English Language Arts Curriculum Guide - Boston Public Schools
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English Language Arts Curriculum Guide August 2012 1 Developed by Boston Public Schools Department of Literacy
Transcript of English Language Arts Curriculum Guide - Boston Public Schools
English Language Arts Curriculum Guide August 2012
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Developed by Boston Public Schools Department of Literacy
Table of Contents
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Shifts in Instructional Practice 3 Essential Components of Reading Instruction 5 Supporting All Students with Tiered Intervention 10 ELL Supports 14 Texts for Instruction 16 Close Reading 17 Text Dependent Questions 20 Academic Vocabulary 23 Assessment 25 Bibliography/Suggested Reading 27
Shifts in Instructional Practice
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3 Shifts in the Massachusetts Curriculum Framework
Build Content Knowledge using Non-‐fiction and Informational Text
The standards address reading and writing across the
curriculum that complement the content of history/social
studies, science and technical subjects, thus offering new
grounding in informational text and placing a premium
on students building knowledge from that reading
Regular Practice with Complex Texts and Academic Vocabulary
Rather than focusing solely on the skills of reading and
writing, the standards highlight the growing complexity
of the texts students must read to be ready for the
demands of college and careers. The standards build a
staircase of text complexity so that all students are
ready for the demands of college- and career-level
reading no later than the end of high school. Closely
related to text complexity—and inextricably connected to
reading comprehension—is a focus on academic
vocabulary: words that appear in a variety of content
areas (such as ignite and commit).
Reading and Writing Grounded in Evidence from Text
Shifting away from an emphasis on narrative writing (in
response to de-contextualized prompts), the standards
place a premium on students writing to sources, i.e.,
using evidence from texts to present careful analyses,
well-defended claims, and clear information. Rather than
asking students questions they can answer from their
prior knowledge or experience, the standards expect
students to answer questions that depend on their
having actually read the text.
Likewise, the reading standards focus on students’ ability
to read closely and grasp information, arguments, ideas
and details based on text evidence. Students should be
able to answer a range of text-dependent questions,
questions in which the answers require no information
from outside the text, but instead require inferences
based on careful attention to the text.
Changes in Instructional Practice The 2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework shifts the focus of our instruction to build
content knowledge, academic vocabulary and use the text to cite evidence during discussion
and writing.
High Quality Instruction to
Access Complex Text Past Practice
• Provide routine practice with complex text for ALL
students
• Read 50% informational text
• Ask mostly text dependent questions
• Illicit evidence based analyses
• Build academic vocabulary
• Re-‐read complex text
• Integrate reading strategies during close reading
practice to analyze the text
• Provide pre-‐mediation for struggling readers by
scaffolding complex text
• Leveled texts provided as the
only text for struggling readers
• Focus on narrative text
• Focus on text to self
connections
• Main selection used as read
aloud
• Focus on literary terminology
• Dependence on personal
issues
• Emphasis on pre-‐reading and
background knowledge
• Just remediation
Essential Components of Reading Instruction
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Gradual Release of Responsibility The teacher must build student independence gradually. This begins with explicit modeling and instruction. The students should begin to take on more responsibility by referencing materials
Teacher Student I do it Direct Instruction
• Provides direct instruction • Establishes goals and
purposes • Models • Think Aloud
• Actively listens • Takes notes • Asks for clarification
We do it Guided Instruction
• Interactive instruction • Works with students • Checks, prompts, clues • Provides additional
modeling • Meets with needs-based
groups
• Asks and responds to questions
• Works with teacher and classmates
• Completes process alongside others
You do it independently Independent Practice
• Provides feedback • Evaluates • Determines level of
understanding
• Works alone • Relies on notes,
activities, classroom learning to complete assignment
• Takes full responsibility for outcome
You do it together Collaborative Learning
• Moves among groups • Clarifies confusion • Provides support
• Works with classmates, shares outcome
Concept and Oral Language Development: Instruction in Reading Street is organized around concepts or themes. Concepts allow students to apply reading and writing skills while learning more about big ideas. Reading Street is organized around six unit themes that emphasize science and social studies concepts. Each theme is framed by a question. Each week and day in the unit is framed by a question that connects to the unit theme. Oral Language Development: Reading instruction builds on oral language. Children’s vocabulary and range of knowledge about the world form the basis for comprehending text. Thoughtful discussion, read-alouds, and direct instruction of oral vocabulary and academic language help children expand their concept knowledge and vocabulary.
