Increasing Academic Success Textbook Reading Strategies for Engaging your Students

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Increasing Academic SuccessTextbook Reading
Strategies for Engaging your Students

• How can I help my students become more successful
  readers of academic material?
• Presented by Janet Bagwell and Irene Renault
  Spring 2009

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Saddleback College Students Reading Placements

• Nelson-Denny Students placed into Reading
  classes
• No Plcmt 340
  180 Eng 170
• 2005 -- 9.8 36.9 41.1 12.2
• 2006 10.4 37.5 40.4 11.8
• 2007 8.1 37.2 41.8 12.9

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Reading Level of Textbooks

• Human Anatomy textbook grade level 15.3 16.7
• Physiology textbook grade level 15.6 16.3
• Psychology textbook grade level 14.6 16.7
• Business Communication textbook grade
  level 13.3 14.3
• Automotive Service textbook grade level
  11.3 13.5
• Sociology textbook grade level
  13.6 14.5

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A Mismatch!

• Almost 50 of our students test below 10th grade
  reading level
• Approximately 65 of our students do not
  have college-level writing skills
• But
• They are asked to read and respond to
  textbooks written at reading
  levels far above their ability.

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Readability

• Readability
• The indication of number of years of education
  necessary for a person to be able to understand
  the text easily on the first reading.
• Quantitative factors
• word and sentence length
• count/measure with formula
• estimates grade level
• Qualitative factors
• prior knowledge of reader
• organization of text
• student interest

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Quantitative Formula -- Raygor

• Count out three 100-word passages at the
  beginning, middle, and end of a textbook
  selection.
• Count the number of sentences in each 100 word
  passage.
• Count the number of words with six
  or more letters.
• Average the sentence length and word length
  measures over the 3 samples and plot the
  average on the graph.

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(No Transcript)
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Computerized Readability Stats

• Website URLs
• www.addedbytes.com/readability
• www.online-utility.org/english/readability_
• test_and_improve.jsp
• Microsoft Word
• Tools Options
• Spelling and Grammar
• Show readability statistics

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You can help!

• Teachers provide a bridge between
• what students currently know
• new conceptual information
• Instructional guidance before, during, and after
  reading affects student comprehension.

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Reading to Learn
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Does the following sentence make sense to you?

• Theres a bear in a plain brown wrapper doing
  flip-flops on 78, taking pictures, and passing
  out green stamps.
• If I provide a hint CB radios can you make
  sense of it now?

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Translation

• Theres a state patrol officer in an unmarked car
  going back and forth across the median on highway
  78, using radar and passing out speeding tickets.
• This is similar to a student launching into a
  reading assignment cold.

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Why preview and activate prior knowledge?

• The more information students have before they
  read, the more understanding they will have when
  they do read! Instructors can check prior
  knowledge and fill in the gaps.

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Identify the symbolism in this poem.

• With hocked gems financing himOur hero bravely
  defied all scornful laughterThat tried to
  prevent his schemeYour eyes deceive he saidAn
  egg not a table correctly typifiesThis
  unexplored domain.Now three sturdy sisters
  sought proofForging along sometimes through calm
  vastnessYet more often over turbulent peaks and
  valleysDays became weeksAs many doubters spread
  fearful rumorsAbout the edgeAt last from
  nowhere winged creatures appearedSignifying
  momentous success.

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Whats it about?

• Christopher Columbus!!!

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PREVIEWING

• Gives the student a road map of the territory.
• Helps the student focus on the material and set
  goals.
• Keeps the student an active reader!

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Textbook Preview

• Title
• Author
• Publication date
• Preface
• Table of Contents
• Chapter Organization

• Headings subheadings
• Study Aids
• Page Layout
• Appendices
• Glossary
• Index

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What can teachers do to assist students with
reading assignments?

• Tailor the message
• Activate prior knowledge and fill in the gaps
• Focus attention and establish goals
• Monitor comprehension

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And how can you do these things?Here are some
practical suggestions!

