NADE Conference 2015
February 27, 2015
Metacognition in Reading and Writing
The Conscious Learner
Presenter:
Sharon May
Faculty, Reading/English
Developmental Studies Department
mays@midlandstech.edu
English 032
• Students learn the writing process to produce full-length
essays. In the first half of the semester, essays are based on
personal experience. In the second half, essays are
argumentative using one outside source.
• Students learn to edit their own writing to eliminate grammar,
usage, and mechanics errors.
Reading 032
• The reading level is between 6 th and 9 th grade with potentially
weaker students than that.
• Students learn that reading is a process.
• We use Reading with USA Today and at least one longer
work; we are currently using Ben Carson’s Gifted Hands.
Reading 100
• The reading level is between 9 th and 12 th grade.
• Reading is taught as a process.
• Students read a variety of types and lengths of texts,
including textbook chapters.
What Is Metacognition?
The simple definition of metacognition is thinking about thinking.
For educational purposes, it is the process that the mind goes through
when it thinks or learns. This process has two aspects, according to
John Flavell:
• first is metacognitive knowledge or the knowledge about cognitive
processes,
• second is the metacognitive regulation, or the processes or
strategies that one uses to ensure that a cognitive goal has been
met (Livingston).
Understanding Metacognition:
“Activities such as planning how to approach a given learning
task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress
toward the completion of a task are metacognitive in nature”
(Livingston).
Concerns about Teaching Metacognition
• How will I have time to cover more in the classroom? I
only have so much time.
• What will I have to cut out of content if I add
metacognition?
No Need to Fear Metacognition
• Time devoted to teaching metacognition early in the
semester translates into students who learn more
quickly and efficiently with better results.
• Content will be covered adequately because students
will be better learners as the semester goes along .
Why Teach Metacognition?
• Students who are taught metacognitive strategies are “intentional
learners,” which creates a learner-centered classroom.
• Students become more confident as learners despite their
challenges.
• They take more responsibility for their own learning.
• They become life-long learners because they have an awareness of
learning and have a process for continuing to learn.
Metacognition in Reading and Writing Instruction
• Writing and reading are both processes, and we assume that
students work through the process step by step.
• One would think that students would have a process for both
since they have been taught as processes for over 40 years.
Metacognition in Reading and Writing Instruction Cont’d
• Developmental students do have some notion of a writing
process and can usually articulate the basic steps of their
own process.
• However, very few developmental students have a reading
process at all; generally, they open the book, read word for
word, and hope to remember what they read for a test, which
is often the only reason they are reading.
In-class Activities to Teach Metacognition -- Modeling
• Demonstrate your reading and writing processes. What do you think
about when you are learning or demonstrating your skills?
• Discuss your problem-solving process when you have a difficult
reading or writing task. How did you know you had a problem, and
what did you do to solve it?
• Provide tips for knowing when to compress the process or expand
the process. When can you speed up a step, or when should you
slow down?
Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Questions for Building Metacognitive Awareness
• What is your current reading or writing process?
• How well does this process work for you?
• What are the strengths of your process?
• What are the weaknesses of your process.
• What are your strengths as a writer or reader?
• What are your weaknesses as a writer or reader?
Metacognitive Questions for a Writing or Reading Task
Before Beginning a Task:
• What is my purpose for the task?
• How long will it take to complete the task?
• What steps should I take to complete the task?
• What knowledge do I need to complete the task?
• What do I expect to learn by completing the task?
Metacognitive Questions for a Writing or Reading Task
During a Task:
• How effective is my plan?
• Do I have enough time to complete the task?
• What am I learning?
• What am I struggling with?
• What do I do to deal with the obstacles?
Metacognitive Questions for a Writing or Reading Task
After the Task:
• Did I learn what I expected to learn?
• How effective were my plan and strategies?
• What could I have done differently?
• How will I use what I learned in the future?
• Should I do now to be successful with this task?
In-Class Activities -- Questioning
• What is your prior knowledge of the subject being
introduced?
• What learning goals do you have for today?
• What did you learn today?
• How would you evaluate your study methods used for
the test? Do this before they see the grade.
Assignments Used in Teaching Metacognition
• Goal Setting Activities or Essay Assignment
• Literacy Essay: An Inquiry of Reading and Writing
History and Attitude
• Self-evaluation for Projects and Tests
• Midterm Evaluation Letter to the Instructor
• Final Exam Evaluation Letter (Reading) or Portfolio
Cover Letter Evaluation (Writing)
You are to write a paper in which you discuss your
Goal Setting Assignment
academic goals for this reading class and any concerns
you have about being successful in this class or problems
that might occur to keep you from being successful.
After you identify concerns or possible problems, you
need to determine a specific plan of action for dealing
with them.
The paper should include an introduction in which you 1)
Goal Setting Assignment
Cont’d
discuss the importance of success in college for you, and 2) write a
clear thesis in which you introduce at least three goals for this
class. In the body of your paper, you should have a paragraph for
each learning goal. In the body paragraphs, you should discuss the
goal you have set, the concern or problem in detail, and the
specific plan of action you will take to meet each goal. You should
finish the paper with a conclusion in which you summarize your
main points.