ELL Poster: Use with all
students to build
vocabulary and concept
knowledge
Paired Selection:
Develop concept
knowledge with another
genre
Concept Literacy
Reader: Used in
addition to leveled
readers to build concept
knowledge
Question of
the Week +
Question of
the Day:
Develop
concept web
Main Selection: Develop
concept knowledge
Leveled Reader: Use
leveled text to provide
concept knowledge
Read Aloud: Build
concept knowledge and
concept vocabulary
Unit Themes
Unit Concept
Question
Weekly
Concept
Question
Daily
Concept
Question
The Five Essential Components of Reading All reading instruction must focus on the five key components of reading instruction. Fluent decoding is a requirement for strong comprehension. Good readers integrate reading strategies to comprehend complex text. All students must have access to strong core reading instruction that includes the five components of reading. Once students master phonics and phonemic awareness instruction will focus on deepening comprehension, maintaining fluency and increasing academic vocabulary. Routines for teaching each component of reading are found in the Reading Street Teacher’s Edition (TE) and Guide on the Side.
Comprehension:
Comprehension is the ultimate goal of all reading instruction. Instruction in comprehension strategies and skills should follow the gradual release of responsibility model. Using the close reading practice, students will integrate reading strategies to access complex text. At the end of the school year, students should be able to independently read complex, grade level text as designated for their grade band. Strategy/Skill Instruction: Reading instruction includes explicit instruction in reading strategies and skills. This is an opportunity for teachers to make the reading process visible for students. Students will focus on individual reading strategies with scaffolding to lead to independent application of the skills and strategies.
Close Reading Lessons: Close reading is a practice to provide access to complex, grade level text to all students. During close reading students integrate their knowledge of reading skills and strategies to apply the skills to complex text. The multi-day lessons provide an opportunity for students to have multiple exposures to a
text. While re-reading a text the teacher will use text dependent questions to focus on vocabulary, syntax, turning points and events of the text. Students will use evidence-based responses to decipher the big idea, as well as the nuances of the text.
Vocabulary: Direct instruction in vocabulary will increase vocabulary learning and comprehension. Vocabulary instruction should involve a breadth of information about the words and engage students in thinking about and using them in multiple contexts. In addition to developing oral vocabulary connected to the theme, Reading Street also focuses on direct instruction in lesson vocabulary from the main selection and instruction in vocabulary strategies. Lesson vocabulary is introduced prior to reading the main selection. Vocabulary strategies include using context clues and knowledge of word structures.
Word Work/Phonics: Word work involves the development of phonological and phonemic awareness, understanding of the systematic relationships between letters
and sounds, strategies for blending sounds and word parts to decode words, and strategies for reading non-decodable high frequency words. Phonological Awareness • the ability to recognize and manipulate words, syllables,
onsets and rimes, and phonemes
• Phonemic awareness, one kind of phonological awareness,
includes the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate
phonemes in words
Phonics • the relationship between the symbols of written language
and the sounds of spoken language
High Frequency Words
• Words that appear most frequently in our written language
• Many high frequency words are decodable. Others have
irregular spellings that do not follow phonics
generalizations.
Fluency: Adequate progress in learning to read depends on sufficient practice in reading to achieve fluency with different texts. Students develop fluency through practice with a wide variety of texts at their instructional and independent level. Fluent readers read accurately, with appropriate pace, rate, and expression, and comprehend and interpret texts.
