Challenging Elementary School Readers with the SEM-R Dr. Brian Housand East Carolina University
May 16, 2015
Challenging Elementary School Readers with theSEM-R
Dr. Brian HousandEast Carolina University
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http://brianhousand.com
Techie
Researcher
Educator
Gifted
www.gifted.uconn.edu
NRCG/T
The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented
If I were abook character, I would be…
(insert your answer here)
One Size Fits All
Sally ReisJoyful Reading & the
SEM - R
The SEM-R
An enrichment-based reading program that seeks to increase reading achievement for all students while also addressing the pressing needs of talented readers.
Three Goals of SEM-RTo increase enjoyment in readingTo increase enjoyment in reading
To encourage students to pursue challenging independent readingTo encourage students to pursue challenging independent reading
To improve reading fluency, comprehension, and increase reading achievementTo improve reading fluency, comprehension, and increase reading achievement
What do you need to
know to implement the SEM-
R?Write your answer on a post-it…
Be as specific as possible.
aliteracy
noun: the quality or state of being able to read but uninterested in doing so
No Time!
No Time!
No Interest!
No Interest!
No WAY!
No WAY!
The 3 Voices of Aliteracy(Beers, 1996)
"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who
cannot read them.”
-- Mark Twain
Less than1/3
Percent of 13-year olds who are daily readers:
Among 17-year-olds,Percentage of Non-Readers:
19%
If you don’t read much,you really don’t know much.
YOU ARE DANGEROUS!
DANGER
--Jim Trelease
Percentage of Time Spent Reading in School
Study by John Goodlad in A Place Called School
Elementary 6%Middle 3%High 2%
Are kids reading outside of class?
On average,Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost
2 hoursPer day watching TV
7 Minutes
"I didn't actually read the book, but I did play the video game loosely based on it."
Components of the SEM-R Framework
Phase 1 - Exposure Phase 2 - Training & Self-Selected Reading
Phase 3 - Interest & Choice Components
• High-interest books to read aloud
• Higher-order thinking probing questions
• Bookmarks for teachers with questions regarding Bloom's Taxonomy, biography, character, illustrations and other topics relevant to the study of literature
Training and discussions on Supported Independent Reading
Supported Independent Reading
One-on-one teacher conferences on reading strategies and instruction
Bookmarks for students posing higher-order questions regarding character, plot, setting, considering the story, and other useful topics.
Introducing creative thinking
Exploring the Internet Genre studies Literary exploration Responding to books Investigation centers Focus on biographies Buddy reading Books on tape Literature circles Creative or expository writing
Type III investigations
Type I Activities Type II ActivitiesType II & Type III Investigations
I ncreasi n
g d
egree o
f stud
ent s elec ti o
n
Joyful Reading - Pg. 9
Phase 1Exposure - Book Hooks:High interest read alouds and higher order questions
Phase 1 - Exposure
• High-interest book hooks for read aloud
• Higher-order thinking probing questions
• Bookmarks for teachers with questions focusing on advanced thinking skills and reading skill instruction that is relevant to a broad range of literature
Type I Activities
The E’s of Phase 1
Entice with Book Hooks
BOOK
HOOKS
Basic Book HookJacket
Author informationBack coverIllustration
Publication Information
August 24, 2010
Engage by Questioning
Developing a Question
• Help your students see themselves as investigators collecting evidence:–Ask open-ended questions.–Tie answers back to the text.–Modeling is a Must!–Consider creative, offbeat
ideas a bonus.
Exposure to a
Wide Range of Books
‘But though he’s helped me make sense of what’s happened, and has earned my loyalty, the entire business is so extraordinarily secretive and complicated that I’ve long been convinced I will never learn anything about my past.’
Text Level
‘The first place that I can well remember was a large, pleasant meadow. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other, the gate to our mater’s house.’
Text Level
The students have broadened their reading choices due to the fact that they have been introduced to all the genres, and many nonfiction and fiction books, that they may have never picked up.
Table Talk
I know the purpose of the SEM-R is to engage kids in reading appropriately challenging material, but how do I do that within Phase 1 with so many reluctant and remedial readers?
Employ Skills & Strategies
The student, said the teacher, is crazy.
The student said the teacher is crazy.
Complexity of Ideas and Content
‘Before fun was invented, people joined bell-ringing clubs.
