Staircase of Text complexity

through journeys

Welcome!

Barb KrugerSharon Hepburn

Maria LowensteinMelinea Rubiano

2013

Table of ContentsSlides 1-2: HousekeepingSlides 3-4: Shift # 4 and CCSSSlide 5: Close ReadsSlides 6: Review of Text ComplexitySlides 7-8: Quantitative Side Of TriangleSlide 9-13: Qualitative Side Of TriangleSlide 14: Reading ScienceSlide 15: Write-In ReaderSlides 16: Dig DeeperSlide 17-21: Reader and Task ConsiderationsSlide 22-23: Small Group InstructionSlides 24: TradebooksSlide 25: Final ThoughtsSlides 26-27: Closing/Questions and Answers

For your convenience in viewing the session, here is a table of contents summarizing the various topics of this presentation.

Today’s FocusInstructional Shift # 4: Staircase of Text Complexity

This session focuses on a the staircase of complexity through Journeys, which is instructional shift #4. In order to prepare students for the complexity of college and career ready texts, each grade level requires a “step” of growth on the “staircase”. Some of the “look-fors” in a classroom using shift #4 are *Make close reading and rereading of texts central to instruction, rather than ancillary.*Increase substantially the amount of literacy nonfiction used in the classroom or throughout a student's day.*Give students less to read in order to dive deeper into complex text.*Incorporate regular, observable practice with increasingly complex text.*Utilize a variety of methods for determining the complexity of texts: qualitative analysis, quantitative analysis, and task considerations.

English Language Arts Common Core State Standards

The fourth instructional shift pertains to the Common Core Literature and Informational Standards -- Reading Anchor Standard 10. The Common Core Standards hinge on students encountering appropriately complex texts at each grade level in order to develop the mature language skills and the conceptual knowledge they need for success in school and life. Research has shown that while the complexity of reading demands of college, work force and citizenship have held steady or risen in the last century, the complexity of text that students are being exposed to in schools has steadily decreased in the same period of time.

Journey through close reading

Part of this shift highlights making close reading and rereading of texts central to instruction, rather than ancillary. Gone are the days when the teacher introduces a lesson by explaining to the students everything he/she knows about the topic and what the students are going to learn. Through planning, WE need to determine what needs to be explicitly taught and what we want the students to discover. During planning, if you preview the Anchor Text and find it to be too complex, you may refer to the Scaffold Close Reading Suggestions under the heading Read the Anchor Text found in the teacher’s edition.

Text Complexity

For more information, see Appendix A from the Common Core State Standards,pages 4-9

A major component of shift #4 involves utilizing the triangle above for determining the complexity of texts. Text Complexity is defined by 1. Quantitative measures2. Qualitative measure3. Reader and Task Considerations. In the next several slides, we will look closer at each component of the triangle including how the components are addressed in Journeys.

•Word Frequency•Sentence Length•Word Length•Text Length•Text Cohesion

Text Complexity

For more information, see Appendix A from the Common Core State Standards,pages 4-9

Let’s begin with the Quantitative side of the triangle. Readability and other scores of text complexity often are best measured by computer software. Quantitative measures consider such aspects as word frequency and sentence length. In the past, most texts were chosen according to the readability levels only. But remember the quantitative measure is only the first of three “legs” of the text complexity triangle.

This Journeys Text Complexity rubric is found in each lesson after the focus wall page of the Teacher’s Edition. The text complexity rubric provides quantitative measures such as the lexile level and the guided reading level. The rubric also provides qualitative measures including text structure, knowledge demands, levels of meaning and language conventionality and clarity. This rubric will assist you in determining the amount of scaffolding necessary when using the anchor and paired text. Remember this rubric is only a guideline and you may have to adjust the rubric according to your specific students when you are planning your lessons.

