Instruction
1. Identify Text Structure Elements
Text Structures
Narrative |
Expository |
- Tell stories that usually follow a familiar story structure.
- Usually include the following story elements:
- Characters
- Setting
- Problems
- Solutions
- Theme
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- Informational books
- Contain structures that can differ from one text to another and within a single passage (e.g., compare-contrast, description).
- Help students understand content area textbooks.
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An Example of Narrative Text Structure
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In August, Henry and Henry's big dog Mudge always went camping. They went with Henry's parents.
Henry's mother had been a Camp Fire Girl, so she knew all about camping. She knew how to set up a tent. She knew how to build a campfire. She knew how to cook camp food.
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Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night by Cynthia Rylant (1998, see References) |
An Example of Expository or Informational Text
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Common Types of Expository or Informational Texts:
- Descriptive
- Sequence
- Cause/Effect
- Problem/Solution
- Compare/Contrast
- Enumerative
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Narrative and Expository Texts
Listening to and reading both types of texts helps students:
- Comprehend a variety of written materials.
- Build and extend background knowledge about a variety of topics.
- Develop vocabulary.
- Make connections to real life experiences.
- Learn how different texts are organized and written.
- Distinguish between different genre.
How to Teach Text Structure: Design Considerations
Conspicuous Strategies
- Teacher actions should model how to identify a text structure element in a story or informational text.
- Example: After reading the first two paragraphs of Stuart Little, the teacher says: "They are telling me about a baby that looks like a mouse. His name is Stuart. That's also the title of this book. I think Stuart is the main character."
- Teacher actions should also model how to periodically pause during reading and summarize the known text structure elements.
- Example: "I know that Stuart has a mom, a dad, and a brother George, and they live near a park in New York City. So, I know the characters and the setting in this story."
Mediated Scaffolding
- Teach each text structure element thoroughly before integrating them with previously learned elements.
- Teach simple text structures (beginning, middle, end) in kindergarten.
- Progress to more complex text structures (main character, setting, problem, solution) in first through third grade.
- Once students demonstrate understanding of narrative text structure, introduce simple expository text structures.
- Use text structure maps and think sheets to assist student in mapping the critical elements of narrative and expository texts.
Story Maps
2. Literal, Inferential, and Evaluative Question Answering
- Literal questions have responses that are directly stated in the text.
- Inferential questions have responses that are indirectly stated, induced, or require other information.
- Evaluative questions require the reader to formulate a response based on their opinion.
Literal, Inferential, or Evaluative?
Puppies are very small when they are born. They cannot see until they are about two weeks old. During this time, they stay very close to their mothers.
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- What are puppies like when they are born?
- Are puppies born blind?
- Why do they stay close to their mothers?
- Would you like to have a puppy?
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Teaching Literal Question Answering: Design Considerations
Conspicuous Strategies
- Teacher actions should model how to respond to a literal comprehension question.
- Example: After reading the first section of Stuart Little, the teacher says: "What are Stuart's parents' names? Their names are Mr. and Mrs. Little."
Stuart Little by E. B. White (1973, see References)
Mediated Scaffolding
- Begin with literal questions that are directly stated (verbatim) in the passage.
- Ask the question immediately after the information is given.
- Design questions directly stated but not verbatim.
- Increase interval between where the information is given and when the question is asked (end of paragraph, end of story).
Teaching Inferential Question Answering: Design Considerations
Conspicuous Strategies
- Teacher actions should model explicitly how to respond to inferential comprehension questions.
- Example: After reading the first two chapters of Stuart Little, the teacher asks: "How did Stuart's size help his family? His size is helpful because he is able to do lots of things only a mouse could do."
Mediated Scaffolding
- Design questions that cannot be answered with verbatim responses and/or use pronoun referents.
- Design inferential questions indirectly stated in the passage.
- Design inferential questions that can be induced from relationships not directly stated.
- Design questions in which other knowledge (not provided in the passage) is required to respond.
Teaching Evaluative Question Answering: Design Considerations
Conspicuous Strategies
- Teacher actions should model explicitly how to respond to evaluative comprehension questions using opinion.
- Example: After reading the first paragraph of Chapter 3 in Stuart Little, the teacher says: "Stuart likes to be the first one up in the morning. Do you like to be the first one up in the morning in your house?"
Mediated Scaffolding
- Begin with questions that elicit an opinion from students without requiring additional knowledge.
- Progress to questions that require students to integrate information from the passage with their knowledge and experience to develop an opinion.
- Increase interval between where the information is given and question is asked.
3. Retelling Stories and Main Ideas
- Proficient readers periodically summarize text as they read, monitoring their understanding of the passage.
- Teaching children to retell occurrences in a story or the main ideas of informational text helps them become more accurate in summarizing and monitoring their understanding.
Teaching Retelling: Design Considerations
Conspicuous Strategies
- Teacher actions should model explicitly how to identify the main idea of a text passage.
- Example: After reading a paragraph from Stuart Little, the teacher says: "What was happening in this paragraph? Because Stuart is small, he helped his mom get her ring out of the drain."
Mediated Scaffolding
- In the early stages (K-1), limit the amount of text to one or two sentences. Progress to more lengthy text passages by having students "tell what they've read about so far."
- If students are unable to summarize a paragraph accurately, reread the passage.
- Initially, focus on accuracy of retelling. Progress to asking students to limit their retells to the most important information.