As a member at Boston’s Old North Church, Paul spent hours practicing in the belfry tower.’
Complexity of Ideas and Content
‘After sitting atop a virtual bomb and traveling nearly half a million miles; after battling 1202 alarms, low fuel, and frozen fuel slugs; after walking on an airless rock; . . .’
Text Level
Given to the most distinguished children’s informational book published in the preceding year.
‘That year at Perkins had also given Helen a glimpse of her own future. She had learned about another deaf-blind boy named Tommy Stringer. Five-year-old Tommy had lived in a poor house and …’
Text Level
‘But though he’s helped me make sense of what’s happened, and has earned my loyalty, the entire business is so extraordinarily secretive and complicated that I’ve long been convinced I will never learn anything about my past.’
Text Level
‘The first place that I can well remember was a large, pleasant meadow. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other, the gate to our mater’s house.’
Text Level
RESOURCES FOR FINDING BOOKS
Online Book Lists
SEM-R Booklistshttp://www.gifted.uconn.edu/semr
ALA Young Adult Library Serviceshttp://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklists
Nancy Keanehttp://atn-reading-lists.wikispaces.com
http://nancykeane.com/rl/
http://nancykeane.com/rl/
http://nancykeane.com/rl/
Online Book ResourcesShelfarihttp://www.shelfari.com/
Google BooksA Bookshelf Developed by Dr. B. Housand
Shmoophttp://www.shmoop.com
Amazonhttp://www.amazon.com
Explore Connections
Weekly Book Hook Themes
Author Historical Event
(WW2, Hiroshima, Gold Rush, Civil War)StruggleRace Gender IssuesBig Questions (Why hate? Why love?)
See Session on Book Hooks Tomorrow!
The E’s of Phase 1• Entice with Book Hooks• Engage in Questioning with Book Marks• Expose Students to a Wide Range Books• Employ Skills and Strategies• Explore Connections
Table Talk
Every time I introduce a new book during Phase 1, five students seem to want to read it right away! What should I do? What about the students in my subsequent class periods?
Phase 2Supported Independent Reading (SIR) using individual conferences and differentiated reading instruction
Phase 2 - Training & Self-Selected Reading
Training and discussions on Supported Independent Reading
One-on-one teacher conferences on higher level reading strategy and instruction
Bookmarks for students posing higher-order questions regarding character, plot, setting, considering the story, and other useful topics.
Type II Activities
Supported Independent Reading isNOT sustained silent reading
Phase 2 is a time that the students can’t wait for. Being able to sit anywhere in the class, in any position that they want helps them to really dive deep into their reading.
I have seen gains in their fluency, comprehension, as well as word skills.
It is truly amazing.
PHASE TWO GOALS
Students will . . .Enjoy reading books of their own selectionRead appropriately challenging books
(1 to 1.5 above their current reading level)Develop self-regulation skills to enable them to
Read appropriately challenging booksAt least 35-45 minutes each day
Have individualized reading instruction that is tailored to each student’s needs
Enjoy Reading
Enjoyable activities, “are not natural; they demand an effort that initially one is reluctant to make. But once the interaction starts to provide feedback to the person’s skills, it usually begins to be intrinsically rewarding”
— Csikszentmihalyi, 1990
CONFERENCES PROVIDE:
• Support for each student’s needs– Enthusiasm about books– Reading skill development– Interest-based reading opportunities– Self-regulation/monitoring– Increasing ability to focus
CONFERENCES PROVIDE:
• Opportunity to assess reading level and book match
• Thoughtful conversations about literature
• Opportunities to use higher order thinking skill questions
CONFERENCES PROVIDE:
• Differentiation for all students in – Skills– Questions– Book Selection for OPTIMAL CHALLENGE!
What do we do with Amanda?
Every time I conference with Amanda she is reading the same simple book. However, she’s a really talented reader who deserves to be challenged!
Table TalkTable Talk
In the beginning my kids looked at me as if I had two heads when I took the books away from them and told them that they were reading a book that was too easy for them.
~ Treatment Teacher
Having them read out of their comfort zone (current reading level or lower) has proven to stretch their minds in ways that have amazed me. They have learned how to select books that are a challenge to them, and devour them, to only quickly get another that is on their reading list.
