Implementing a Literacy Initiative at the Secondary Level

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Implementing a Literacy Initiative at the
Secondary Level

• Presentation at
• International Reading Association Annual
  Conference
• San Antonio, Texas
• Presentation for
• Content Area Reading - Special Interest Group
• May 5, 2005
• Dennis Szymkowiak

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Professional Development 101

• Personal Investment
• Collegiality
• Common Vocabulary
• Core Strategies

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Personal Investment

• Based on Langers (1999) concept of professional
  context the conditions that surround teachers
  professional lives in schools and districts
• Professional context is tied to student
  achievement
• Adapted from Excellence in English in Middle and
  High School How Teachers Professional Lives
  Support Student Achievement J. Langer, 1999.
  http//cela.albany.edu/eie1/index.html.

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Langers Six Essential Features for Student
Achievement

• Orchestrate coordinated efforts to improve
  student achievement
• Foster teacher participation in a variety of
  professional communities where ideas for enacting
  educational improvement can grow
• Provide teachers with a sense of agency

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Six Essential Features (continued)

• Individual commitments to the profession of
  teaching are valued
• Express explicit, caring attitudes that extend to
  colleagues and students
• Foster a deep respect for lifelong learning

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Collegiality (Or, were all in this together)
Literacy entails the acquisition of
information Literacy is knowing where and how
to locate information Literacy involves
reading and writing
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Content-Area Literacy
Content-area teachers who expect learners to
read texts in their specific subjects must
provide those learners with reading
instruction connected to specific
reading-related skills associated with that
subject area. Knowledge of book parts and
general research skills helps learners
comprehension and should be a part of reading
instruction. The organization of narrative
texts and expository texts which learners are
required to read in subject areas differs
greatly. Textual organization also differs among
subject areas.
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Factors Influencing How and What Will
Be Understood and Remembered
Interest Motivation Purpose
Attention Strategy Prior Knowledge
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Prereading Questions - Similarities
Students Teachers What do students need
to What do teachers need to know before
they read? know before they assign
content area reading? How can students
become How can teachers enhance involved
in the ideas? student involvement
with content? How can students
become What can teachers do to prepared
to read and learn help students become
from materials successfully? better
prepared to read and learn from
materials successfully?
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What do students need to know before they
read? What do teachers need to know before they
assign content area reading? Anticipation
- Learning Teaching Independent
Student Process Activities Application Preview
ing Survey with students Survey before reading
text Identify organizational Use graphic
aids structure Utilize
graphics Activate Anticipation
guides Brainstorm knowledge K-W-L
process Generate predictions Vocabulary
organization Vocabulary self-selection Focus
interest Generate questions Generate questions
and set purpose K-W-L Set purpose for
reading
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How can students become involved in the
ideas? How can teachers enhance student
involvement with content? Building
Knowledge Learning Teaching Independent
Student Process Activities Application Clarify
and Utilize graphic Utilize graphic
construct organizers organizers
meaning Note taking Locate and
record Journals information Reading
study SQ3R (or variation) guides Connect
to other Paired reading experiences V
isualize ideas Monitor understanding
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How can students become successfully prepared to
read and learn from materials
successfully? What can teachers do to help
students become better prepared to read and
learn from materials successfully? Consolidating
Learning - Learning Teaching Independent
Student Process Activities Application Constru
ct Discuss key ideas Identify key ideas,
and perspectives perspectives, point
of Model group view summaries Write
personal summary Consolidate Dialogue
journals Answer questions Compare to
other Connect to other texts
texts/materials and ideas Share
ideas Review notes Assess Generate
unanswered Generate new/unanswered
achievement questions questions Evaluat
e process and Compare entry knowledge
outcome to knowledge gained Set new
goals
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• Connecting Reading and Writing
• Four Major Insights
• Writing is a process
• Writing experiences are most appropriate when
• they serve an authentic communicative purpose
• Writing experiences are most appropriate when
• they require students to create complete,
  extended
• texts
• Reading and writing are similar processes

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Common Vocabulary

• Reading
• Comprehension
• Literacy
• Aliteracy
• Strategies

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Reading

• Reading is a meaning construction process
• Learning to read and reading to learn are
  fundamentally social actions
• The more individuals read the better they read
• All learners must be prepared for the new
  information and communication technologies of the
  future
• Reading and writing are closely related and
  develop together
• Environments rich in literacy materials and
  literacy experiences are central to effective
  learning
• Knowledgeable teachers should be the most
  important element in any literacy program

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Comprehension n. 1. The reconstruction of
the intended meaning of a communication
accurately understanding what is written
or said. Note The presumption here is that
meaning resides in the message awaiting
interpretation, and that the message received
is congruent with the message sent.
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2. the construction of the meaning of a
written or spoken communication through a
reciprocal, holistic interchange of ideas
between the interpreter and the message in a
particular communicative context.
Note The presumption here is that meaning
resides in the intentional problem-solving,
thinking process of the interpreter during such
an interchange, that the content of meaning is
influenced by that persons prior knowledge and
experience, and that the message so constructed
by the receiver may or may not be congruent with
the message sent. Harris, T. L., Hodges, R. E.
(Eds.). (1995). The literacy dictionary The
vocabulary of reading and writing. Newark, DE
International Reading Association.

