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InferringThe Heartbeat of Comprehension K 6The Heartbeat of Comprehension, K‐6
Pat Johnson and Katie KeierReading Recovery Conference
February, 2011
One Child at a Time: Making the Most of Your Time withOne Child at a Time: Making the Most of Your Time with Struggling Readers, K‐6, Pat Johnson
www.stenhouse.com
C t hi R d B f Th F ll S ti R d WhCatching Readers Before They Fall: Supporting Readers Who Struggle, Johnson & Keier
In this session we will make two iassumptions:
• that we are all on the same wavelength whenthat we are all on the same wavelength when understanding reading process
• that we all understand effective teaching as• that we all understand effective teaching as explicit modeling and gradual release of responsibilityresponsibility
Adapted from Schulman, Guided Reading in Grades 3-6
Pinnell & Fountas Guiding Readers & Writers 3-6Pinnell & Fountas, Guiding Readers & Writers, 3-6
Johnson, One Child at a Time
ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS
Word Level Text Level
End Goal: Readers self‐initiate strategies
d b h iand behaviors
Explicit Modeling and Gradual Release f R ibiliof Responsibility
1 2 3 4
I do I do You do You do
You watch You help I help I watchYou watch You help I help I watch
Wilhelm, Baker, Dube
Strategic Reading
Dorn & Soffos
Shaping Literate Minds
Regie Routman
Reading EssentialsShaping Literate Minds
Modeling
Coaching
Reading Essentials
Demonstration
Shared Demonstration
Scaffolding
Fading
Guided Practice
Independent Practice
Pat Johnson
O Child t Ti
Fountas & Pinnell
G idi R d & W it 3 6One Child at a Time
Modeling
Scaffolding
Guiding Readers & Writers, 3-6
Show
SupportScaffolding
Prompting
Backing Off
pp
Prompt
Reinforceg
ReinforcingObserve
Questions for this session:Questions for this session:
• What is inferring?What is inferring?
• Do students have to be able to define the term? Or say when they are using thisterm? Or say when they are using this strategy?
H d h• How do we teach
students to infer?
Poetry: Mother to SonWell, son, I'll tell you:Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.It's had tacks in it,And splinters,And boards torn up,And places with no carpet on the floor—Bare.But all the time I'se been a‐climbin' on,And reachin' landin's,And turnin' corners,A d ti i ' i th d kAnd sometimes goin' in the darkWhere there ain't been no light.So, boy, don't you turn back.Don't you set down on the stepsDon t you set down on the steps.'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.Don't you fall now—For I'se still goin', honey,I'se still climbin',For I se still goin , honey,I se still climbin ,And life for me ain't been no crystal stair
Langston Hughes
Readers who infer “go beyond the literal meaning of a text to derive what is not there but is implied.”
Fountas & Pinnell, 2001, p. 317
Wh d i f th “ d t d fill iWhen readers infer they “round out and fill in what the author has written, giving the piece
l t t d ki it h l fa personal texture and making it whole from their own perspectives.”
Owocki, 2003, p. 46
“Inferring is thinking in your head to help g g y pyou understand, when the story doesn’t let you in on it ”let you in on it.
Colin, first grader
Miller, 2002, p. 117
InferringInferring
Session activity:
• Work with 1‐2 partners
• Brainstorm a list of when readers might• Brainstorm a list of when readers might
use inferring
• Take about 4‐5 minutes
• Share out as a whole group
What kind of things might readers g ghave to infer when they read?
What kind of things might readers g ghave to infer when they read?
Setting, problem, narratorPredictionsCharacter’s personalityCharacter s personalityFeelings or thoughts of the charactersThemeSubtle humorFigurative language, sarcasm, ironyThe author’s meaning message or point of viewThe author s meaning, message, or point of viewA poem’s meaning, metaphorsMeanings of unknown vocabulary wordsg y
St d t d t l t i f tStudents need to learn to infer at:
Th d l l• The word level
h l l• The text or story level
• Beyond the text level
Inferring, reading between the lines, is something students already know how to do:g y
The children put on their jackets mittensThe children put on their jackets, mittens, and scarves, and headed out to play in ththe snow.
“Clean your room this instant or else!”Clean your room this instant or else! Jesse’s mom told her firmly and then l d th dslammed the door.
Adapted from Schulman, Guided Reading in Grades 3-6p g
Pinnell & Fountas, Guiding Readers & Writers, 3-6
Johnson, One Child at a Time
Can we teach one strategy at a time?
Keene & Zimmerman say, “turn up the volume”
Dorn & Soffos say, “spotlight”y, p g
Fountas & Pinnell warn “heavy‐ handed”Fountas & Pinnell warn, heavy handed
Remember the goal is to integrate the use of allRemember the goal is to integrate the use of all the strategies.
The difference between spotlighting and heavy‐handed teaching depends on:
How you introduce the strategy.
Whether or not you give time and opportunity f t d t t /f l th t t kifor students to see/feel the strategy working for them.
Spotlighting
• Begin with a desire to make
Heavy‐handed Teaching
• Name and define theBegin with a desire to make meaning of a particular text
• Explain how the strategy
Name and define the strategy
• Teach the strategy for helps you make meaning as you model
• Do together; discuss how it
strategy sake
• Students practice the strategy at the request ofDo together; discuss how it
helps them (or not)
• Students take over and self‐
strategy at the request of the teacher
• No gradual release to initiate independence
Forget‐Me‐Notby Ralph Fletcher
l f flI left one flower
on Grandma’s coffin:
a forget‐me‐not
as if I couldas if I could.