Common Conference Elements: Beginning
Element Teacher Action
Greeting Welcome student and establish positive rapport
Monitor reading habits Check reading log and book choice
Determine book match and reading needs
Assess student’s oral reading with chosen text
Element Teacher Action
Monitor comprehensionAsk questions, prompt thinking, and engage student in conversation about book
Identify applicable reading strategies
Provide reading strategy instruction and scaffold student’s strategy use
Attend to word-level needs Support decoding and vocabulary knowledge
Common Conference Elements: Core
Element Teacher Action
Engender positive feelings Praise student’s reading effort
Support reading independence
Help the student set reading goals
(Sweeny, 2008)
Common Conference Elements: Conclusion
DEVELOPING CONFERENCING SKILLS:
• Maintaining brevity and efficiency• Differentiating questions and
strategies• Ensuring self-regulation in the rest
of the class• Determining documentation that
works for you
SIR Conference Rubric Student Name: _________________________________________________________ Date: __________________ Teacher: ___________________
ALWAYS
USUALLY
RARELY
NEVER
Student uses the reading process effectively. Uses strategies to determine meaning & increase vocabulary: context clues
3
2
1
0
The student constructs meaning from a wide range of texts. Determines main idea/details, sequence events. Identifies authorÕs purpose. Recognizes use of compare & contrast
3
2
1
0
The student understands the common features of literary forms. Understands the development of plot. Knows the similarities & differences among characters, settings, and events.
3
2
1
0
The student responds critically to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, & drama. Student identifies cause and effect relationships in literary text.
3
2
1
0
TOTAL SCORE: ______/12
12-11= A 10- 9= B 8-7= C 6-4= D 3-below= F Area(s) of Concern (circle): LA.A.1.2.3- context clues LA.A.2.2.1- main idea, details LA.A.2.2.1- sequence
LA.E.1.2.2- plot LA.A.2.2.2- authorÕs purpose LA.A.2.2.7- compare & contrast LA.A.2.2.8 & LA.A.2.2.5- graphic sources
LA.E.1.2.3- characters LA.E.2.2.1- cause & effect
Comments:
(Henegar 2005)
I’m concerned about my talented readers. Many have the ability to read at a college level, but I’m worried about adult content and fielding calls from alarmed parents. What can I do to avoid pitfalls and still find challenging, interestingbooks for my students?
Table TalkTable Talk
Findings related to self-regulation in and task commitment in reading
—Horace Mann
Resolve to edge in a little reading every day, if it is
but a single sentence.
If you gain fifteen minutes a day, it will make itself
felt at the end of the year.
- You must have a book to read.
- If you aren’t enjoying a book and
have given it a fair chance (at least 10
pages!) ask someone to help you
choose a new one.
- Remain in your reading area during
SIR.
SIR RulesSIR Rules
- Do your best reading the whole time.
- Only reading is happening.
- Books must be appropriately
challenging.
Student keeping a record
Student tracking progress
Student assessment of goal attainment
Higher order thinking & metacognitive strategy use
Student reflection on reading
Student participation in assessment and review
Explicit strategy instruction
Purpose for reading and goal setting
Efficacy building via specific feedback
Supporting Self-Regulation
• Suns and Clouds• Teacher moving around the classroom• Have students use post-its when they
have a question about a word• Students who are really struggling:
– Personal timer (10 minutes)– Listen to books on CD– Get up, get a drink, stretch
I chose to go to them for the conferences to help make them feel more comfortable, and keep them in their reading mode with the least interruption.
I know I need to differentiate my reading conferences, but I am also trying to get all my students to focus on theme as a literary element right now. Can I ask everybody the same questions, or do I need to come up with different questions for every student?
Table TalkTable Talk
Differentiated Reading Conferences
• The conversation: Structure, Content, & Tone
• Responses of students• Strategies used by
teachers
Individualizing and Differentiating Conferences
It is important to remember that not all students will need the same strategy instruction at the very same time, but that all students need some instruction if they are reading a book that is adequately challenging. For that reason, be sure that strategy instruction is integrated throughout conferences and differentiated to meet the needs of individual students.
