In previous chapters, I discussed the relationship between reading and writing—specifically, how Figure 7.3 A text map ofBecause of Winn-Dixie.
Figure 7.4 A text map of five books from the Marc Brown series.
authors write texts that readers can comprehend and how readers use their knowledge of text conventions and style to assist their compre- hending. If readers understand how texts are organized and how writers write, and if they have an understanding of the author’s topic, they can use this information to predict and infer the author’s intentions. If readers lack experience with authors and texts, however, their reading comprehension is likely to be impaired.
Therefore, because it is so important for students to have some knowledge of the organization of the texts they read, we as teachers must introduce our students to genre and author studies. Texts often fall into a specific genre—that is, they are organized according to a specified set of criteria for a particular written form. For instance, a book in the mystery genre is characterized by the stan- dard conventions of fiction: it has characters, a setting, a problem or problems, and a resolution;
but it also includes characteristics peculiar to mysteries, such as unexplained events and clues that enable the reader to solve the problem.
(Section III of the Appendix contains more infor- mation on genre.) In the reading workshop, students should be given many opportunities to become familiar with various genres. They can develop their knowledge of text features through diverse experiences with books, such as read- alouds (remember the six types of books for daily read-alouds mentioned in Chapter 3), shared reading, literature discussions, and book talks.
Although a genre study can take several weeks, it can be integrated into these other literacy activi- ties.
Here is a sample ten-step format for a genre study:
1. The teacher introduces the genre to be studied and shares the text characteristics for the particular genre.
2. The teacher reads aloud a book that typifies the genre.
3. The teacher revisits the text characteristics and fills in a blank chart with the students.
4. The teacher collects several texts in the genre and provides a brief book talk on each one.
5. The students rate their top three choices; the most popular choice becomes the group book.
6. The students read silently, fill in a text map, and record their thoughts in their response logs. The teacher holds individual confer- ences as the students read.
7. The group meets with the teacher to fill in a group text map.
8. The students read other books in the genre.
9. The students engage in literature extension activities, perhaps writing their own texts using the text map as a preplanning guide.
10. The students share their projects with the class during group share time.
Author studies are similar to genre studies, but here the focus is on a particular author rather than a specific genre. Having students focus on books by a particular writer helps them under- stand how different authors craft their writing to communicate their intended message. Author studies are best introduced in an apprenticeship setting along a supportive continuum that is adjusted according to students’ needs. Here are some examples of how author studies might be conducted for students at various levels:
Emergent to Beginning Readers
• The teacher and the students select an author to study.
• The teacher shares the author’s biographical information.
• The teacher displays several titles by the author, and students select one to be read aloud.
• The teacher reads the text aloud; students draw or record their impressions and ideas on sticky notes to be shared and discussed later.
• The teacher and the students together construct a chart that focus on one of the following: theme, language, biographical information, special features, and other infor- mation.
• The students read, reread, and enjoy the author’s text during independent reading.
• The students discuss the text with others during share time.
Late Early to Transitional Readers
• The teacher and the students choose an author to study.
• The teacher displays the author’s texts.
• The teacher conducts book talk on several of the texts.
• The teacher supplies multiple copies of several titles.
• The students select a text to read indepen- dently.
• The students form peer discussion groups with other students who have read the same text.
• During share time, students describe their favorite parts, quotes, and reflections, encouraging other students to read the text.
• The teacher and the students continue this cycle until all the titles in the author study have been read.
• The teacher and the students construct a chart or table as a way of considering all the texts by the author, taking into account, for example, theme, language, biographical information, and other special features (see Table 7.2).
Fluent Readers
• The students select an author to research.
• The students research and write a biograph- ical sketch of their chosen author in their reading log.
• The students read independently and record their notes, ideas, questions, insights, quotes,
and reflections in their reading log.
• The students read several different titles by the same author.
• The students compile a bibliography and list of resources that they used in their study.
• The students write a brief summary or review of the texts they read.
• The students compile their research, reviews, and reflections and give an oral presentation of their author to their class.
• The students may choose a multimedia presentation to showcase their work and entice others to read works by this author.
Closing Thoughts
My goal in this chapter has been to show how literature discussion groups provide children with a social context for developing literate talk.
Here are three key points of this chapter.
Talk is a necessary condition of literacy learning.