“Fluency is important because it exerts an important influence on comprehension; that is, to experience good comprehension the reader must be able to identify words quickly and easily.” S. Jay Samuels
Supporting All Students with Tiered Interventions
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A 3-‐Tier Reading Model
A 3-‐Tier Reading Model is designed to meet the instructional needs of struggling readers. It is
aimed at preventing reading difficulties in young children and helping to alleviate reading
problems in older students. A 3-‐Tier Reading Model consists of:
• Tier I: Core Classroom Instruction
• Tier II: Supplemental Instruction
• Tier III: Instruction for Intensive Intervention
A 3-Tier Reading Model is composed of elements that are grounded in research on effective practices. Research supports the importance of reading instruction that is systematic and explicit in the following areas:
• Phonemic awareness • Phonics • Fluency • Comprehension • Vocabulary
Tier I: Core Instruction Tier I instruction is provided to all students using scientifically-based reading instruction and a core program that emphasizes the five critical elements in reading. Benchmark testing of students is done at least three times a year to determine instructional needs. Students are
Tier I All Students Core Instruction
Tier I All Students Core Instruction
Tier II
Struggling Students
In addition to core
Tier III
Struggling Students
In addition to core
grouped flexibly and instruction is differentiated to meet the needs of all learners: students who read above level, on level, and below level. Core Reading Instruction Includes Differentiation Reading Street provides the components for Tier I instruction. It is important for teachers to differentiate instruction within the core in order to meet the needs of all students, as determined by assessments. Each teacher’s edition provides suggestions for teachers to provide differentiated instruction and to monitor student progress and provide corrective feedback. Following are supports in the core for differentiation: Where can I find support for struggling readers? • The Small Group Plan for Differentiated Instruction (found after the
Weekly Plan) • The Leveled Readers tab and Differentiated Instruction tab (contain
lessons for small group instruction) • Side boxes for Strategic Intervention, Advanced, and ELL (left side of
page in TE) • Monitor Progress boxes in the TE (provide if/then suggestions) • Differentiated Assessments: Read the Sentences (on Day 5)
Tier II: Additional Support for Students at
Moderate Risk (In addition to core instruction) Tier II is small-group supplemental instruction in addition to the time allotted for core reading instruction. Tier II includes programs, strategies, and procedures designed and employed to supplement, enhance, and support Tier I. It is usually 20-30 minutes per day in addition to core instruction. Tier II instruction should start as soon as possible after students have been identified through benchmark testing. A round of Tier II instruction lasts 10
Tier II
Struggling Students
(Small group 4-‐6)
In addition to core
instruction
to 12 weeks after which a decision is made about the student’s instructional needs.
Tier III: Support for Most At-Risk Students (in addition to core instruction) Tier III is specifically designed and customized one-on-one or small group instruction that is extended beyond the time allocated for Tier I and II instruction. Tier III is for the most at-risk students. Instruction is provided using a scientifically-based intervention program that is matched to a student’s needs. (Based on a presentation by Sharon Vaughn for the MA DOE in June 2004)
Strategic Literacy Plan: Reading Structures and Routines
UNIVERSAL
SCREENING
Fall, Winter, Spring
mCLASS: DIBELS (K2-Grade 3) and TRC (K2-Grade 2)
Reading Street Baseline Assessment; ATI Galileo Assessments; SRI or
other Lexile Test (Grades 3-5)
Tier I Instruction
Instructional
Focus
Core reading instruction should be data-driven, differentiated, and incorporate
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles. It should focus on the following
areas:
o Oral language and concept development
o Building content knowledge
o Phonemic awareness, phonics/decoding, vocabulary, fluency, and
comprehension
o A focus on close reading of complex texts
o A 50%-50% balance of narrative and informational text
Tier III
Struggling Students
1:1 to 1:3 teacher ratio
In additon to the core
Tier II Instruction
Instructional
Focus
Tier II instruction should supplement and never replace core differentiated
instruction. The instructional emphasis should be on those skills students need,
as identified by screening measures and progress monitoring. Tier II
interventions usually take place in small groups (1:4 is optimal; 1:8 is
maximum) 2-3 days per week.
