Action Plan
What, How, and When
During my whole group reading instruction I implemented close reading strategies with annotating, notice and note signposts, and text dependent targeted questioning to improve students ability to comprehend literature as they think beyond the text and author’s meaning. Annotating is the process of students marking text to show their thinking and connections they make as they read. Notice and note signposts are a series of six reading strategies including contrast and contradictions, aha moments, tough questions, words of the wiser, again and again, and memory moment to encourage students to ask questions while they read. Text dependent targeted questions focus on students going back into the text to discover what it says while showing evidence to support their answers.
I implemented these strategies teaching one signpost each week, while continuing to practice our close reading, annotating, and text dependent targeted questioning through the whole week. Mondays were reserved for our regularly structured routine in which students learned vocabulary, word analysis, and convention skills. On Tuesdays students practiced their comprehension skill doing a close read that had them annotating the text and using learned notice and note signpost skills to answer comprehension questions. On Wednesdays students read our weekly story and answered text dependent targeted questions in writing. Thursdays students learned a new notice and note signpost skill. Every Friday students were given a weekly test to assess their comprehension of a passage and ability to answer a text dependent question citing evidence and explaining their thinking. These strategies were implemented over a period of roughly two months, from February 5th through March 23rd, 2018. Please see below for the timeline that was followed.
Why these strategies were chosen
The levels of text that students read become increasingly challenging as they progress through school. With each new level, presents new understanding of text and comprehension becomes more complex. Students must be able to comprehend various levels of text and dig deeper into text by thinking beyond it. This is often one of the most challenging parts of reading comprehension as students are expected to infer, make connections, synthesize, and predict by taking information from the text and combining it with their background knowledge. Research on strategies to increase students reading comprehension to increase understanding in areas beyond the text has been done by many reading specialists and researchers. Identified strategies include close reading (incorporating notice and note signposts), annotating text, and text dependent targeted questions. Through implementing these strategies teachers can improve students ability to comprehend increasingly challenging texts and think beyond the text.
How are these strategies differentiated
During instruction strategies are differentiated for students in a variety of ways. Students will read leveled passages in small groups to practice annotating and close reading with notice and note signposts. This will allow students to better comprehend and understand text that is at their reading level. Annotation of text also allows for students to individualize their activity as they may choose annotation notes or points that work best for them. These strategies are best for students because my data showed that many students were reading at different levels. By differentiating these passages students can read at a level appropriate for them. Diverse learning needs will be accounted for directly through incorporating reading, writing, conversation, and listening skills. Students will get hands on experience annotating their text to make connections and interact with what they are reading.
Through this CAPSTONE students will be supported with a positive learning environment. Students will be sitting with a shoulder partner to share connections, annotations, and responses to text dependent questions. Students also have flexible workspace with alternative tables and seating around the edge of the room. This allows students to move and work in small groups during activities. This study also supports responsive practices by considering multiple viewpoints of reading strategies. For example, Sarah Graham, a reading specialist in Bellevue Public Schools, noted that students should not just be dependent on the text for their thinking stating that we “also want students to be able to formulate their own opinions and arguments for and against things, not just regurgitating information back”. While students will use close reading strategies to help answer text dependent questions, this concern is also addressed through students generating their own questions during notice and note signposts and annotating text.
Culturally responsive teaching is also addressed in this capstone through encouraging critical thinking, increase social and environmental discussions, and learning about my students personally. Students are encouraged to think critically while using the notice and note signposts and using evidence to support their text dependent questions while inferring and using new skills. Students are also encouraged to think about the social and environmental awareness of our community annotating relevant text (such as soda companies reducing plastic use and increasing recycling and the impact phone usage is having on schools). I also learn more about my students learning styles and what motivates them through the interview and survey process.
Data Collection Methods
To triangulate my data I used different sources and methods to track my students growth and progress. I first gave students pre assessments to gauge their interest in reading. I chose this data collection because I noticed that many students were previously not engaged or interested in our whole group readings and wanted to see what their interest were. I also collected weekly data through formative tests that students took. These weekly tests addressed our weekly comprehension skill and student's ability to cite evidence from a passage to answer a text dependent question. Summative benchmark tests were also given to track students growth over time. I chose to use these forms of data because they displayed students annotations of a passage and ability to cite and explain evidence while answering beyond the text comprehension questions. They also showed how students were progressing over time as strategies were implemented. Lastly, I collected student data on the annotation strategies students used to close read a text. Recording this data allowed me to see how students were actively reading a text to make new meaning and find evidence from. These data collection methods allowed me to see what text connections students were making and their ability to think beyond a piece of text to gain understanding of its meaning. Through these methods I was able to see what interests students had so that I could select pieces of text, allow assessments to be personalized as students annotate the connections they make, and allow students to read text that meets their reading level and encourage growth.
Student Weekly Test Scores Recording Template Sheet
Student Summative Benchmark Recording Template Sheet
Timeline of Events