Literate talk is developed through reading and discussing books. Literature discussions help children learn how to hold discourse chains of meaning in their memories, while they consider how their ideas fit into the meaning-making chain. The teacher participates in the book discussions, prompting children to deeper levels of understanding.
Literature discussion groups are grounded in the theory of apprenticeship learning,including the role of scaffolding for regulating assistance in accom- plishing a literate task. Teachers mentor students in how to talk about books. The goal of literature discussion groups is to move students toward deeper levels of comprehension.
Genre and author studies provide a context for comprehending texts at deeper levels.The connection between reading and writing is emphasized as students learn the techniques and styles of their favorite writers and use this knowledge to predict and infer messages. As readers acquire
knowledge of text patterns, they build a cognitive framework for expecting structures and events to occur in certain kinds of books. This knowledge
fosters deep comprehension, because it enables the mind to bypass lower-level expectations and focus on higher-level thinking.
Table 7.2 Author Study of Eric Carle Books
Feature
Characters
Interesting language, new words
Connections
Wonderings
Theme
The Very Hungry Caterpillar A caterpillar.
“In the light of the moon . . . ”
Swiss cheese, salami, stomachache.
I was so hungry that I ate a whole pizza!
It made me feel really sick!
Did the caterpillar know he was going to become a butterfly?
Hope.
When you grow up you can spread your wings and use your talents.
The Very Busy Spider
Spider, horse, cow, fly, sheep, goat, pig, dog, cat, duck, rooster, owl.
“A thin silky thread trailed from her body.”
Meadow, pesty fly.
Last fall there was a beautiful spider web with a garden spider on it on my back porch.
The animals reminded me of when I was a girl growing up on a farm.
I wonder how long it really takes a spider to make a web?
If you work hard, you will be rewarded.
The Very Quiet Cricket
Little cricket, big cricket, girl cricket, locust, praying mantis, worm, spittle bug, cicada, bumblebee, drag- onfly, mosquitoes, luna moth.
Whizzed.
“Disappeared silently into the distance”
When I had laryn- gitis I really wanted to talk, but I couldn’t. It was very frustrating.
Do crickets make that sound to attract a mate? How do they make that sound?
Love.
When he saw the girl, she was just right for him and he was able to make the sound.
The Grouchy Ladybug
Grouchy Ladybug, Friendly Ladybug.
“If you insist”
Aphids, stag beetle, laughing eerily, encountered, tusks.
One time after basketball practice a girl asked me if I wanted to fight.
Then she laughed and drove off.
Why wasn’t the grouchy ladybug willing to share the aphids?
It is better to be friendly than greedy and grouchy.
It’s a two-hour drive to Wynne, Arkansas. Carla and I are on the way to visit a school, and the drive is providing us with much-needed time to talk about our book. We are down to the last chapter—this one, on mini- lessons. Lately, we have been preoccupied with concerns about scripted programs and their disempowering effect on teachers. The script mentality seems to be creeping into our schools. Even some publishers of professional materials have fallen under the spell of providing teachers with supposedly foolproof scripts that are said to guarantee success with students, though in fact they simply ignore the complexity and uniqueness of student learning. I tell Carla about a conversation I recently overheard at a reading conference. I was sitting at a table with some elementary teachers, and they were discussing a popular author who had just published a program for teachers. The program includes a teacher script for each lesson. One teacher laughed as she said, “I always wanted to sound just like her, and now I can. All I have to do is read her script.” Carla and I discuss the teacher’s comment. We wonder whether a model can become a barrier to learning. Our theories of learning have always included modeling, yet the models are always personalized—not standardized—to meet the needs of students. We discuss the need to move beyond models into guided practice, which allows students to immediately apply the knowledge gleaned from the demonstration, with guidance and support from the teacher. This framework for learning exceeds the model—which is, after all, only an example—because it allows students to transfer their learning to personal application. As we enter Wynne, our trip nearing an end, we
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Designing Mini-Lessons for Deep Comprehension
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talk about how this theory will shape the final chapter in our book; and we make a conscious decision to avoid providing a script for each mini-lesson. Instead, we will focus on outlining the conceptual framework that we believe will allow teachers to take the lessons and provide their own language to engage their students.
Thus, our final chapter uses the framework of mini-lessons to present ten strategic reading behaviors; we trust you, the teacher, to make personal decisions on what to say based on the strengths and needs of your students.