Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?

CrisTovani

yes*

Do you remember learning how to read?

How did you learn?

What about high school?

What do you remember?

Di Tri Berrese

Unasapponataimuas tri beerese: mamma berre, pappaberre, ebeibiberre. Live innecontrinireforesta. NAISE AUS. (No mugheggia.) Uannedeipappa, mamma, ebeibi go toodabice, oie, a furghettelocchedidoore.BaiennebaicommeseGoldilocchese. Scigarranattinghetu do battemaichetroble. Scipuscieollefuddedaondimaute; no live cromme. Den scigosappesterreseenneslipse in ollebeddse.LEIEI SLOBBE!Beiennebaicommeseommedi tri berrese,ollesonnebronnde, enne send innescius. Dei garra no fudde; deigarra no beddse. En uradeigoine due to Goldilocchese? Troerreinnestrit? CollePuissemenne?FETTE CIENZE!Dei uasItalienBerrese, erne deislippeonnaflorre.Goldilocchesesteiderre tri uicase; itteauteausenomme, en guistebicosedeiesheerretumeichedibeddse, scisei “Go to elle,” ennerunneommecriane to erre mamma, tellenerreuatsanificesedi tri berreseuer.

Uatsiuse? Uaraiugoine du – go comlienesittiolle?

The Three Bears

Once upon a time was three bears: mama bear, papa bear, and baby bear. Live in the country near forest. NICE HOUSE. (No mortgage.) One day papa, mama, and baby go to the beach, only they forget to lock the door.By and by comes Goldilocks. She got nothing to do but make trouble. She push all the food down the mouth; no leave crumb. The she goes upstairs and sleeps in all the beds.LAZY SLOB!By and by comes home the three bears, all sunbrowned, and sand in shoes. They got no food; they got no beds. What are they going to do to Goldilocks? Throw her in the street? Call a policeman?FAT CHANCE!They were Italian bears, and they sleep on the floor.Goldilocks stay there three weeks; eating out of house and home; and just because they asked her to make the beds, she says, “Go to h---,” and run home crying to her mama, telling her what sons of b------ the three bears are.

What’s the use? What are you going to do – go complain city hall?

WHAT STRATEGIES DID YOU USE TO MAKE SENSE OF THE PREVIOUS TEXT?

Ask questions?

Made connections to what you knew?

Used letter-sound correspondence to decode unfamiliar words?

Made substitutions for meaning?

Today’s students have different literacy demands.

They text.

They tweet.

They blog.

They surf.

They post.

They Google.

Ten years ago, we had never heard those terms.

They still need to be able to read.

Food for Thought………• More than eight million students in grades 4-12 read below grade level. (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005)

• Among low-income eighth graders, just fifteen percent read at a proficient level. (NCES, 2005)

• A mere three percent of all eighth graders read at an advanced level. (NCES, 2005)

• High school students’ ability to read complex texts is strongly predictive of their performance in college math and science courses. (ACT, 2006)

• Between 1971 and 2004, the reading levels of America’s seventeen year-olds showed no improvement at all. (NCES, 2004)

… and more food for thought

• Common Core State Standards (CCSS) include literacy standards for science and social studies.

• CCSS (and current DE standards) requirestudents to read, interpret, and analyze a wide

variety of non-fiction text. Students will be testedon these standards in 2011.

•These standards also require higher-level thinkingskills, such as analyze and evaluate at lower gradelevels.

……….and more.

SCHOOLDSTP READING

SCORES2010

DCAS READING SCORE

GOAL FOR 2011

D. M. S. 79% 84%

D. H. S. 64% 84%

How can we move our students?

• So they meet AYP every year.

• So they can critically analyze andevaluate text

• So they have the skills and strategiesthey need to compete in a rapidlychanging world

• So they are thoughtful, engaged citizens

We all teach reading.

One critical concept embraced by both researchers and literacy specialists is that learning to read doesn’t end in the elementary grades. Reading becomes more complex as students move into middle and high schools, and teachers need to help students understand difficult text.Tovani, 2004

But I don’t know how to teach reading…..I’m a _________ teacher.(fill in the blank)

Why do you read?

Turn and talk to the person next to you.

Reading is Thinking.

If we want students to become more thoughtful when they read, we need to teach them how to read strategically.

Meaning arrives because we are purposefully engaged in thinking while we read.Tovani, 2004

The Plan………..

A district-wide book study of Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? Content Comprehension, Grades 6-12 by CrisTovani

Help! I feel like I’m losing my head!

When will we have time to do this?

Month Chapter

September 1 & 2 – “The ‘So What’ of reading comprehension

October 3 – Parallel Experiences

November 4 – Real Rigor: Connecting Students with Accessible Text

December 5 – Why am I reading this?

January 6 – Holding Thinking to Remember and Reuse

February 7 – Group Work that Grows Understanding

March 8 – Assessment that Drives Instruction

April 9 – Did I Miss Anything? Did I Miss Everything? Last Thoughts

How will we discuss this book?

• In monthly department meetings –informal discussion 10-15 minutes

• In staff meetings – a readingstrategy tip or video clip

What is expected of me?

Read the assigned chapter prior to each month’s department meeting.

Come to the meeting prepared for discussion

Try incorporating some strategies in your lessons

How can I help my students read next week?

Walk them through the textbook.

• Review the table of contents

• Explain text features that are found in every chapter, such as headings,subheadings, graphics, examples, guiding or summarizing questions, etc.

•Note any bold or highlighted vocabulary – and where the definition tothose words can be found

•Point out a glossary, index, reference section, etc.

• Explain any unique features the book has, such as diagrams, quotations, models, etc.

So what are the features of the book we’re reading?

Chapter Titles – Predict what we’ll be learning this year

Appendix – a resource for strategy templates

Bibliography – works cited

Each chapter begins with a quote.

Margin notes – contain strategies, tips, clarification, etc.

Guiding questions for the teacher

Teaching points

Samples of student work

Graphic Organizers

Reading + Math = Learning

Instructional templates

References cited in the text

Final Thoughts…………………

Reading is THINKING.

Students need to be taught HOW to think about what they read.

This can be accomplished through strategy instruction and explicit modeling.

You can do it!