Examples of
Tier II
Interventions
Following are examples of Tier II interventions. (See ELA Curriculum Guides for
more information on these interventions.)
o PALS
o Lexia Learning System
o Great Leaps
o Repeated Readings
o Read Naturally
Tier III Instruction
Instructional
Focus
Tier III instruction should also supplement and never replace core differentiated
instruction. It is intended for those students who are most at risk for reading
failure. The instructional emphasis should be on those skills students need, as
identified by screening measures and progress monitoring. Tier III interventions
should be scientifically-based and provide explicit, systematic instruction. Tier
III instruction should be delivered 1:1 or in small groups (1:3 is optimal). It
should take place 4-5 days per week and be administered by a highly qualified
teacher.
Examples of
Tier III
Interventions
Following are examples of Tier III interventions. (See ELA Curriculum Guides
for more information on these interventions.)
o My Sidewalks
o Reading Recovery
o Soar to Success
o Sonday System I and II
o Wilson Reading and Wilson Just Words
o Project Read
Progress
Monitoring
Once/month for strategic students; twice/month for intensive students
mCLASS: DIBELS (K2-Grade 3) and TRC (K2-Grade 2)
Reading Street End-of-Unit Assessments; ATI Galileo Assessments
(Grades 3-5)
See Guide for Supporting Struggling Readers additional information.
English Language Learners
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Support for English Language Learners in Reading Street Reading Street integrates targeted instructional practices into each week’s core lesson plan so that the needs of English language learners (ELL) may be met seamlessly and efficiently. This daily, integrated set of strategies and support is based on Dr. Jim Cummins’s three pillars of English language learning:
o Activate prior knowledge /Build knowledge
o Access content o Extend language.
Icons embedded within the margins of each lesson give teachers multiple ways to activate and build background that are specific to English language learners’ needs and style of learning. Accessing content support gives English language learners full access to content by scaffolding learning with visuals, dramatization, language clarifications, and personal and cultural connections while the language extension activities provide strategies to explore language by focusing on meaning, form, and usage.
Reading Street provides a set of tools to help English language learners accelerate their learning based on intensive and explicit comprehension and vocabulary instruction:
ELL Teaching Guide – Each week this guide provides a quick reference
to the daily ELL materials for intensive, small group instruction. This guide contains support for the weekly targeted comprehension skill, vocabulary activities and word cards, multilingual summaries for each of the main selections in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Hmong, as well as an easier-to-read version in English, and scaffolded lessons for every ELL reader. Reproducible study guides foster comprehension and provide writing and take-home activities.
ELL Posters – These posters support the lesson concept and key vocabulary every week. Daily oral language activities are based on the same three pillars of English language learning as is found in the core teacher guide and provide tiered activities.
ELL and Transition Handbook – This handbook includes research articles and ELL best practices for professional development as well as language proficiency activities, phonics and grammar lessons, home language activities, and ongoing assessment tools for monitoring progress in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Ten Important Sentences – This is a way to help English language learners build comprehension and sentence power. Ten key sentences are presented for every main selection to help ELL understand key events, main idea and details, and patterns.
ELL Readers – These readers are written for children who require additional comprehension and vocabulary practice. Each reader supports the lesson concept by building additional background and vocabulary for the week’s story. Each ELL reader provides direct and explicit support for Cummins’s three pillars. Each reader is also connected to the target skill of the week.
ELD Readers – These readers provide the same function as the ELL readers but with easier-to- read and less dense text each week. The ELD reader content has been rewritten to allow beginning and early intermediate English language learners successful access to the text.
