Building Academic Discourse
Angel J. Barrett, Ed.D.
Facilitating Academic Discourse
Presentation focuses on on academic vocabulary and student-led discussion
techniques for rigorous instruction. How can administrators lead their staff in
building academic discourse and what should leaders be seeing in the
classroom? In addition to examples of what students are expected to learn in
English language arts, the presentation will also look at constructing viable
arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others in mathematics.
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants will
• Have a repertoire of instructional models to
build academic discourse.
• Refresh/recycle best practices into building
academic discourse.
• Have additional resources for professional
development that builds academic discourse.
Academic Discourse is the result of…
• Experience
• Familiarity
• Playing with language.
Independent
Application
Modeling, Direct
and Guided
Instruction
Preparation and Planning
5th Grade Standards
Listening and Speaking
English Language Arts
Math Practice Standard #3
Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on
grade 5 topics and texts,
building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
Anchor Standard Read closely
to determine what the text
says explicitly and to make
logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when
writing or speaking to support
conclusions drawn from the
text.
Construct viable arguments
and critique the reasoning of
others
Come to discussions prepared having read
or studied required material; explicitly
draw on that preparation and other
information known about the topic to
explore ideas under discussion.
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions
and carry out assigned roles.
Pose and respond to specific questions by
making comments that contribute to the
discussion and elaborate on the remarks
of others.
Review the key ideas expressed and draw
conclusions in light of information and
knowledge gained from the discussions.
RL 5.1 Quote accurately
from a text when
explaining what the text
says explicitly and when
drawing inferences from
the text.
Preparation and Planning
Academic Discourse
Comprehension
Vocabulary
Sentence/Paragraph
Structure
In 5th grade, what will students
need to do?
• Draw Conclusions/Use Details (Gr. 5 Quote from text)
• Example: What does Naomi learn about Grandma Ruth? Use
details from the text to support your answer.
• Multi-Step Responses
Example: Five swimmers compete in the 50-meter race. The finish
time for each swimmer is shown in the video.
Swimmer 1: 23.42
Swimmer 2: 23.35
Swimmer 3: 23.24
Swimmer 4: 23.21
Swimmer 5: 23.18
Explain how the results of the race would change if the race used a
clock that rounded to the nearest tenth.
Planning Academic Discourse
Comprehension
Mechanics
Comprehension
Strategy/Concept
Planning Academic Discourse
Comprehension
Mechanics
Mechanical Check
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•
•
•
•
•
Can students decode the information?
Are there specific sounds that they do not know?
Are they struggling with multisyllabic words?
Do you need to pre-teach/re-teach some of the
words?
Can they read with fluency?
Are students chunking the text or reading word by
word?
Do they stop at the end of a sentence?
Do they pause with commas?
Source: https://www.nprinc.com/rti-and-socio-economically-disadvantaged-students
Planning Academic Discourse
Comprehension
Comprehension
Levels of Understanding
Read Aloud
Guided Reading
Independent
Reading
Read, Read, Read
Source: http://chartchums.wordpress.com
Planning Academic Discourse
Comprehension
Strategy/Concept
Simple Strategies
• Read at least three times.
• Look for key search words. (Reference search
engines on the internet.)
• Look for patterns.
• Restate the question in their own words.
• Divide the question into parts. Number each
part so they can see how many things that
they have to do.
• Allow students to play with language by
talking and writing first.
Look for…..
• Evidence of long-term
planning
• Mini-lessons for skills
• Flexible Grouping
• Small group instruction
• Artifacts from all levels
of instruction
• Pre-teaching struggling
readers.
Listen for…..
