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Improving Reading Comprehension Expository Text Presentation by Sarah Gaines, Psy.S., NCSP

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Improving Reading Comprehension. Expository Text. Presentation by Sarah Gaines, Psy.S., NCSP. Goals and Outcomes. Understand expository text and why students struggle to comprehend it. Learn how to begin the expository text discussion with your students. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Improving Reading Comprehension

Improving Reading Comprehension

Expository Text

Presentation by Sarah Gaines, Psy.S., NCSP

Page 2: Improving Reading Comprehension

Goals and Outcomes

Understand expository text and why students struggle to comprehend it.

Learn how to begin the expository text discussion with your students.

Learn strategies to aid student comprehension of expository text.

Page 3: Improving Reading Comprehension

What is Expository Text?

Expository Text

Nonfiction

Informational

Description

Comparison and Contrast

Cause and Effect

Sequence

Listing

Problem and Solution

Overwhelmed yet?

Guess what, so are many of our students.

Page 4: Improving Reading Comprehension

Why is Expository Text Difficult?

New and challenging vocabulary Words are often outside the realm of a

student’s everyday knowledge Many students do not have personal

experience with the topics Text structures are numerous

Page 5: Improving Reading Comprehension

“…before I could teach children how to use the features of nonfiction in

purposeful ways, I had to teach them what nonfiction was.” (p. 142)

~Debbie Miller

Page 6: Improving Reading Comprehension

Begin with a Nonfiction Text Set

Providing many examples with diverse topics will help students understand the variety inherent in

nonfiction.

Page 7: Improving Reading Comprehension

Progress to Text Features

Use a Venn diagram or other graphic organizer to discuss the features of fiction versus nonfiction.

Talk about what things fiction and nonfiction text have in common.

Knowing what distinguishes nonfiction from fiction helps readers know what to expect.

Start the conversation with fiction. It is the type of text which students are most familiar.

Page 8: Improving Reading Comprehension

Text F

eatu

res

Fiction

Nonfictio

n

Setting Characters Problem Beginning, middle,

and an end

Events Resolution Pictures Story Theme

Main Ideas Specific Topics Facts Teach Something Information Photographs Captions,

Headings Diagrams Index Table of Contents

Page 9: Improving Reading Comprehension

Big

Diff

ere

nces

Fiction

Nonfictio

n

The reader makes predictions about the kinds of things he or she expects will happen.

The reader must read from the front to the back.

The reader makes predictions about the kinds of things he or she expects to learn.

The reader may read in any order.

Page 10: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Miller & Veatch, 2010)

Proficiency with Expository Text: Four Essential ElementsComponent Definition Relevance

Vocabulary Concepts and labels for concepts

Students need help with difficult language in content text.

Fluency Reading accurately, with expression, at an appropriate pace

If students can read fluently, they will be more able to focus on content.

Comprehension Using prior knowledge and the writer’s clues to construct meaning

Students need to be able to use reading strategies and adapt them to different subject areas.

Motivation Process by which a goal-directed activity is initiated and sustained

Students need to see themselves as good readers who value reading.

Page 11: Improving Reading Comprehension

A Word on Strategy Instruction

Strategies must be explicitly taught over a long period of time.

Students should receive many examples and demonstration of each strategy.

Students need opportunities to practice the strategies using many texts.

Strategies should be presented one at a time.

Page 12: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Dymock & Nicholson, 2010)

“High 5!” Strategies

Activating Background Knowledge Questioning Analyzing Text Structure Creating Mental Images Summarizing

Page 13: Improving Reading Comprehension

Activating Background Knowledge

Readers comprehend better when they are able to activate prior knowledge and make connections to background knowledge.

Teachers can improve student comprehension through starting point activities. › Ex: The class is learning about Paris, France.

Pull out a map Talk about the language spoken in the country Discover facts about the population

Page 14: Improving Reading Comprehension

Questioning

“Meaning arrives because we are purposefully engaged in thinking while we read.” ~ Cris Tovani (2004)

One way to improve comprehension of expository text, and purposefully engage in thinking while reading, is to teach students to generate and answer questions before and during reading.