Texts Used for Instruction
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Text Purpose
Reading Street Leveled Readers: • Advanced (A) • On-‐level (OL) • Below Level (BL)
Build or develop concept knowledge, comprehension, vocabulary, fluency, and weekly skill and strategy
Reading Street Concept Literacy Reader (easier than the BL Leveled Reader)
Builds background in concept and develops vocabulary with opportunity for skill and strategy practice; students should also have access to grade level text as well (for students who need this support)
Reading Street ELL Reader Builds background, develop foundational vocabulary, and connect to the skill of the week; students should also have access to grade level text as well (for ELLs and students who need language development)
Reading Street ELD Reader (easier than the ELL Reader; same title)
Builds background, develops foundational vocabulary, and connects to the skill of the week; students should also have access to grade level text as well (for beginning and early intermediate ELLs)
Reading Street Decodable Reader Provide practice in each week’s phonics skills and high
frequency words (only for students who need this practice)
Reading Street Main Selection Develops comprehension, concept knowledge, and vocabulary for all
students; delivery of instruction varies
Reading Street Paired Selection Develops comprehension, concept knowledge, and vocabulary for all students; delivery of instruction varies
Guided Reading Leveled Texts Develop comprehension and word solving strategies using
instructional level texts
Texts for Independent Reading (from classroom library)
Provide opportunities for students to engage in reading texts of interest to them and at their independent reading level
Close Reading
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Close Reading Defined
Close reading is the methodical investigation of a complex text through answering text
dependent questions geared to demystify its meaning. This approach levels the playing field for
all students as it does not privilege background knowledge in determining content while
simultaneously preparing them for the kinds of questions posed in college and careers. Close
reading directs students to examine the text itself through a series of activities that focus
student learning on the meanings of individual words and sentences as well as the
development of events and ideas. The choice of complex texts ensures that students will be
able to extract evidence as well as make inferences that logically follow in response to text
dependent questions that they can then assemble into written analyses and oral presentations.
Ultimately, close reading motivates students to read inquisitively and discover the beauty and
insight within the text they are considering that makes it worthy of reading multiple times
carefully.
Key Elements of Close Reading Instruction
Close reading stresses the following essential instructional priorities:
a. Focuses multiple readings on those portions of a text that pose the biggest challenge
to comprehension so as to build student capacity, confidence, and stamina
b. Asks text dependent questions and assigns tasks that are neither
overly general or schematic, but rather direct students to carefully
analyze the text in front of them for evidence
c. Offers sequenced questions that build on each other to ensure
that students follow the line of argument in the text while
remaining actively engaged with what they read
d. Poses not only questions about specific ideas within the text but also asks students
to make inferences based on evidence beyond what is explicitly stated
e. Helps students become aware of nuances in word meaning as well as acquire
knowledge of general academic vocabulary to aid in understanding a wide range of
complex texts
f. Requires that students synthesize and present both orally and in writing ideas and
information drawn from the text in an organized fashion to demonstrate
understanding.
Close Reading and Background Knowledge
The close reading approach gives priority to the role of the text in constructing an
understanding of it. When done well, close reading uncovers the text as a rich source of
knowledge; providing background knowledge before students read denies them the
opportunity to develop this essential skill. While close reading does not rule out the use of
background knowledge, it raises the crucial questions of when to access information outside of
the text and what information to utilize. During a close reading model students should first
grapple with the text itself, and only if students need additional information for the purpose of
explicitly understanding the text itself should it be accessed.
On the close reading model students should begin with a manageable portion of the text so as
not to overwhelm them. They should be guided in determining what is confusing or unclear,
and taught how to use the text to answer as many of those questions as they can. Once the text
has been read and examined carefully, students can direct their attention to integrating
relevant prior knowledge to assess how the text expands or challenges what they know. If
questions still remain after a full discussion of the text, additional knowledge can be provided
that is specifically directed at clarifying the meaning of the text so as to keep it as the central
focus. Background knowledge therefore does not replace or supersede the text, but buttresses
student understanding after they have examined the text itself.
How Close Reading Supports English Language Learners
The close reading model provides instructional support to ELL students in a variety of ways:
• Offers scaffolding in an ongoing way by asking text dependent questions throughout
the text.
• Provides opportunities for students to develop fluency through rereading and
following along when text is read aloud.
• Targets a key element in strengthening reading comprehension through its focus on
vocabulary
• Supports weaker readers and encourages participation by privileging the text itself
instead of prior knowledge.
• Informs students of the text characteristics that challenge comprehension and
provides text-‐based contextual strategies for grappling with these.
