Readers use inference both during and after reading to draw conclusions about the text. To infer means to go beyond the literal words on the page and make judgments about what is implied based on a reader's schema or prior knowledge. This skill is a hidden process that skillful readers rely on regularly to decide what the author is really trying to say. As teachers, we must draw attention  to this strategy, model how this process happens, and provide ample practice for students as they move through each level of reading. The thinking that needs to be accessed to make inferences in a level 'A' book as a kindergartner is very different from the thinking that a level 'T' reader needs to access. Yet, the difficulty can be just as great.

 

This video is an excellent example of a guided reading lesson!

 

 

0:00 Introduction to the lesson

0:35 Previewing book and word work

2:50 Begins inferring lesson

3:07 Teacher taking anecdotal notes during lesson

3:13 Teacher model of inferring

3:50 Planned student practice of inferring

8:50 Lesson closure and extension into purposeful writing 

 

Rationale:

Teachers know that when good readers use their background knowledge or schema, they are better able to understand the text. After teaching students to connect what they are reading to their previous experiences or knowledge about the world, teachers can begin to draw on the connections that exist between texts.  On one level connections can be drawn about the structure of texts. Stories have a problem and a resolution while informational texts have main ideas and details. Drawing out these structural similarities can help readers know what to expect from the type of text they are reading. On a second level, readers can gain insight when similarities are drawn from book to book between the a character’s experiences, feelings, or actions or between story themes.  In informational texts, students can recall how information from readings on a similar topic connect. Once students have mastered using text-to-text connections to aid in their comprehension, teachers can move to teaching students to analyze the similarities and differences between texts. In both the Reading Literature and Reading Informational Texts standard nine of the Common Core State Standards, students are asked to compare and contrast elements and themes in stories, as well as, key details and points of view in informational texts. By continuously strengthening the skill of making connections between texts in lessons, teachers enable students to draw more information from those texts for greater comprehension, which will build the bridge for them to the deeper thinking and analysis of comparing and contrasting.  

Application

Text to Text- How does this text relate to other texts I have read? Use these frames to help students think deeply about connections.

• The way _________________________ is written reminds me of the text ______________ because they both _____________________________________________.
• The __________________________ in this story/text reminds me of the text ________________ because they both ________________________________________.
• This text differs from the text __________________________ because _____________________________________________________________________.

How to:

Continue using the to-with-group-by method.

To- Model the thinking a reader would do when they encounter a text to self connection and articulate your thinking using a sentence frame. "The _____ in this text reminds me of the text _______ because they both...."

With- At stopping points or at the end of the story have students share out. Check that their are no misconceptions on how to correctly apply the strategy.

Group- Ask students to share out to their accountable talk group using sentence frames.

By- Ask students to try the strategy as the read independently. You can also use some of the assessment techniques listed below to monitor each reader's ability to use the strategy.

Assessment:

• Informal observation during lesson
• Accountable talk with a check sheet to record mastery
• Students place sticky notes on the reading with their thinking
• Students record their connections on graphic organizers
• Students complete a formal writing piece (compare and contrast/response to literature/expository text where information is drawn from multiple texts)

 

Assessment: How do we know students are practicing and mastering the strategy while they read independently?

 

 

We have them up and the students use them- sometimes frequently and sometimes on occasion- but are those sentence frames consistently helping your students expand their academic thinking and giving you ample opportunity to formatively asses understanding? If not, it’s time to take your sentence frames to the next level.

The CCSS for Speaking and Listening standard 1 requires that students “prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations….”  And this standard starts in kindergarten where students “follow agreed upon rules for discussions and continue that conversation through multiple exchanges.” Consider, how often do students in your room carry on an academic conversation through multiple exchanges?  When students, “make their thinking visible… they begin to take on the academic way with words.” Isn’t that what we crave from all our students in their writing, speaking and thinking?

