engaging todays students in texts engaging todays students in texts william mcbride independent...

Engaging Today’s Students in TextsEngaging Today’s Students in Texts

William McBride Independent Reading Consultant,

Author of “Entertaining an Elephant”

Pupils as Passionate Learners

How Can We Use Brain Research to Help Students Pay Attention

and Retain Information?

Choice (content, process, resource, environment)

Relevance (personal, in context)

Feedback (as immediate as possible)

Engagement (emotionally, physically, verbally)

How Humor Promotes RetentionHow Humor Promotes Retention

OxygenEndorphin Surge

Gets Attention!

Positive Climate

Increases Retention

Discipline

Mental Health

“the rich get richer and the poor get poorer”

Matthews Effect:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Poor Reader

Average Reader

Variation in Amount of Independent Reading

0.0 0 2

0.1 8,000 10

0.7 21,000 20

1.3 106,000 30

3.2 200,000 40

4.6 282,000 50

6.5 432,000 60

9.6 622,000 70

14.2 1,146,000 80

21.1 1,823,000 90

65.1 4,358,000 98

PercentileMinutes of

Reading Per DayWords Read

Per Year

Source: adapted from Anderson, Watson, and Fielding, 1998

Rank of “Rare” Words in Spoken & Written Language

Children’s Books 627 30.9

Comic Books 867 53.5

Adult Books 1058 52.7

Popular Magazines

1399 65.7

Newspapers 1690 68.3

Scientific Articles 4389 128.0

Mr.Rogers/Sesame 413 2.0

Prime Time TV 490 22.7

Cartoon Shows 598 30.8

Expert Witness 1008 28.4

College Graduate 496 17.3

Rare Words per 1000

Communication Medium

Rank of Median Word

Source: adapted from Anderson, Watson, and Fielding, 1998

Frequency Ranking of 86,741word forms where the word “the” ranks #1 in usage, “pass” ranks #1,000, “vibrate” ranks #5,000,

“shrimp” ranks #9,000, and “amplifier” ranks #16,000.

“If most vocabulary is acquired outside of formal teaching, then the only opportunities to acquire new words occur when an individual is exposed to a word in written or oral language that is outside his current vocabulary. This will happen vastly more often while reading than while talking or watching television.”

Source: Cunningham and Stanovich. “What Reading Does for the Mind,” American Educator, (Spring/Summer, 1998) .

Vocabulary Facts

Vocabulary Facts

0.00%2.00%4.00%

6.00%8.00%

10.00%

12.00%14.00%16.00%

18.00%

75+

65-74

55-64

45-54

35-44

25-34

18-24

% decline inreading forpleasure

Age Groups

13.1%

14.4%

17.0%

Source: Survey of Public Participation in the Arts, 2002

1982 – 2002

Brain-based TeachingBrain-based Teaching

0 10 20 30 40

Time in minutes

De

gre

e o

f re

ten

tio

n

Primacy-recency effect

Prime-time-1

Prime-time-2

Down-timeNew Content

Practice & Review

Sense & Relevance

Predicting ABC’sPredicting Vocabulary

Before Reading

TOPIC:

A-B G-HE-FC-D

O-PM-NK-LI-J

WXYZU-VS-TQ-R

Vocabulary Development What Works

• Extensive Reading

• Direct Instruction in Word Meaning

• Direct Instruction in Morphology

• Direct Instruction in Context Usage

• Diverse, interesting, fun activities

Preview Maps

What it looks like: The Americans, The Divisive Politics of Slavery

What is the title? What is this list?

Whose American story is told?

Whose picture is shown?

What is in the purple block of text?

Rewrite first major heading as a question?

Rewrite the first subheading as a question?

Preview MapsPreviewing Texts

Before Reading

Brain-based TeachingBrain-based Teaching

0 10 20 30 40

Time in minutes

De

gre

e o

f re

ten

tio

n

Primacy-recency effect

Prime-time-1

Prime-time-2

Down-timeNew Content

Practice & Review

Sense & Relevance

P.L.A.N.

Predict

Locate

Add

Note

P.L.A.N.The Living Constitution – Article 2. The Executive

The Executive, p. 256

Salary

Qualifications

Electoral College

Terms of Office

Four Years w/ V. Pres.

SuccessionOath of Office

Election Day

Equals # of Senators and Reps

US Map p. 256 picture

Affirmation p. 257

Natural-born citizen – p. 257

?

+

!

?

X

?

Legend: X = familiar / ? = unfamiliar / ! = surprising / + = important

!

What Did I Read?

What it looks like:

Teacher says: “Class, remember that the Middle Ages were filled with war and disease. Now we are going to see a big change in Europe. Follow along as I read and take notes.”

Teacher Reads Aloud: The years 1300 to 1600 saw an explosion of creativity in Europe. Historians call this period the Renaissance. The term means rebirth—in this case a rebirth of art and learning. The Renaissance began in northern Italy around 1300 and later spread north. One reason northern Europe lagged behind is that France and England were at war.

Teachers says: “What did I read? Everyone take two minutes to make some notes about what I just read.”

Teacher says: [after two minutes] “Steven, what did I read?”

Steven says: “Renaissance means rebirth. A rebirth or art and learning.”

Teacher says: “Good. Maria, What did I read?”

Maria says: “It started in Italy and spread north. The north had been having a war.”

Teacher says: “Good. Kim, what did I read?

Kim says: “The war was between France and England.”

Teacher says: “Good. Kevin, what did I read?

Kevin says: “The Renaissance lasted between 1300 and 1600.”

Teacher says: “Good. Anyone have anything else? (No answer) Then let’s go to the next section.”

During Reading

What Did I Read?Guided Reading

Legend: X = familiar / ? = unfamiliar / ! = surprising / + = important

P.L.A.N. + What Did I Read?

The Road to Lexington and Concord

Compare/Contrast Y Notes

Compare/Contrast “Y” Notes Summarizing Differences and Similarities

What it looks like:

During Reading

Topic:______________ Topic:______________

Similarities:

Compare/Contrast “Y” Notes Summarizing Differences and Similarities

What it looks like: Topic: The Lincoln-Douglas Debates

During Reading

Topic:______________ Topic:______________

Similarities:

S. Douglas A. LincolnRan for US Senate in 1858

Against slavery Distorted Douglas’s views

Against popular sovereignty

Dramatic speaker

Against slavery

Plain and direct language

Former Whig

For Popular Sovereignty

Distorted Lincoln’s views

Incumbent Senator Ran for US Senate in 1858

Ran for US Senate in 1858

Against slavery

Distorted Lincoln’s views

Distorted Douglas’s views

The systems you have in place

are perfect

for the results you are getting.

Words to Remember

Contact Information

Bill McBride

432 Vicksburg St.

San Francisco, CA 94114

Phone/Fax: 415.826.2310

E-mail:

billmcbride@ionix.net

Workshop Info: www.entertaininganelephant.com

Teacher Price-$6.36

Half the proceeds go to charity.

To order call 1-800-525-2125

For Workshops or Keynotes Speeches

Go to:www.entertaininganelephant.com