CONTENT READING AND WRIT ING:
PREREADING, DURING READING
AND POST READING
Information retrieved from
Pearson Resource for Teaching English Learners: Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL
By: Suzanne F. Peregoy & Owen F. Boyle
Creating Optimal Content Learning for English Learners:
1. Meaning and Purpose: The topic was meaningful to the students; they selected it and helped shape its development.
2. Prior Knowledge: Learning was built on prior knowledge and direct experience such as field trips.
3. Integration of Opportunities to Use Language and Literacy for Learning Purpose: Oral and written language were used to acquire knowledge and present it to others.
4. Scaffolding for Support: Scaffolds were provided, including group work, process writing, and direct experiences for learning.
5. Collaboration: Students collaborated to build knowledge and organize for summarizing in a book.
6. Variety: Variety was built in at every step, with oral language, reading, writing, field trips, class discussions, guest speakers, and other avenues of learning provided.
2. Prior Knowledge: Learning was built on prior knowledge and direct experience such as field trips.
3. Integration of Opportunities to Use Language and Literacy for Learning Purpose: Oral and written language were used to acquire knowledge and present it to others.
4. Scaffolding for Support: Scaffolds were provided, including group work, process writing, and direct experiences for learning.
5. Collaboration: Students collaborated to build knowledge and organize for summarizing in a book.
6. Variety: Variety was built in at every step, with oral language, reading, writing, field trips, class discussions, guest speakers, and other avenues of learning provided.
Students' Interactions with Texts
1. Aesthetic and Efferent Interactions with Texts- There are two types of attitudes readers may take when reading. When a student takes an efferent stance towards a text, the central purpose is to carry away information, and this is what we commonly do with expository texts. An aesthetic stance is aimed at experiencing or feeling a piece of writing. Readers usually set aesthetic purposes when reading literary texts: They are interested in the problems faced by the characters, in the way characters deal with the problems, and in identifying with the characters and situations of a story.
2. Effects of Text Structure on Comprehension and Memory- Text structure is an important feature of longer, more complex text. This is the organization or sequencing of ideas and arguments. Awareness of text structure is important because readers use their knowledge to store, retrieve, and summarize information they have read. Text organization has a profound effect on comprehension and memory.
3. Literary Structure- As students move through their school education the stories they read will be longer and more complex than before. A more sophisticated knowledge of literary structure may benefit students in understanding and remembering narratives.
4. Discussion of Story Elements- To add depth to English learners' appreciation of literature, they need to know the basic elements of most stories: the setting, characters, conflict, and denouement.
5. Metacognition and Learning from Text- Metacognition, in terms of comprehension and problem solving, refers to the act of reflecting on one's own thought processes so as to consciously guide the outcome. This also includes the ability to monitor one's own reading process and the ability to take strategic steps.
2. Effects of Text Structure on Comprehension and Memory- Text structure is an important feature of longer, more complex text. This is the organization or sequencing of ideas and arguments. Awareness of text structure is important because readers use their knowledge to store, retrieve, and summarize information they have read. Text organization has a profound effect on comprehension and memory.
3. Literary Structure- As students move through their school education the stories they read will be longer and more complex than before. A more sophisticated knowledge of literary structure may benefit students in understanding and remembering narratives.
4. Discussion of Story Elements- To add depth to English learners' appreciation of literature, they need to know the basic elements of most stories: the setting, characters, conflict, and denouement.
5. Metacognition and Learning from Text- Metacognition, in terms of comprehension and problem solving, refers to the act of reflecting on one's own thought processes so as to consciously guide the outcome. This also includes the ability to monitor one's own reading process and the ability to take strategic steps.
Matching Students and Texts
Evaluating Students' Interaction with Text Using the Group Reading Invetory- The group reading inventory, or content- area reading inventory, allows the reader to evaluate students' reading based on content-area text and the kinds of assignments required. The advantages of the GRO assessing students on a typical reading of texts and it allows teachers to get immediate information on their interactions with the text.
