Life in the Middle
Lee County Schools ELA Curriculum and Instruction
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Literacy Framework: During Reading Strategy
“Our Literacy 20/20 vision for Lee County Schools is to inspire students and staff to open doors to “more than a diploma” through reading, writing, and inquiry (the three basic skills of literacy).”
Thie literacy framework focus for this month is "during" reading strategies. During strategies help students make connections, monitor their understanding, generate questions, and stay focused. Below you will find two during reading activities you can implement in your classroom with your students.
Activity: Say Something
Purposes:(1) make connections with texts during reading and (2) enhance comprehension of written material through short readings and oral discussions
Procedure:
1. Choose a text for the students to read and have them work in pairs.
2. Designate a stopping point for reading.
3. Have students read to the stopping point and then “say something” about the text to their partners.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until they finish reading the text.
Activity: 3-2-1
Purposes: (1) self-monitor comprehension, (2) identify important details in the content, (3) make connections to content, and (4) identify areas in the content where understanding is uncertain
Procedure:
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After reading a portion of text, viewing a portion of a video, or listening to a portion of a lecture: students working alone, with a partner, or in small groups fill out a 3-2-1 chart.
a. 3 Important Details
b. 2 Connections
c. 1 Question I Still Have
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Students repeat the procedure until the entire content has been completed.
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Students can use the important details from their 3-2-1 charts to summarize the entire lesson.
How does text complexity and NC Check In relate?
NC Check-In 1, 2 and 3 will assess the same ELA/reading standards. All students are expected to be able to comprehend texts of steadily increasing complexity as they progress through a grade. The text complexity of the selections chosen for the NC Check-Ins study will increase throughout the year. I have included an example of the 2016-2017 progression of text complexity.
2016-2017 Check-In
Lexile 6th Grade Text Complexity
Check-In 1- 880 L-980L
Check- IN 2- 900L-1050L
Check-In 3- 980L- 1100L
Three Bears Approach to Text Complexity
The Three Bears Approach: Not too easy, not too hard, just right! As teachers, you are always trying to find the right text that challenges your students. By focusing on text complexity, you find ways to dial up the rigor gradually in your classroom with the practice of more complex text. Some consider the difficulty of the text as the only way to increase the complexity of reading material to your students. These teachers are wrong. Teachers not only need to find a challenging text to use in the classroom but also be aware of the text material they are using in the classroom. By using a variety of text platforms, teachers are using a rich text material such as fiction, nonfiction, lab report, blogs, poetry, infographics, graphic novels, charts, and plays. By providing students with various text platforms, they will be able to transfer their reading skills from one type of text to another. By implementing text complexity in your classroom, you are teaching students skills through questioning, inferencing, phrasing and tracing argument and thought.
Teachers should consider the points below when teaching with complexity.
- know the students' background knowledge
- know the students' Lexile scores
- Understand the students' vocabulary needs
- Become aware of the text structure students are familiar with and the ones they are
unfamiliar with.
- Develop a good match between text and task
Text Complexity
The Common Core State Standards place an increasing emphasis on getting students to independently read the range and complexity of texts required to be college and career ready. Text complexity is measured quantitatively, qualitatively, and also by the tasks teachers give their students.
Quantitative Measure
Qualitative and Tasks
The two other components of the text complexity diagram include the qualitative reader and a Reader and Task element. The reader and task elements within the text complexity diagram emphasize the importance of PURPOSE. Research supports that it is CRUCIAL for teachers to think about the learning purpose within a lesson. By having this deep understanding of the purpose to teaching the material and what teachers want students to know, teachers are able to challenge and grow their students. By understanding the qualitative reader, teachers support an attentive reader. This reader can design the purpose and clarity of the text. The background knowledge and demands the reader will need to have to effect read the text.
Reminders
Literacy Training **Meetings will be held at the Central Office**
- Literacy Assistant Principal Group A training -11/1/18 @ 9:00-10:15 (Bring a copy of a lesson plan)
- Literacy Lead Training -11/1/18 @ 3:30-4:45 (Bring a copy of a lesson plan)
- Literacy Assistant Principal Group B training- November 8 @9:00-10:15 (Bring a copy of a lesson plan)
- Literacy Principal training- November 8 @12:15-1:00 (Bring writing samples)
Writing Target Dates:
- First portfolio piece completion target - 10/27
- Second portfolio piece completion target - 1/5
- Third portfolio piece completion target - 5/4
Targeted Support Schedule
- Dr. Guidry and Dr. Howard from ECU can provide all teachers with targeted support. Please touch base with your principals on the dates and times available.