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Bookmarks Not the “cute bookmarks”, as Burke calls them, but instead those that put the “tools for improved reading right in students’ hands” (98). These are easy to create and to duplicate for large student numbers; if you have access to a laminator, even better! They will last longer. Several samples are shown in the image provided, but there are a ton of ideas on Pinterest, as well. | Students as Teachers Burke reminds us that we learn so much more when we teach. As such, providing opportunities for students to “teach” (98-99) previously assigned content to their peers is a powerful strategy for engaging students in their learning. Students are often better at prompting authentic discussions about tough topics (such as racism, sexism, or status quo) than we are. We have a woefully underutilized resource right there in front of us, STUDENTS. Prepare them to be leaders by asking them to prepare, study, rehearse, and teach. | Read for Patterns Beginning with Campbell’s idea of the hero’s journey, introduce the ideas of this archetypal pattern and metaphor that show up in almost any story, TV show, play, or movie (102). Provide various examples for students to identify the parts of the journey. When they realize this is true, this pattern, it will feel like unlocking literature that may otherwise seem insurmountably difficult to navigate. This can also be used in nonfiction if you identify organizational patterns and introduce the idea of Somebody Wanted But So (SWBS). No matter if there are characters or real people, motivations and desires are at the root of every text in some way. |
Bookmarks
Not the “cute bookmarks”, as Burke calls them, but instead those that put the “tools for improved reading right in students’ hands” (98). These are easy to create and to duplicate for large student numbers; if you have access to a laminator, even better! They will last longer. Several samples are shown in the image provided, but there are a ton of ideas on Pinterest, as well.
Students as Teachers
Burke reminds us that we learn so much more when we teach. As such, providing opportunities for students to “teach” (98-99) previously assigned content to their peers is a powerful strategy for engaging students in their learning. Students are often better at prompting authentic discussions about tough topics (such as racism, sexism, or status quo) than we are. We have a woefully underutilized resource right there in front of us, STUDENTS. Prepare them to be leaders by asking them to prepare, study, rehearse, and teach.
Read for Patterns
Beginning with Campbell’s idea of the hero’s journey, introduce the ideas of this archetypal pattern and metaphor that show up in almost any story, TV show, play, or movie (102). Provide various examples for students to identify the parts of the journey. When they realize this is true, this pattern, it will feel like unlocking literature that may otherwise seem insurmountably difficult to navigate. This can also be used in nonfiction if you identify organizational patterns and introduce the idea of Somebody Wanted But So (SWBS). No matter if there are characters or real people, motivations and desires are at the root of every text in some way.
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Use Study Questions To cut down on the content teaching needed to access complex text, develop leveled questions (102-103) beforehand in anticipation of potential gaps in knowledge and skills to guide students to understanding. This eliminates the need for a preview lecture or presentation on historical context or topic and pushes students to arrive at these clues through questioning. By varying the levels of questions, you can prompt students to access basic plot points or main ideas in addition to some of the less explicit themes or connections in the text. | Reader Response students must regularly respond to reading in writing (103-104). Focusing in on key sections of complex texts by close reading for multiple purposes, for example, will improve analytical and interpretive skills. A quick and fun way to do this is not a new idea, but a good one all the same: “notes and quotes”. Pull essential quotes from the text that both provide important clues to main ideas and/or plot point and hint at themes or big ideas. Have students respond to them prior to reading the text, during reading, and after reading to develop a complete understanding. | Annotate TextNot a new idea, for sure, but Burke suggests photocopying text and leaving wide margins (104-108) to teach students how to “mark up” texts intentionally and for various purposes. Using several colors of ink for these purposes is a great way to make thinking visual through multiple lenses. This can be done with digital texts through Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat DC, and Foxit, among other digital annotation tools. Burke suggests that annotation doesn’t end in the marking of text, however, but instead is the basis for peer-to-peer comparison and class discussion. |
Use Study Questions
To cut down on the content teaching needed to access complex text, develop leveled questions (102-103) beforehand in anticipation of potential gaps in knowledge and skills to guide students to understanding. This eliminates the need for a preview lecture or presentation on historical context or topic and pushes students to arrive at these clues through questioning. By varying the levels of questions, you can prompt students to access basic plot points or main ideas in addition to some of the less explicit themes or connections in the text.
Reader Response
students must regularly respond to reading in writing (103-104). Focusing in on key sections of complex texts by close reading for multiple purposes, for example, will improve analytical and interpretive skills. A quick and fun way to do this is not a new idea, but a good one all the same: “notes and quotes”. Pull essential quotes from the text that both provide important clues to main ideas and/or plot point and hint at themes or big ideas. Have students respond to them prior to reading the text, during reading, and after reading to develop a complete understanding.
