1 Informational Reading-Text Structures 2 Reading for Information NAEP Some features that...

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Informational Reading-Text Structures

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Reading for Information NAEP

• Some features that distinguish informational text from literary text are organization and the way information is presented.

• Informational text is organized by topic and supporting details, whereas literary text is organized by the structure of a story, poem, or drama. Informational texts may have boldface headings, graphics, illustrations, and captions that signal importance in the text. However, some commonalities exist between literary and informational text and the skills and strategies required for reading each. Both require people to analyze critically the text, reflect on it, and draw conclusions.

Why is this information important?

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Informational Text• When reading for information, readers need to know the specific

text structures, or forms of organization (e.g.chronological/sequential order, description, question/answer, problem/solution, comparison/contrast,cause and effect), to develop understanding.

From NAEP• People frequently have different purposes for reading text of this

nature (e.g., to find specific pieces of information, answer a question, or get some general information when glancing through a magazine article). Reading informational text calls for orientations to the text that differ from those used in reading for literary experience because readers are specifically focused on acquiring information. When people read for information, they may select parts of the text they need, rather than reading from beginning to end.

What are the instructional implications?

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The Work of Nell Duke

• Please read the next five slides. . .

Nell K. Duke is an Assistant Professor of Teacher Education at Michigan State University and a researcher with the Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement. Duke has worked with children in early childhood, elementary and secondary settings, most recently as a Primary Grades Literacy Specialist and Director of the Literacy Institute at the Neighborhood House Charter School in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Duke earned her masters and doctorate in Language and Literacy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and, for two years, served as a Supervisor at the Harvard Literacy Laboratory. Duke's research focuses on early literacy development, particularly among children living in urban poverty. Her specific areas of expertise include addressing the needs of struggling reader-writers and the development of informational literacy.

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Duke-2005• Studies have long shown that the

majority of the reading and writing adults do is nonfiction (Venezky, 1982).

• Approximately 96% of sites on the World Wide Web contain nonfiction, informational text (Kamil and Lane, 1998).

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Duke-2005• Academic achievement in a range of

school subjects and academic fields relies heavily on informational reading and writing.

• Informational literacy is so crucial to

success in American higher education, citizenship, and work that our current era is widely known as the "information age."

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Duke-2005• Nearly 44 million American adults cannot

extract even a single piece of information from a written text if any inference or background knowledge is required (Levy, 1993).

• Large proportions of American students have weak informational reading and writing skills (e.g., Applebee, Langer, Mullis, Latham, and Gentile, 1994; Daniels, 1990; Langer, Applebee, Mullis, and Foertsch, 1990).

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Duke-2005• Low income and minority children are

particularly likely to struggle with informational literacy tasks (Applebee, Langer, Mullis, Latham, and Gentile, 1994; Langer, Applebee, Mullis, and Foertsch, 1990).

• Some education researchers have attributed the "fourth grade slump" in overall literacy achievement in large part to problems with informational literacy (Chall, Jacobs, and Baldwin, 1990).

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Duke-2005• Students' difficulties in science may be

related to their difficulties with informational text because science achievement is associated with the ability to read informational text but not with the ability to read narrative text (Bernhardt, Destino, Kamil, and Rodriguez-Munoz, 1995).

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What Makes Expository Hard?

• Students lack familiarity with the topic

• Greater density in information presented

• Specific technical vocabulary• Complex format and structures• Lack Strategies to deal with

complexity

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Duke-2005Five ways to improve comprehension of

informational text:

1. Increase access to informational text

2. Increase instructional time with informational text

3. Increase explicit teaching of comprehension strategies, along

with lots of opportunities for guided and independent practice

4. Increase attention to the unique and the especially challenging characteristics of informational text

5. Ensure that informational text is used for authentic purposes as

much as possible

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Text features that signal importance

• Fonts and Effects• Cue Words and Phrases• Illustrations and Photographs• Graphics• Text Organizers• Text Structuresfrom Strategies that Work, Harvey and Goudvis, 2000

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Text StructuresText Wiseness-Creating text-wise students

Teaching students how to recognize and represent the organizational patterns commonly used by authors can significantly influence students’ learning and comprehension.

