Comprehension Focus Group:A Responsive and Engaging Literacy Intervention

for Middle School Students

Jill Johnson and Melissa Whitmore

Comprehensive 4K-12 Literacy Institute ~ July 19, 2017

Session Description

Literacy intervention at the middle school level must be responsive to student academic and motivational needs. Participants at this session will be provided with lesson plan and video examples of how two teachers aligned the Comprehension Focus Group (CFG) to student needs. Student achievement data will be shared as evidence of success!

Obtain resources and helpful tips to start your CFG journey

Identify the components of CFG

Learner Outcomes

Understand the purpose of CFG

4

3

21

Acquire a roadmap to implementing CFG in a middle school setting

Purpose of CFG

● Foundation of the intervention to reverse reading failure

● Teaching for transfer● The importance of reading and writing together

working together to lift (or support) comprehension● Cognitive apprenticeship/gradual release of

responsibility (I do, We do, You do)

Logistics

● 6-9+ weeks per unit● 30 minutes daily● Focused unit that includes strategy, content area and

theme● Predictable framework with established routines● Ongoing assessments● Writing Logs

Where do you start?

● Who the intervention is intended for/how to identify students

● Assessment tools

How we started...DATA

Student Date QRI/IRI STAR G.E. STAR %

XXXX 9/2016 2nd gr 3.8 7

0000 9/2016 3rd gr 4.8 17

KKKK 9/2016 2nd gr 4.1 9

MMMM 9/2016 4th gr 3.2 4

RRRR 9/2016 4th gr 6.4 30

SSSS 9/2016 3rd gr 4.7 10

Components ofComprehension

Focus Groups

1. Preparing for Reading

■ Assess prior knowledge■ Build background knowledge■ Mentor text that supports your

theme/text-structure/strategy (high level text)■ Building vocabulary

2. Reading Phase 1

■ Target specific skills/strategies needed with mini-lessons

■ Gradual release of responsibility■ Vocabulary■ Assessment (reflective/responsive teaching)■ Conferring (TDC pg 84-85): The teacher meets

individual reading needs through 1:1 conferences

3. Reading Phase 2

■ Discussion Groups (TDC pg 83-84, 87)■ respond to reading through writing:

● text-map● the teacher gives students a precision

prompt to focus their thoughts for writing in their response logs

● assessment (level of understanding)

4. Preparing for Writing

■ Assessment-what do they know■ The writing process■ Writing structure (relate back to mentor

text)/text-maps■ Modeling the writing process (I do/we

do-apprenticeship)■ Conferring

5. Writing Phase

■ Use mini-lessons to give strategies■ Student write using the writing process■ Reflection/assessment about writing strategies

and understanding of the strategy■ Conferencing

Sample Unit

Unit Overview

● Motivation● Selection of materials● Know what your end

goal is

Preparing for Writing Phase& Writing Phase

● You have to know what the end product is going to be so that you know how to get there

● Graphic organizers● Writing wheel/writing process● It’s not about the final product, it’s

about the process (example)Text map: page 2 Lesson Plans: 27-30

Preparing for Reading Phase

● Resources: being sensitive to the stigma of middle school

● Strategies/Responsive frame of mind● Literature: Use grade level text● Activity

TemplateLesson plans: 5-15

Reading Phase 1& Reading Phase 2

Reading Phase 1● Mini-lessons● Explicit teaching and

structure/practice● Formative assessment

Lesson plan: 16-26

Reading Phase 2

● LDG’s (TDC pg 87)● Setting guidelines/expectations● Responsive teaching● Response Logs/Struggle with

organization

Lesson plan: 16-26

DATA...our results

StudentSeptember

2016QRI/IRI

January 2017

QRI/IRI

May2017

QRI/IRIGOAL

XXXX 2nd gr 4th gr 5th gr 5th gr

0000 3rd gr 6th gr 7th gr 6th gr

KKKK 2nd gr 5th gr 5th gr 5th gr

MMMM 4th gr 6th gr 6th gr 7th gr

RRRR 4th gr 6th gr 7th gr 7th gr

SSSS 3rd gr 8th gr 8th gr 6th gr

Resources

Q & A

http://www.wisconsinpclcenter.org/