Key Vocab and Concepts:
Trade Books – Not a textbook but a published book that is found in libraries or book stores
Text Set- A collection of fiction and nonfiction books and digital resources at varied reading levels on a topic.
Mentor Texts- pieces of literature that both teacher and student can re-read for a variety of purposes such as helping to make their writing more purposeful and powerful.
Learning Logs- students use learning logs to record and react to what they are learning in different content areas. They allow students to think on paper. They help students discover gaps in their knowledge and explore relationships between what they are learning and what they know.
Double-Entry Journals- Journals where the pages are divided into two parts and students write different types of information in each section. For example in one section the write important facts and their reactions to the information in the other section.
Quickwriting- where students write for 5-10 minutes letting their thoughts flow from mind to paper without focusing on mechanics or revisions. Younger children may draw pictures. Quickwriting is used to activate background knowledge at the beginning of a lesson or unit and help clarify misconceptions.
Essays- Are short usually no longer than two pages and used to explain, analyze and persuade.
Collaborative Books- Books that are written by students. Sometimes each student will write one page each or even work in groups to write chapters.
Anticipation Guides- are a set of statements on the topic of the chapter where students agree or disagree with the statements and then they read the assignment to see if they were right.
Pre-reading Plan – A plan in which the teacher presents an idea discussed in the chapter and then they have students brainstorm words and ideas that are related to the idea.
Question-Answer Relationships- a technique that helps understand how to answer questions written at the end of content area textbook chapters. It teaches students to become aware of whether they are likely to find the answer to a question ‘right there’ on a page, between the lines or beyond information that is provided within the text.
Stages of Reading Process- Stage 1: Pre-reading- building of background knowledge on topic, preview of text, introduction of big ideas and technical words. Stage 2: Reading- In this stage teachers help students identify big ideas and organize them. Stage 3: Responding- teachers help students refine their comprehension through thinking, talking and writing. Stage 4: Exploring- Students are asked to dig into the text and focus on vocabulary, examine the text and analyze big ideas. Stage 5: Applying- Teachers help expand the knowledge on the topic, encourage students to personalize their learning and share what they know.
Semantic Feature Analysis- A chart that classifies important information or big ideas
SQ4R Study Strategy- a six step technique where students survey, question, read, recite, relate, and review as they study content area reading assignments. This strategy incorporates before, during and after-reading components.
How to plan a Thematic Unit- To plan a thematic unit teachers go through nine steps that include determining the focus, collecting a text set, coordinating textbook readings, locating digital and multimedia material, planning instructional activities, identifying minilesson topics, planning ways to differentiate instruction, brainstorming possible projects and planning for assessment. Once that is done they are prepared to develop a time schedule, write the lesson plans, and create rubrics or other assessment tools.
Alternative Assessments- Examples include: drawing a picture instead of writing, give the answers to test questions orally instead of having them do it in written form. If students need to create written work its best if done in a group setting.
Application to Classroom- I will be an effective teacher by developing thematic units, teaching minilessons to ensure comprehension, and use the reading/writing tools to help my students demonstrate new knowledge.
Amanda Jachthuber 