•Levels of Meaning•Language Conventionality & Clarity•Structure•Knowledge Demands

Text Complexity

For more information, see Appendix A from the Common Core State Standards,pages 4-9

Now let’s take a look at the qualitative side:When addressing levels of Meaning, literary texts with a single level of meaning tend to be easier to read than literary text with multiple levels of meaning, such as satires, in which the author’s literal message is intentionally at odds with his or her underlying message. Similarly, informational texts with an explicitly stated purpose are generally easier to comprehend than informational texts with implicit, hidden, or obscure purposes.

In regards to language conventionality and clarity, texts that rely on literal,clear, contemporary, and conversational language tend to be easier to read than texts that rely on figurative, ironic, ambiguous, purposefully misleading, archaic, or otherwise unfamiliar language.

For structures, texts of low complexity tend to have simple, well-marked, and conventional structures, whereas texts of high complexity tend to have complex, implicit, and (in literary texts) unconventional structures.

Finally when looking at knowledge demands: Texts that make few assumptions about the extent of readers’ life experiences and the depth of their cultural/literary and content/discipline knowledge are generally less complex than are texts that make assumptions in one or more of those areas.

Anchor Text

Paired Text

Journeys’ Features:

Compare Text

One way that Journeys helps teachers with the qualitative component of the triangle is by providing an anchor text and a paired text in each lesson. The Journeys Unit organizers and text complexity rubric provide teachers with information about the genre of the anchor text, paired text and read aloud along with information on text complexity. It is important to use this information when planning to make sure that students are exposed to more than just literary texts with one single level of meaning.

Journeys’ Features:

Another way that Journeys helps teachers with language conventionality is by providing multiple texts with the same target vocabulary. Students are also exposed to multiple interactions with vocabulary to help develop the vocabulary and language needed in order to tackle the more complex texts in Journeys.

Journeys’ Features:

Besides discussing text structure in the text complexity rubric, teachers can also find description of the text at the beginning of each anchor text.

Journeys’ Features:

Additional ways of building knowledge can be obtained through the use of paired selections on the same topic, grouped text within larger units, leveled readers on the same topic, and opportunities for structured research and media literacy instruction. These help scaffold students’ knowledge base in order to tackle more complex texts in Journeys.

Reading Science

• This resource is found under Teaching Aids in the online resources for teachers. • Reading Science provides opportunity to practice close reading of informational text in Science while building a knowledge base. This helps build the staircase of text complexity.• This resource includes reading, writing, speaking and listening instruction • The target skill ties to Active Reading at Grades 3-5 and to the core lesson content at Grades K-2. • Comprehension strategies are used throughout this resource as well as vocabulary strategies dealing with prefixes, suffixes and Greek and Latin roots to help students tackle the difficult domain-specific vocabulary. The lessons also include classroom collaboration and performance tasks to monitor the students’ progress.

Write- in reader:

The write-in reader is a research based Tier II intervention that provides extra support for the CCSS. It includes easier text that scaffolds students toward reading more complex grade level text. After students address the vocabulary ad apply the new skill and strategy in the lower complexity text found in the Write-in Reader, they then return to the grade level text of the basal to tackle the same skill and strategy in previously read texts. The write-in readers allow opportunities for student interactions and builds the foundational skills necessary for reading more complex texts.The write-in reader lesson plans are found in the teacher edition behind the intervention tab in the back of each teacher’s edition. The write-in reader is also available online in think central.The write-in reader audio text can be found under the intervention link found on the left side of the resource page under the Florida title.

The dig deeper component is found in each five day lesson plan after the anchor text. The Dig Deeper section is intended for those students who did not fully comprehend the skill and strategy when introduced through the anchor text. A graphic organizer is also provided to help the students further comprehend the skill and strategy. This can assist teachers with shift #4, staircase of complexity.

