Fostering Literate Thinking: Demystifying Text Complexity

Transcription

1 Fostering Literate Thinking: Demystifying Text Complexity Leadership in Reading Network February 19, 2015 Cory Stai, MN Dept. of Education

2 Guiding Questions Why is text complexity important? What makes a text complex? How do we access complex texts? What develops literacy independence? 2

3 Text Complexity: An Introduction Why is text complexity important? Prepared by the Minnesota Department of Education

4 Seriously? The standards expect me to Teach using texts kids can t read. Make kids read hard texts independently. Use texts that are all more complex than they used to be. Force kids to read frustrating texts that will kill their will to read. 4

5 In fact The new Common Core standards in ELA demand that teachers: Teach kids to struggle successfully with difficult text. Use a balanced diet of texts across the range of complexity. Increase the trajectory across grades 2-12 to ensure career- and college-readiness. Provide kids opportunities to explore complex texts with support and collaboration. 5

6 Why Text Complexity? 6

7 What separates college-ready readers from the rest? 7

8 Text Complexity: Old vs. New 8

9 The Impact on Readiness Uncomplicated More challenging Complex pts pts pts. The College Reading Readiness Benchmark: 22 Students who reach this ACT benchmark score have a 50% likelihood of earning a B or better and a 75% likelihood of earning a C or better in typical first year courses (e.g., U.S. History, College Algebra, Biology). 9

10 Yeah, but what about students who are not bound for college? Student Readiness for Postsecondary Endeavors, Williamson, University - freshman/sophomore text Workplace - wide variety of career paths Citizenship - papers, documents, quantitative info. Military - Army website docs, manuals High school Textbook analysis 10

11 Yeah, but what about students who are not bound for college? Student Readiness for Postsecondary Endeavors, Williamson, University 1355 These numbers Workplace 1260 represent the Citizenship 1230 average complexity Military 1180 of texts in each group. High school

12 So Tackling complex text is a significant skill set that bends the curve of college and career readiness across readers. K-12 systems have not been preparing students to access the texts they will encounter after school, whether citizenship texts, or college and career texts. Therefore, we must prepare students differently for the adult lives they will lead. 12

13 Text Complexity: Old vs. New 13

14 This discussion is a good thing. The goal of the shifts in the new ELA standards is to ensure that all students leave school career and college ready. 14

15 Yeah, but that s just a number. Text complexity is more than just a number. There s a new way of looking it. 15

16 Stop and Reflect: Quick Write How does text complexity in your classroom affect your students futures? What does it mean for your school? What does it mean for your teaching? 16

17 Part 1 Bibliography/Links ACT, Inc. (2006). Reading between the lines: What the ACT reveals about college readiness in reading. Retrieved from ng_report.pdf Williamson, G.L. (2006, April). Student Readiness for Postsecondary Endeavors. Paper presented at the meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Retrieved from 17

18 Simplifying Text Complexity: A New Vision What makes a text complex? Prepared by the Minnesota Department of Education

19 A new vision of Text Complexity What establishes text complexity? To effectively establish complexity of a text, these three dimensions must be used together: Quantitative measures Qualitative measures Reader and Task measures 19

20 A New Vision: Reader and Task Features Typically measured by the classroom teacher. Motivation Knowledge Prior Experiences Purpose of task Complexity of task 20

21 A New Vision: Quantitative Features Must be measured by a computer. Word length or frequency Sentence length Text cohesion 21

22 A New Vision: Qualitative Features Must be measured by a trained person. levels of meaning or purpose Structure language conventionality and clarity knowledge demands 22

23 A New Vision: Putting It Together 23

24 What does this mean for instruction? Text Complexity Reader Ability 24

25 What does this mean for instruction? Text Complexity Reader Ability 25

26 Let s Talk Babies and Bath Water: Before we talk Quality, Readers, Tasks 26

27 C mon, It s Just a Number! Numbers are Representations. What do quantitative numbers represent? Word length or frequency Sentence length Sometimes text cohesion 27

28 What separates college-ready readers from the rest? 28

29 Text Complexity: Old vs. New 29

30 CA State University System (Admits from the top third of HS students) Dropouts? Dropped Out in 1 st Year? 50% 90% 30

31 Let s explore a college-bound curriculum 12 th grade (English 1001) 11-CCR: L The Awakening by Chopin Heart of Darkness by Conrad The Dubliners by Joyce Their Eyes were Watching God by Hurston Going After Cacciato by O Brien Sula or Song of Solomon by Morrison As I Lay Dying Green Grass, Running Water by King Memoires of a Woman Warrior Dreaming In Cuban Servants of the Map by Barrett God of Small Things by Roy 31