Page 15: Improving Reading Comprehension

Questioning

As a start, here are 3 types of questions you can teach your students to ask:› Right There: something factual

“What are the facts?”› Think and Search: something to figure out

“What does the writer want me to figure out?”

› Beyond the Text: something unsaid “What else should I know? Should I check

with background research?”

Page 16: Improving Reading Comprehension

Analyzing Text Structure

Unlike narrative text, expository text has several structures.

Knowledge of one expository text structure does not transfer to another structure.

Students, especially those at the elementary school level most often encounter descriptive and sequential structures.

Page 17: Improving Reading Comprehension

Analyzing Text Structure: Descriptive

List› The simplest descriptive pattern. › Order is not important.

Web› Attributes of an object are discussed.› There is a common link among the attributes.

Matrix› Describes more than one thing.› Compares and contrasts two or more topics.

Page 18: Improving Reading Comprehension

Analyzing Text Structure: Sequential

String› Step by step description of events› Ex: a sequence for baking cookies

Cause-Effect› Two (or more) ideas/events interact › One is the cause, the other is an effect

Problem-Solution› The writer states a problem or poses a question› A solution or answer is in the text› Sequence is important: first a problem, then the

solutions

Page 19: Improving Reading Comprehension

Text Structures and Common Clue Words

Sequence

• First• Then• Next• After• Later• Finally

Problem and Solution

• Because• In order to• So that• Trouble• If• Problem

Cause and Effect

• Because• Therefore• Cause• Effect• So

Compare and Contrast

• Both• Alike• Unalike• But• However• Than

Although it is not foolproof, knowing some key words and phrases can aid a student’s thinking as he or she considers the type of expository text.

Page 20: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Miller, 2002, p. 149)

Text Structure: ConventionsConvention Purpose

Labels To identify a picture or photograph and/or its parts

Photographs To understand exactly what something looks like

Captions To understand a picture or photograph

Comparisons To understand the size of one thing by comparing it to the size of something familiar

Cutaways To understand something by looking at it from the inside

Maps To understand where things are in the world

Types of print By signaling, “Look at me! I’m important!”

Close-ups To see details in something small

Tables of contents To identify key topics in the book in the order they are presented

Index To list almost everything covered in the text, with page numbers

Glossary To define words contained in the text

Page 21: Improving Reading Comprehension

Text Structure Conventions: What do you notice?

Heading

Bold text

Numbered items

Special, separated

text

Page 22: Improving Reading Comprehension

What do you notice?

Caption

Figure, Picture

Page 23: Improving Reading Comprehension

Creating Mental Images

Readers comprehend better if they can create and use a mental structure while they process the text.

This strategy goes hand in hand with the previous strategy, analyzing text structure.

Knowing the text structure can help students visualize a diagram specific to that text structure to organize their thinking.

A creative analogy to use with students: think of yourself as an architect, you need to see all the little ribs and bones!

Page 24: Improving Reading Comprehension

Creating Mental Images

Example for a descriptive, compare and contrast text:

Topic: Sharks Type Length Diet Teeth

Great White 12-16 feet Sea lions, seals, small toothed whales, otters, sea turtles

3,000 at any one time

Great Hammerhead

Up to 11.5 feet

Fish, squid, small sharks, octopuses, crustaceans

About 200

Page 25: Improving Reading Comprehension

Summarizing

The ability to summarize a text enhances comprehension.

Summarizing means the ability to sift through irrelevant details, combine similar ideas, condense main ideas, and connect major themes in a concise manner.

Again, knowing the text structure strategy helps students here as well.

Page 26: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Dymock & Nicholson, 2010)

Summarizing in 5 Steps

1. Read the text.2. Identify the text structure the writer

has used.3. Make a diagram of the structure.4. Discard redundant information. Leave

only the key ideas.5. Circle only the critical ideas that you

need for the summary.

Page 27: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Fang, 2008)

Linguistic ChallengesChallenge What it means

Technicality Terminology is specific to the field (e.g., genes, genome, DNA).