Reader Variables (motivation, knowledge, and experience) and task variables (purpose and the complexity generated by the

task assigned and questions posed)

Text Complexity

For more information, see Appendix A from the Common Core State Standards,pages 4-9

Reader and Task Considerations:While the quantitative and qualitative measures focus on the inherent complexity of the text, the common core state standards expect that teachers will employ professional judgement to match texts to particular tasks or students. Numerous considerations go into such matching. Considerations for reader and task are cognitive capabilities, motivations, knowledge and experience and professional judgement. All students must be supported and tasks should match text content and structure to learning target.

Instructional Shift

I Do We Do You Do

When considering the reader and task component of the triangle, teachers need to use scaffolding that will enable all students to access the complex text directly rather than reduce the complexity of the text as was done in the past.Teachers need to follow the instructional sequence of “I Do - We Do - You Do” but use the technique appropriate to the different levels of students. For example,1. If students can read the text - they should be reading it!2. If students can read the text but may need a little help, then they should read it by possibly pairing students for support.3. If students cannot read the on-grade level text, then the teacher will support the students by reading it aloud while drawing the students into thinking along.

Often we move back and forth between these stages of scaffolding. It is up to us, the teachers, to observe and monitor students’ progress and then make adjustments to our instruction based on the students’ needs.

Teacher Read AloudDaily - AnytimeConnect It To ContentCan Be Short

Journeys’ Features:

Teachers need to make sure that the students possess adequate prior knowledge and/or experience regarding the topic of the specific text to access the material that is presented. In addition, explicit connections need to be made between what content the reader will encounter in this specific text and other learning that may occur in this or another class. One way that Journeys helps assist with this is the teacher read alouds provided.Teacher read alouds are included in each lesson of the TE. Teachers also received a set of 30 additional books that can be used as read alouds at the teacher’s discretion. These additional books were a single copy of 30 different titles, which is different than the trade book lessons found at the end of Units 2, 4, and 6. These trade books from Units 2, 4, and 6 will be discussed in a future slide.

• Read aloud at least once a day. This can become a mentor text to be used at a later date for studying author’s craft, point of view, grammar, vocabulary, etc. It allows you to model what good readers sound like as well as how to apply reading strategies to text.

• Read alouds can be done outside the 90 minute block of reading time. Read alouds will assist you with instructional shift #4. Be sure to read a wide variety of text----literary including poetry and informational text, such as articles. For example, an article about sharks can be read at the beginning of a science lesson to help students make connections. • CCSS requires students to compare texts. This involves Text to Text connections. However, students bring their own experiences to the text when making Text to Self connections. Just remind students that when they are making a Text to Self connection to bring the connection back to the text itself.

Journeys’ Features:

Teachers can find the Common Core ELA Exemplar Resource under the Teaching Aids section. This resource was developed to provide instruction for the exemplars found in Appendix B of the CCSS for ELA. Remember these exemplars are organized by grade level bands (K-1, 2-3, and 4-5). Teachers may look at the exemplars for informational text and tie into content area standards being taught. The lesson set-up includes background information, questions corresponding to a “first” read and a “second” read as well as a performance task.

Read AloudVideoSimpler Text Complexity

Instructional Shiftand

Building Background

Gone are the days when the teacher introduces a lesson by explaining to the students everything he/she knows about the topic and what the students are going to learn.

Through planning, we need to determine what needs to be explicitly taught and what we want the students to discover. If you know the text is complex, introduce simpler text on the topic first by reading aloud or showing a video clip. For example, if the anchor text is a literary text dealing with recycling, why not show an informational video clip about recycling first to help students build background and activate their prior knowledge? Teachers need to make sure that the readers possess adequate prior knowledge and/or experience regarding the vocabulary as well as the genre in order to access the material that is presented.

• Small Group & Flexible Grouping Plan

Journeys takes into consideration the reader and task by providing a plethora of leveled books in different genres. These books help the reader develop an interest in various content. It also helps the reader be interested and engaged with the style of writing and the presentation of ideas within this specific text. Lastly, there are many different types of text that help maintain the reader’s motivation and engagement throughout the reading experience.Small group lesson plans are found in the Teacher’s Edition. The lesson plans found behind the small group tab are brief and may not meet the needs of your students. More extensive lesson plans can be found under Readers in the Teacher Resources. Teachers also have a hard copy of these more in-depth small group lesson plans.

