Picture Books, Conversations, and Embedded Strategy

Instruction for Predicting EDC423

Dr. Julie Coiro

Today’s Learning Objectives

1. Understand ways that you can cultivate conversations about books in your classroom2. Practice “having a conversation” (starting one and building on others ideas) with fiction and non-fiction3. Experience a shared reading that models how to make predictions using the Metacognitive Framework of define, explain, notice, and apply.

Encouraging Talk About Books: Cultivating Conversations

“What does a conversation look like?” (Chapter 5)

– Talk about something that’s interesting (e.g., roller coasters!)

– Involves full participation of people involved

– Reacting and building on one another’s ideas

– People look interested in other peoples ideas

4 ways to scaffold discussion (Langer & Close, 2001)

– Tapping understanding (What do you already know?)

– Seeking Clarification (What questions do you have?)

– Inviting Participating (What role do you want to play?)

– Orchestrating Discussion (What structures can I provide?)

How might you “orchestrate discussion” in your classroom?

What teaching structures can you use?

Orchestrating Discussion (while gradually releasing responsibility)

Read-aloud (model thinking/reacting)

Shared reading (and reacting) without question and answer quiz

Guided reading and reciprocal teaching (predict, question, clarify, summarize)

Independent reading & response – Read, reflect, respond, and rap – Literature circles and textbook circles

Power of Literature Circles (when done well)

“Students construct their understanding of the text through interactions with peers and the teacher, as well as sharing what interests them about the books they read”

Sticky notes and active reading are useful (see chart on p. 50 for ideas, but not as prescriptive as your book suggests) – the point is to talk about the book, not the strategies!!

Literature circle roles guided by “topic/response area” rather than “strategy” might be a better technique

Cultivating Conversations

Teach how to START a conversation (stems: How come…Did you know…I don’t understand…I can’t believe…I love this part…This reminds me of…Can you imagine…)

Teaching how to BUILD on a conversation (stems: Are you sure…I thought that meant…Why do you think the author chose to…Can you show me…What do you that looks/feels like… Let’s get back on track

Try It Out

Use the question prompts to guide you in STARTING a conversation and BUILDING on other’s thoughts, ideas, and reactions.

Literature Circle: My Father’s Dragon

Textbook Circle: Gorilla Rescue

Modeling how to apply a reading comprehension strategy

So, how can we work discussions about strategy use appropriately into our modeled, shared, and guided reading instruction in ways that help students gradually apply those strategies when they read independently??

Good Strategy Instruction

What is it? (name it and define it)

Why is it important?

How do you use the strategy?

When is it useful?

(remember Explain & Define; Notice and Apply from your textbook as the MODELING phase of strategy instruction)

Predicting

Why do good readers predict? – It gives a purpose for reading– Helps build internal tension – Helps anticipate a satisfying ending– Connect prior knowledge & new information

Predictions serve as guideposts. We monitor our predictions from time to time to see how they hold up (That’s what I thought! -- Wow, that’s not what I thought!)

Problems with Predicting

Children’s predictions are often inaccurate, because of the text or the reader. Children underestimate the importance of text features in informational text. Many children don’t take the time to predict properly and never revisit to solidify or revise their prediction. Your Teaching Goal: Help students make predictions that are accurate and meaningful

Define… Explain… Notice… Apply

Define and Explain– “How is a prediction different than a guess”– Good, so what I hear you saying is…

Explain (let go a little to facilitate students monitoring their strategy use) – Look at the tally sheet - Once you predict,

you’re going to think about what you used to make that prediction.

How and when do we predict?

See the Predicting Tally Sheet (p. 204) but be careful about being too prescriptive!

– 1. Title, headings, cover, pictures, captions

– 2. Ask questions

– 3. Knowledge of the topic

– 4. Knowledge about the author/genre/book

– 5. Text organization & structure

– 6. Past events in the text

– 7. Meaningful connections

– 8. Knowledge of the character

Now, I will model and ask you to notice and apply with Once There Was a Bull..

Notice & Apply (Activities)

Title…Anticipation Guide (p. 86-see next slide) Topic/Vocab…Predict-o-gram (see next slide) Questions..Sticky Note Questions (p. 88)Questions..Preview, Read, Question (p. 88) Author/Genre…Story map; genre features (p. 93)Predict what you’d find in types of expository texts: ABC books, magazines, newspapers, ads, brochures, invitations, menus…fairy tales (e.g., Cinderella) (All ideas for your own lesson plan)

Anticipation Guide: Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

Identify major themes – write several statements – students discuss & react before reading and then revisit after

Agree Disagree

It would be wonderful to live forever.

You should never do something that your parents have forbidden.

People should have the right to sell products even if they are harmful.

Some secrets are so important that it is acceptable to do anything in order to keep them.

Predict-o-gram: Crow Boy by Tara YashimaHow would Taro Yashima use each vocabulary word? forlorn, interesting, trudging, imagine, graduation, attendance, admired, announced, charcoal, rejected

SettingWhere the story took place

CharactersPeople in the story

Problem or goal of themain character

Solution to the problem or attainment of goal

Today’s Learning Objectives

1. Understand ways that you can cultivate conversations about books in your classroom2. Practice “having a conversation” (starting one and building on others ideas) with fiction and non-fiction3. Experience a shared reading that models how to make predictions using the Metacognitive Framework of define, explain, notice, and apply.

Homework

Tuesday Oct. 5 (Groups): see wikispace for links – Bearse (1992) Fairy tale connections in Children’s Stories – Cinderella Around the World Telecollaborative Project

– Book Activity #2 - part for homework and part in class - see handout

Thursday, Oct. 7: Read: Strategy Book: Making Connections; Block & Israel Article –Book Activity #2 due

Thursday, Oct. 14 – – Book Activity #3: Strategy Script due (pretend it’s due for class on Oct. 12) – Quiz #1

Groups for Cinderella Class

Group 1: Jessica, Alyssa, Michaela

Group 2: Amy, Lindsey, Alysa

Group 3: Chelsea, Kelsey, Erika

Group 4: Katie L, Sheila, Kristen

Group 5: Erica, Meghan, Tabitha

Group 6: Amanda, Mandy, Katie S, Aimee