Literacy Training
Grades
6-8
Team Members:
Ruth Alford, Dale Locklear, Michael S.
Fletcher, Rob White, Velinda Locklear,
Brenda Allison, Linda Dial, Mary Ann
Prevatte, Shaneitha Lee Nance, Ronnie
Chavis, and Leon Maynor
Definition of Literacy
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) defines literacy as the "ability to
identify, understand, interpret, create, communicate,
compute and use printed and written materials associated
with varying contexts. Literacy involves a continuum of
learning in enabling individuals to achieve their goals, to
develop their knowledge and potential, and to participate
fully in their community and wider society."
“Every Teacher is a Teacher of Reading”
• Reading strategies can be addressed in all
subject areas.
– Social Studies
– Science
– Physical Education
– Math
– Etc.
6-8 Data
• Goal Summaries
– District
– School
– Teacher
• Formative Data
– Discovery
– STAR Tests
– Success Maker
– Teacher Assessments (varied)
THE BASICS:
Text
Features
http://link2literacy.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-ideas-teaching-textfeatures.html (used as a resource for presentation)
Title
What is it?
A title is the name of a
book, essay, article, etc.
Purpose:
• To hint at what the
text might be about.
• To give a brief
summary of the text
content.
Table of
Contents
What is it?
The table of Contents is a list of
chapters or article titles found at the
beginning of the text.
Purpose:
• To help readers, at a glance, find
out about topics or concepts
discussed in the book or
magazine.
Pictures
What is it?
Pictures are images or
graphics often found in
writing.
Purpose:
• To help us
VISUALIZE what we
are reading about.
• To catch readers’
attention and make
the text seem more
interesting.
Caption
What is it?
A caption is text in smaller print that is found
next to a picture inserted in the main body of the
text.
Purpose:
• To give a brief explanation of the picture.
Heading
“Myths Explain the World”
What is it?
A heading is the title of a
short section within the main
body of a text.
Purpose:
• To give readers clues as
to what they will read
about next.
• To make it easy to find
the main ideas/topics
within the body of the
text.
Subheading
“Greek Gods”
What is it?
A subheading is the title of a small
section found underneath a
heading. Subheadings give clues
about what’s coming next.
Purpose:
• To help organize the text into
sections of information that
support the main topic.
• To make it easy to find
important topics within the
body of the text.
Bold Words
What is it?
Bold Words are words in the
text printed in darker ink;
sometimes highlighted.
Purpose:
• To show readers
important words.
concepts, or ideas that
should be studied or
remembered. These
words are the key to
understanding the main
ideas in the text.
Rob and Big
Rob & Big was an American reality television series
that followed the lives of professional skateboarder,
Rob Dyrdek, and his best friend and body guard,
Christopher "Big Black" Boykin.
The Beginnings
The show premiered on November 2, 2006 and
ended on April 15, 2008. The series was produced
by Ruben Fleischer and directed by Mark Jacobs.
Footnote
What is it?
A footnote is an
explanatory note
inserted at the bottom
of the page referring to
a specific word or
phrase in the text.
Episode 1
After moving in, Big Black suggests to Rob
that they get a bulldog, to complete the new
family. The two fly to Arizona on a private jet
to pick up their new little puppy. To welcome
their new family member, the guys host a
party with a surprise appearance by Three
Six Mafia1.
1Three Six Mafia is an Oscar-Award winning American rap
group originating from Memphis, Tennessee
Purpose:
• To give readers
extra information
they may need to
fully understand
the word or idea
in context.
Bullet Points
What is it?
Bullet Points are
graphics that are used
to list items or ideas in
a text.
Purpose:
• To break up a lot of
text into chunks of
important info.
• To create lists,
summarize key
ideas at the end of
a chapter, etc.
Charts and Tables
What are they?
• Tables are summaries
of facts or data written
in columns or rows.
• Charts are visual
representations of
quantities or results.
Purpose:
• To organize
information into a
small space and an
easy-to-read format.
Graphs
What is it?
Graphs are visual
comparisons of data
and information in a
bar/pie/line format.
Purpose:
• To help us read
facts and figures in
a short amount of
time.
Skateboard Glossary
360: when a skateboarder and
his board turns 360 degrees
while in the air.
Axle: the metal rod that runs
through the hangar of a
skateboard’s truck.
Deck: the flat, long,
oval/rectangular, wooden part of
the skateboard you stand on.
Glossary
What is it?
A glossary is an
alphabetized list of terms
and definitions found in
the back of the book or at
the end of an article.
Purpose:
• To provide an easy-toaccess reference for
important vocabulary.
Insert
What is it?
An insert is a small
section of text inserted
into the main body of
the text.
Purpose:
• To provide additional
information that is
not vital to the text,
but is supplemental
or interesting.
Map
What is it?
A map is a
diagrammatic
representation of
a specific
location.
Purpose:
• To help us
visualize
where
something is
taking place.
Colored Print
What is it?
Colored Print is text
printed in a color
other than black.
Purpose:
• To make
important ideas,
interesting facts,
or titles/headings
stand out.
Font Size and Type Changes
What is it?
