Helping our Students to Internalize Reading and Writing StrategiesGetting them Ready for Success in College

MVHS Comparison – 2004-2007English Proficiency 2004 2005 2006 2007Total Freshman

94 142 105 84

Exempt from EPT

41% 39% 32% 43%

Scored 151 or above on EPT

24% 19% 20% 13%

Demonstrated Proficiency prior to enrollment

0% 1% 0% 0%

Proficient in English

66% 59% 53% 56%

Not Proficient in English

34% 41% 48% 44%

Local Comparison – 2007English Proficiency

Total Freshman

% proficient

Linfield 24 81%Temescal Canyon

59 69%

Temecula Valley

70 66%

Chaparral 99 64%Lake Elsinore 34 62%Vista Murrieta 122 57%Great Oak 74 57%MVHS 84 56%

Overall ObjectiveDevelop in students the ability

to read, write about, and discuss challenging texts in

order to prepare them for the rigors of academic

environments.

Learning Goals

Teachers will…• become more skilled in analyzing texts

for pedagogical purposes.• explore different purposes for reading

and discussing texts.• continue to learn how to guide students

into deep learning of texts using a variety of critical and analytical reading strategies.

• learn various ways to engage students in academic performances.

Today’s Learning ObjectivesWe Will…

• review current research on adolescent literacy.

• explore the usefulness of rereading as a literacy strategy.

• experience ways reading strategies can be used for purposeful rereading.

• introduce templates and 3-part source/ argument statements.

Why Are We Here?

High school graduates are not ready for college freshman

reading tasks.

Here Is What We Know• The majority of students in California

are reading below grade level. • Students enter into high school needing

remediation in reading and writing.• Students continue to move through

secondary education deficient in reading and writing.

• Research tells us that students are college-prepared, but not college-ready.

• Make predictions while reading

• Summarize texts accurately

• Comprehend ideas presented in a variety of texts and be able to see connections among them

• Successfully read challenging texts without instruction or support

• Approach texts with a variety of reading strategies

• Identify key claims and evidence as it relates to the argument

• Differentiate between main and subordinate ideas in texts

• Clarify challenging material through rereading strategies

• Predict the author's purpose using textual clues

• Argue with a text; challenge what a text says

• Apply prior knowledge to new ideas and information

• Develop questions while reading and seek to find answers

• Use context clues to understand unfamiliar words

A List of College Reading Tasks

• Write papers that pertain to reading

• Summarize ideas presented in non-fiction texts

• Synthesize ideas from several sources

• Analyze arguments

• Critically analyze the ideas in texts

A List of College Writing Tasks

• Make predictions while reading

• Summarize texts accurately

• Comprehend ideas presented in a variety of texts and be able to see connections among them

• Successfully read challenging texts without instruction or support

• Approach texts with a variety of reading strategies

• Identify key claims and evidence as it relates to the argument

• Differentiate between main and subordinate ideas in texts

• Clarify challenging material through rereading strategies

• Predict the author's purpose using textual clues

• Argue with a text; challenge what a text says

• Apply prior knowledge to new ideas and information

• Develop questions while reading and seek to find answers

• Use context clues to understand unfamiliar words

A List of College Reading Tasks

Let’s Talk About It

Table TalkHow can students succeed in high school (earn good grades, pass advanced classes, and complete all college requirements) yet enter post-secondary education deficient in reading and writing? What has caused this to happen?

One Model that Explains How Reading Deficiencies Develop

How Do We Reverse the Spiral?

What does research suggest we do to improve adolescent

literacy instruction?

Center on Instruction: Five Recommendations

1. Provide explicit instruction and supportive practice in the use of reading comprehension strategies.

2. Increase the number and quality of open, sustained discussions of texts.

3. Set and maintain high standards for texts, conversations, questions, and vocabulary.

4. Develop instructional methods that increase student engagement with text and motivation for reading.

5. Teach essential content knowledge so that all students master critical concepts.

ACT Inc. Aligning Postsecondary Expectations and High School Practice: The Gap Defined Policy Implications of the ACT National Curriculum Survey® Results. Washington, DC: ACT, Inc, 2007. Available online at http://www.act.org/path/policy/pdf/NCSPolicyBrief.pdf.

Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senate. Intersegmental Academic Literacy: A Statement of Competencies Expected of Students Entering California's Public Colleges and Universities. Sacramento, CA: Intersegmental Committee of the Academic Senate, 2002. Available online at http://www.asccc.org/Publications/Papers/AcademicLiteracy/main.htm.

Olson, Booth Carol and Robert Land. “A Cognitive Strategies Approach to Reading and Writing Instruction for English Language Learners in Secondary School.” Research in the Teaching of English 41 (2007): 270-303.

Torgesen, J. K., Houston, D. D., Rissman, L. M., Decker, S. M., Roberts, G., Vaughn, S., Wexler, J. Francis, D. J, Rivera, M. O., Lesaux, N. (2007). Academic Literacy Instruction For Adolescents: A Guidance Document from the Center on Instruction, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction. Available online at www.centeroninstruction.org.

Research References

Think-Pair-ShareComplete the following statement with a list of skills or abilities:

When our students read texts, we want them to be able to…

Ex. comprehend what they are reading.

Why are students not ready?One of the Problems: Lack of proficiency in reading

Part of the Solution: professional development in reading instruction (RIAP) 19

According to the CSU schools

Three Components of the CSU’s EAP Initiative

1. College Readiness Information and Testing at 11th Grade (Augmented CST)

2. The 12th Grade Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC): Curriculum (a-g approved) and professional development

3. Reading Institutes for Academic Preparation (RIAP): Professional Development for English and Content Area Teachers, 9-12

20

From the CSU schools website

“Regardless of a student’s major, the ability to formulate and analyze arguments, both orally and in writing, is absolutely essential to academic success … . We can develop these skills at the postsecondary level, but students need to get asolid foundation in these basics when they are in high school, or they will fall behind quickly in college.”

--an English professor, University of Nevada, Las VegasFrom Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts. (2004). The American Diploma Project

21

From the CSU schools website

“It is a myth that mathematics and math-dependent majors in college do not require strong reading and writing skills. Students have to be able to comprehend complex informational text so they can identify which mathematical operations and concepts to apply to solve a particular problem.”

--An economics professor, San Francisco State University

From Ready or Not: Creating a High School Diploma that Counts. (2004). The American Diploma Project 22

From the CSU schools website

The RIAP Curriculum: Academic Literacy

The inseparable skills of critical reading, writing, listening and thinking depend upon students’ ability to postpone judgment and tolerate ambiguity as they honor the dance between passionate assertion and patient inquiry.Academic Literacy: A Statement of Competencies Expected of Students Entering California’s Public Colleges and Universities, page 12.

23

From the CSU schools website

CSU Studies show -

RIAP + ERWC = more than FOUR times the rate of improvement of all California high schools (13.6% vs. 3%). 24

From the CSU schools website

What we do already: ERWC RIAP EAP

What we can do now: Strengthen our school reading and writing culture to help students internalize strategies that will support them all their lives.

How do we bring this to MMHS?

Common terminologyConsistent StrategiesExpectation that students will use these strategies Strategies will be accessible to students independently (via the web)

Rams Read and Write – Everywhere!

Learn-to-Write vs. Write-to-Learn

FormalEssaysLabsExamsReports

CasualJournalsNotesIn-Class ActivitiesHomework assignmentsQuick-Writes

Web Page Strategies Samples Tips from teachers

How to bring this to MMHS teachers

Web Page

Reading Page

Writing Page

Link for each strategy

Each Strategy

Strategy Handout

Example of strategy in use

Suggestions and uses from content area teachers for each subject

Strategy Review - Annotation

Reading Strategies – Annotation

What is it? Annotation is basically having students think on the page as they read. In order to annotate, it is best to actually write on the text. Unfortunately, that is not often possible in a high school setting. When students record their thoughts, questions, predictions, observations, etc. on the page as they read, it helps them more thoroughly understand the text, as well as their level of understanding of it. They know what questions to ask about it, what words or phrases they didn’t understand, and they can more easily find the main ideas and key words in the passage. The biggest thing annotation does is help students become aware of their level of understanding, otherwise known as metacognition - awareness and understanding one's thinking and cognitive processes. It gets them thinking about their thinking.