• Text presented in
multiple ways: read
aloud, small group and
independent
• Modeling (think alouds)
and Guided Practice
• Multiple Reads
• Fluency including
Chunking
• Explicit teaching of
strategies
Planning Academic Discourse
Vocabulary
Language of
Argumentation
Language of
the Discipline
Planning Academic Discourse
Vocabulary
Language of
Argumentation
Language of Argumentation
• the vocabulary needed to articulate either
orally or through writing the process of
reasoning and drawing conclusions and
applying them to the case in discussion
• Included in Isabel Beck’s Tier 2 “must-know
words”
• Targeted words that are key to expressing
content mastery or comprehension
Tiered Vocabulary Pyramid
Source: http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2013/05/tiered-vocabulary
Kimberly Tyson: No Tears for Tiers: Common Core Tiered Vocabulary Made
Simple
May 26, 2013 By Kimberly
2. Focus for Instruction
http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2013/05/tiered-vocabulary/
ELA Bookmarks
Tulare County Office of Education
Grade 1
• Detail, answer, information, identify, problem
• Sequence, solve, phrase, explain, author’s voice
• Describe, recall, retell, graphics, diagram, clarify, re-read
Grade 3
• Question, demonstrate, recount, convey, distinguish
• Resolution, refer, relationships, cause/effect, relevant,
importance, sequential order
Grade 5
• Textual evidence, conclude, summarize, symbolize, analyze
• Influence, point of view, patterns of events, genres, inference
• Generalization, explicitly, chronological order, concepts
TCOE ELA Bookmarks
Screenshot from www.tcoe.org
Talk to a colleague about it….
Which of the following vocabulary words would
be Tier 2 words and why? Tier 3 words and
why?
question, answer, folktales, fables, demonstrate,
key details, resolution, point of view, plot, digital
text
Marzano’s 6-Step Process
(example of explicit vocabulary instruction)
Six-Step Vocabulary Process
http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2012/12/marzanos-6-stepvocabulary-process/
Planning Academic Discourse
Vocabulary
Language of
Argumentation
Language of
the Discipline
Language of the Discipline
• Vocabulary specific to an academic domain
• Isabel Beck’s Tier 3 words
• Low-frequency words taught in specific
content areas
Word Wall Samples
Think Like a Disciplinarian
Dr. Sandra Kaplan, USC
Screenshot from http://www-bcf.usc.edu/~skaplan
Think Like a Zoologist
Source: http://www.occgate.org/conf/2010/mgriffith_tlad1.pdf
Think Like a Paleontologist
Source: http://www.occgate.org/conf/2010/mgriffith_tlad1.pdf
Think like a Journalist
Source: http://www.occgate.org/conf/2010/mgriffith_tlad1.pdf
Think Like a Historian
Originator: Stanford History Education Group https://sheg.stanford.edu/home_page
Communicator
California Association for the Gifted, Winter 1996
Victoria Steinitz and Sandra Kaplan
Planning Academic Discourse
Sentence/Paragraph
Structure
Simple to Complex
My birthday is today. I got a bicycle.
• Active and passive sentences.
– Today is my birthday. I was given a bicycle.
– Because today is my birthday, I was given a bicycle.
• Compound sentences.
– My birthday is today, and I got a bicycle.
• Colons and semi-colons.
– My birthday is today; I got a bicycle.
• Adding clauses.
– Because today is my birthday, I got a bicycle.
“Sunlight from the late morning sun
filtered in through the leaves of the
dogwood tree outside the open window.”
From Grandmother Ruth
Sunlight from the late morning sun filtered in
through the leaves of the dogwood tree outside
the open window.
The author has taken the sentence Sunlight
filtered in. and added four prepositional phrases
to create a picture.
I was throwing it. Bowie was
bringing it back.
“By the end of our session, I was throwing it
straight as an arrow and Bowie was bring it back
as fast as he could.”
from Grandma Ruth
Sunlight from the late morning sun filtered in through the leaves
of the dogwood tree outside the open window.
Sunlight filtered in.
Sunlight from the late morning sun filtered in.
Sunlight from the late morning sun filtered in
through the leaves.
Sunlight from the late morning sun filtered in
through the leaves of the dogwood tree.
Dogwood Tree
Drawing Activity
The Beach House
I love my grandparent’s beach house. There are waves and sand. There are
crabs under rocks. We dig for clams.
Example from 4th grade writing (48)
Drawing Activity
The Beach House
I will always love my grandparent’s beach house. The way the waves roll over
the gooey sand, and the way the sand weaves in between your toes. The way
we pick up barnacle-covered rocks and watch the sand crabs scurry away, and
how we dig for clams and end up knee deep in the never ending sand.
