event Significantly change the character’s life? How so?

Big Goal: Why did “he” just do that?

Known (the author tells me) Unknown (the author doesn’t tell me)

“I want to go home,” I said, my

voice perilously near trembling

…”

Seems like the narrator wants to get away from

where they are in the car. I know when people’s

voices tremble they are either scared, angry, or

about to cry from sadness.

Without a word … Whoever “he” is obeyed her wishes. Maybe that’s

because he wants to help her feel better.

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Inference Category Question Key

Inference Category Question(s)

Theme or Thesis Theme What does the story reveal (if anything)? What kinds of changes did the main character go through? (what

happens to the main character?) What did the main character learn? What is the nature of the conflict?

Thesis What is the main idea of this passage?

Author’s Intent What is the author trying to tell me? Or how is the author trying to influence me? Or...what impression is the author trying to make upon me?

Character Condition How have the character’s emotions changed? What is this character up to now? Did this event significantly change this character’s life, how so? Does this information tell me anything new about the character?

Big Goal Why did the character just do that? What does the character want to happen now?

Intended Reader Emotion

What is the author trying to make me feel by writing that?

Now It’s Your Turn!

◻If you have the handouts accessible, turn to the inference category question key and the next paragraph in the Rebecca excerpt.

◻Work individually or with a partner for 5 minutes to read the paragraph while using the ACT & Check Strategy.

From Jamestown Readers – Timed Readings in Literature Series (Spargo, 1989) Passage 15 excerpt from Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

◻ Swiftly we covered the ground, far too swiftly, I thought, far too easily, and the callous countryside

watched us with indifference. We came to the bend in the road that I had wished to imprison as a memory, and the peasant girl was gone, and the color was flat, and it was no more after all than any bend in any road passed by a hundred motorists. The glamour of it had gone with my happy mood, and the thought of it my frozen face quivered into feeling, my adult pride was lost, and those despicable tears rejoicing at their

conquest welled into my eyes and stayed upon my cheeks.

Inference Instruction at Each Tier

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Tier 1: Make the process of inference generation explicit. Provide opportunities for students to support their answers with evidence.

Tier 2: Use think-aloud procedures to make the ACT & Check Strategy even more explicit. Work on the “A” piece of the strategy.

Tier 3: Full ACT & Check Strategy Intervention guided by the empirically validated instructional methodology of Ellis et al. (1991).

Questions? Comments?

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Contact Information

◻Kim Murza, Ph.D., CCC-SLP ◻Email: kim.murza@unco.edu ◻Office: 970-351-1084

References

◻ Anderson, R., & Pearson, P. D. (1984). A schema-theoretic view of basic processes in reading comprehension. In P. D. Pearson (Ed.), Handbook of reading research (pp. 255-292). New York: Longman.

◻ Ellis, E.S., Deshler, D.D., Lenz, B.K., Schumaker, J.B., & Clark, F.L. (1991). An instructional model for

teaching learning strategies. Focus on Exceptional Children, 23(6), 1-24.

◻ Hughes, C.A., Ruhl, K.L., Schumaker, J.B., & Deshler, D.D. (2002). Effects of instruction in an assignment completion strategy on the homework performance of students with learning disabilities in general education classes. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 17(1), 1-18. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1540-5826.00028/abstract

◻ J.B. Hunt, Jr. Institute for Educational Leadership and Policy & Council of Chief State School Officers (2011). Common Core State Standards: A new foundation for student success.

◻ Lancaster, P.E., Schumaker, J.B., Lancaster, S.J.C., & Deshler, D.D. (2009). Effects of a computerized

program on use of the test-taking strategy by secondary students with disabilities. Learning Disability Quarterly, 32, 165-179. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/27740366

◻ Magliano, J. P., & Graesser, A. C. (1991). A three-pronged method for studying inference generation in literary text. Poetics, 20, 193-232. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0304422X9190007C

◻ Murza, K. A., Nye, C., Schwartz, J. B., Ehren, B. J., & Hahs-Vaughn, D. (2014). A randomized controlled trial of an inference generation strategy intervention for adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 23, 461-473.

References cont.

◻ National Governors Association Center for Best Practices & Council of Chief State School Officers. (2010). Common Core State Standards (English Language Arts). Washington, D.C.

◻ Nesbitt, S. (2000). Why and why not? Factors influencing employment for individuals with AS. Autism 4, 357–370.

◻ Scarborough, H. 2001. Connecting early language and literacy to later reading (dis)abilities: Evidence, theory, and practice. Pp. 97-110 in S. B. Neuman & D. K. Dickinson (Eds.) Handbook of Early Literacy. NY: Guilford Press.

◻ Schumaker, J. B., Deshler, D. D., Alley, G. R., Varner, M. M., Clark, F. L., & Nolan, S. (1982). Error monitoring: A learning strategy for improving adolescent academic performance. In W. M. Cruickshank & J. W. Lerner (Eds.), Coming of age: Vol. 3. The Best of ACLD (pp. 170–183). Syracuse, NY: Syracuse University Press.

◻ Snow, C. E. (2002). Reading for understanding: Toward a research and development program in reading

comprehension. Santa Monica, CA: RAND. ◻ Spargo, E. (Ed.). (1989). Timed readings in literature: Book six. Chicago, IL: Jamestown Publishers, Inc.