• Equips students with the skills need to understand unscaffolded text encountered
on assessments and in college and career environments.
Effective ELL support results in the reader encountering the text on its own terms. When
students encounter difficulty comprehending the text, support should explicitly direct students
to re-‐read challenging portions of the text and address answer additional questions that help
focus the student’s attention on key phrases and statements in the text or on the organization
of ideas in the paragraph. Scaffolding and support should not become a simpler source of
information for students either by translating the text contents or preemptively announcing
what will be learned—thereby diminishing the need to read the text itself carefully. Instead,
scaffolding that directly and consistently solicits understanding and addresses confusion
through close reading has been shown to be the most direct path to developing proficient
independent readers.
Academic Vocabulary
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Creating Text Dependent Questions for Close Analytic Reading
Text Dependent Questions: What Are They?
The Common Core State Standards for reading strongly focus on students gathering evidence,
knowledge, and insight from what they read. In fact eighty to ninety percent of the Reading
Standards in each grade require text dependent analysis; accordingly, aligned curriculum
materials should have a similar percentage of text dependent questions.
As the name suggests, a text dependent question specifically asks a question that can only be
answered by referring explicitly back to the text being read. It does not rely on any particular
background information extraneous to the text nor depend on students having other
experiences or knowledge; instead it privileges the text itself and what students can extract
from what is before them.
For example, in a close analytic reading of Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address,” the following would
not be text dependent questions:
• Why did the North fight the civil war?
• Have you ever been to a funeral or gravesite?
• Lincoln says that the nation is dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created
equal.” Why is equality an important value to promote?
The overarching problem with these questions is that they require no familiarity at all with
Lincoln’s speech in order to answer them. Responding to these sorts of questions instead
requires students to go outside the text. Such questions can be tempting to ask because they
are likely to get students talking, but they take students away from considering the actual point
Lincoln is making. They seek to elicit a personal or general response that relies on individual
experience and opinion, and answering them will not move students closer to understanding
the text of the “Gettysburg Address.”
Good text dependent questions will often linger over specific phrases and sentences to ensure
careful comprehension of the text—they help students see something worthwhile that they
would not have seen on a more cursory reading. Typical text dependent questions ask students
to perform one or more of the following tasks:
• Analyze paragraphs on a sentence by sentence basis and sentences on a word by
word basis to determine the role played by individual paragraphs, sentences,
phrases, or words
• Investigate how meaning can be altered by changing key words and why an author
may have chosen one word over another
• Probe each argument in persuasive text, each idea in informational text, each key
detail in literary text, and observe how these build to a whole
• Examine how shifts in the direction of an argument or explanation are achieved and
the impact of those shifts
• Question why authors choose to begin and end when they do
• Note and assess patterns of writing and what they achieve
• Consider what the text leaves uncertain or unstated
Creating Text-‐Dependent Questions for Close Analytic Reading of Texts
An effective set of text dependent questions delves systematically into a text to guide students
in extracting the key meanings or ideas found there. They typically begin by exploring specific
words, details, and arguments and then moves on to examine the impact of those specifics on
the text as a whole. Along the way they target academic vocabulary and specific sentence
structures as critical focus points for gaining comprehension.
While there is no set process for generating a complete and coherent body of text dependent
questions for a text, the following process is a good guide that can serve to generate a core
series of questions for close reading of any given text.
Step One: Identify the Core Understandings and Key Ideas of the Text
As in any good reverse engineering or “backwards design” process, teachers should start by
identifying the key insights they want students to understand from the text—keeping one eye
on the major points being made is crucial for fashioning an overarching set of successful
questions and critical for creating an appropriate culminating assignment.
Step Two: Start Small to Build Confidence
The opening questions should be ones that help orientate students to the text and be
sufficiently specific enough for them to answer so that they gain confidence to tackle more
difficult questions later on.
Step Three: Target Vocabulary and Text Structure
Locate key text structures and the most powerful academic words in the text that are
connected to the key ideas and understandings, and craft questions that illuminate these
connections.