Excerpt from
http://www.ttms.org/PDFs/03%20Writing%20Samples%20v001%20(Full).pdf
The Beach House
Senses
Example
Touch
gooey
Hear
waves roll over the sand
Vision
waves roll over the sand
Vision
barnacle covered rocks
Feeling/Emotion
Academic Vocabulary: explicit, inference, textual evidence,
conclude, author’s purpose, quote
Why did the author write this text?
The author wrote this text because…..
The author’s purpose in writing this text was _______.
Based on the textual evidence from page __, I can conclude (or
infer) that the author wrote this text because.
Because the text explicitly states ________, I can conclude that
the author’s purpose is writing this text was ________?
Academic Vocabulary: explicit, inference, textual evidence,
conclude, author’s purpose, quote
Play with words…
Using the same vocabulary words, see how
many different frames you can create for this
question prompt:
What can you conclude from this text?
Academic Vocabulary: explicit, inference, textual evidence, conclude, author’s
purpose, quote
(Note: You may use other vocabulary. These are examples from the ELA bookmark
that are associated with this anchor standard.)
Math Practice Standard #3
construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Learn Zillion.com
SBAC release item: Swimmers
Five swimmers compete in the 50-meter race. The finish time for
each swimmer is shown in the video.
Swimmer 1: 23.42
Swimmer 2: 23.35
Swimmer 3: 23.24
Swimmer 4: 23.21
Swimmer 5: 23.18
Explain how the results of the race would change if the race
used a clock that rounded to the nearest tenth.
(author’s chair)
Think like a Mathematician
meter
50-meter race
change
results would change
tenth
rounded to the nearest
tenth
Conclude, inference, quote, summarize, solution, example,
compare/contrast, influence, develop
Enrique: After changing each swimmer’s time to the nearest
tenth, I found that three of the swimmers finished at 23.2
seconds and two swimmers finished at 23.4 seconds. Therefore,
swimmers 3, 4, and 5 are now tied for first place. Swimmers 1
and 2 are now tied for second place.
Critique: Enrique did not compare and contrast the races. He
only told the results of the race with the time rounded to the
nearest tenth. In summary, he did not explicitly state how the
results would change as the questions asks.
SBAC release item: Swimmers
Five swimmers compete in the 50-meter race. The finish time for
each swimmer is shown in the video.
Swimmer 1: 23.42
Swimmer 2: 23.35
Swimmer 3: 23.24
Swimmer 4: 23.21
Swimmer 5: 23.18
Explain how the results of the race would change if the race
used a clock that rounded to the nearest tenth.
Teaching Kids about Revising
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBKqgOvmJ8w
Look for…..
• Explicit vocabulary
instruction
• Word walls
• Opportunities for
students to play with
words
• Real-world applications
• Sentence lifting
• Sentence deconstructing
and construction
Listen for…..
• Vocabulary instruction
• Tier 2 words
• Tier 3 words
• Revision
• Playing with language
• Multiple opportunities
to express the same
idea
New e-edition: Principals’
Handbook
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants will
have a repertoire of instructional models to
build academic discourse.
Pre-teach, highlighting model to chunk, read
aloud, choral read, partner read, observation
look for/listen for, playing with language to
create sentence frames, charting author’s
description, reflection on learning
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants will
refresh/recycle best practices into building
academic discourse: read 3 times, re-read,
simple strategies, color-coding, tiered
vocabulary, sentence strips to jigsaw, word walls,
sentence lifting, visualize/draw, sentence frame,
personal dictionary
Learning Objectives
At the end of this presentation, participants will
have additional resources for professional
development that builds academic discourse:
SBAC release questions, Sandra Kaplan, Isabel
Beck, Kimberly Tyson: No Tears for Tiers, Tulare
County Office of Education, Robert Marzano,
Stanford University: Think Like a Historian,
Student Writing Prompts website, Learn
Zillion.com, Teaching Kids about Revison
(YouTube)