READING INFORMATIONAL TEXTS!!!

INFORMATIONAL TEXT

ATTENTION!!! Were you aware that 45% of students entire academic reading diet should be composed of informational text???  I'm going to take a guess and say that many of you were not aware of that statistic.  However, it is very true, and even more relevant now.  The common core state standards call for students in grades k-8 to be reading and working with that much informational text.  Make note that the 45% does in fact include EVERYTHING that students read during social studies, science, and math as well as all the reading they do within non fiction units in language arts class.  By telling you this, you may think that your students read way over 45% of informational text.... Don't be too quick to assume....  Look at how many pages of expository text your students read in a week.  Compare that to the number of pages from fictional text.  I guarantee you will be SURPRISED!!  So the questions is...How do we fix this?  In order to find the answer, we need to understand what is currently taking place in schools today that leads to this struggle.  We also need to make sure that we fully understand what the standards are asking of our students.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  I am writing this post because I am currently in grad school for reading.  I am getting a lot of my information from a book we are currently reading called, "Pathways to the Common Core."  It is a fabulous asset to have in any teachers library.  However I wanted to share the main points with you on my teaching blog because I think this topic is very important.

ANAYZING THE STANDARDS:

Reading for Key Ideas and Details (Anchor standard 1-3)

Read Closely and Making Logical Inferences:  Anchor Standard 1
This standard is asking students to read closely to determine what the text says explicitly.  You can most likely put this standard to work after the first paragraph or so.  According to this standard, after reading a section of something, one should be able to turn around and teach someone everything they have learned about the topic. 

Read to Determine Central Ideas and Themes: Anchor Standard 2

This standard asks readers to determine central ideas and to summarize the text, linking key ideas and details.  First you will need to find the central idea.  Once you have done that, you will need to fill in some information from the text that supports those ideas. 

 

Reading to Analyze How Individuals, Events, and Ideas Develop and Interact Over the Course of a Text:  Anchor Standard 3

This standard asks students to analyze how individuals, events and ideas develop and interact over the course of the text.  Readers will need to notice the sequence of events, analyze relationships and connections, and discern cause and effect. 

 

Reading for Craft and Structure ( Anchor Standards 4-6)

 

Reading to Interpret the Language Used in the Text:  Anchor Standard 4

This standard asks students to interpret the technical, connotative and figurative meanings of words, and how the specific language shapes meaning.  In order to do this, the reader may need to look back and ask themselves if some words seem more important than others.

 

Reading to Analyze the Structure of a Text:  Anchor Standard 5

This standard has the reader pay attention to how the text is structured.  In order to do this correctly, the reader will need to look back over the text, as ask themselves if they can divide it into parts.  Think about the meanings of those parts.

 

Reading to Assess the Author's Point of View and How it Shapes the Text:   Anchor Standard 6

This standard asks readers to assess how the authors point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of the text.  Readers will need to look back at the language choices in the text they are reading. 

 

Reading to Integrate Knowledge and Ideas and Think Across Informational Texts: (Anchor Standards 7-9)

 



Anchor 7 - asks readers to integrate and evaluate content in different media

Anchor Standard 8 - asks readers to evaluate the evidence that the text lays out, weighing the validity of the authors claims.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT CHALLENGES?

1. Students are not reading just right informational texts
Research has shown that most of the nonfiction texts that students are being supplied with are either too hard or too poorly written to engage students.   You must remember that they should be reading with at least 96% accuracy.  These texts make it hard for them to accomplish that goal.

2. Students are not engaging with informational texts in the appropriate way.
I was taught to read informational text a certain way while growing up.  I was always told that while you read you should either be highlighting important information or taking notes while reading.  THIS DOES NOT HELP STUDENTS COMPREHEND!!! When you make nonfiction reading a stop and go process, you are almost guaranteed that they will progress very slowly and comprehend very little.

3. Students have no choice in what to read

HOW TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES

1. Get more high interest non fiction books into your classroom
There are many ways that teachers can do this, even if the budget doesn't leave room for it. 

• teachers can apply for grants. 
• Build text sets - Try to build sets that get at deeper issues within topics.  Include videos, and print articles.
• Get a lot o high quality, print rich journals.  Examples include things like "junior scholastic," and "national geographic."  You can get a teachers subscription to most of these.
• Send a letter home asking parents to donate magazines and books
• Access digital recourses - There are many magazine online subscriptions as well as informational video websites like PBS or Discovery.
• Letter writing- try writing to a publisher asking if they have any extra copies of books.

2. Infuse more information reading into content area classes
Try and vary your sequence of units with your other grade level teachers so that you can rotate the materials. 

3. Match your readers to nonfiction texts

• Ask students to read a nonfiction text out loud to you.  Take notes about their fluency, accuracy, and comprehension. 
• Expect that your students will be far less experienced with expository text.  If you are having a hard time decided what level to put them at, move them to expository books that are one level easier than the fiction books they are reading

4. Move students up levels of text difficulty
Have a plan for when each of your readers needs to be reassessed.  The process for this should be no big deal, so that you can do it on a regular basis and quickly.  You will just need to ask the students to try and read a text that is just a level higher then where they are currently at. 

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Spring is FINALLY Here!!!

Hello all!!!  Mother nature has finally decided to be kind to us again and Spring is finally here!  The weather is perking up and I could not be happier!  In the spirit of the wonderful weather I have created a new batch of math centers for division.  These centers are geared toward division with remainders.  There are three different centers which I will explain to you below. 

This is the title of the bundle, and it is what you will need to search in TPT if you would like to buy it for your classroom.

 

I started off this bundle by adding in two reference sheets.  This first sheet below is a sheet that shows students how to put items into groups to help them find the remainder.

 

 

The second reference page gives two vocabulary words with their definitions for the students to reference during the centers.