• Small Group & Flexible GroupingMust Have!Flexible GroupingMonitor Students’ ProgressTime for Practice

Daily 5Literacy Centers

Journeys’ Features:reader and task

Small group plans for Struggling, On, Advanced and ELL students can be found under Readers in the Teacher Resources. These plans were developed by Irene Fountas from Fountas and Pinnell and these are the small group plans that is suggested teachers view to choose appropriate small group activities for their students. The plan helps the reader in the following ways.•inferencing skills to “read between the lines” and make connections among elements that may not be explicit in the specific text. •visualization skills to imagine what is occurring or what is being described in the specific textquestioning skills to challenge the ideas being presented in this text and consider ideas from multiple points of view. •comprehension strategies to manage the material in the specific text.Remember it is up to the teacher to really know his/her students and know which pieces of specific text help to develop the inferencing skills, visualization skills, questioning skills, and comprehension strategies necessary for future reading endeavors.Since this is such an extensive lesson plan, teachers need to pick and choose the pieces that fit the needs of their students. It is not expected for teachers to follow the lesson plan in totality.

Whether teachers use Daily 5 or literacy centers for student practice, students need to have access to a variety of complex texts.

• Grades 1-2Extended Reading Lesson Plans1st Tab in TE Units 2, 4, 6

• Grades 3-5Extended Reading Lesson Plans1st Tab in TE Units 2, 4Small Group Lessons - Unit 6

Journeys’ FeaturesTRADE Books

• Extended Reading Lesson Plans for specific trade books are found in the 1st tab of the TE in Units 2, 4, 6. This can be used either at the end of the specified units or at any time the teacher feels the book is appropriate.• In the old series, teachers used the Time for Kids to supplement lessons. With Journeys, teachers in Grades 3-5 received a class set of the Reading Adventures magazines. With this series, the magazines were not designed to be used as a supplement. • In Grades 3-5, Unit 6 whole group lessons use the Reading Adventures magazines while the small group plans revolve around three different trade books with three different readability levels (classified as accessible, complex and more complex). • Grade 3-5 teachers may choose to use the Reading Adventures magazine as a supplement but just keep in mind that the magazine is also used as the whole group lessons in Unit 6. This is the reason that you will not see a Unit 6 in the Grades 3-5 student basal textbooks. These additional resources can help teachers scaffold grade level complex pieces of texts.

The ProcessFinal thoughts

•The text complexity analysis process gives teachers a method for becoming more purposeful in their text selection. •The process expects teachers at all grade levels to be confident in their content knowledge and to read and analyze a text before they teach it.•The process encourages teachers to engage in meaningful discussions about text with colleagues.

When instructing with complex text, teachers need to include some of the following effective strategies:•think alouds•vocabulary work•graphic organizer•images to reinforce or anticipate concepts and connections to everyday life.

A quote to remember......“ Just as it is impossible to build muscles without weight resistance, it’s impossible to build robust reading skills without reading challenging text”. Found in The Challenge of Challenging Text by Shanahan, Fisher, Frey

Change is possible.

Santa Clara University http://www.scu.edu/character/subscribers/cbl/quarter-2/

Change requires three things; a vision, a plan, and effort. It requires changing bad habits to good habits.

It requires effort even when we don’t feel like working. It requires one step at a time.

Change is happening now as we move towards the CCSS.

It is going to take hard work.Start small where you feel comfortable.Work collaboratively and be sure to give children an opportunity to tackle complex text in your classroom learning opportunities.Above all, let students do the work.

Q and A

Teachers can find a Journeys Frequently Asked Questions and Answers document in the Elementary Literacy Resources CAB conference. Thank you for time while learning more about Staircase of Text Complexity Through Journeys.