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Literacy

• Literacy entails the acquisition of information
• Literacy is knowing where and how to locate
  information
• Literacy involves reading and writing

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High Literacy . . . where students gain not
merely the basic literacy skills to get by, but
also the content knowledge, ways of structuring
ideas, and ways of communicating with others that
are considered the marks of an educated person
. . . basic reading and writing skills are
included in . . . high literacy. Yet it also
includes the ability to use language, content,
and reasoning in ways that are appropriate for
particular situations and disciplines. Students
learn to read the social meanings, the rules
and structures, and the linguistic and cognitive
routines to make things work in the real world of
English language use. The knowledge becomes
available as options when they confront new
situations. This notion of high literacy refers
to a deeper knowledge of the ways in which
reading, writing, language and content work
together . . . It is reflected in students
abilities to engage in thoughtful reading,
writing, and discussing in the classroom use
their knowledge and skills in new situations and
perform well on a wide variety of reading and
writing tasks, including high-stakes tests.
(pp. 2-3) Langer, J. A. (2002). Effective
literacy instruction Building successful reading
and writing programs. Urbana, IL National
Council of Teachers of English.
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Aliteracy

• The unwillingness to use literacy even though the
  capability is present

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Strategies

• Procedural
• Purposeful
• Effortful
• Willful
• Essential
• Facilitative

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Core Strategies

• Modeled at whole faculty presentations
• Examples provided in core content areas
• All faculty invited to share examples during
  future professional development time

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K - W - L

• Know
• Want to Know
• Learned

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T-Notes or Cornell Notes
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Anticipation Guides Steps for Constructing an
Anticipation Guide

• Identify the major concepts in an upcoming
  selection or lecture, the students beliefs that
  will be challenged, or the review material that
  needs to be covered
• Create statements reflecting, in part, the
  anticipated prereading beliefs of the students
• Some statements may be mistaken notions
• Some statements should be consistent with
  students experiential background and concepts
  presented in the material

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Anticipation Guides Criteria to Consider

• Instructions should be clear
• Statements should be short and simple to read
• There should be a single, coherent focus to all
  of the statements
• Use few if any extreme qualifiers (never,
  always, etc.)
• Strive for a balance of true and false
  statements
• Items should be worded in a parallel format

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Literacy Aids

• SQ3R SQ4R SQRQCQ PQRST
• Survey Survey Survey Preview
• Question Question Question Question
• Read Read Read Read
• Recite Record Question Summarize
• Review Recite Complete Test
• Review Question

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Literacy Aids (continued)

• PQ4R SQP2RS
• Preview Survey
• Question Question
• Read Predict
• Record Read
• Respond Respond
• Reflect Summarize

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VOCABULARY
RATE YOUR WORDS
A I do not know B I think I have seen/heard
it C I might know D I know and can use it
Word A B
C D Example
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Word Map
Vocabulary
What is it like? What does it do? What does it
have?
What is it?
Word
What are some examples?
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Word Map
Vocabulary
What is it like? What does it do? What does it
have?
What is it?
animal
cold-blooded

reptile
Lays eggs
breathes air
alligators
snakes
lizards
What are some examples?
Readence, J. E., Bean, T. W., Baldwin, R. S.
(2004). Content area literacy An integrated
approach. Dubuque, IA Kendall/Hunt Publishing.
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Learning Logs

• Entries may be written at the end of an activity
  and/or the end of a class period.
• Students are asked to write about something new
  they learned (content) and how they went about
  learning it (process). They might also plan
  future learning experiences in the log by
  generating questions about content and creating a
  plan of action for a process that would support
  their learning. A reflective examination of
  their development might also be recorded.
• After students have written for about ten
  minutes, they should be invited to share their
  entries with each other. Sharing is especially
  important when Learning Logs are first
  introduced.

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Learning Logs (continued)

• Possible prompts
• Now I understand . . .
• I had difficulty understanding . . .
• I tried to . . .
• I had never though about . . .
• Im still wondering about . . .

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Strategy Reflection

• What strategy helped me best understand what I
  read? Why did this strategy work for me?
• What strategy was least effective? Why?
• What strategy helped me most with my writing?
  What did this strategy help me do?
• What strategy was least effective with writing?
  Why?
• How has my reading and writing changed in the
  last (weeks/quarter/term/semester) ?
• What do I still need to work on?

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Reflective Self-Evaluation

• Questions that promote process assessment
• and guide future learning experiences
• What have I been doing ?
• What am I doing ?
• Why did I change ?
• What remains to be done ?

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Thank you !