A change in the size of the text or the style in which it is written.
Purpose:
• To hint at important ideas that readers should pay close attention to.
Index
What is it?
An alphabetical list
of names and/or
topics as well as lists
of page numbers on
which each item is
mentioned.
Purpose:
• To help readers
find all the pages
in the text where
each subject is
discussed.
Resources
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/westlandms/agopp/textfeatures.
pdf (matching game)
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/class/pdfs/2006F/060901_wr2.pdf (sample
passage)
http://skyways.lib.ks.us/tricon/2005/handouts/nonfiction_text.pdf
(text structures)
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=232
(toppling tower passage )
http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/userfiles/file/BIG%20FOX%20graphic%20organ
izer.pdf
(BIG FOX graphic organizer)
http://www.cia.indiana.edu/files/ITRI_3_TF.pdf (text feature pdf)
http://link2literacy.blogspot.com/2010/01/best-ideas-teaching-text-features.html
(pretest, Power point, etc.)
Grammar/Basic punctuation
•
•
•
•
•
4 basic rules for the use of a comma
End punctuation
Capitalization
Parts of Speech
Activity: Editing
Punctuation
1. Which of the following sentences is punctuated
correctly?
A. Baseball's greatest players, including Babe Ruth and Joe
DiMaggio are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown, New York.
B. Baseball's greatest players including Babe Ruth and Joe
DiMaggio, are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown, New York.
C. Baseball's greatest players including Babe Ruth and Joe
DiMaggio are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown, New York.
D. Baseball's greatest players, including Babe Ruth and
DiMaggio, are enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame in
Cooperstown, New York.
Joe
1.
Which of the following uses the correct end mark?
A. Will you please be quiet, so I can hear the program on the radio.
B. Will you please be quiet! so I can hear the program on the radio.
C. Will you please be quiet, so I can hear the program on the radio?
D. Will you please be quiet, so I can hear the program on the radio!
2.Passing near Portland, our father _______ to a man coming out
of the bayou.
A. will speaks
B. spoke
C. speak
D. speaking
1.
Which sentence uses correct subject-verb agreement?
A. The alligator slipped quietly into the water.
B. The alligators slipping quietly into the water.
C. The alligator slipping quietly into the water.
D. The alligators slips quietly into the water.
2. Although we didn't have the best weather, it wasn't all bad, since the
rainfall was only sporadic.
What is the meaning and part of speech of the bold word in the
sentence above?
A. adverb
B. verb
C. adjective
D. preposition
(1) As a way to protest the new dress code, the students all wore black. (2) They did it
symbolically as a way to show that they were in mourning. (3) In fact, many took it a step
further and refused to utter a single word throughout the day unless it was necessary. (4) It
looked odd to see more than 900 students throughout the school all in black, but it was an
effective gesture. (5) The school board decided to put off voting on the new dress code until
its next session.
1.Which word from sentence 1 is a verb?
2.What part of speech is symbolically?
3.What is the subject in sentence 3?
4.What is another way of punctuating sentence 4?
5.In sentence 5, “to put” can be identified as what?
A. black
B. dress
C. wore
D. all
Reasons to Read
Personal
Informational
Reasons People Read
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
For Pleasure
For Academic Success
For Work (technical guide)
For Information
For understanding directions
For keeping touch with family and friends
For understanding the world we live
Activity
• Create a T-Chart and list pleasure and
informational text.
Pleasure
Informational
Clues/strategies to attain meaning
from the written word:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cloze procedure
Context clues/Content Clues
SQ3R
Outlining
Underlining
Etc.
What is Cloze Procedure?
Cloze procedure is a technique in which words are deleted from a passage according
to a word-count formula or various other criteria. The passage is presented to
students, who insert words as they read to complete and construct meaning from the
text. This procedure can be used as a diagnostic reading assessment technique.
What is its purpose?
It is used:





to identify students' knowledge and understanding of the reading process
to determine which cueing systems readers effectively employ to construct
meaning from print
to assess the extent of students' vocabularies and knowledge of a subject
to encourage students to monitor for meaning while reading
to encourage students to think critically and analytically about text and
content
How do I do it?
To prepare materials for Cloze exercises, any of the following techniques may be
used:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Select a self-contained passage of a length appropriate for the grade level of
the students being assessed. Use materials easily read by the students.
Leave the first and last sentences and all punctuation intact.
Carefully select the words for omission using a word-count formula, such as
every fifth word or other criteria. To assess students' knowledge of the topic
or their abilities to use semantic cues, delete content words which carry
meaning, such as nouns, main verbs, adjectives and adverbs. To assess
students' use of syntactic cues, delete some conjunctions, prepositions and
auxiliary words.
When preparing the final draft of the passage, make all blanks of equal length
to avoid including visual clues about the lengths of omitted words.
Have the students read the entire passage before they fill in the blanks.
Encourage the students to fill each blank if possible.
Although there should be no time limit for this exercise, the time necessary
for completion should be noted.
Suggest that students reread the completed passage.
How the Butterflies Came to Be
by Joseph Brachac
Cloze Activity
Long ago, not long after Earth-Maker shaped the world out of dirt and sweat he scraped from his skim.