Annotate Text
Not a new idea, for sure, but Burke suggests photocopying text and leaving wide margins (104-108) to teach students how to “mark up” texts intentionally and for various purposes. Using several colors of ink for these purposes is a great way to make thinking visual through multiple lenses. This can be done with digital texts through Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat DC, and Foxit, among other digital annotation tools. Burke suggests that annotation doesn’t end in the marking of text, however, but instead is the basis for peer-to-peer comparison and class discussion.
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Performance Standards What will the students produce and how will they produce it (153-155)? This must be determined before writing begins in the classroom and it should be shared with students. To channel John Hattie, how can the students hit a target they’ve never seen? This text was published prior to the Common Core Standards Initiative, but the idea is the same, as writing is writing, and always has been. :) | Writing Products: The Process of Working with Words Products are so final in most cases that students receive a grade and never think about them again. For students to truly become better writers, they must know writing as a process to produce (156-162). The graphic below outlines an approach which might be useful for your visual learners. Burke suggests the following steps in the writing process: gathering and generating ideas, designing and drafting/constructing the text, reviewing and revising, previewing and publishing/presenting, reflecting on the process. | Error as an Invitation to Improve We hear a lot about resilience and academic grit, and writing is no exception. Students must learn to fail, to make errors and to learn from them. Writing is the perfect vehicle for a safe way to explore error as an invitation to improve (162-163). Burke suggests thinking of an essay, for example, as Paul Heiker (1996) does, as a verb, “the activity of moving around in and through (among other actions) a subject that we want to better understand in all its complexity” (163). |
Performance Standards
What will the students produce and how will they produce it (153-155)? This must be determined before writing begins in the classroom and it should be shared with students. To channel John Hattie, how can the students hit a target they’ve never seen? This text was published prior to the Common Core Standards Initiative, but the idea is the same, as writing is writing, and always has been. :)
Writing Products: The Process of Working with Words
Products are so final in most cases that students receive a grade and never think about them again. For students to truly become better writers, they must know writing as a process to produce (156-162). The graphic below outlines an approach which might be useful for your visual learners. Burke suggests the following steps in the writing process: gathering and generating ideas, designing and drafting/constructing the text, reviewing and revising, previewing and publishing/presenting, reflecting on the process.
Error as an Invitation to Improve
We hear a lot about resilience and academic grit, and writing is no exception. Students must learn to fail, to make errors and to learn from them. Writing is the perfect vehicle for a safe way to explore error as an invitation to improve (162-163). Burke suggests thinking of an essay, for example, as Paul Heiker (1996) does, as a verb, “the activity of moving around in and through (among other actions) a subject that we want to better understand in all its complexity” (163).
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Teachable Moments Take the opportunity to teach components of good writing when they arise, organically, instead of front-loading with lectures. Mini-lessons on an as needed basis in response to student drafts and informal writing will have more impact (163-164). | Forms and Functions Work in various forms and functions for writing through routine, regular opportunities (175-209). There are many suggestions for various types and purposes for writing in the English classroom given in this section, but no matter your content area, show an explicit connection to purpose and audience to engage students further. Helping students see the relevance will have a huge impact. | Respond to Student Writing Students must have feedback, as this is not only a high impact strategy for increasing student achievement, it is just plain good practice. The problem is, when do you have time to do this in reality as often as you’d like? Burke suggests managing this (210-216) by creating a system of shorthand that works for you and for responding to certain parts of writing rather than the product in its entirety every time students write. Checklists work wonders. Also, ask students to assess themselves using the checklists; this cuts your work in half! |
Teachable Moments
Take the opportunity to teach components of good writing when they arise, organically, instead of front-loading with lectures. Mini-lessons on an as needed basis in response to student drafts and informal writing will have more impact (163-164).
Forms and Functions
Work in various forms and functions for writing through routine, regular opportunities (175-209). There are many suggestions for various types and purposes for writing in the English classroom given in this section, but no matter your content area, show an explicit connection to purpose and audience to engage students further. Helping students see the relevance will have a huge impact.
Respond to Student Writing
Students must have feedback, as this is not only a high impact strategy for increasing student achievement, it is just plain good practice. The problem is, when do you have time to do this in reality as often as you’d like? Burke suggests managing this (210-216) by creating a system of shorthand that works for you and for responding to certain parts of writing rather than the product in its entirety every time students write. Checklists work wonders. Also, ask students to assess themselves using the checklists; this cuts your work in half!
