Why You Are a Reading
Teacher
And what to do about it
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Why is a Writing Teacher Talking
about Reading?
• The equivalent relationship between writing
grade levels & reading grade levels
► Kellogg Hunt’s T-Unit and Syntactic
Maturity Scale (1964)
► Iowa Writing Assessment
http://www.uiowa.edu/~itp/other-writing-htm#TOP
►
National Assessment of Educational
Progress (2000)
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Why is a Writing Teacher Talking
about Reading?
• Chomsky—reading and writing are two uses
(receptive and expressive) of the same ability,
governed by same deep-structure rules
• Some “writing” deficiencies are actually
“reading” deficiencies and may express
underlying “language” deficiencies
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Why is a Writing Teacher Talking
about Reading?
Different name, same language skill
Writing / Reading
word choice / vocabulary
► sentence style / decoding syntax
► awareness of expository text patterns
► critical thinking
► the research paper—where the dividing line
between reading/writing skills is nearly erased
►
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Why is a Writing Teacher Talking
about Reading?
Which leads to the question:
Is it possible to improve writing skills by
improving reading skills?
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Top 5 Reasons You’re a Reading
Teacher
Reason #1: Ex officio
The “writing teacher” label
► The global view: “language arts teacher”
► Benefits and limitations of segregation
►
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Top 5 Reasons You’re a Reading
Teacher
Reason #2: To avoid assumptive teaching
Reading skills (vocabulary, comprehension,
fluency/decoding)
► Motivation
► Interest
►
When is student failure a result of my unwarranted
assumptions?
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Top 5 Reasons You’re a Reading
Teacher
Reason #3: Promote optimal
learning
Best learning occurs when a student has
necessary tools
► To fill the “reading gap”
►
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Top 5 Reasons You’re a Reading
Teacher
Reason #4: Fill the gap
►A
tragic flaw: the 4th grade shift
► Middle
► The
school: the gap becomes a chasm
limits of informal learning
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
Top 5 Reasons You’re a Reading
Teacher
Reason #5: Create the autonomous
learner
► Critical
writing
► Critical
reading
► Critical
thinking
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
Practice PAR
Richardson & Morgan, Reading to Learn in the Content Areas (2003)
Preparation (before reading)
► Assistance (during reading)
► Reflection (after reading)
►
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
Preparation
►
Activate prior knowledge (schema)
▫ Describe an ethical conflict you’re experienced in the
workplace
▫ Prediction: What would you do if . . . ?
▫ The apocryphal tale of Martin Luther
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
Preparation
►
Pre-reading activities
▫ Preview textual (rhetorical) patterns
▫ Introduce vocabulary: “Vocabulary is the single most important factor
contributing to reading comprehension.” (Laflamme, 1997; Billmeyer
& Batch, 1998)
▫ Preview the text’s organizational features: chapter and section
summaries, TOC, index, glossary, graphics, captions
▫ Predict: conclusions, author attitude, key concepts, personal
challenges
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
During Reading
►
Metacognitive strategies: self questioning
▫ Two-column journal
▫ Freewriting breaks
▫ Post- It® notes
▫ Summary/précis
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
After Reading
►
Reflection & application
▫ Low-stress writing activities
▫ Rereading
▫ Scaffolded questions
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
Bloom’s Taxonomy
Evaluation
Synthesis
Analysis
Application
Comprehension
Knowledge
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
►
Level One: Knowledge
Questions that draw out factual answers, test recall and
recognition of critical info
▫ Who, what, why, when, where, how
▫ Select, describe, define, choose, which one
▫ State, recall, list, label
Where and how: Chat room, classroom discussion, online quiz
http://tlt.its.psu.edu/suggestions/online_questions/fact.html
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
►
Level Two: Comprehension
Questions that test for understanding by requiring
information be translated into a new form
▫ State in your own words, what does this mean, give an example
▫ Condense this paragraph, say it in one word, what is the author saying
▫ Which statements support, is this the same as, is it valid that
▫ Classify, select, match, explain, demonstrate, explain
Where and how: Email prior to a chat asking students to paraphrase important
concepts; précis and summary writing. In-class discussion, small group work, team
writing
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
►
Level Three: Application
Questions that ask the student to apply knowledge and
understanding in a new and practical way
▫ What would happen if, identify the results of, tell how much change there
would be if
▫ Choose the best statements that apply, select which statements
▫ Tell when, where or why; judge the effects of
Where and how: Asynchronous—threaded discussion in response to application
questions; web gaming/case study (solving a hypothetical problem) individual or group.
Classroom—discussion, case study teams
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
►
Level Four: Analysis
Questions that ask the student to find relationships among
ideas and information; and become aware of their reasoning
process
▫ Which ideas apply, make a distinction, what’s the relationship between, what
conclusions
▫ What does the author believe or assume, what inconsistencies or fallacies, what
motive is there, what is the premise, implicit in this statement is
▫ What persuasive technique, what logical or emotional appeals are made
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
►
Level Five: Synthesis
Questions that encourage the student to engage in original
thinking, to integrate knowledge, and to craft patterns not
visible before
▫ Create, tell, make, do, choose, develop, design, make up, plan
▫ How would you test, propose an alternative, solve the following
▫ How else would you, state a new rule, if you had your way
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004
How to Be a Better Reading Teacher
►
Level Six: Evaluation
Questions that ask the student to assess, criticize or defend
information, and justify beliefs
▫ Appraise, judge, criticize, defend, evaluate, critique, compare
▫ What fallacies, consistencies or inconsistencies appear, find the errors, what is
the weakness
▫ Which is more important, moral, better, valid or appropriate
UMUC 1st Annual Writing Conference
July 30-31, 2004