Digging Into Informational Texts Lora Drum Curriculum Specialist Catawba County Schools Lora_Drum@catawbasc hools.net.

Digging Into Informational Texts

Lora Drum Curriculum Specialist Catawba County Schools

[email protected]

Digging In…

Icebreaker Activity 1. Dig into your purse,

bookbag, lunch bag, wallet, pocket, notebook, etc. and find examples of informational texts

2. Choose one to share with the group- try to select the most unusual or interesting example

3. Share examples with whole group

Make It Real: Strategies for Success with Informational Text -Hoyt

What kinds of informational texts have you read in the past 24 hours?

Digging a little deeper…

As adults, 86% of what we read is informational

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Use the term “informational text,” Use the term “informational text,” rather than “non-fiction,” with students rather than “non-fiction,” with students ……

““Informational text” communicates more Informational text” communicates more clearly the purpose of the text: clearly the purpose of the text: to gain to gain information, rather than to be entertainedinformation, rather than to be entertained..

Also, saying “non-fiction” tells what Also, saying “non-fiction” tells what

it is NOT, rather than what it it is NOT, rather than what it isis..

Fairy Tales

Realistic tales

Trickster tales

Pourquoi ta les

Cum ulative tales

Epics

Legends

Fables

M yths

Tall tales

TraditionalFolktales

Science Fiction

Fantasy

Fantasy

Historical Fiction

Realistic Fiction

R ealism

F ic tion

Recreation

M athem atics

Science

Arts

Language

Health

Social Studies/Issues

Informational

M em oir

Autobiography

FictionalizedBiography

AuthenticBiography

B iography

N on-F ic tion

L it er at ur e

Why Include Informational Text?

“ If we include more informational text in early schooling, we put children in a better position to handle the reading and writing demands of their later schooling. We would like to see a day when children “read to learn” and “learn to read” from the earliest days of schools and throughout their school careers.”

- Nell Duke

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Reading Development is Reading Development is Genre Specific Specific

“The research of Nell Duke, Michigan State University, suggests that we understand that reading development is genre specific. Reading fiction will not necessarily help you be better at reading a cookbook, directions, or a computer manual.”

Common Core State StandardsShift: focus on more informational

texts

• By grade 4: 50/50 balance• Grades 6-12: 70 informational/30 literary

“In the Information Age the importance of being able to read and write informational texts critically and well cannot be overstated. Informational literacy is central to success, and even survival, in schooling, the workplace and the community.”

-Nell Duke, Michigan State University

What do we know about the 21st Century World ?

95% of daily reading and writing will be devoted to non-fiction or informational materials and tasks

Over 1.9 billion readers and writers are now on the Internet; 96% of the sites on are expository in form

Futurists predict that by 2020 the amount of information will double every 73 days

Only .01 percent of that information will be printed information

"How Much Information." School of Management & Systems. 2000. Regents of the University of California. 13 March, 2004.

Strategy: I Remember!• Encourage students to listen carefully

as you read.• Tell them they need to remember

something that they think is interesting or important.

• Tell them that each time you stop reading they will share “I Remember” information with their partner.

• Students learn that recalling facts and information is different than keeping track of a story line in fiction..

Ten Strategies for Building Comprehension of Informational Text

1. Have a clear vision of effective comprehension of informational text.

2. Increase exposure to and instructional time with informational text.

3. Start early to lay a foundation for learning from text.

4. Provide many opportunities to read and be read to.

5. Explicitly teach strategies for reading and comprehending informational texts.

6. Model strategies for reading IT.

7. Foster rich talk with and about informational text.

8. Make reading-writing connections with informational text.

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

10. Promote use of informational text for authentic purposes as much as possible.

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Model use of text and layout Model use of text and layout featuresfeaturesTitleTitle Captions near picturesCaptions near picturesTable of ContentsTable of Contents Labels on picturesLabels on picturesPhotographsPhotographs Different kinds of print (bold, Different kinds of print (bold,

italic)italic)DrawingsDrawings Drawings that compare thingsDrawings that compare thingsListsLists DiagramsDiagramsDescriptionsDescriptions Cross-section drawingsCross-section drawingsDirectionsDirections GlossaryGlossaryHeadingsHeadings Questions/answersQuestions/answersIndexIndex BulletsBulletsChartsCharts Info about the author’s researchInfo about the author’s researchMapsMaps InsetsInsets