Literacy History
Discuss your memories of your literacy,
specifically focusing on how you learned
to read and how you learned to write
papers. Be sure to be specific in
discussing the steps you took to learn
these tasks as well as what you were
thinking and feeling while you learned. If
your attitudes toward reading and writing
essays have changed over time, be sure
to trace your changing attitude.
Self-Evaluation
of Group Project
Each individual of the group will write a 1-2
page word processed paper to evaluate the
group and project by responding to the
following:
In a few paragraphs, explain what skills you
learned about working with others on a major
project.
Self-Evaluation
of Group Project
Cont’d
In a few paragraphs, explain how well your
group worked together. What were the
strengths of the group? What were the
weaknesses of the group? Be honest; no one
will see your answer to this and it will not affect
my evaluation of the individual as I will
determine each person’s grade according to my
own observations.
In a paragraph, explain what grade you would
give yourself on the group portion of the
project. Choose A, B, C, or F, and explain how
did grade best defines the quality of your work
and your participation.
Midterm Evaluation
Write a letter to your instructor, telling her about your experiences in
RDG 100 so far this semester. Letters, just like essays, have an
introduction, a body paragraph for each main idea, and a conclusion, so
be sure to use this format.
Paragraph 1: The introduction should establish why you are writing the
letter and the main point you are trying to convey (i.e. the thesis); for
example, you may state as your thesis how you believe you are doing in
the course and why.
Paragraph 2: In what ways have your reading skills begun to improve this
semester?
Midterm Evaluation
Cont’d
Paragraph 3: In what ways has your reading process begun to change this
semester?
Paragraph 4: What activities have we done that have helped you the
most thus far?
Paragraph 5: What areas do you still need to improve your reading?
What do you think I can do to help you improve?
Paragraph 6: What steps have you taken this semester to help you be a
successful student in RDG 100?
Paragraph 7: What do you need to do the rest of the semester to finish
the course successfully?
Midterm Evaluation
Cont’d
Paragraph 8: What grade would you give yourself for your performance
thus far? Choose one specific grade (A, B, C, F), and explain how this
grade is appropriate for the quality of your work; don’t focus on how
hard you have worked or the quantity of your work. Be sure you are not
simply stating that you worked hard so you deserve the grade.
Paragraph 9: The conclusion should summarize your main points and
thank me for my time in reading your letter. You may include any other
comments you want about the course, the textbook, the readings, or
teaching methods. Be honest, but understand the point is to convey to
me what we can do to help you succeed in the rest of the course.
Portfolio
Cover
Letter
Once you have gathered all the work you have done for the class and revised
the three papers for the portfolio grade, you need to write a letter to your
instructor.
Paragraph 1: Introduction: Why are you writing the letter? What are the
most important ideas to convey to the instructor?
Paragraph 2: Discuss the Quality of Your Revised Papers
Why are you selecting these three papers for your portfolio?
What does each paper show about your success in dealing with this particular
assignment and about the skills you acquired?
Portfolio
Cover
Letter
Cont’d
Paragraph 3: Discuss How Your Writing Process Has Changed This Semester
What steps do you take to write an essay now that you have had this course?
What steps of the writing process are easier for you? What steps do you still
struggle with?
Paragraph 4: Discuss Your Growth or Improvement as a Writer
Explain to your instructor what changes you have experienced in your
practice of the process of writing. What more do you need, in your judgment,
to be a more successful writer? What is your perception of what you still
need to learn?
Paragraph 5: Discuss the Steps You Have Taken This Semester to Be
Successful in ENG 032
Explain to your instructor what you have done so that you will be successful
in the course. You may also discuss what you would like to have done or wish
you had done to be more successful in this course.
Portfolio
Cover
Letter
Cont’d
Paragraph 6: Discuss Your Grade for the Course
What grade do you deserve for this course? Why? You should discuss the
improvement in writing, not how hard you worked.
Paragraph 7: The Course
If you were to describe this course to another student, what would you say?
What should these students know to succeed in the course? What other
advice would you give these students?
Paragraph 8: Conclusion: Summarize your points and discuss anything else
you would like about the course.
Examples of Student Comments
• “Before I would just skim through the topic or article and say ‘I
read it.’ Now I might skim through the article before actually
reading it. I split the article in sections. I can comprehend it
more clearly instead of trying to cram a bunch of sentences or
paragraphs in my head at once.”
• “I still need to make more time for school.”
• “Honestly I’ve been a lazy student all semester so I haven’t
taken any steps to improve anything. I’m going to start doing a
lot better and actually do my work.”
Examples of Student Comments Cont’d
• “The activity that has helped me the most thus far is most likely the
group project because I usually have huge arguments over my
opinions but I have been able to keep my cool and respect people’s
opinions.”
• “I am able to analyze sentences better and faster than I have before.”
• “So far this semester my reading process has changed from reading
the whole passage straight through to stopping after every main point
the author makes to evaluate them. I focus on the words the author
uses and the tone of the passage to help me understand the
readings.”
Bibliography
Israel, Susan E., et al. eds. Metacognition in Literacy Learning:
Theory, Assessment, Instruction, and Professional
Development. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates, 2005.
Livingston, Jennifer A. “Metacognition: An Overview.” 1997.
January 27, 2015. Online. http://gse.buffalo.edu/
fas/shuell/cep564/metacog.htm.