How to do it When reading a text upon which they can write: Before they read, have them take out a pen and a highlighter. They can use multiple colors of either or both, if they like. As they read, ask them to do any of the following on their paper as they read.

What to do What to do it to circle highlight underline or star

main ideas key words words or phrases they don’t understand words that have strong connotation or

significance to the passage write in the margins summaries

reflections observations questions

Variations When reading a text upon which they cannot write: Before they read, have them take out a pen and a pack of small post-its. Again, they can use multiple colors of either or both, if they like. As they read, they can use the post-its to mark as many of the above items as possible. Summaries: At the end of each section, chapter, page (it’s up to you or the student), it is often very helpful to write a brief summary of that piece based on the annotations. It helps support and solidify the students’ metacognition of their reading.

What is it?

How to do it

Variations

Sample of Annotation

Key wordsLabelsQuestionsComments

Reflections

Connections

Strategy Review - SOAPSTone

What is it?

How to do it

Generic Graphic Organizer

Reading Strategies – SOAPSTone

What is it? SOAPSTone is a reading strategy that helps students clarify the context of a piece of writing. It is especially useful with non-fiction – articles, essays, speeches, letters, etc. It is a simple acronym that reminds them to identify the following elements of the piece. Subject – What the piece is about? The topic. Occasion – What prompted the author to write it? What event in the world or in the life of

the author caused him or her to want to share these thoughts through their writing? o Note that this can be phrased as “why the author wrote it,” but students need to

understand the distinction between Occasion and Purpose – they often get them confused. Purpose can also be why the author wrote it, but they are very different.

Audience – For whom is this piece intended? Whom is the author trying to reach with it? There can be multiple answers here, for example: A person writing about a bad experience they had with a bully might be trying to reach other people who have had similar experiences, as well as readers who might be bullies themselves. This ties in directly with the purpose. Often, for each audience, there is a completely different purpose.

Purpose – What result is the author hoping will come of this piece? What is he or she trying to achieve by writing it?

Speaker – What can you tell me about the author? Many students will stop with their name, but encourage them to go into details about the author’s personality, beliefs, values. Who is the person who wrote this? Describe him or her in as much detail as you can based on what you read.

Tone – What is the author’s attitude toward the subject of the piece? How does he or she feel about it? Also, how does he or she feel about the audience? All of this is part of the tone.

By identifying all six of these characteristics of the piece, students will develop a much more thorough understanding of its context, importance, and complexities.

How to do it

Explain each step of the process to the students – remind them what each letter of the acronym stands for. If it is their first exposure to the technique, it helps to give them an easy example, like the morning announcements. Make sure that they know before they read that they will need to SOAPSTone the piece. Encourage them to annotate it as they read, if they can. This helps later when they have to go back and finish the SOAPSTone. Provide a chart, like the one on the back, if you like, for them to record what they find about each letter. Once they know how to do it, they can do it on their own paper.

Reading Strategies – SOAPSTone Name: ____________________________________ Course: ___________________________ Reading: _____________________________________________________ Date: __________

S Subject:

O Occasion:

A Audience:

P Purpose: S Speaker:

Tone:

SOAPSToneLearning to Read

Carefully and Critically

Not Just Summary Reading should not be:

a series of facts“Is this going to be on the test?”

Analysis of Text is Crucial Use the acronym S.O.A.P.S to begin.

S = Subject O = Occasion A = AudienceP = PurposeS = Speaker

What is the SUBJECT? General topicGeneral ContentOverall Idea Should be stated in a few words or short phrase

What is the Occasion?TimePlaceCurrent SituationWhat is the context that inspired the writing to happen???

Who is the Audience?To whom is the piece directed?

May be one person, a small or large group

May be a specific person/group

What is the Purpose?What is the reason behind text?

What is the author’s message/point?

So what??????

Who is the Speaker?

Who is telling the story? What do we know about the author?

Male? Female? Age? Race? Personality? Beliefs? Values?

ToneWhat is the authors attitude towards the subject of the piece?

How does he or she feel about it?

How does he or she fee about the audience?