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Draw the Words Claggett and Brown (1992) are cited in this example as they found that students who assigned a symbol or image to unfamiliar words as they learned them increased their retention. Burke suggests (120) using index cards to keep track of this. The word, definition, derivation, and/or context could go on one side and the image or symbol on the other. | Use Poetry Poetry often contains interesting syntax, grammar, punctuation, and diction. Naturally it is a perfect way to teach vocabulary and grammar! Sample assignments using Phyllis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America”and Langston Hughes’ “Weary Blues” included on pages 120-122, but there are countless examples online. | Teach Vocabulary in Context When reading aloud, working with class texts, or encountering academic vocabulary at any time during regular class, don’t miss the opportunity to teach words in context. Burke gives the example of Nathan McCall using the word surrogate multiple times in his memoir, Makes Me Wanna Holler (122). He stopped once he realized the students didn’t understand its use and students found several examples of its use in the text, discussed its meaning in context, and other possible uses in their own lives. |
Draw the Words
Claggett and Brown (1992) are cited in this example as they found that students who assigned a symbol or image to unfamiliar words as they learned them increased their retention. Burke suggests (120) using index cards to keep track of this. The word, definition, derivation, and/or context could go on one side and the image or symbol on the other.
Use Poetry
Poetry often contains interesting syntax, grammar, punctuation, and diction. Naturally it is a perfect way to teach vocabulary and grammar! Sample assignments using Phyllis Wheatley’s “On Being Brought from Africa to America”and Langston Hughes’ “Weary Blues” included on pages 120-122, but there are countless examples online.
Teach Vocabulary in Context
When reading aloud, working with class texts, or encountering academic vocabulary at any time during regular class, don’t miss the opportunity to teach words in context. Burke gives the example of Nathan McCall using the word surrogate multiple times in his memoir, Makes Me Wanna Holler (122). He stopped once he realized the students didn’t understand its use and students found several examples of its use in the text, discussed its meaning in context, and other possible uses in their own lives.
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Words for Writing Using adjectives, nouns, and verbs, generate lists of words that can be used to write better and more precisely (124-125). This can easily be done for descriptive or informational writing by showing students various images that relate to the writing or reading topic and having them describe the images in as many words as come to mind. Make a list of these available that students should utilize when writing about the topic or text. Similarly, this can be done with analytical writing by generating positive, neutral, and negative words for tone, thematic ideas, character traits, types of diction, etc. | Word Clusters Also called semantic mapping, the word cluster (122-124) has appeared in various forms over the last several decades and serves an important purpose for many learners. While you wouldn’t want to use this for a long list of words, for five or six key terms, the act of “mapping” a word can most definitely help students remember and use it in the future rather than memorizing it for a test and forgetting it forever. | Dead Word List Using student sample papers, create a class list of to be verbs, contractions, said, passive language, etc. and deem these “dead” to the class (124). Then, ask students to replace them or rephrase to eliminate them. This simple act will encourage better writing and use of more precise vocabulary. |
Words for Writing
Using adjectives, nouns, and verbs, generate lists of words that can be used to write better and more precisely (124-125). This can easily be done for descriptive or informational writing by showing students various images that relate to the writing or reading topic and having them describe the images in as many words as come to mind. Make a list of these available that students should utilize when writing about the topic or text. Similarly, this can be done with analytical writing by generating positive, neutral, and negative words for tone, thematic ideas, character traits, types of diction, etc.
Word Clusters
Also called semantic mapping, the word cluster (122-124) has appeared in various forms over the last several decades and serves an important purpose for many learners. While you wouldn’t want to use this for a long list of words, for five or six key terms, the act of “mapping” a word can most definitely help students remember and use it in the future rather than memorizing it for a test and forgetting it forever.
Dead Word List
Using student sample papers, create a class list of to be verbs, contractions, said, passive language, etc. and deem these “dead” to the class (124). Then, ask students to replace them or rephrase to eliminate them. This simple act will encourage better writing and use of more precise vocabulary.
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Pete the Cat Series by Kimberly & James Dean Elementary students across the nation are raving about the Pete the Cat books. There is something for every elementary level student with picture, story, and I Can Read books. Pete is always up to something funny and new to engage all types of young readers. | Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson Marion C. Moore School 7th grader Amina loved Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson. This story of a resilient 11-year-old girl is sure to inspire hope in all who read it. Check out the author on her website and see what Moore students are reading at #ReadMoore and on their book talk blog. | Mosquitloand by David Arnold 10th grader Kara from Dresden High School in Tennessee loved Mosquitoland by David Arnold. This story about a teenager who is uprooted from all she knows and sent to Mississippi to live with the other side of her family will resonate with readers young and old. Check out David Arnold on Twitter |
Pete the Cat Series by Kimberly & James Dean
Elementary students across the nation are raving about the Pete the Cat books. There is something for every elementary level student with picture, story, and I Can Read books. Pete is always up to something funny and new to engage all types of young readers.
Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson
Marion C. Moore School 7th grader Amina loved Call Me Hope by Gretchen Olson. This story of a resilient 11-year-old girl is sure to inspire hope in all who read it. Check out the author on her website and see what Moore students are reading at #ReadMoore and on their book talk blog.
Mosquitloand by David Arnold
10th grader Kara from Dresden High School in Tennessee loved Mosquitoland by David Arnold. This story about a teenager who is uprooted from all she knows and sent to Mississippi to live with the other side of her family will resonate with readers young and old. Check out David Arnold on Twitter
