Thinking-Intensive Learning: Close Reading and Viewing for Understanding
The only way we can get information out of complex text is we have to be more strategic.
Comprehension at the Core
- The more complex the text, the more complex the thinking must be
- The tougher the text, the more strategic the reader must be
We teach kids to use strategies so they can hurdle the background knowledge gap. We don't teach strategies for strategies' sake. We don't need to make a kid the best connector in the the room.
"We teach kids to think so they can acquire and use knowledge"
Kids can only turn information into knowledge by thinking about it. We can't do that thinking for them.
Must-Reads:
We can't teach kids to think. Kids are born thinking. We can teach them to be aware of their thinking.
Strategies for Active Reading:
- Monitor comprehension
- Activate and connect to background knowledge
- Ask questions
- Infer and visualize meaning
- Determine importance
- Summarize and synthesize
How is Lexile measured?
- Length of sentence
- Number of syllables in a word
- Amount of repeated frequency of words that are unfamiliar
Not involved: Interest!
Don't rely to heavily upon Lexile. Use it as a guide!
Lexile = 940:
Harry Potter
The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway (People use this book for their Ph.D. dissertation)
*What makes The Old Man and the Sea complex is what is NOT written
Henry and Mudge: Lexile 460
Sarah Plain and Tall: Lexile 430
*Company saw the study, so they went back and changed Henry and Mudge (Mudge was repeated over and over and over, so computer marked at 460
Use levels as a guide, but do not be a slave to this level. There are some things that human teachers do better, and this is one of them. Use your best judgement!
Don't be a slave to it!
What is Text Complexity?
Our kids need to be thinking intensive readers, thinking intensive listeners and thinking intensive viewers.
- To understand complicated ideas, complex issues, multi-faceted problems and to turn information into knowledge, readers need:
- to think about what they know to understand new info
- to think inferentially to figure out meaning in the absence of explicit information
Infer from images, features, words, actions, figurative language and text.
Inferring is the strategy that allows us to get over a background knowledge gap.
Instead of considering level, kids must consider:
Economic Implications
Cultural Implications
Political Implications
Religious Implications
Historical Implications
Practical Implications
Incredibly Complex Text we need to focus more on: Infographics
There is so much missing from an infographic like this. You need to bring SO MUCH to it to make meaning. This is what we will be reading more and more of.
.JPG) |
| There is so much work to be done with two sentences! |
Must Read:
The Art of Slow Reading by Tom Newkirk
The Art of Slow Reading by Tom Newkirk
Simple Problems vs. Complex Problems
Simple Problems
- Think aloud and share a simple problem you have had and explain that a simple problem is easily solved.
- Have kids turn and talk about a simple problem they have had or heard about. Have them share out a few of these simple problems.
- Create a two column anchor chart of simple problems and complex problems
- Jot some of the simple problems they come up with on the anchor chart.
Do the same thing with a complex problem
- Create charts together-What makes problems simple or complex
Don't underestimate the power of simplicity!
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