Stephanie Harvey's Comprehension Toolkit is absolutely wonderful for nonfiction!
"Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> writes: >Hi everyone, >I have been developing some ideas for teaching non-fiction text structures >that have really been helping my second graders internalize this abstract >concept. > >Two of these I have mentioned before: >On the To Understand list, Peter posted a lesson on using a dresser analogy >to teach nonfiction. If you look on the To Understand archives on the >readinglady.com home page under a Wow Moment...you'll find it. The idea >behind the >dresser is that just like you have a sock drawer and a sweatshirt drawer in >your dresser...where you can open that drawer you will be easily able to find >what you need. Non fiction books have drawers too... the subtitles help the >reader know what he or she will find in that section. I used Peter's idea >with >great success. It is a great lesson. > >My colleague and I then branched out and used a staircase to teach the >chronological/sequential text structures of biographies. As they read a simple > >biography of Dr. Seuss, the kids identified what the author wanted them to >learn >in each section...then we laid those ideas out on sentence strips on a stair >case. Kids quickly realized that unlike books organized like a dresser, you >can't just hop to any part of the book as easily and have it make sense...you >need to know what comes before and after. > >After teaching those two...we gave kids a choice and they had to figure out >if the books they chose to read were like a dresser or like a staircase...and >they totally got it! These are kids that are all below level but are >internalizing these abstract concepts. I think they are getting it because we >are >taking our time and teaching for depth... The concrete models help but I >think >the way we have asked the kids to discover for themselves how a book is like >a dresser or staircase has helped too. Constructed knowledge is powerful >knowledge. > >This week, we have started discussing descriptive text structures. I brought >to school a floor length mirror and laid it on its side in the middle of the >classroom rug. I asked the kids to think about how a book could be like a >mirror. I divided the class in half...one on the side of the mirror, the >other >seeing only the back of the mirror. We began the lesson by putting objects in >front of the mirror and the kids on the mirror side had to start describing >the object to the kids who couldn't see the object on the other side. The >key here was they had to describe what they saw in the mirror...they couldn't >just start telling all they knew about it. The idea behind the mirror was to >first help kids know what describing really was and THEN move it to an >abstract level. They told what they saw in the mirror...and the nonfiction >book was >really the mirror and you as the reader can see what aspects of the object >the author wants you to see! Does that make sense? Then we used Tomie >DePaalo's >Quicksand book to identify portions of it that were like a mirror...the >parts telling you all about the features of quicksand. > >I wasn't sure if this mirror thing would work but I have to tell you it >really did help second graders get the idea that some books use words to show >you >what something is like...you can get a picture of it...just like a >reflection in the mirror. Tomorrow we will make our own list of what >descriptive text >structures are like. > >Later this week, we are going to do cause and effect structures.... We are >thinking of using a light bulb with a pull string for an analogy for this >one...but I am open to ideas! > >This is the first time I have really spent this much time on text structures >with little people but it is paying dividends in comprehension. It seems to >be helping them determine importance. >I would love to explore that idea with the rest of you... >Have any of you taught determining importance with text structures? How has >it worked for you? >Jennifer > >**************Worried about job security? Check out the 5 safest jobs in a >recession. >(http://jobs.aol.com/gallery/growing-job-industries?ncid=emlcntuscare00000002) >_______________________________________________ >Mosaic mailing list >Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org >To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to >http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > >Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