◻ Ukrainetz, T. (2007). Contextualized language intervention: Scaffolding PreK-12 literacy achievement. Pro-

Ed, Austin, TX.

1 Murza, 2016

APPENDIX A

Diagnostic Hypothesis Graphic Organizer

The problem:

Why?

Why?

Why?

Why?

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APPENDIX B

Directions: Use the space below to write down which standard you are going to target and the

language/cognitive underpinnings below.

Standard:

Standard:

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APPENDIX C

Ellis, Deshler, Lenz, Schumaker, & Clark’s (1991) Eight-Stage Instructional Sequence

Eight-Stage Instructional Sequence

Stage 1 Pretest and Make Commitments Gather baseline data to increase individual’s

awareness of the necessity of strategy

instruction and increase his/her motivation to

learn the strategy.

Stage 2 Describe Explicit instruction in each component of the

strategy including overt and covert processes.

Stage 3 Model Instructor uses a “think-aloud” procedure to

walk students through each overt and covert

process of each step of the strategy.

Stage 4 Verbal Practice Students demonstrate an ability to

automatically name each strategy step and

explain key information.

Stage 5 Controlled Practice and Feedback Students are provided with multiple

opportunities to practice using the strategy

with less demanding material to build their

confidence and help them become

independent in their use of the strategy.

Stage 6 Advanced Practice and Feedback Students are provided with multiple

opportunities to practice using the strategy

with materials similar to those he/she

encounters on a daily basis.

Stage 7 Posttest and Make Commitments Gather data to demonstrate mastery of the

strategy and make commitments to

generalization of the strategy across settings,

situations, and time.

Stage 8 Generalization Students demonstrate the generalization of

the use of the strategy across settings.

4 Murza, 2016

APPENDIX D

Inference Category

Question Key Inference

Category

Question(s)

Theme or

Thesis

Theme

What does the story reveal (if anything)?

What kinds of changes did the main character go

through? (what happens to the main character?)

What did the main character learn?

What is the nature of the conflict?

Thesis

What is the main idea of this passage?

Author’s

Intent

What is the author trying to tell me? Or how is

the author trying to influence me? Or...what

impression is the author trying to make upon me?

Character

Condition

How have the character’s emotions changed?

What is this character up to now?

Did this event significantly change this

character’s life, how so?

Does this information tell me anything new about

the character?

Big Goal Why did the character just do that?

What does the character want to happen now?

Intended

Reader

Emotion

What is the author trying to make me feel by

writing that?

Murza, 2011

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APPENDIX E

Inference Graphic Organizer Known

(the author tells me)

Unknown

(the author doesn’t

tell me)

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Murza, 201

APPENDIX F

From Jamestown Readers – Timed Readings in Literature Series (Spargo, 1989)

Passage 15 excerpt from Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Lesson 5 “I do it” Practice

“I want to go home,” I said, my voice perilously near to trembling, and without a

__________________________________________________________________

word he started up the engine, let in the clutch and turned the car round the way

__________________________________________________________________

that we had come.

__________________________________________________________________

Swiftly we covered the ground, far too swiftly, I thought, far too easily, and

__________________________________________________________________

the callous countryside watched us with indifference. We came to the bend in the

__________________________________________________________________

road that I had wished to imprison as a memory, and the peasant girl was gone, and

__________________________________________________________________

the color was flat, and it was no more after all than any bend in any road passed by

__________________________________________________________________

a hundred motorists. The glamour of it had gone with my happy mood, and the

__________________________________________________________________

thought of it my frozen face quivered into feeling, my adult pride was lost, and

__________________________________________________________________

those despicable tears rejoicing at their conquest welled into my eyes and strayed

__________________________________________________________________

upon my cheeks.

__________________________________________________________________

I could not check them, for they came unbidden, and had I reached in my

__________________________________________________________________

pocket for a handkerchief, he would have seen. I must let them fall untouched, and

__________________________________________________________________

suffer the bitter salt upon my lips, plumbing the depths of humiliation. Whether he

__________________________________________________________________

had turned his head to look at me I do not know, for I watched the road ahead with

__________________________________________________________________

blurred and steady stare, but suddenly he put out his hand and took hold of mine,

__________________________________________________________________

7 Murza, 2016

and kissed it, still saying nothing, and then he threw his handkerchief on my lap,

__________________________________________________________________

which I was too ashamed to touch.

_________________________________________________________________

I thought of all those heroines of fiction who looked pretty when they cried,

__________________________________________________________________

and what a contrast I must make with a blotched and swollen face, and red rims to

__________________________________________________________________

my eyes. It was a dismal finish to my morning, and the day that stretched ahead of

__________________________________________________________________

me was long. I had to lunch with Mrs. Van Hopper in her room, because the nurse

__________________________________________________________________

was going out, and afterwards she would make me play bezique with all the tireless

__________________________________________________________________

energy of the convalescent. I knew I should stifle in that room. There was

__________________________________________________________________

something sordid about the tumbled sheets, and sprawling blankets and the

__________________________________________________________________

thumped pillows, and that bedside table dusty with powder, spilt scent, and melting

__________________________________________________________________

liquid rouge. Her bed would be littered with the separated sheets of the daily

__________________________________________________________________

papers folded anyhow, while French novels with curling edges and the covers torn

__________________________________________________________________

kept company with American magazines.

__________________________________________________________________