Strategies to Promote Reading Comprehension
Proficient readers know what they are looking for, engage their background knowledge while reading, and monitor achievement based on their purpose. They are thoughtful about reading, using metacognitive processes and strategies every step of the way.
Pre Reading Strategies
Prereading strategies serve several purposes including to motivate student interest and build background knowledge on the topic of text the students are going to read. During prereading, students clarify their purpose for reading a particular text and gain a general idea of the text's organization and content.
1. Teacher Talk: Making Purpose Clear- As the teacher, we can prepare our students for reading efficiently by using a few simple, straightforward techniques. Such as stating clearly why you want your students to read a particular passage and what they will do with the information later. You should also tell students your expectations and provide them with the background knowledge they will need to get the information.
2. Experiments- We can develop background knowledge for students by involving them in an experiment related to a theme or topic you are teaching. These experiments help to prepare students to read about the topic at hand, to use knowledge acquired through their experiments, and to comprehend their texts better. Experiments and research build background knowledge for reading, provide motivation, and enhance comprehension.
3. Developing Vocabulary Before Reading- Many times it is necessary to teach vocabulary separate from direct experience. Whenever possible, it is helpful to illustrate meanings with pictures and diagrams. To assist students with vocabulary before they read, we as teachers can discuss critical terms before asking students to read. We can also ask students to brainstorm or cluster around a familiar word to help them expand the word's meaning.
4. Structured Overviews- These overviews are visual displays of information, similar to flowcharts and semantic maps. When we show these to students before they read, structured overviews provide readers with a basic outline of the important points of the text. The overviews also preview and highlight important information and interrelationships of ideas and corresponding vocabulary.
5. Preview Guides- Preview guides, like structured overviews, give students an overview of the important ideas in the text because they help them determine how to preview for reading. They show students how to read titles, headings, subheadings, and summaries in a book. English language learners can gain a sense of texts' content and begin to set a purpose for their reading from these guides.
6. Anticipation Guides- Anticipation guides help to prepare students for a story or text. They motivate students and help them predict what will happen in a text. A typical guide invites students to state an opinion or predict something about the main ideas or themes in a story or essay before they read.
1. Teacher Talk: Making Purpose Clear- As the teacher, we can prepare our students for reading efficiently by using a few simple, straightforward techniques. Such as stating clearly why you want your students to read a particular passage and what they will do with the information later. You should also tell students your expectations and provide them with the background knowledge they will need to get the information.
2. Experiments- We can develop background knowledge for students by involving them in an experiment related to a theme or topic you are teaching. These experiments help to prepare students to read about the topic at hand, to use knowledge acquired through their experiments, and to comprehend their texts better. Experiments and research build background knowledge for reading, provide motivation, and enhance comprehension.
3. Developing Vocabulary Before Reading- Many times it is necessary to teach vocabulary separate from direct experience. Whenever possible, it is helpful to illustrate meanings with pictures and diagrams. To assist students with vocabulary before they read, we as teachers can discuss critical terms before asking students to read. We can also ask students to brainstorm or cluster around a familiar word to help them expand the word's meaning.
4. Structured Overviews- These overviews are visual displays of information, similar to flowcharts and semantic maps. When we show these to students before they read, structured overviews provide readers with a basic outline of the important points of the text. The overviews also preview and highlight important information and interrelationships of ideas and corresponding vocabulary.
5. Preview Guides- Preview guides, like structured overviews, give students an overview of the important ideas in the text because they help them determine how to preview for reading. They show students how to read titles, headings, subheadings, and summaries in a book. English language learners can gain a sense of texts' content and begin to set a purpose for their reading from these guides.
6. Anticipation Guides- Anticipation guides help to prepare students for a story or text. They motivate students and help them predict what will happen in a text. A typical guide invites students to state an opinion or predict something about the main ideas or themes in a story or essay before they read.
