Making Non-fictionCome Alive!

MET Link K-8 Literacy Conference

April 14, 2012

Wendy Grojean

University of Nebraska at Omaha

College of Education

IDEAS Room Coordinator

wgrojean@unomaha.edu

What was the last non-fiction book you read outside of the classroom?

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Why?

(Billmeyer, 2004, p. 27)

Traditional Reading Format

Pre-reading strategies

Guided active, silent reading

Reflect on reading

Strategic Reading Format

Reading assignment

given

Independent reading

Discussion to see if reading was understood. Student completes fill-in-

the-blank worksheets

Reading Strategies

Reading strategies engage the mind of the reader.

Strategic reading is possible when:• Readers are taught how and when to strategies.

• Instruction of strategy use gradually moves from teacher-directed to student initiated” (Billmeyer, 2004, p. 28).

Purpose of Pre-reading strategies

• Activates prior knowledge• Builds background knowledge• Develops interest and motivation• Introduces key concepts and vocabulary• Previews the text• Sets purpose

Activities to Support Prereading

KWL charts Graphic organizers

Field trips Possible sentences

Films and videos Text walk / Overviewing

Quickwriting Questioning

Trade books Make predictions

Anticipation guides Brainstorming

Exclusion Dramatic role play

Concept maps Word walls

RAN strategy

Conventions of Nonfiction

“We must teach our students what nonfiction is. Teaching our students that expository text has predictable characteristics and features they can count on before they read allows them to construct meaning more easily as they read” (Harvey, S. & Goudvis, 2007, p.117).

Conventions of Non-fiction

Types of Non-fiction

RAN StrategyReading and Analyzing Non-fiction

• A “beefed-up” version of the infamous

KWL.

• Students are engaged and thinking throughout the reading process.

• http://scrumblr.ca/

What I THINK I know

Confirmed Misconceptions New Information

Wonderings

Anticipation Guides

Allow students to:• connect new information to prior knowledge

and build curiosity about a new topic.

Example templates:

Simple form

Upper-elementary-HAL

Anticipation Guide Example

Strategies during reading:

• Ensure fluent reading• Identify big ideas• Organize ideas and details• Construct meaning• Enhance meaning• Propel research efforts• Clarify confusion

Activities to Support Reading

Listen before reading Coding text

Read with buddy Bookmarks

Small group read and share Sketching

Reciprocal teaching Double-entry journals

Highlighting It says / I say

Graphic organizers Questioning

Post-it response notes Visualizing

RAN

FQRDuring reading students:• record factual information.• ask questions.• respond to merge their thinking with the

content.

Fact Question Respond

Penguins can’t fly How do they get around? That stinks that they can’t fly!

Not all penguins live in cold climates

Which penguins live in warm climates?

They might get if they live in a hot climate and are black.

Text Coding• During modeling: “Students need to hear

the teacher’s inside thinking or self-talk” (Chapman, 2003, p. 85).

• Adding novelty to note taking improves the students’ ability to remember important information.

• When a unique reference mark is used, key points are easier to remember and retain.

Using INSERT• Interactive Notation System for Effective

Reading and Thinking (Vaughn and Estes, 1986)

• Develop your own “codes” with your class• Have the codes visible and accessible to

students• Examples:

-Simple

-Detailed

Post-Reading

• Responding• Application

Purpose of Responding Strategy

• Clarify understanding• Reflect on big ideas• Summarize• Make connections

Response Questions

• Prompt thinking• May have multiple answers• Cause students to ponder and wonder• Dispel or clarify confusion• Challenge students to rethink opinions• Are subject to discussion, debate, and

conversation• May require further research

Response Questions

• What makes you think that?• Why do you say that?• Can you elaborate on that?• Can you tell me more about your thinking?• How did you come up with that?

Activities to Support Responding

• RAN-Wonderings column• FQR-The “R” • Coding Text- ?• Instructional conversations• Think-pair-square-share• Learning logs• Double-entry journals• Write summaries• Questioning• Exit slips and admit slips• Written conversation• Instructional and grand conversations

Exit and Entrance slips• Prompts that document learning,– Ex. Write one thing you learned today.– Ex. Discuss how today's lesson could be used

in the real world.

•  Prompts that emphasize the process of learning,– Ex. I didn't understand…– Ex. Write one question you have about today's

lesson.

Summarizing-Fun?!• The “gist” –Important information ONLY!– www.twitter.com or www.twiducate.com– To create 140 characters or less summary

• Summary wheel-Billmeyer

Purpose of Application strategy• Draw conclusions• Expand knowledge• Personalize learning• Share knowledge

Activities to Support Application• Compare/contrast – Venn Diagrams• Most Valuable President or Explorer• Read other books-Read-alikes• Conduct research• Write stories, reports, and poems• Cubing• Present oral reports• RAFT – Retelling in various perspectives and

genres• Multi-genre topics

Most Valuable President

John F. Kennedy

Woodrow Wilson

Abraham Lincoln

Andrew Jackson

Benjamin Harrison

Zachary Taylor

Franklin Roosevelt

Ronald Reagan

MVP!!

Use a Venn diagram to comparethe two presidents, explorers, animals, etc. Students present and the class votes on the winner.

Multi-Genre TopicsStudents create three or more items

representing different genres. Examples to include are:

• Reports• Stories• Poems• Create artifacts• Posters• Charts

ReferencesAdlit.org. (2009). Exit slips. Retrieved from http://www.adlit.org/strategies/19805/

Billmeyer, R. (2004).Strategic reading in the content areas. Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

Chapman, C., & King, R. (2003). Differentiated instructional strategies for reading in the content areas. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, Inc.

Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2004). Strategic thinking: Reading and responding, grades 4-8. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies that work. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Keene, E.O., & Zimmermann, S. (2007). Mosaic of thought: The power of comprehension strategy instruction. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Kump, L. (2010). Determining importance of non-fiction. Retrieved from http://www.readinglady.com/mosaic/tools/Determinging%20Importance%20handout%20by%20Deb%20Smith.pdf

Moss, B. (2005). Making a case and a place for effective content area literacy instruction in the elementary grade. Reading Teacher, 59, 46-55.

Rasinski, T. & Padak, N. (2000). Effective reading strategies. (Second Edition). Columbus, OH: Merrill.

References (cont’d)Readingrockets.org. (2012). Classroom strategies:

Anticipation guide. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide/

Stead, T. (2006). Reality checks: Teaching reading comprehension with nonfiction K-5. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.

Tompkins, G.E. (2006). Literacy for the 21st century. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Vaughan, J.L. & Estes, T.H. (1986). Reading and Reasoning Beyond the Primary Grades. Boston: Allyn and Bacon Inc.