• Contact Information
• Dennis Szymkowiak
• Mundelein High School
• 1350 W Hawley
• Mundelein, IL 60060
• 847-949-2200 ext 629
• denszym_at_mhs.k12.il.us
• dshimmy_at_aol.com

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Suggested Resources
Baldwin, R. S., Readence, J. E. , Bean, T. W.
Targeted reading Improving achievement in
middle and secondary grades. Dubuque, IA
Kendall/Hunt. Beach, R., Myers, J. (2001).
Inquiry-based English Instruction Engaging
students in life and literature. New York
Teachers College Press. Beane, J. A. (1997).
Curriculum integration Designing the core of
democratic education. New York Teachers College
Press. Bell, S. M., Ziegler, M., McCallum, R.
S. (2004). What adult educators know
compared with what they say they know about
providing research-based reading instruction.
Journal of Adolescent Adult Literacy, 47,
542-563. Blachowicz, C., Ogle, D. (2001).
Reading comprehension Strategies for independent
learners. New York The Guilford
Press. Blachowicz, C., Fisher, P. (2002).
Teaching vocabulary in all classrooms, 2nd ed.
Upper Saddle River, NJ Merrill Prentice
Hall. Block, C. C., Gambrell, L. B., Presley,
M. (Eds.). (2002). Improving comprehension instru
ction Rethinking research, theory, and classroom
practice. San Francisco Jossey-Bass. Borasi,
R., Siegel, M. (2000). Reading counts
Expanding the role of reading in mathematics
classrooms. New York Teachers College Press.
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Suggested Resources - continued
Buehl, D. (2001). Classroom strategies for
interactive learning, 2nd ed. Newark, DE
International Reading Association. Burns, M. (
1995). Writing in math class. White Plains, NY
Math Solutions Publications Borasi, R., Siegel,
M. (2000). Reading counts Expanding the role of
reading in mathematics classrooms. New York
Teachers College Press. Countryman, J. (1992).
Writing to learn mathematics Strategies that
work, k-12. Portsmouth, NH Heinemann. Langer,
J. A. (1995). Envisioning literature Literary
understanding and literature instruction. New
York Teachers College Press. Langer, J. A.
(2002). Effective literacy instruction Building
successful reading and writing programs.
Urbana, IL National Council of Teachers of
English. Mayher, J. S. (1990). Uncommon sense
Theoretical practice in language education.
Portsmouth, NH Boynton/Cook. Oczkus, L. D.
(2003). Reciprocal teaching at work Strategies
for improving reading comprehension. Newark, DE
International Reading Association. Readence, J.
E., Bean, T. W., Baldwin, R. S. (2004). Content
area literacy An integrated approach. Dubuque,
IA Kendall/Hunt.
39
Suggested Resources - continued
Readence, J. E., Moore, D. W., Rickleman, R. J.
(2000). Prereading activities for content area
reading and learning 3rd ed. Newark, DE
International Reading Association Roller, C. M.
(Ed.). (2002). Comprehensive reading instruction
across the grade levels A collection of papers
from the reading research 2001 conference.
Newark, DE International Reading
Association. Sadler, C. R. (2001). Comprehension
strategies for middle grade learners A handbook
for content area teachers. Newark, DE
International Reading Association. Saul, E. W.
(Ed.). (2004). Crossing borders in literacy and
science instruction Perspectives on theory and
practice. Newark, DE International Reading
Association. Short, K. G., Harste, J. C.,
Burke, C. (1996). Creating classrooms for authors
and inquirers. Portsmouth, NH
Heinemann. Smith, M. W., Wilhelm, J. D. (2002).
Reading dont fix no Chevys Literacy in
the lives of young men. Portsmouth, NH
Heinemann. Tchudi, S., Lafer, S. (1996). The
interdisciplinary teachers handbook Integrated
teaching across the curriculum. Portsmouth, NH
Heinemann. Thompson, T. C. (2002). Teaching
writing in high school and college Conversations
and collaborations. Urbana, IL National Council
of Teachers of English.
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Suggested Resources - continued
Tovani. C. (2000). I read it, but I dont get
it Comprehension strategies for
adolescent readers. Portland, ME
Stenhouse. Whitin, D. J., Wilde, S. (1992).
Read any good math lately? Childrens books
for mathematical learning, k-6. Portsmouth, NH
Heinemann. Whitin, D. J., Wilde, S. (1995).
Its the story that counts More childrens books
for mathematical learning, k-6. Portsmouth, NH
Heinemann. Whitin, P., Whitin, D. J. (1997).
Inquiry at the window Pursuing the wonders of
learners. Portsmouth, NH Heinemann. Whitin,
P., Whitin, D. J. (2000). Math is language too
Talking and writing in the mathematics
classroom. Urbana, IL National Council of
Teachers of English. Zambo, D. (2005). Using the
picture book Thank You, Mr. Falker to understand
struggling readers. Journal of Adolescent
Adult Literacy, 48, 502-512. Zwiers, J. (2004).
Building reading comprehension habits in grades
6-12 A toolkit of classroom activities.
Newark, DE International Reading Association.