Creating rich classroom conversations requires planning and preparation. Here are some of the key factors to consider:

1. Rich content to discuss and grapple with
2. Effective arrangement of seating and purposeful grouping
3. Established, modeled, and practiced routines and behavioral cues for interaction
4. Sentence starters and language patterns to begin, add on, disagree, clarify, elaborate and question
5. Frequent feedback on both content and speaking standards

If you are ready to take your sentence frames to the next level and have them work for you, using these guidelines to plan academic conversations around your content is the next step.  Be aware: students don’t become amazing orators overnight because all linguistic behavior is learned over time, through multiple exposures to modeling and practice- but it will happen. And when the accountable talk magic unfolds, it will cultivate motivation and deepen understanding in your students.

If you would like to discuss this further, co-plan a lesson or be given some time to watch a colleague execute an accountable talk lesson, contact me to set up a time. The article “Speaking Volumes” by Fisher and Frey is an excellent, quick read on the topic as well. Here is the link http://www.educationalleadership-digital.com/educationalleadership/201411?pg=5#pg21

 

Who are your English learners? Where are your English learners? Lurking in the corners? All seated front and center for easy teacher access? Or next to the strongest Spanish speaker in the  class?

 

Once we have identified our English learners, we place them with a purpose, but current research suggests that academic conversation among peers with higher academic language and grammatical understanding has a dramatic, positive effect on our ELs.

That means, we need to disperse our English learners so their seat gives them access to a high achieving student to use as a linguistic model in conversations. If say, your groups are in fours, the other two students could then be mid-range achieving students.

What about high achievers not having access to their equivalent peers? Studies show that growth in learning for high- achieving students when paired in a heterogeneous group as compared to a homogeneous group of similar-ability peers, creates almost no change in the amount of learning they achieve.

So what’s your next move? Locate your ELs and other target students and ask yourself, “Are these students sitting among students who can maximize their learning?” Homogeneous groups can be pulled for targeted instruction, but an EL’s home group should be one surrounded with students who can act as the linguistic models they may not otherwise have access to.

For more information about the data I mentioned above you can access chapter five:”Procedures for Classroom Talk” from the book Content Area Conversations by Fisher and Frey on the ASCD website  at http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108035/chapters/Procedures-for-Classroom-Talk.aspx, or chapter seven: “Cooperative Learning” from the book Classroom Instruction That Works by Marzano.  I’m happy to print either resource for you if you’d like- just let me know.

Have you ever graded student writing and felt it just wasn’t really what you’d hoped it be? It just didn’t sound academic or appropriate for the task? Well consider this: to do everything you do particularly well, be it surfing, cooking, playing a musical instrument or even driving, you first had to learn a series of complicated moves. These moves may remain mysterious to others who do not possess your skill, but because you were taught them and practiced them, they come to you now without even thinking. Well, the same applies to writing.

Writers need a repertoire of basic moves that writers of a particular subject use.  Experienced writers use these moves repetitively, yet to the inexperienced writer, they remain a mystery. So how do you unlock the magic language of your subject?  Sentence frames.

They can be basic. ‘I agree with _______ because’ or ‘In my opinion…’ but also consider the use of these:

• On the one hand, ____. On the other hand, __________.
• This is not to say..
• As a result of my study, (equation, research, etc.)_____________
• My feelings on this are mixed. I do agree that _______, but I find the argument about _____to be equally persuasive because _____________.
• By focusing on __________, X overlooks the part of the problem where ...

Although, the critical thinking that fills in the blanks is obviously more complex than just giving out some language frames, but the habits of critical thinking cannot be put into practice in speaking or writing without the language with which to express those thoughts. It’s like building a house without first building its frame.

Consider how some of the above frames could be applied to work that students are doing in your room right now, or create some frames of your own by looking at the language of proficient writing in your subject. What frames are needed to link the ideas together? How can you show those to students and have them practice them?

If you would like more information or ideas for frames for a particular upcoming lesson please consult with me, any humanities teacher, or I’d be happy to let you borrow the book from which this blog’s message is adapted They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter In Academic Writing.