Physical Text FeaturesText

organizers• Index • Preface • Table of

contents • Glossary • Appendix • Bibliography• Footnote• Photo Credit

Fonts and effectsTitles HeadingsSubheadings Boldface print Italics Bullets Captions Color, SizeLabelsFont Style

Illustrations and PhotographsIllustrations IconsPhotographs Visual Layout

GraphicsDiagrams Cutaways Cross sections Overlays Tables Graphs Charts Word bubbles Timelines DistributionMaps Flow Charts

©Angela Maiers, 2008

©Angela Maiers, 2008

tail

mouth

©Angela Maiers, 2008

©Angela Maiers, 2008

©Angela Maiers, 2008

©Angela Maiers, 2008

Strategy: Say Something!

This works the same as “I Remember!” except that students begin making connections to the text and discussing those connections. The discussion gets much broader than a simple retell or restatement of facts.

“Text-Wiseness”

Teaching students how to recognize and represent the organizational

patterns commonly used by authors can significantly influence students’

learning and comprehension.

Palinstar, Ogle, Carr, 97

Nonfiction Text Structures

• Description• Compare/Contrast• Cause and Effect• Chronology/Sequence• Procedural• Persuasive• Question/Answer• Problem/Solution

Signal Words Point the Way…

Text Structure & Signal Words

Description/ Hierarchical List

Cause & Effect

Compare/Contrast

Problem/Solution

Question &Answer

Sequence

For instanceFor exampleFurthermore

Such asAlso

To begin withMost important

AlsoIn fact

In additionAnd to

illustrate

SinceBecause

This led toOn account of

Due toAs a result of

For this reasonConsequentially

Then…so…Therefore

thus

In like mannerLikewiseSimilar to

The difference between

As opposed toAfter allHoweverAnd yet

ButNeverthelessOn the other

hand

One reason for the…

A solutionA problem

WhereThe question isOne answer is

Recommendations include

HowWhenWhatNextWhyWho

How manyThe best estimate

It could be thatOne may conclude

UntilBeforeAfter

FinallyLastly

First…last…Now…thenOn (date)At (time)

First, secondMeanwhile

Not long afterInitially

Purpose: The Reason for WritingAuthors purpose is defined as the reason authors write.

Authors write for different purposes. To Persuade Author’s Purpose PIE To Inform To Entertain

To Explain

It's important for readers to recognize purpose. 

WE MUST Get Them To Think About the Writer!

Text Features Powerpoint

Glogster

A few suggestions worth digging into…

Text Mapping

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So what do we do now? Ways to Increase Comprehension of Informational Text

• Increase availability of informational text.• Increase exposure to informational text.• Increase instructional time with informational text.• Increase explicit teaching of comprehension strategies,

along with lots of opportunities for guided and independent practice.

• Increase attention to the unique features of informational text.

• Ensure that informational text is used for authentic purposes as much as possible.

-Nell Duke, 2005

Recipe for Informational Literacy

by Linda Hoyt

Measure 2 cups of curiosityAdd I caring teacherStir gently with interesting

informationAllow to steep in student-generated

questionsBlend in time to read and time to writeSprinkle generously with think alouds,

reading strategies, and craft lessons for informational writing

Add a dash of hands-on experienceMix thoroughly with small-group

instruction and assessmentWhisk in a rich mix of tools for gaining

meaningSimmer in an atmosphere where

information is celebrated all daySpread over a lifetime of reading and

writing

Questions/Comments:

Contact [email protected]

Powerpointhttp://tinyurl.com/bl4hptm