Step Four: Tackle Tough Sections Head-‐on
Find the sections of the text that will present the greatest difficulty and craft questions that
support students in mastering these sections (these could be sections with difficult syntax,
particularly dense information, and tricky transitions or places that offer a variety of possible
inferences).
Step Five: Create Coherent Sequences of Text Dependent Questions
The sequence of questions should not be random but should build toward more coherent
understanding and analysis to ensure that students learn to stay focused on the text to bring
them to a gradual understanding of its meaning.
Step Six: Identify the Standards That Are Being Addressed
Take stock of what standards are being addressed in the series of questions and decide if any
other standards are suited to being a focus for this text (forming additional questions that
exercise those standards).
Step Seven: Create the Culminating Task/Assessment
Develop a culminating activity around the key ideas or understandings identified earlier that
reflects
(a) mastery of one or more of the standards
(b) involves writing
(c) is structured to be completed by students independently
Academic Vocabulary and the CCSS
Academic Vocabulary Defined
Vocabulary can broadly be divided into three categories, or tiers, based upon the characteristics
of the words in question and the stages at which children learn such words. Initially, children
grasp Tier 1 words from oral conversation. These are the basic and concrete words of everyday
speech like walk, said, and car. At the opposite end of the spectrum are discipline and domain
specific words students acquire when studying particular subject matter. These Tier 3 words—
like oligarchy, photosynthesis, and carburetor—are highly specialized vocabulary used to
describe content knowledge. Their low occurrence rate typically leads to them being explicitly
defined by the teacher or the text itself (e.g. “Jim Crow laws were segregation statues that
ensured white supremacy”). Between everyday Tier 1 words and content specific Tier 3 words
lay general academic vocabulary known as Tier 2 words. These precise and yet more abstract
words like saunter, boasted, and vehicle largely stem from written sources. Because of their
generality and frequent appearance across content areas—as well as their rich representational
quality, multiple meanings (depending on context), and connection to other words—these Tier
2 words have high utility, and should be the focus of academic vocabulary instruction. Despite
these features, they are seldom defined or scaffolded within texts.
Key Elements of Academic Vocabulary
Academic vocabulary has been shown to be a critical element in reading comprehension and
academic achievement, yet the lack of frequent and systematic instruction with academic
vocabulary as its focus is a primary cause of the achievement gap. Helping students build a rich
understanding of words is therefore crucial, and students must be exposed to and taught such
words in multiple contexts: through direct instruction as well as in context through discussion,
reading and/or being read to, and responding to what they hear or read. Teachers thus need to
be alert to the presence of Tier 2 words and carefully make professional judgments about which
words to devote instructional time to learning. Many of these words can be learned by helping
students pay close attention to context. Teachers should use their professional judgment to
determine whether or not there is sufficient support in the text for determining meaning.
Checklist for Selecting Academic Vocabulary for Close Reading Instruction
Typically there are many Tier 2 words in a sample text, which necessitates that teachers must
choose from among them which to concentrate on. Since academic vocabulary supports close
reading, words should be selected for closer investigation specifically when they meet one or
more of the following criteria:
Does the word significantly impact the meaning of the text (e.g. shape plot, mood or
point of view)?
Does it illustrate nuance in an author’s choice of words (e.g. admitted versus
confessed)?
Will it help students be more precise in describing ideas and concepts that they
understand?
Does the word have strong general utility (i.e. will students likely to see the word appear often in other texts?)
Does the word belong to a high-‐utility semantic word family (e.g. base, basic,
basically)
Is understanding the word necessary to avoid confusion or guide understanding? Does it connect to other words, ideas, or experiences that the students know or
have been learning?
Will it be of use to students in their own writing (including when writing in response
to the text)?
Are there multiple meanings based on context that would point to a higher
frequency of use (e.g., Texas was admitted to the union, he admitted his errors,
admission was too expensive)?
