Reading Comprehension for Literary Text

1. Reading Comprehension for Literary Text Schenectady City School District March 28, 2008 Session 2 The slides in today’s presentation are available at www.amybenjamin.com (click on “recent presentations”) Topics: About reading comprehension and literature Summary and Beyond Reader Response (Dialectical Journaling) Vocabulary for literature Traditional themes and motifs: Reading the signs

2. Tier II Words Tier III Words Tier I Words: Domain-specific terminology; “Glossary” words On-the-job words Language of academics, business, government “Vocab List” words Everyday Language: Ask Dead Name Find out; figure out Answer Rain Use Sharp Get Take apart and put together balance Photosynthesis Cytoplasm Metamorphosis Asymmetrical Bathysphere Rhetoric Deoxyribonucleic acid Artifact Habeas corpus Diaspora Polysyndeton Adjective Interrogate Deceased Designate; designation; identify, identification Ascertain; determine Precipitate, precipitation Utilize; employ Acute Acquire Analyze; synthesize equilibrium x chr___ ___ic ph __y__ ___sis Code-switching Prefix/root/suffix

3. AWL • Academic Word List Averil Coxhead 570 words that are used in academics, but not in conversation (CALPs: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) 2,000-3,000: words that are sufficient for basic interpersonal communication (BICs)

4. Structure: How is this • information organized? • Narrative/Description • Classification/definition/example • Comparison/Contrast • Cause & effect • Process analysis) • How do you know? P. 109 Reciprocal Teaching Model Group 2 Group 1 Main ideas: What is the main idea? How do you know? (Express the main idea in one sentence) Visualizers:What do you see while reading this? Explain your mental visuals. Group 4 Group 3 Clarifiers: Identify a few key words or terms that others might not know. Explain their use in this context.

5. Anyone can be a challenged reader: The amount of distributions from net investment income and net realized capital gains is determined in accordance with federal income tax regulations, which may differ from generally accepted accounting principles. These “book/tax” differences are either considered temporary or permanent in nature. Key differences are the treatment of short-term capital gains, foreign currency transactions, organization costs and other temporary differences. To the extent that these differences are permanent in nature, such amounts are reclassified within the capital accounts based on their federal tax-basis treatment; temporary differences do not require reclassifications. To the extent distributions exceed net investment income and/or/net realized capital gains for tax purposes, they are reported as distributions of paid-in capital. Semi-Annual Report for a Mutual Fund

6. What would you have to do to understand* this text? Seek outside help Read it again Look for a simplifier Formulate questions: Know what I don’t know Know what the pronouns refer to (this, that, these, those) *Understand: Be able to use it for its intended purpose Be able to explain it in my own words

7. THIEVES: A previewing procedure “Stealing” information before reading T: Title H: Headings I: Introductions E: Every first sentence of each paragraph V: visuals and vocab E: End-of-chapter questions S: Summarize

9. Poetic language Reader expected to infer indirect meanings Descriptive Technical terms Sequential Logical ordering Cause and effect Narrative mixed with description “Anything can happen” Story of human experience; plot, theme, description Facts, processes, procedures, rules, theorems Few pictures, chapter headings Diagrams, tables, charts, visual cues to main ideas Informational text Literary Text Language: Organization: Content: Textual Features (appearance)

10. Summary and Beyond

11. Narrative Somebody in wanted ,but ,so. Key plot events Obstacles; Conflicts Motivation Main Character Setting

12. Summarizing: A Gateway Skill • Builds awareness of main idea during reading • Foregrounds key information; backgrounds supportive information and details

13. Thinking Skills • Summary (Precis): • Main steps at key points • NOT: details • NOT: opinions • NOT: commentary • NOT: interpretation

14. Why Learn Summary Skills? • Gateway skill to thinking beyond literal • Providing textual reference in literary analysis • In Research Writing: • “Review of the Literature” • Abstract

15. Method f or Struggling Readers • Stop reading at key points: • Teacher marks 4 key stopping points in text • One-sentence summary after each key point • Carefully attend to each sentence before moving on • Vocabulary checkpoints

16. On Paraphrasing • The Four-in-a-Row Rule: • Lift no more than four words in a row from a sentence in the text

17. On Paraphrasing • The Sentence Structure Rule: • Can’t have same number of sentences in the paraphrase as the original: Combine sentences

18. Beyond Summary • Step One: Write a one-page summary of a familiar story • Step Two: Reduce the summary to 2/3 of a page; Now, add commentary • Step Three: Reduce the summary to 1/3 of a page: Now, add commentary

