Teaching for Complexity and Depth of Reading

 •         The gifted child needs to read a variety of genres

Reading choices must contain a variety of genres. Although choice and self-selection are important, students must also experience a wide range of text to gain increased levels of comfort and proficiency. Reading skills and use of literature need to be built into the regular curriculum and have a rich content base.

 •         The gifted child needs opportunities to pursue areas of interest

Using an interest inventory to determine your case study’s preferences, you will develop lessons with those interests in mind and provide ample opportunities for them to select literature based on these interests.

 •         The gifted child needs guidance in critical and literary analysis

Students need to build upon their knowledge, be given opportunities for analysis, and appreciation for ideas and people. Also, many gifted students prefer reading and reflecting non-fiction selections. In addition to responding to text individually, students need opportunities to engage in both free and guided discussion with others.

When teaching vocabulary to the gifted reader, there are several strategies to consider.  1.      Use the language of the disciplines  This strategy relates directly to the work of Sandra Kaplan.   It encourages students to look at words from the discipline in which they are studying.   This takes a certain amount of critical thinking to determine what words and tools are specific to the discipline.   Whether the exact words appear in the actual text the student is reading or not, the student’s comprehension of the material will be enhanced by a thorough study of related vocabulary. Such an individualized list becomes the basis for other vocabulary strategies.

 

2.    Make connections via foreign languages  Latin, though considered a dead language, offers several benefits for vocabulary growth. For more information consider resources by Michael Clay Thompson.

Advantages of studying foreign languages: •         Deeper understanding of language itself •         Accelerated vocabulary development through cognates •         Enlightenment through comparative grammar •         Training of the ear •         The ability to read literature in its original language •         Mental flexibility through acquaintance with language elements that are

totally nonexistent in the native language, •         Enriched multicultural and global perspective  

Van Tassel-Baska, J. and Stambaugh, T. (2006). Comprehensive Curriculum for Gifted Learners (3rd ed.) Pearson Education, Inc.

3.    Use analogies  Working with analogies promotes problem solving and recognizing relationships while drawing attention to word meanings, nuances and choice.

4.      Employ the Vocabulary Web  The Vocabulary Web is a tool for exploring words in depth. It asks students to investigate a single word in detail, finding its definition, synonyms and antonyms, and etymological information. With this information, students then identify “word families,” or other words using the same meaning-based stems as the original word; and they provide an example of the word, which may be a sentence or analogy using the word, a visual or dramatic representation, or another creative form.

5.        Purchase appropriate dictionaries  

The following list of dictionary resources for gifted learners comes from Comprehensive Curriculum for Gifted Learners (3rd ed.) and is attributed to A guide to teaching research skills and strategies for grades 4-12 by Boyce.  

•         The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (2000) •         The Lincoln Writing Dictionary for Children (1988) •         Oxford English Dictionary (1989) •         Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (2002) •         Webster’s Third New International Dictionary of the English

Language, Unabridged (1993) •         Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (2003) •         Reader’s Digest Illustrated Reverse Dictionary (1990) •         Facts on File Visual Dictionary (1986) •         Macmillan Visual Dictionary (1995)

Levels of Thinking - related to comprehension  

Critical/Evaluative Thinking At this level (sometimes called the evaluation or critical reading level) new uses are developed for the product that was manufactured. The reader uses what the author said or meant to produce original ideas. The reader judges the accuracy of the materials, distinguishes between fact and opinion, identifies propaganda techniques, and asks, “What can I do with the information I have?”  Interpretive/Inferential/Conceptual Thinking You turn the raw materials at the literal level into a new product. At the interpretive level (sometimes called the inferential level), the reader draws conclusions, makes generalizations, predicts outcomes, and understands the use of figurative language.  Literal/Procedural Thinking You put raw materials into a warehouse and take the same raw materials out of the warehouse at the literally level of comprehension. You’re identifying facts the author has written. You read for details and identify the author’s main idea if one is stated.

Depth of Knowledge Level 1

•         Requires students to recite or recall of information including fact, formula, or simple procedure.

•         May be asked to demonstrate a rote response, use a well-known formula, follow a set procedure (like a recipe), or perform a clearly defined series of steps. 