During Reading Strategies
During Reading Strategies help students monitor their comprehension based on the purpose they have set for reading. When students know what they are looking for and what they will be doing with the information later, they will be better able to evaluate their own learning. When they check their understanding based on the purpose they have set, then they are monitoring their comprehension. These strategies center on questioning strategies that we as teachers model or that build students' self-questioning abilities.
1. Directed Reading- Thinking Activity (DR-TA)- This activity provides a scaffold by modeling how experienced readers make predictions as they read. Using DT-TA, the teacher asks questions throughout a story, guiding students to make predictions and to monitor these predictions as subsequent text is provided.
2. Vocabulary Strategies- Contextual redefinition and preview in context are two strategies to help students comprehend unfamiliar words they may encounter while reading. Both of these strategies aim to assist students with comprehending and acquiring vocabulary. Combining the features of these two strategies suggests a way to help students use their background knowledge and the text context to gain a better understanding of their reading.
3. Using CLustering to Develop Vocabulary in Context- Clustering is one way you can help students learn new words from their reading. It helps the students gain confidence in their guesses and develop their vocabulary further by giving them synonyms for a new and difficult word. This strategy is also an excellent way to show how to generate the meaning of a new word by using context and providing students with a strategy that promotes independence in reading.
4. Jigsaw Procedure- Jigsaw procedure is another group strategy for assisting comprehension of all students in a classroom. Using this, teachers make students responsible for one another's learning, help them identify the purpose and important concepts in a text, and assist them with reporting information gained. Most importantly, all students take responsibility for one another's learning. Moreover, English language learners can rely on much more support than they might receive in many content classes.
5. Learning Logs- Journals and learning logs require students to formulate questions about what they are learning or what might be difficult while they are reading. As teachers, we can identify concepts that may need to be clarified as well as providing an excellent and natural way to evaluate a student's progress.
1. Directed Reading- Thinking Activity (DR-TA)- This activity provides a scaffold by modeling how experienced readers make predictions as they read. Using DT-TA, the teacher asks questions throughout a story, guiding students to make predictions and to monitor these predictions as subsequent text is provided.
2. Vocabulary Strategies- Contextual redefinition and preview in context are two strategies to help students comprehend unfamiliar words they may encounter while reading. Both of these strategies aim to assist students with comprehending and acquiring vocabulary. Combining the features of these two strategies suggests a way to help students use their background knowledge and the text context to gain a better understanding of their reading.
3. Using CLustering to Develop Vocabulary in Context- Clustering is one way you can help students learn new words from their reading. It helps the students gain confidence in their guesses and develop their vocabulary further by giving them synonyms for a new and difficult word. This strategy is also an excellent way to show how to generate the meaning of a new word by using context and providing students with a strategy that promotes independence in reading.
4. Jigsaw Procedure- Jigsaw procedure is another group strategy for assisting comprehension of all students in a classroom. Using this, teachers make students responsible for one another's learning, help them identify the purpose and important concepts in a text, and assist them with reporting information gained. Most importantly, all students take responsibility for one another's learning. Moreover, English language learners can rely on much more support than they might receive in many content classes.
5. Learning Logs- Journals and learning logs require students to formulate questions about what they are learning or what might be difficult while they are reading. As teachers, we can identify concepts that may need to be clarified as well as providing an excellent and natural way to evaluate a student's progress.
Post Reading Strategies
Post Reading Strategies- If students have developed knowledge for text, set purpose for reading, and monitored their comprehension during reading, they must next organize the information so that they can remember what they have read.
1. Semantic Feature Analysis for Vocabulary Development- Semantic feature analysis is a graphic method of listing and analyzing the essential traits or features that define members or examples of a particular category or concept. This form of analysis can be especially helpful in illustrating abstract relationships among complex concepts.
2. Rehearsing to Organize and Remember Information- This concept refers to the representation of information to oneself or others. Rehearsing information goes beyond simple memorization and repetition. Having an audience requires you to organize the information so that it is easier to understand. It requires a deeper level of processing that just reading and assuming that you will remember the information.
3. Venn Diagrams- A Venn diagram consists of two interlocking circles of similarities and differences between two complex concepts. When students create Venn diagrams they are deepening their comprehension.