• Anticipation/Reaction Guide
• KWL Chart
• Jigsaw Reading
• Study Guide/Focus questions
• Key words or vocabulary
• Metacognitive awareness
• Encourage use of study strategies such
  as SQ5R, Annotation, Cornell Notetaking,
  and Mapping.

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Anticipation Guide

• Step 1. Determine the key ideas in a text
  selection.
• Step 2. Create 3 to 5 statements.
• Step 3. Arrange the statements on a sheet of
  paper and have students agree or disagree with
  each statement on an individual basis.
• Step 4 (optional). Engage students in a
  prereading discussion highlighting their
  justification for agreeing or disagreeing with
  the statements.
• Step 5. Have students read the text and then see
  whether they still agree or disagree with the
  statements after reading. Can also include
  explanation of why choice was correct or
  incorrect.

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• Sample Anticipation Guide Students will
  complete this guide before reading a chapter on
  Language, Culture, Diversity and the Reading
  Process.
• Agree Disagree
• _____ _____ 1. Knowledge of a students
  culture is not important in teaching
  subject matter.
• _____ _____ 2. Programs designed for second
  language learners help them gain subject
  matter comprehension.
• _____ _____ 3. Comprehending text material is
  a creative, constructive
  process.
• _____ _____ 4. Reading and writing are
  unrelated cognitive processes.
• _____ _____ 5. Whole class discussion
  discourages wide
  student participation.

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Study Guide

• Step 1. Determine the major concepts and
  important details in a text chapter or reading
  selection.
• Step 2. Develop questions that reflect these
  major concepts and details at multiple levels of
  understanding.
• Step 3. Assign the study guide as an adjunct to
  independent text reading. Then have students
  discuss and defend responses in small groups.

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K-W-L Chart

• Many students are not active readers and are not
  focused on what they should be thinking as they
  read.
• K-W-L strategy is a technique that will help
  students activate what they already
  know before they begin reading and also
  encourage them to read with a
  purpose.

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K-W-L Chart
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Jigsaw Reading

• Can be used with textbook chapters or articles
• Organize students into cooperative groups of four
  to six. Each group member is responsible for
  reading one section of a chapter or one reading
  selection
• Students read their section independently
  extracting important concepts from the reading.
• Regroup students according to those assigned the
  same section to compare notes and discuss
  important concepts and information. Have group
  members summarize key points.
• Direct students to return to their original group
  and have each group member share key ideas and
  major details from their assigned section.

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SQ5RA Textbook Study System

• Survey
• Question
• Read
• Record
• Recite
• Review
• Reflect

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Record

• Writing about the reading
• Annotate or mark text
• Take Cornell Notes
• Use post its
• Make a map
• Student may complete one or all of these
  activites depending on individual needs

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Encourage Annotation

• The organized marking of a text, preferably on
  the second reading
• Students develop individual systems
• All systems include selective underlining,
  marking main ideas, numbering of details, and
  summary notes in margin or on post its.

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s
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Method of RecordingSample Cornell Notes/ Nursing
Text
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Another Method of RecordingMapping
MAPPING USING VISUAL NOTETAKING
PARIETAL BONES
PARIETAL BONES
TEMPORAL BONES
Parietal Bones
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Read/ Record/Recite

• Repeat this until end of chapter

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Review and Reflect

• Think of some general essay questions that cover
  the chapter
• Compare and contrast material
• Understand causes and effects

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Recap and Final Message!

• Student reading level and text reading level
  differ
• You can help!
• Approach reading as a 3-stage process
• Stage 1 (Preview)
• Have students complete a textbook preview
• Help students activate schema
• Establish a purpose for reading
• Stage 2 (During)
• Active reading (notes, post-its, maps,
  annotation)!
• Stage 3 (Review)
• Dont just close that book!!

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Reading Lab

• English 332 or 333 -- .5 unit 1-1/2 hour per
  week (0 unit option)
• English 336 or 337 1 unit 3 hours per week
• CC-6
• 582-4539 (Reading Lab)
• irenault_at_saddleback.edu
• Irene Renault
• jbagwell_at_saddleback.edu
• Janet Bagwell