32 Numbers are representations. 12 th grade (English 1001) 11-CCR: L The Awakening by Chopin (960L) Heart of Darkness by Conrad (1050L) The Dubliners by Joyce (900L) Their Eyes were Watching God by Hurston (1080L) Going After Cacciato by O Brien (620L) Sula (1050L) or Song of Solomon by Morrison (870L) As I Lay Dying (870L) Green Grass, Running Water by King Memoires of a Woman Warrior (880L) Dreaming In Cuban (940L) Servants of the Map by Barrett God of Small Things (840L) 32

33 A large district s 6-12 collection Lexile Bands: Number of Books in the Grade Band Ranges: Grades 6-8: Grades 9-10: Grade 11 CRR:

34 The Literature / Informational Text Divide Reading the Text Reading ABOUT the Text Catcher in the Rye (790L) Lord of the Flies (770L) The Dubliners (900L) Understanding (1340) Interpreting (1330L) Understanding (1280L) Critical Essays (1350L) 34

35 Is It Just a Number? It s a number we need to pay attention to. 35

36 A Quick Word About Assessment The MCAs are designed to assess the MN ELA Standards in Reading. The test specifications use the Lexile bands in the standards. If you want to bend the curve on student scores, build their ability to apply their reading knowledge to more complex texts. It s time to start marching up the staircase! 36

37 It s the COWs. How did we get here? 37

38 Covering Content by Teaching Around the Text C an t O r W on t 38

39 Increasing Access to Texts Eliminating Won t: Mindset (Diagnosis and Changing) Reversing Learned Helplessness Motivation and Engagement Cultural Relevance / Responsiveness

40 Increasing Access Eliminating Can t: Gradual Release of Responsibility Frontload your teaching (Beforereading activities) Teach vocabulary expansion skills Context Clues Word Parts Dictionary Skills Teach academic vocabulary Teach content vocabulary Teach comp. skills Teach text features Teach text structures Teach comp. strategies

41 How can you teach around the text? Read text to students or play an audio recording Summarize the information the following day Create study guides which pull out all of the relevant text (main ideas, concepts to know) Show a video, simulation, dramatization Have volunteers share out the most important information either in groups or a large group Q and A? 41

42 Scaffolds Shouldn t Be Permanent 42

43 Qualitative Measurements: Continuums of Measurement Qualitative measures require a trained eye. Easy Difficult

44 The Power of Rubrics Establishes values Common criteria Inter-rater reliability Becomes the source for instructional decisions and planning around the text

45 Literary Text Qualitative Measures Meaning Density & complexity Figurative language Purpose Text Structure Genre Narration Order of events/org. Use of graphics / text features Language Features Conventionality Vocabulary Sentence structure Register Knowledge Demands Life experiences Intertextuality and cultural knowledge Subject matter knowledge

46 Informational Text Qualitative Measures Purpose Text Structure Organization of ideas Text features Use of graphics Language Features Conventionality Vocabulary Sentence structure Knowledge Demands Subject matter knowledge Intertextuality and cultural knowledge

47 Civil War Article 47

48 Reader and Task Considerations Cognitive Capabilities Reading Skills Motivation and Engagement Task Text Prior Knowledge and Experience Content or Theme Concerns Complexity of Associated Tasks 48

49 Reader and Task: Engagement Questions to ask Is the information / story relevant to the student? Is this new knowledge or related to previous learning? Does it stimulate curiosity and motivation around the topic? Does it involve the appropriate level of cognitive engagement? Is the reader cognitively engaged at an appropriate level? Will they be asked to use or apply the new skill or knowledge? Is it personally meaningful?

50 How do we access complex texts? 50

51 Gradual Release Fisher & Frey

52 Close Reading: Critical Features Use a short text Re-reading Annotating Text-dependent questions Productive Struggle 52

53 A Three-Phase Model of Close Reading Fisher and Frey Phase 3: What does the text mean? Phase 2: How does the text work? Phase 1: What does the text say? Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual Connections Inferences Author s Purpose Vocab & Text Structure Key Details General Understandings 53

54 Progression of Text-dependent Questions Opinions, Arguments, Intertextual Connections Inferences Author s Purpose Vocab & Text Structure Key Details General Understandings Standards 8 & 9 3 & &

55 Another Word about Assessment I m always asked the wrong question about the MCAs: What is on the test? The correct is question is: How is in the test? 55

56 Text Dependent Question Types Right There Questions Text Structure Questions Sequence Questions Clarification Questions Paraphrasing Questions Inferential Questions Organizing Questions Academic Vocabulary/Key Phrases Questions Purpose Questions 56