 

The first center is a set of task cards titled "Caterpillar Task Cards."

 

 

This part of the bundle includes 4 pages of task cards that can be cut out and laminated to be put at a center or posted around the room.  If posted around the room, the students would take a recording sheet and quietly walk to room and solve each task card on their recording sheet.  These can also be used for free time choice or students who finish early.  They can be put on a key chain and students can take them quietly back to their desk to practice quietly.

 

 

Here is the recording sheet that is included with the set.  They will take this around the room with them as they figure out each task card.

 

 

The next center is titled "Dragonfly Flip and Solve."  There are two different sets of cards for this center as well as a recording sheet.

 

 

First set of cards - There are 2  pages of these cards to be cut out.  When you print them you will see that they are the "smaller cards," and they also have the bugs on them.  All of these small cards go in a pile together and are flipped face down.

 

 

Second set of cards - There are 2 pages of these cards to pass out as well.  When you print these cards out you will see that that are the "bigger cards."  All of these big cards go in a separate pile from the small cards and are placed face down as well. 

 

 

The students will take turns flipping on card from the "small pile," and one card from the "big pile."  They will take those two numbers and create a division problem with them.  They will use their recording sheet to write out the problem and solve. 

 

 

The third and final center is titled, " Bumble Bee Spin and Solve."   There are 4 different spinners for this center, including a directions sheet and recording sheet.

 

 

First 3 Spinners - These all have colored numbers.  The group will only need to choose one of the 3 colored spinners for their game.  I just made three of them to have a variety of different numbers to choose from. Each student will spin this spinner once.

 

 

Grey Spinner - There is one grey colored spinner in the set.  This spinner contains the smaller numbers or "divisors."  Each students will spin this spinner once.

 

 

Since this center is a bit more confusing then the others, I added a directions page for help.

 

 

 

Once the group has one color spinner and the grey spinner they will take turns.  Each students will spin the colored spinner once and the grey spinner once.  They will use the numbers that they get from spinner for their division problem.  They will take the 2 numbers and write them out on their recording sheet and solve. 

 

 

I used this bundle with my 3rd graders and they LOVED it!!! It is a great use for differentiated instruction, especially if you are having struggling students.  This is a difficult concept for many kids to grasp so any extra practice is good practice.  It is a great opportunity for you to have the time to go around and observe how your students as individuals are truly doing.  You can take anecdotal records on individual students to see who is struggling and where or who is excelling and where.  That way you can tweak your instruction for the next lesson to fit the needs of the class.

 

My next project that will be in the works is a bundle of anecdotal records aligned to the common core.  Anecdotal records have seemed to be put on the back burner recently, but I think they are a wonderful resource to have in your classroom.  Its a great from of formative assessment, and can help you plan your lessons to cater to your students individual needs.  This bundle will take me a little while though so ill be giving updates!! Let me know what you think of the idea and if you have any suggestions of what to add!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mystery Reader

Mystery Reader!!!

 

 

Get your magnifying glasses out and get ready to investigate!!  It's time to solve the mystery of our guest reader! 

 

This is by far one of my favorite year long projects to do with my kiddos!  I am a true believer of including parents in the classroom.  By doing this, I feel that we create a positive relationship that will help contribute to a smooth year.  For my Mystery Reader project I do allow grandparents and brother and sisters to participate as well.  Below I will post pictures from my pack and explain how I use each.  many teachers in my school have begun to do Mystery Reader because of word of mouth from mine.  It truly can become something wonderful!

 

To start this project off at the beginning of the year I send out things to parents in a sealed envelope. 

 

 

The picture on the left is the page I send home for the mystery reader to fill out about themselves.  They are to write down 3-4 clues for myself to read to the students on the day of the mystery reading.  Their clues are to start off very difficult and then get a bit easier toward #4. 

The picture on the right is a small card I send home where the reader chooses 2 dates that they know will definitely work for them.  I give them a choice in the beginning because once I start collecting all of these the dates can overlap.  This way I can move people around how I need to in order to make everyone happy. 

 

REMINDER/SAVE THE DATE!!!

 

Once I receive the clues and dates back from the reader I then check my calendar, making sure a date of theirs is available.  Once everything matches up, I send out a reminder card, again in a sealed envelope. 

 

 

 

I NEED to be ORGANIZED with all things teaching!!! Because of this I obviously added some helpful planning sheets for this pack. 

 

 

On the left is a page that you will need to print numerous times.  It is there for you to keep detailed information about each mystery reader.  You can record the name of the reader and their relationship to a student, the date they will be coming in as well as the time, and finally any special notes you may need to know about.  The Important notes section on this page brings up a topic I wanted to mention.  For my mystery reader I allow them to bring a book to read along with an activity or craft that coincides with that book or time of year.  I also allow the reader to bring in a small snack (which must be ok with the district policies).  That information is what I write under important notes.

 

The page on the right is a regular calendar.  I include a calendar for each month from October - June.  I just use these to have a quick way to look at how the week or month looks for mystery readers and plan instruction and projects around that. 

 

 

 

I am a stickler for manners!!! Please and Thank you is heard constantly in my room. Therefore, I most definitely added pages to write thank you notes to our readers. 

 

 

I include a thank you note with a girl detective at the bottom as well!

 

 

 

The last thing I add in this packet is a class book.  After each Mystery Reader, I give the student whose relative it was a page do fill out.  They talk about the day and how they felt and what took place.  At the end of the year we put all the pages into a class book!  They love doing this and looking back at all the great memories! 

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this pack.  My kiddos LOVE it and so do I!  If you end up purchasing it at my tpt store "The Magic of teaching."  Take some pictures and post them and tag me in it!  I would LOVE to see how much your kiddos enjoy it!