4. Mapping- Mapping is a powerful tool for assisting students with organizing and remembering information they have read. A map visually depicts key concepts and their interrelationship. When students create maps, they have to pick out the key concepts and relationships in order to reconstruct the information and organize it from memory.
1. Semantic Feature Analysis for Vocabulary Development- Semantic feature analysis is a graphic method of listing and analyzing the essential traits or features that define members or examples of a particular category or concept. This form of analysis can be especially helpful in illustrating abstract relationships among complex concepts.
2. Rehearsing to Organize and Remember Information- This concept refers to the representation of information to oneself or others. Rehearsing information goes beyond simple memorization and repetition. Having an audience requires you to organize the information so that it is easier to understand. It requires a deeper level of processing that just reading and assuming that you will remember the information.
3. Venn Diagrams- A Venn diagram consists of two interlocking circles of similarities and differences between two complex concepts. When students create Venn diagrams they are deepening their comprehension.
4. Mapping- Mapping is a powerful tool for assisting students with organizing and remembering information they have read. A map visually depicts key concepts and their interrelationship. When students create maps, they have to pick out the key concepts and relationships in order to reconstruct the information and organize it from memory.
K-W-L: A Strategy That Fosters Thinking Before, During, and After Reading
Some strategies do not fit under one element of the phases of reading. These strategies are particularly helpful in teaching students overall methods for setting purposes, building background knowledge, and monitoring, organizing, and remembering information. KWL charts provide a scaffolding structure for developing a research question and investigating it. Standing for Know, Want to Know, and Learn, these charts allow students to organize what they have learned so they will be able to remember it. It also helps students to become responsible for their learning, assists them with becoming active learners, and provides them with a strategy they may use in independent practice.
Differentiating Instruction for Content-Area Reading
To differentiate instruction for content- area reading, first as the teacher we need to consider each student's English proficiency and general literacy abilities. Previous assessments of oral language, reading and writing samples all serve as good starts in fleshing out an appraisal of our students' English language and literacy development. One way to evaluate your content texts against your students' abilities to read and learn is by conducting a group reading inventory. This will allow you to match your students with appropriate texts.
Cirriculum
Writing as a Learning Tool Across theWriting is a powerful strategy that promotes discovery, comprehension, and retention of information. Teachers have begun using the writing process and its various phases as an integral part of their content-area classroom. Writing helps students clarify thoughts and remember what they have learned. You can evaluate and assist your students' learning by reading learning log entries, journals, and notebooks. It is especially important to ask English learners to write in these logs and journals, to write in notebooks, to summarize and comment on their own learning, and to perform hands-on research projects that are reported in correct writing.
Assessment
Assessment of reading and writing for academic learning is similar to assessment in writing and literature. We must remember that all students, especially ELLs, should be assessed in a great variety of ways, such as portfolios, informal observation, and student self assessment. Always try to evaluate students' knowledge through their strengths.
1. Portfolio Assessment- Using portfolio assessment throughout a unit, you can ask students to keep their work and evaluate it together with you so that you have an idea where each student are and what they need to do. In the portfolios should be things such as learning logs, journals, task performed, notes taken, and any other relevant assignments. All of these materials can later be evaluated with the students to determine their level of participation in class.
2. Using Multiple Measures for Assessment- With all students in the classroom, particularly ELLs, assessing their participation in many different ways is very important. If, we as teachers, do not assess students in many different ways, we will not find out what they really know.
1. Portfolio Assessment- Using portfolio assessment throughout a unit, you can ask students to keep their work and evaluate it together with you so that you have an idea where each student are and what they need to do. In the portfolios should be things such as learning logs, journals, task performed, notes taken, and any other relevant assignments. All of these materials can later be evaluated with the students to determine their level of participation in class.
2. Using Multiple Measures for Assessment- With all students in the classroom, particularly ELLs, assessing their participation in many different ways is very important. If, we as teachers, do not assess students in many different ways, we will not find out what they really know.