Assessment
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Overview of Reading Street Assessments
Assessment Purpose Format Audience Frequency
Baseline Test
Identifies students on, below, and above level in order to group for instruction
Multiple choice Whole group or individual administration
Beginning of year
Fresh Reads for Differentiated Test Practice
Provides opportunities to practice the target and review comprehension skills in on level, below level, or above level texts
Multiple choice and constructed-‐response questions
Small groups Weekly
Grades 1-‐2
Unit 3 Benchmark
Tests (Midyear)
Assess unit target and review comprehension skills, vocabulary strategies, high-‐ frequency words, and phonics skills
Multiple choice and constructed-‐ response questions
Whole group At end of each unit
Grades 1-‐2
End-‐of-‐Year Benchmark Test
Assesses unit target and review comprehension skills, vocabulary strategies, high-‐ frequency words, and phonics skills
Multiple choice and constructed-‐ response questions
Whole group End of year
District Wide Assessments:
Classroom and School-based Assessments
Do you want a more frequent inquiry cycle than the one supported by the district-‐wide
assessments? ATI’s Galileo platform allows teachers to create their own assessments to
measure the standards and skills that are the focus of instruction in shorter cycles than the
district mandated assessments.
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Bibliography & Suggested Reading
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Bibliography and Suggested Reading Angelillo, J. (2003). Writing about reading: From book talk to literary essays, grades 3-‐8. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Allen, J. (2007). Inside Words: tools for teaching academic vocabulary grades 4-‐12. York, ME: Stenhouse.
Beck, I.L., McKeown, M.G. & Kucan, L. (2002). Bringing Words to Life. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Cappellini,M (2005). Balancing Reading and Language Learning: A resource for teaching English language
learners, K-‐5. York, ME: Stenhouse.
Freeman, D.E. & Freeman, Y.S (2000). Teaching Reading in Multilingual Classrooms. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.
Fountas, I.C. & Pinnell, G.S. (2001). Guiding readers and writers grades 3-‐6. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Fountas, I. & Pinnell, G.S. (2006). Leveled Books (K-‐8): matching texts to readers for effective teaching.
Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Fisher, D., N. Frey, and Lapp, D. (2012). Text Complexity: Raising Rigor in Reading. Newark, DE: International
Reading Association
Fisher, D., N. Frey, and Lapp, D. (2012). Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives. Bloomington, IN: Solution
Tree Press.
Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2007). Strategies That Work, Second Edition. York, ME: Stenhouse.
Fountas, I. and Pinnell, G. (2006). Teaching for comprehension and fluency: Thinking, talking, and writing
about reading, K-‐8. Portsmouth, NH:Heinemann.
Miller, D. (2002). Reading with meaning: Teaching comprehension in the primary grades. Portland, ME:
Stenhouse Publishers.
Nagy, W.E., (2003). Teaching Vocabulary to Improve Reading Comprehension. Newark, DE: International
Reading Association.
Nichols, M. (2006). Comprehension through conversation: The power of purposeful talk in the reading
workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Rasinski, T. (2003). The Fluent Reader. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Zimmerman, S. & Keene, E.O. (2007). Mosaic of Thought, Second Edition. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Internet Resources
BPS Curriculum and Instruction, Office of ELA and Literacy http://bpscurriculumandinstruction.weebly.com/index.html
Follow us on Twitter for instant notification of updates to the site:
@BenRussell_BPS
Common Core Resources
Common Core Standards www.corestandards.org/the-‐standards/english-‐language-‐arts-‐standards
CCSS, Appendix A www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_A.pdf (Glossary of Terms)
CCSS, Appendix B www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf (Text Exemplars)
CCSS, Appendix C www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_C.pdf (Writing Samples)
Engage NY www.engageny.org
Achieve the Core www.achievethecore.org
Reading Instruction Resources
Florida Center for Reading Research www.fcrr.org
Center on Instruction www.centeroninstruction.org
Free Reading http://freereading.net
Pearson Success Net www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
Reading Street Tutorials www.mypearsontraining.com
Response to Intervention www.rti4success.org
Mrs. Waltke’s Literacy Page http://classroom.jc-‐schools.net/waltkek/ What Works Clearninghouse www.ies.ed.gov/nc
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