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I’ll never forget the first time I taught students to unpack the information in a video clip. It was in a classroom studying ecosystems. I found the perfect clip. Two minutes! The content answered our essential questions. It was fantastic! Yeah, right 🙁 Videos are dense with info We can say a lot in just …Read more
A few weeks ago I was in a conference with a student reading a book about the sea lizard. When he came to a word he didn’t know, he mumbled the word and kept going. Do you have students that do this? These students are self-monitoring but they lack fix-up strategies. They know when they …Read more
“The spider’s jaws open and close like a pair of pliers” (Simon, 2007). Isn’t that an amazing image to think of? It really helps the reader think about how this spider’s jaw works, right? Comparisons are commonly used by authors of nonfiction to help young readers understand tricky concepts. BUT do our students notice and …Read more
Figuring out how to keep students engaged in learning until the last minute on the last day of school? I know you have lots of tricks in your back pocket. Just want to put in a good word for immersing your students in “free reading” of high-interest nonfiction. Below I’ve shared some tips and a …Read more
Do your students struggle to compose sentences about nonfiction topics that make sense or sound right? Do they lack structure at the sentence and paragraph level? Here’s a few tricks I’ve been trying with small groups of late-early and transitional stage readers. Generate key words As part of a conversation generate key words they will …Read more
If students are reading multiple texts on a topic and taking notes on each of those sources, I require that (or strongly suggest) they write notes in phrases–just enough words to help them remember what they learned or what the author was saying or the student’s response to information. In most cases, I strongly encourage …Read more
Can your students explain what their main idea statement means? Is a superficial understanding or misunderstanding of the main idea impacting their ability to identify or explain supporting details? We may need to give students space & time to unpack the main idea. What follows are a few suggestions for helping students unpack a main …Read more
How do we help students have back-and-forth conversations about nonfiction that build understanding? Conversations that include continually returning to their notes and the text to think about what to say next? Demonstrate with a Student-Partner Other moves I make with my conversation partner… And so forth. Critical Moves during the Demonstration Lean in to Coach …Read more
A few weeks ago I visited a fifth grade class of students who’d done some amazing work researching Native American groups. They were planning to meet in groups to compare/contrast the tribes they’d researched. Before they began their discussion, the teacher, Kelli, and I led a quick discussion–we banned the use of the words “same” …Read more
I offer a three-phase guide to teaching students how to effectively engage with informational sources such as texts, videos, and infographics. Phase 1 involves introducing the source, Phase 2 focuses on teaching strategies for understanding, and Phase 3 requires students to create a response, enhancing comprehension.