19. Summary • Use summary writing as a comprehension strategy • Teach and practice summary skills explicitly • Use summary-writing skills to get beyond summary; to integrate summary into commentary

20. Strategies Double-Entry Journals Aka dialectical journal: “Brain Prints” Literal Level: What is happening? • Reminds me of… • I don’t’ understand… • Predictions • Questions • Words that I want • Phrases that I like

21. Daytime/nighttime (sunrise/sunset) Seasons Eastward/Westward Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs I. Traditions of representing the passing of time

22. Passions out of control Knowledge Ignorance Death Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs II. Traditions of the elements: fire, water, ice, light, darkness

23. Apples; trees in a garden Snakes Offerings from an outsider Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs III. Traditions of representing lost ideals, loss of innocence, deadly seduction

24. Trickery: Destruction Creative energy Power Ability to deceive and cause chaos The Trickster archetype: Satan, Spider, Coyote, Monkey Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs IV. Traditions of representing disorder:

25. Martyrdom & sacrifice Groups of 12 followers of a rebel leader Wandering; seeking Sermonizing Crosses; trees Fish Isis and Osiris; Dionysus; Orpheus Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs V. Traditions of representing crucifixion and resurrection

26. Dawn/dusk Teenage years Beaches; tides Sleep Drugged state Transitions Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs VI Traditions of representing ambiguity (states of in-between)

27. Reading Conversations: Types of conversations frequently found in literature: fighting loving disagreeing expressing tenderness competing refusing making “small talk” to protesting avoid “big talk” asserting power advising seducing deceiving

28. Reading Conversations: Analyzing Conversation: Are the conversants understanding or misunderstanding each other? Are we supposed to find this conversation funny? touching? ironic? Are we supposed to be reading the conversation at a level above that of the characters? (Do we understand something that they don’t?)

29. Other Things to Notice Hand-held items Descriptions of nature: Is nature kind or harsh? Does nature coincide with or mock the characters’ experience What other stories is this story like? How are the characters like their homes?

30. Secondary School Reading Vocabulary Background knowledge is the most important factor in reading comprehension. Vocabulary is the most important factor in background knowledge. Vocabulary provides access to concepts.

31. Best Practices in Vocabulary Instruction: Depth of processing: Multiple exposures Multiple meanings Multiple contexts Multiple forms of a word Opportunity to communicate Purposeful repetition Treating phrases as words Verbal and Nonverbal processing

32. Processing for Meaning • Give students opportunities to: • Talk • Write (formal and informal) • List • Categorize • Explain to each other • Formulate questions • Brainstorm • Draw

33. Rule of Thumb New learners need SIX (meaningful) exposures to a new word during the initial lesson and at least THIRTY additional exposures during the ensuing month.

34. Target Word: Vocabulary Chart: Glossary Definition: Visual: Draw or find a picture: My guess: Definition in my own words: Complete sentence of at least ____words: Must contain an action verb and a visual image.

35. Morphology Chart

36. Morphology Kit Adverb-making suffix: -ly

37. Daytime/nighttime (sunrise/sunset) Seasons Eastward/Westward Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs I. Traditions of representing the passing of time

38. Passions out of control Knowledge Ignorance Death Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs II. Traditions of the elements: fire, water, ice, light, darkness

39. Apples; trees in a garden Snakes Offerings from an outsider Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs III. Traditions of representing lost ideals, loss of innocence, deadly seduction

40. Trickery: Destruction Creative energy Power Ability to deceive and cause chaos The Trickster archetype: Satan, Spider, Coyote, Monkey Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs IV. Traditions of representing disorder:

41. Martyrdom & sacrifice Groups of 12 followers of a rebel leader Wandering; seeking Sermonizing Crosses; trees Fish Isis and Osiris; Dionysus; Orpheus Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs V. Traditions of representing crucifixion and resurrection

42. Dawn/dusk Teenage years Beaches; tides Sleep Drugged state Transitions Traditional Literary Themes and Motifs: Reading the Signs VI Traditions of representing ambiguity (states of in-between)

43. Reading Conversations: Types of conversations frequently found in literature: fighting loving disagreeing expressing tenderness competing refusing making “small talk” to protesting avoid “big talk” asserting power advising seducing deceiving

44. Reading Conversations: Analyzing Conversation: Are the conversants understanding or misunderstanding each other? Are we supposed to find this conversation funny? touching? ironic? Are we supposed to be reading the conversation at a level above that of the characters? (Do we understand something that they don’t?)

45. Other Things to Notice Hand-held items Descriptions of nature: Is nature kind or harsh? Does nature coincide with or mock the characters’ experience What other stories is this story like? How are the characters like their homes?