Tuesday,+July+12,+2011

=Tuesday, July 12, 2011= =Reading Like Writers: An Inquiry Approach to Content Literacy=


 * Notes from Session**
 * “Reading Like Writers; An Inquiry Approach to Content Literacy”**


 * Key Understandings**
 * •In depth study happens through inquiry in the reading and writing workshops**


 * •The self discovery that happens with inquiry allows for engagement and retention of information**


 * •When we read like writers by noticing how a text is crafted as well as what makes the text enjoyable and helpful to us as readers, it informs our writing.**


 * •As teachers we can link understandings developed in the reading workshop to instruction in the writing workshop**


 * •A strong connection can be made between the planning for instruction through the //Continuum of Literacy Learning// (COLL) and the Common Core standards**


 * Resource:**
 * In thinking about text structure for expository text //Teaching for Comprehending and Fluency,// Patterns of Underlying Text Structures in Factual Text, pages 185 and 187 and figure 13-14 on page 186 are helpful.**


 * Distinction between open inquiry and guided inquiry**
 * Open Inquiry Example**
 * What are you noticing about these texts?**
 * Invites open thinking that could include exploring content, craft, structure, text features, etc.**


 * Guided Inquiry Example**
 * What are you noticing about how these texts are structured?**
 * Depending on text selection this is a way to explore text structure for expository and/or narrative text and help students understand how their discoveries can be generative to other expository or narrative texts that they read.**


 * Resource:**
 * Design Features of Informational Texts: //Comprehending and Fluency// pages 184-185 including figure 13-13**


 * Resource:**
 * Questions to ask about Informational Texts: //Comprehending and Fluency// page 192, figure 13-19**


 * Reciprocity between Reading and Writing: Nonfiction Anchor Chart (handout)**


 * //Continuum of Literacy Learning// is a powerful resource to teach and assess writing including the writing of nonfiction texts. The first section at each grade level, Purpose and Genre is particularly helpful but all four sections will be useful to teach about communicating meaning, purpose, audience, genre, structure, idea development or whatever you are working on with your students.**


 * Here are some questions you can help your students think about related to purpose and audience:**


 * Purpose**
 * •What interests you about this topic?**


 * •What is it you would like to communicate about this topic?**


 * •What is it you would like your reader to understand?**


 * •How might you like your reader to be influenced?**


 * Audience**
 * •Who is your audience?**


 * •As you write your piece whom are you envisioning reading your piece?**


 * •Why is it helpful to think about purpose and audience as you write a piece of nonfiction?**


 * Resource:**
 * In the Common Core Standards, Standard 2, Reading Informational Texts, and Standard 4, Writing, have many connections to this work.**

Here is the web address to " Exploring Inquiry as a Teaching Stance in the Writing Workshop", an article by Katie Wood Ray that explores inquiry in the writing workshop using an example from a fifth grade teacher who was having her students learn about and write op-ed pieces of writing. It is helpful in thinking about the rationales and procedure for an inquiry stance in reading and writing workshops. Katie Wood Ray writes a more detailed description of the inquiry process in Study Driven which is on your bibliography. > []