READING STRATEGIESMaking
ConnectionsMaking
ConnectionsMaking
Connections
Determining Importance
Determining Importance
Determining Importance
Questioning Questioning Questioning
Visualizing Visualizing/Sensory Images
Visualizing & Inferring
Making Inferences
Making Inferences
Summarizing Synthesizing Synthesizing
Metacognition
Paris, 2004 Keene & Zimmerman, 1997 Harvey & Goudvis, 2000
STRATEGIES AND AREAS OF FOCUSCategory Strategy/Focus Area
Comprehension
Background knowledge, compare/contrast, inferring, main idea, metacognition, predicting, questioning, sequencing, summarizing, visualizing
Connections Text-to-text, text-to-self, text-to-world
Higher-level thinking Analysis, evaluation, judgment, synthesis
Text characteristics Genres, Narrative elements, Non-narrative elements
Literary elements Author’s craft, theme
Word-level instruction
Decoding, fluency, pace, rereading, skimming, skipping, syllabication, vocabulary
Habits & attitudeAffective response, autonomy, habits, locating evidence in text, previewing selection, setting purpose
Book selection Appropriate, easy, difficult, purpose for selection
I am able to stretch their minds with the higher level questions that I used in every conference. I absolutely love the bookmarks, and placed them on rings to use.
The one on one five minute conferences are the best way for me to monitor each child’s unique learning needs, and be able to use strategies individually for each student that benefits them the most.
The five minutes with each one has been a favorite time for my students, and many times I have had to cut them off.
“We do not need to burn
books to kill our civilization;
we need only to leave them
unread for a generation.”
—R. M. Hutchins
Phase Three:An Exploration of Reading Enrichment
“We need students to get more deeply interested in things, more involved in them, more engaged in
wanting to know, to have projects that they can get excited about and work on over long periods of time,
to be stimulated to find things out on their own.”
Interest and Rigor Lead To Creative Productivity
There can be more than one answer to
a question and more than one solution to
a problem.http://goo.gl/jXex - Elliot Eisner
Phase 1 Phase 3Phase 2
10 Minutes
40 Minutes
20 Minutes
20 Minutes
30 Minutes
10 Minutes
5Minutes
30 Minutes
???
WEEKLY60 minutes
Multiple Centers OR
Focused Investigation
Some Options for Phase 3
Implementation
DAILY15 - 20 minutes1 center per day
Small chunks of time
BI-WEEKLY30 minutes
Twice a Week
2 Centers per day
The Illusion of Choice
Start small (2-3 choices) Organize supportive environment
Interest Development Centers Pre-planned Creativity Activities CD Listening/Reading Center
Set clear performance standards; perceived by students as attainable
We are educating people out of their
creativity.
Creativity is as important in education
as literacy.
Sir Ken Robinson
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
+What’s Going
On?
What are your current classroom practices?
How are you using centers?
Do you provide choice in activities?
+
5 Fabulous Ideas
4 Your Phase 3
Today’s FiveFlickr Writing PromptsEbooks OnlineCreativity ActivitiesScavenger HuntsLit Trips
Gimme Five!
Book Bags…
Modern Day Books…
eBooks
http://www.icdlbooks.org/
http://books.google.com
http://kids.nypl.org/reading/Childrensebooks.cfm
http://etext.library.adelaide.edu.au/
+Torrance Creativity Activity
+
New Directions in Creativity
http
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n-w
ith-w
ord
s.com
/re
bus_p
uzzle
s.htm
l
Almanac Scavenger Hunt
How fast does the fastest roller coaster in the world travel?
What creatures have shells made of glass?
Who invented the pedaled bicycle in 1839?
What is the largest insect in the world?
TEACH HOW TO SEARCH AND VERIFY INFORMATION
The M
any A
dventu
res o
f Ben
Franklin
Connecting Phase 1 to Phase 3
Independent Projects
• Build on student interest• Encourage independence• Allow work with complex and abstract ideas• Enable long-term and in-depth work on
topics of interest• Develop task commitment and self-
regulation• Teach planning and research skills at
advanced levels
The commitment to their chosen activity was definitely seen through the dedication that took place.
“In a completely rational society, the best of us would aspire to be teachers and the rest of us would have to settle for something less, because passing civilization along from one generation to the next ought to be the highest honor and the highest responsibility anyone could have.”
-Lee Iacocca
Be prepared to let go.
Questions?
We read to know we’re
not alone.
—C. S. Lewis
A rising tide lifts all ships…
The core of the SEM-R, The Schoolwide Enrichment Model, is designed to increase enrichment opportunities and achievement by providing differentiated instruction for all students.