With just one coin, Itumbble
outoutfrom a round glass worldthrough a silversspout
When Riddles Come Rumbling: Poems to PonderBy Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Who is the narrator of this passage?
“When danger dares to cross my path, I stretch my majestic twelve‐foot height, thrash my y j g yfearsome four‐inch claws, and roar a sharp‐toothed growl backed by every ounce of my one thousand pounds. But I don’t do it often.”
Books where children need to infer i f dmeanings of words:
• The Toy Brother by William SteigThe Toy Brother by William Steig
• Nocturne by Jane Yolen
ll b l h l h• Hello, Harvest Moon by Ralph Fletcher
• Rotten Richie and the Ultimate Dare
by Patricia Polacco
• Non‐fiction texts with bold print vocabularyNon fiction texts with bold print vocabulary
Predicting at the text level:
• Z was Zapped by Chris Van Allsburg
k b ik• My Lucky Day by Keiko Kasza
• Stephanie’s Ponytail by Robert Munsch
Turn to a partner and tell about a goodTurn to a partner and tell about a good
prediction point in a read aloud text that you
h d lhave used recently.
Books with surprise endings:Books with surprise endings:
• Probuditi! by Chris Van AllsburgProbuditi! by Chris Van Allsburg
• Any Chris Van Allsburg book
lf’ C i b lk• Wolf’s Coming by Joe Kulka
• Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch
Character’s personality:Character s personality:
Ch t ’ W b K i H k• Chester’s Way by Kevin Henkes
• Brave Irene by William Steig
• Every Living Thing by Cynthia Rylant
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamilloBecause of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
T ll t b t h t ’ lit iTell a partner about a character’s personality in a book you recently read.
Subtle Humor:Subtle Humor:
• Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin
b f O l ff• I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff
• The Table Where Rich People Sit
by Byrd Baylor
Can you think of a chapter book that you have read aloud or done with a group that hasread aloud or done with a group that has some subtle humor?
Author’s perspective:
• When Wild Animals Become Pets
• School Uniforms
• Fast Food Restaurants• Fast Food Restaurants
• Magazine articles
Character’s perspective:
• Great Joy! by Kate DiCamillo
• Voices in the Park by Anthony Browne
• Seedfolks by Paul FleischmanSeedfolks by Paul Fleischman
• Zoo by Anthony Browne
Phrases, metaphors, figurative language:Phrases, metaphors, figurative language:
• Turtle reference in Because of Winn DixieTurtle reference in Because of Winn Dixie
• The Quiet Book, by Deborah Underwood
S d i Sl b i• A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutt Aston
• An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Hutt Aston
• Big Orange Splot
by Daniel Pinkwaterby Daniel Pinkwater
Change in the character:Change in the character:
• The Quiltmaker’s GiftThe Quiltmaker s Gift
by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail DeMarcher
“S h i” f i i hi• “Spaghetti” from Every Living Thing
by Cynthia Rylant
• Love that Dog by Sharon Creech
• The Giver by Lois LowryThe Giver by Lois Lowry
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by
K DiC illKate DiCamillo
ooks where readers dig deeper to find a theme:ooks where readers dig deeper to find a theme:
Wretched Stone by Chris Van Allsburgy gThe Araboolies of Liberty Street by Sam Swope
and Barry Root“Slower than the Rest” from Every Living Thing
by Cynthia RylantCrow Boy by Taro YashimaWringer by Jerry Spinelli
an you think of a picture book with a theme?
ferring with Crow Boy:g y
What can you infer about the main character? Was yhe poor? What was his home life like? Did he have learning problems? h f b h l hWhat can you infer about his classmates or his
teachers?What do you think the author is trying to tell us? IsWhat do you think the author is trying to tell us? Is there a message in Crow Boy?
There is some demand for inferenceThere is some demand for inference n every level of text, and we can ntentionally foster growth of this kind f strategic action in our teaching.”g g
Fountas & Pinnell2006 p 562006, p. 56
The purpose of a mini‐lesson is to ‘teach the reader.’ Your goal t h l hild thi k lik d ”to help children think like readers.”
The goal is not naming a strategy but applyingThe goal is not naming a strategy, but applying it to the reading of text.”
Keep the language grounded in good texts soKeep the language grounded in good texts so that students understand that their goal is to understand and notice more rather than tounderstand and notice more rather than to ‘do’ a strategy.”
Fountas & PinnellFountas & Pinnell
Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency, p. 353
Meaning doesn’t arrive because we haveMeaning doesn t arrive because we have highlighted text or used sticky notes or written the right words on a comprehensionthe right words on a comprehension worksheet. Meaning arrives because we purposefully engaged in thinking while wepurposefully engaged in thinking while we read.”
Tovani 2004 p 9Tovani, 2004, p. 9Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?
losure/Think about:losure/Think about:
Start earlyStart early
Set the tone; value original inferential thought
b k f i i d l d hUse books for interactive read alouds that lend themselves to inferring
Nudge its use; sometimes merely saying “hmmm”
Use the books you already have
Look for non‐fiction opportunities tooLook for non fiction opportunities too
ach participant will give his/her last word:ach participant will give his/her last word:
Mention one thing that you are walking awayMention one thing that you are walking away with from today’s session or something you want to think more aboutwant to think more about
OR
T ll b hi h l iTell about one thing that you plan to try out in your classroom.