Abstraction Nominalization: the vocabulary includes verbs and adjectives turned into nouns (e.g., The adjective significant tuned into the noun significance).

Density The average number of content words (e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives) per sentence is much higher.

Authoritativeness Vocabulary and syntax is distanced, impersonal, and unlike everyday dialogue. This includes the use of declarative sentences and a passive voice.

Page 28: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Fang, 2008)

Helping Students Face the Linguistic Challenges

Exposure: Allow for authentic experiences with expository language by having a variety of texts in the classroom including trade books, magazines, newspapers, journals, textbooks.

Page 29: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Fang, 2008)

Helping Students Face the Linguistic Challenges

Noun Deconstruction: Teach students how to analyze lengthy phrases into functional pieces.

› Ex: “A seven-week murder trial that focused new attention on the suspect’s dealings…”

Noun Expansion: Teach students how to expand simple nouns into lengthy noun phrases.› Ex: This student likes reading. This bright student likes

reading. This remarkably bright student likes reading.

How many?

How long?

Which one?

Page 30: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Fang, 2008)

Helping Students Face the Linguistic Challenges

Sentence Transformation: Teach students how to transform their own sentences into expository structures in their own writing or speaking. › Ex: “When the rainforest are destroyed…” becomes

“The destruction of the rain forests…”

Paraphrase: Teach students how to translate the text into everyday language.› Ex: “A time span of 50 years is insignificant compared

to the billions of years that life has existed on earth.” becomes “Fifty years is a small amount of time when you think about how long life has been on earth.”

Page 31: Improving Reading Comprehension

(Fang, 2008)

Helping Students Face the Linguistic Challenges

Syntactic Autonomy: Teach students how to recognize the multiple layers of semantic links and dependency relationships. You can delve into complex linguistic features or address it more simply depending on the students’ level.

› Ex: “It had already been known that DNA was the

molecule of which genes are made when two young scientists, James Watson and Francis Crick, took on the challenge of figuring out its structure.”

EX: The words that and when indicate the start of two subordinate clauses.

In other words, this clause means they knew

genes were made of DNA.

Page 32: Improving Reading Comprehension

Summing It Up

Expository text can be difficult for students.

Knowing the text structure can aid in the reader’s understanding of the material.

While there are many strategies to choose from, keep in mind that strategy instruction is best when explained, modeled, practiced, and introduced one at a time.

Page 33: Improving Reading Comprehension

ReferencesDymock, S. (2005). Teaching expository text structure awareness.

The Reading Teacher, 59(2), 177-181. doi:10.1598/RT.59.2.7Dymock, S., & Nicholson, T. (2010). “High 5!” strategies to enhance

comprehension of expository text. The Reading Teacher, 64(3), 166-178. doi:10.1598/RT.64.3.2

Fang, Z. (2008). Going beyond the fab five: Helping students cope with the unique linguistic challenges of expository reading in intermediate grades. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 51(6), 476-487. doi:10.1598/JAAL.51.6.4

Jitendra, A. K., Burgess, C., & Gajria, M. (2011). Cognitive strategy instruction for improving expository text comprehension of students with learning disabilities: The quality of the evidence. Council for Exceptional Children, 77(2), 135-159.

McLaughlin, M. (2012). Reading comprehension: What every teacher needs to know. The Reading Teacher, 66(7), 432-440. doi:10.1002/TRTR.01064

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ReferencesMiller, M., & Veatch, N. (2010). Teaching literacy in context: Choosing

and using instructional strategies. The Reading Teacher, 64(3), 154-165. doi:10.1598/RT.64.3.1

Shanahan, T., Callison, K., Carriere, C., Duke, N. K., Pearson, P. D., Schatschneider, C., & Torgesen, J. (2010). Improving reading comprehension in kindergarten through 3rd grade: A practice guide (NCEE 2010-4038). Washington, DC: National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance, Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved from whatworks.ed.gov/publications/practiceguides.

Tovani, C. (2004). Do I really have to teach reading? Content comprehension, grades 6-12. Portland, Maine: Stenhouse Publishers.