Iitoi or __________________________was walking around during the time of year when the ____________________
came, that made the _____________________bloom and the ____________________ green and bright.
During this season it also made his ________________ glad to see children___________ and ___________________. He
became ____________ when he realized the children would grow __________ and weaken and _______________. That
was the way it was made to be. The red, yellow, white and blue of the _____________________ would fade. The
__________________would fall from the trees. The ______________would grow short and the ___________________
would be cold.
The _________________ brushed pass Elder Brother, making some leaves ___________ in the sunlight. Then an idea came
to him. He would make something to make the children ________________and his ___________________ glad again.
He took a ______________ and placed bright-colored __________________, fallen ______________________,
yellow___________________, white __________________, green _________________________, shining gold
_____________________and the _________________________ of birds.
The _____________________ opened the Elder Brother's __________ and out flew the first
__________________________. Their __________________ were bright as sunlight and held all of the
__________________ of the flowers, the leaves, the cornmeal, the pollen and the green pine needles. They looked like
flowers, ___________ in the __________________. The first butterflies___________________ about the heads of the
children they ____________________. As they flew, they______________ and the children _____________________.
Everyone was happy with the butterflies except the _______________________. They told Elder Brother that the
__________________ belonged to them and not the butterflies and Elder Brother agreed. To this day butterflies dance as
they __________, but they are __________________________. Children's hearts remain glad.
That is how Elder Brother meant it to be.
Context Clues
1. Context Clues - Bits of information from the text that, when
combined with the reader's own knowledge, allow the reader
to "read between the lines," figure out the meaning of the
text, or determine the meaning of unknown words in the text.
How the Butterflies Became to Be
By Joseph Bruchac
Use context clues and students prior knowledge to help students
understand the meaning of the following vocabulary words:
1.
2.
3.
4.
elder
songbird
butterflies
creature
How the Butterflies Came to Be
What is the title of reading selection?
Who is the author of the reading selection?
How was the world created?
Who was the creator of the butterfly?
Which of the following is the main character in the
selection, Earth Maker or Elder Brother?
Based on the selection did Elder Brother use manmade or natural materials to create the butterfly?
What is the overall tone of the selection?
What was the purpose of creating the butterfly?
Why did the songbirds not want the butterflies to
have the ability to sing?
What was the effect of the songbirds speaking to
Elder Brother?
Major Reading Focus Strategies
(Content and Informational Literacy)
• Comprehension/High Level Critical Thinking Skills
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Main Idea
Predicting outcomes
Identify chronological order
Cause and Effect
Context clues
Compare and contrast
Identify steps in process
Use visuals
Draw conclusions
Fact and opinion
Author’s purpose
How to Help Struggling Readers
• Question Answer Relationships (QARs)
• Directed Reading
• Directed Reading-Thinking Activity
Directed Reading Activity
• Preparation and Background
– Introduce new vocabulary
– Ask questions about title or pictures
– Give focus question that is open-ended
• Silent Reading
• Discussion and rereading
– Ask questions - students support/prove answers
• Skills development and practice
– Direct instruction in specific reading skills
• Follow-up and enrichment activities
– Drama, writing, discussions, art or music
Source – Remediating Reading Difficulties. Sharon Crawley and King Merritt.
4th Ed. 2004.
Directed Reading-Thinking Activity
Narrative Text
1. Survey title
– What do you think this story is about? Why?
2. Read assigned section silently (cover unread
portions
3. Repeat step 1 questions
4. Continue Reading to next stop.
5. Repeat step 1 questions
6. Continue to end
7. Engage reflection and thoughtful responses
Source (current and following slide) – Content Area Reading: Literacy
and Learning Across the Curriculum 9th Edition, Richard and Jo
Anne Vacca. 2008.
Directed Reading-Thinking Activity
Informational Text
1.
Set reading purpose
–
–
–
–
–
2.
Adjust rate of reading based on purposes
–
3.
4.
Tell students to read to see if predictions are correct
Observe reading and assist students who need help
Guide reader-text interactions
–
5.
Chapter titles/headings/subheadings
What do you think the author will present?
Record speculations – Ask why do you think that?
Use discussion to explore inaccurate or weak knowledge base and
further clarify concepts
Poll class for predictions
Accept, reject, or redefine purposes
Extend learning through discussion, additional study, or writing
–
–
–
–
Whole class or small groups
Compare predictions to outcomes
How do you know that?
Can you prove it/what made you think that way?
Literary Terms
• From all subjects
• Cross-curricular
Grade Level Reading Lists
You must be signed into the PSRC website to
view this page
Required Grade Level Vocabulary
• Active, Cumulative Word Walls
• Introducing words
transmit
A messenger can
transmit your reply
now.
• Verb
• From Latin
– transmittere
To send or to convey from a
person or place.
ambition
My ambition is to
play professional
soccer.
• Noun
• From Latin
– ambitus
An ardent desire for
rank, fame, or power.
parachute
The parachute billowed
open and floated down.
Umbrella shaped device
used to slow descent.
Additional Websites/Resources
• Linked on the PSRC website