Palinstar, Ogle, Carr-1997

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Teach students to identifythe patterns of organization

Piccolo (1987) recommends introducing and working on the patterns one at a time and in the following sequence:

• chronological order• enumeration• cause/effect and • comparison/contrast, • problem/solution, • question/answer

• Use short, easy paragraphs and the accompanying teacher created maps or graphic organizers to define, explain and illustrate each structural pattern. Help students discover the common distinguishing features in these examples.

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Text structureChronological/Sequential Order: A main

idea is supported by details that must be in a particular sequence.

Description: A major idea is supported by a list of details or examples.

Comparison/Contrast: This text structure is used to point out similarities and differences between two or more people, places, populations etc.

Cause/Effect: The form of writing used to explain why something happens; how facts or events (causes) leads to other facts or events (effects)

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Text Structure continued…Question/Answer: The form of writing

that poses a question and proceeds to answer it throughout the text.

Problem Solution: A form of writing that describes a problem and presents one or more alternatives or solutions.

Procedural: Giving steps in a process. Persuasive:Convinces the reader to adopt

a given point of view or urges the reader toward some specific action prompted by solid evidence.

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Chronological/Sequential Order

For your thinking and planning:• What is being described in sequence?• Why did a chronological order pattern

emerge?• What are the major steps in this

sequence?• Why is the sequence important?

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Text structure:Chronological/Sequential Order

Text structure: Chronological/Sequential OrderAuthor's Purpose: To teach readers how to make lemonade.Major Idea: The steps in making lemonadeSupporting Details: 1. Cut lemons2. Squeeze lemons3. Remove seeds4. Add sugar and water5. Stir6. Refrigerate

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Graphic OrganizerChronological/Sequential

OrderAuthor’s Purpose:Major Idea:Supporting Details:1.2.3.4.5.Important Vocabulary:Important Text Features:Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Signal Words and Phrases Associated

with Chronological/Sequential Order• first

next then initially before after when finally preceding following

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Sequence Chronology

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Signal Words and Phrases Associated with

Description

*For Example…*Such as…*Most important…*Also…*And to illustrate…

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For your thinking and planning

Comparison/Contrast• What is the author

comparing/contrasting?• Why is the author

comparing/contrasting these things?• Why did the comparison/contrast

structure emerge?Pennsylvania Assessment System

Classroom Connections, 2005

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Signal Words and Phrases Associated with

Comparison/Contrast

• different from same as similar to as opposed to instead of although however compared with as well as either... or

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Graphic Organizer-Compare/Contrast

Text Structure: Comparison/ContrastAuthor's Purpose: To show similarities and differences between baseball and basketball

Supporting Details Major Idea: Baseball Major Idea: Basketball

Attribute 1:Where played

Played on a field Played on a court

Attribute 2:Number on team

9 players on team 5 players on team

Attribute 3:Item used for play

Uses a ball Uses a ball

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Graphic Organizer-Compare/Contrast

Text Structure: Comparison/ContrastAuthor's Purpose:

Supporting Details Major Idea Major Idea

Attribute 1    

Attribute 2    

Attribute 3    

Attribute 4    

Important Vocabulary:    

Important Text Features: Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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For your thinking and planning

Cause and Effect• What is the cause/effect process the

author is describing?• Why did a cause/effect structure emerge?• What is the cause?• What is the effect?

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Signal Words and Phrases Associated with

Cause/Effect• because of

as a result of in order to may be due to effects of therefore consequently for this reason if ... then thus

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

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Graphic Organizer-Cause/Effect

Text Structure: Cause/EffectAuthor's Purpose:

Cause__________________________(Main Idea)

  ______________________________________________________________________________(Supporting Details) Important Vocabulary:Important Text Feature:

Pennsylvania Assessment System Classroom Connections, 2005

Effects______________________________________________________________________________

(Supporting Details)

__________________________(Main Idea)

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Signal Words and Phrases Associated with

Question/Answer*Where*How*What*Who*How many*The best estimate

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Signal Words and Phrases Associated with

Problem/Solution

*So…*One reason for the…*A solution…*A problem…

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Persuasive Writing• Convinces the reader to adopt a given

point of view or urges the reader toward some specific action prompted by solid evidence.

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How to access copies of graphic organizers seen

today?• Go to the UCSD Website

• Log-in with user ID and password

• Go to curriculum web page

• Click on K-12 Language Arts Staff

• Click on non-fiction text structures graphic organizers.