Studying Texts and the Essentials of Reading Instruction

Chapter 10 of Content Area Reading - Studying Text

The main idea from this reading is that comprehension in content area reading goes beyond strictly "being able o read". Our text tells us that the ability to read in a basal does not guarantee comprehension in content areas. Students may lack background of knowledge in our content areas,so we as teachers should supply a number of books on different levels dealing with our topic. We should use Writing to Learn activities that help us to assess our students' prior knowledge and figure out how we can relate our information to our students' lives. 

Another main focus of this chapter is determining the readability (approximate difficulty) of our reading material. We should be working hard to match each child with text readability. I learned from reading this chapter that readability is measure based on the number of words in a sentence, and the number of syllables in a word. Sentence structure, organizational pattern, interest level, and background knowledge of the students all determine readability.When assigning reading materials, we should use the formula (number of words and syllables), our personal knowledge of the child, and an informal check of the text based upon these four characteristics:

1. understandability
2. learnability
3. reinforcement
4. motivation

Vocabulary is another important factor for  comprehension in content areas. Content are words are interrelated. If students do not understand the primary vocabulary, it will be impossible for them to understand the secondary words. Often times, understanding the vocabulary requires systematic instruction. In order to make our content vocabulary stick with our students we must connect the vocab to known words, repeat the words at least 6 times, put them to meaningful use, and use visual aids. 

The last key component that I will touch on for gaining reading comprehension for our students in our content areas is the teaching of studying strategies. Our text offers many strategies that we can implement in our future classrooms such as B-D-A, reciprocal teaching, writing to learn and SQ3R. 

The supplementary article, "Essentials of Reading Instructions", has a lot of similar concepts as chapter 10. I really liked how it offered teachers a rubric. This could be very beneficial for new teachers to look at and determine how effective they are. 

If we want to be excellent teachers we are given "specific literacy practices necessary for success for adolescents to be successful in content area reading. The article reinforces the importance of activating the prior knowledge of our students and teaching them to become independent readers who know how to create meaning to their reading. We know that Round Robin Reading and reading complete texts to our students after 4th grade takes away from this. We as educators should be working to involve our students in critical literacy. To be exceptional we should be should be mindful of our students communities, use other reading materials other than just our textbooks, encourage multiple interpretations, and create opportunities for students to reflect. 

I plan on using this article to assess myself and my teaching practices in my future Spanish classroom. 

Activating Prior Knowledge and Interest

This chapter discusses different prereading strategies that contribute to activating prior knowledge and sparking interest in our content which prepares students to approach text reading in a critical frame of mind. We know that by the time our students enter middle school, motivation to read often declines. How can we as teachers help our students to achieve meaningful reading in our content areas?

Our text gives us several strategies that we can use in our classrooms to address the declining motivation in our students. We should get to know our students in order to make connections between the text and our own students' lives. Making these connections creates engagement. It  also deepens understanding because students are now able to paint a picture of what they are reading in their minds. It is also important for us to help our students understand that they are capable of generating credible responses. We should be paying attention to our students' curiousity and imagination and must understand students' backround, prior knowledge, and interests.

Before we can implement the prereading strategies that help us to activate the prior knowledge and interests of our students, we must first assess their prior knowledge. Chapter 6 of Content Area Reading tells us to use initial associations with the concept by starting discussions such as "Tell me anything that comes to mind when..." We should then reflect on the initial association by asking questions like "What made you think of....(response given by student)?" Next we should reformulate the knowledge through questions similar to "Based on our discussion and before you read the text, do you have any new ideas on...?"

When we have properly assessed the knowledge and interests of our students, we can move on to a prereading strategy. One of the strategies I plan to implement in my future Spanish classroom is making predictions. I will have my students use their initial images to make predictions about what they are going to read. Before and after the reading I will encourage my students to confirm or modify their predictions based on the reading. Students will be engaged in the reading because they will want to know what happens and compare it with what they thought would happen in the reading. 

There are many activities that will help us activate our students' prior knowledge and will lead to a successful and meaningful conten-area reading experience for our students. I am excited to learn more and use them in my future classroom!

Planning Instruction and Writing

Content-Area Reading Chapter 5: Planning Instruction for Content Literacy

When thinking of planning instruction for my future Spanish clasroom, I imagine one of my greatest challenges will be supporting struggling readers and helping them to understand the information in our textbooks and workbooks. Chapter 5 of Content-Area Reading offers several research-based strategies for supporting literacy in content classrooms based on reflective and resposive teaching. I now know how  important it is  that I take the time to know my readers, and to know my texts in order to help ensure that my students are comprehending my content and classroom texts.

Before beginning to dive into our text, I plan to collaborate with  English teachers, literacy coaches, counselors and other staff members in the building to get to know the individual interests, strengths, and weaknesses of all of my students in terms of my content-area, and get to know their reading and writing abilities. Knowing which of my students read above, at, or below grade level will help me to plan for instruction and develope grouping strategies to best meet the learning needs of all of my students.

I also plan to carefully examine textbooks and supplemental  materials that my students will read throughout the course to determine what areas may be difficult for my students. Finding ways to guide my students through our texts will not only help to build comprehension in my discipline, but will also give students strategies that they can use in other classes to help them better understand their text books.

After identifying the needs of my students and the challenges of my text I will work on an instructional plan using the B-D-A instructional framework.

Before Reading - How can I help my students be successful and maximize the understanding of my content area?

• Plan activites that activate and build on prior knowledge
• Introduce essential questions, broader concepts, or real-world connections
• Identify a key purpose when assigning texts and share that purpose with my students
• Preview texts with my students

During Reading - How can I support my students when challenges arise?

• Use Read-Alouds to model fluent reading and share my thought process while making sense of the text
• Make thinking visible
• Mini lessons and activities such as rereading, retelling, and discussions about what students are reading

After Reading - How can I assess understanding?

• Graphic organizers
• Double Entry Journals
• Make connections to personal experiences
• Reteach as neccessary

Content-Area Reading Chapter 9: Writing across the Curriculum

I am firm believer that writing increases retention and facilitates a deeper learning experience for everyone. When studying for exams in college I found it impossible to retain any information unless I was writing it down as I was reading or listenng to lectures.
"It is one of the most effective ways for students to understand what they have read."(Vacca, 284)
Writing to Learn Activities can easily be incorporated into all disciplines and proves to enhance student learning. As I discussed in my reflection on chapter 5 of Content Area Reading, building on prior knowledge is essential in increasing comprehension of our texts. Several WTL activities are geared to do this. Our text tells us that connecting writing and reading during instruction will help to enhance students reading experiences.

Some examples of WTL activities that I plan to use in my future classroom are:

• Reading Journals
• Focused Summaries
• Response Papers
• Discussion Starters
• Entry/Exit Slips

WTL activites will not increase reading and comprehension in each discipline, but will aslo serve  to help teachers assess student understanding and needs on a day-to-day basis. This weeks readings leave me excited to incorporate reading and writing strategies in my instruction plannin for my future classrom!