Level 2   •         Requires some mental processing beyond a habitual response. •         Requires students to make some decisions on how to approach a task or

problem 

Level 3 •         Requires reasoning, planning, using evidence and in most cases to “explain

their thinking.” •         Requires students to go beyond; to explain, to generalize, or connect ideas

 Level 4

•         Requires some complex reasoning, planning, developing and thinking over an extended period of time.

•         May be asked to develop a hypothesis and perform complex analysis

Key Words to use in questioning for depth and complexity  Learning that results in deep understanding requires questioning and resulting activities that call on students to engage thoughtfully with the new information.    Analytical, critical, and creative thinking skills require students to “do something” with the new information.  The following pages represent deepening cognitive processes that can be elicited through questioning strategies.

Analytical questions engage cognitive processes that deepen understanding of knowledge and skills:  

•         Identifying characteristics •         Recognizing attributes •         Making observations •         Discriminating between same and different •         Comparing and contrasting •         Categorizing •         Classifying •         Ranking, prioritizing, and sequencing •         Seeing relationships •         Finding patterns •         Determining cause and effect •         Predicting •         Making analogies

Questions that elicit critical thinking require the student to analyze and evaluate data and evidence in order to develop, judge the effectiveness of, or respond to an argument or position.

•         Inductive thinking    (Inferential conclusions based on repeated observations

that yield consistent but incomplete data) •         Deductive thinking  

  (The ability to draw a logical conclusion from premises) •         Determining benefits and drawbacks •         Determining reality and fantasy •         Identifying value statements •         Identifying points of view •         Determining bias •         Identifying fact and opinion •         Judging essential and incidental evidence •         Identifying missing information •         Judging the accuracy of information •         Judging the credibility of a source •         Recognizing assumptions •         Determining the strength of an argument •         Identifying exaggeration

© Burns, D, 1993

Questions that elicit executive processes require the student to organize, synthesize, generalize, or apply knowledge.  

•         Summarizing •         Metacognition (consciously monitor, describe, and reflect upon one’s thinking) •         Setting goals •         Formulating questions •         Developing hypothesis •         Generalizing •         Problem solving •         Decision making •         Planning

Vocabulary: Essential Component of Reading

Socratic Questioning is an instructional strategy in which the teacher poses a carefully constructed sequence of questions to students to help them improve their logical reasoning and critical thinking about their position on an issue.  It can be used as a technique to bridge students’ current level of understanding with new knowledge that students need to acquire.  Generally this method is used with students at the middle level and beyond, but younger gifted students can benefit from this approach as it enables them to think issues through logically using text.

1.   Conceptual clarification 2.   Probing assumptions 3.   Probing rationale, reasons, and evidence. 4.   Questioning viewpoints and perspectives

5.   Probe implications and consequences 6.   Questions about the question   Additional questions can be found using the link in Resources. Here are the six types of questions Socrates asked his pupils. The overall purpose is to challenge accuracy and completeness of thinking in a way that acts to move people toward their ultimate goal.

Click on each to view and again to close.

Inquiry-Based Instruction is an inductive teaching strategy in which the teacher poses a task, problem or intriguing situation, while students explore the situation and generate insights about the situation, problem and/or solution   

© 2002 by National Association for Gifted Children.   Reprinted from The Parallel Curriculum by Tomlinson et al

The Junior Great Books Program continues to be considered a strong choice for teaching students how to work with complex and rigorous text that invite a number of interpretations. The program’s foci on questioning, meaning, formulating opinions, and supporting ideas with evidence from reading selection are hallmarks of a high-level thinking approach (Aldrich, 1996; Killion 2002a, 2002b; National Diffusion Network, 1993-1995)  The College of William and Mary offers free novel study guides on-line geared for grade levels 1-12. Scroll to the middle of the page.   www.cfge.wm.edu/curr_language.htm  For the secondary level Touchstones has texts, guides, training materials, and programs for all levels designed to promote discussions that build community and create change.   http://www.touchstones.org/  Other materials available from the above link include Jacob’s Ladder, (below) a reading comprehension tool for use with selected literature geared for the elementary aged student: http://cfge.wm.edu/curr_language.htm#ladder