Challenging Middle School Readers with the SEM-R

Challenging Middle School Readers with theSEM-RDr. Angela HousandUniversity of North Carolina-Wilmington

The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talentedwww.gifted.uconn.edu

If I were abook character, I would be…(insert your answer here)

Sally ReisJoyful Reading & the SEM - R

The SEM-RAn enrichment-based reading program that seeks to increase reading achievement for all students while also addressing the pressing needs of talented readers.

What do you need toknow to implement the SEM-R?Write your answer on a post-it…Be as specific as possible.

GiftedMiddle School ReadersContinue reading avidly

Move toward reading adult fiction(Carter, 1982)

aliteracynoun: the quality or state of being able to read but uninterested in doing so

The 3 Voices of Aliteracy(Beers, 1996)No Time! No Interest! No WAY!

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.”-- Mark Twain

Percent of 13-year olds who are daily readers:1/3Less than

Among 17-year-olds,Percentage of Non-Readers:19%

DANGERIf you don’t read much,you really don’t know much.YOU ARE DANGEROUS!--Jim Trelease

Percentage of Time Spent Reading in SchoolStudy by John Goodlad in A Place Called School

Are kids reading outside of class?

On average,Americans ages 15 to 24 spend almost 2 hoursPer day watching TV

"I didn't actually read the book, but I did play the video game loosely based on it."

Elements of EffectiveAdolescent Literacy ProgramsDirect, explicit comprehension instructionEffective instructional principles embedded in contentMotivation and self-directed learning

Elements of EffectiveAdolescent Literacy ProgramsText based collaborative learningStrategic tutoringDiverse texts

Elements of EffectiveAdolescent Literacy ProgramsA technology componentOngoing formative assessmentExtended time for literacy

Joyful Reading - Pg. 9 Components of the SEM-R FrameworkIncreasing degree of student selection

Phase 1Exposure - Book Hooks:High interest read alouds and higher order questions

Middle School ReadersPeriod of transitionLess time for leisure readingMove to young adult sectionMay read only one genreFantasyRomance(Herald, 1997)

Middle SchoolGirlsPrefer internal actionThoughtsFeelingsWilling to experiment more(Carlson, 1980)

Middle SchoolBoys Less flexible than girls in reading choicesWill read about girl character if plot provides suspense, action, and outdoor setting(Carlson, 1980)

Basic Book HookJacketAuthor informationBack coverIllustrationPublication Information

Developing a QuestionHelp your students see themselves as investigators collecting evidence:Ask open-ended questions.Tie answers back to the text.Modeling is a Must!Consider creative, offbeat ideas a bonus.

Exposure to a Wide Range of Books

The students have broadened their reading choices due to the fact that they have been introduced to all the genres, and many nonfiction and fiction books, that they may have never picked up.

Table TalkI know the purpose of the SEM-R is to engage kids in reading appropriately challenging material, but how do I do that within Phase 1 with so many reluctant and remedial readers?

Complexity of Ideas and ContentThe student, said the teacher, is crazy.The student said the teacher is crazy.

Complexity of Ideas and Content‘Before fun was invented, people joined bell-ringing clubs. As a member at Boston’s Old North Church, Paul spent hours practicing in the belfry tower.’

Given to the most distinguished children’s informational book published in the preceding year.Text Level‘After sitting atop a virtual bomb and traveling nearly half a million miles; after battling 1202 alarms, low fuel, and frozen fuel slugs; after walking on an airless rock; . . .’

Text Level‘That year at Perkins had also given Helen a glimpse of her own future. She had learned about another deaf-blind boy named Tommy Stringer. Five-year-old Tommy had lived in a poor house and …’

Text Level‘But though he’s helped me make sense of what’s happened, and has earned my loyalty, the entire business is so extraordinarily secretive and complicated that I’ve long been convinced I will never learn anything about my past.’

Text Level‘The first place that I can well remember was a large, pleasant meadow. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a plowed field, and on the other, the gate to our mater’s house.’

Table TalkEvery time I introduce a new book during Phase 1, five students seem to want to read it right away! What should I do? What about the students in my subsequent class periods?

The E’s of Phase 1Entice with Book HooksEngage in Questioning with Book MarksExpose Students to a Wide Range BooksEmploy Skills and StrategiesExplore Connections

Good Morning!How might you hook me on a book that does not match my interests or genre preferences (ex: historical fiction)?

Phase 1Phase 3Phase 210 Minutes20 Minutes30 Minutes10 Minutes30 Minutes20 Minutes40 Minutes5Minutes???

Some Options for Phase 3 ImplementationDAILY15 - 20 minutes1 center per daySmall chunks of timeWEEKLY60 minutesMultiple Centers ORFocused InvestigationBI-WEEKLY30 minutesTwice a Week2 Centers per day

Online Book ListsSEM-R Booklistshttp://www.gifted.uconn.edu/semrALA Young Adult Library Serviceshttp://www.ala.org/yalsa/booklistsNancy Keanehttp://atn-reading-lists.wikispaces.com

Online Book ResourcesShelfarihttp://www.shelfari.com/Google BooksA Bookshelf Developed by Dr. B. HousandShmoophttp://www.shmoop.com

Online Book ResourcesTownsend Books for $1.00http://www.townsendpress.comAmazonhttp://www.amazon.com

http://www.townsendpress.com/product/97.aspx

What are the steps?Find BooksOrganize a Classroom Library

What are the steps?Find BooksOrganize a Classroom LibraryPlan Book Hooks

Weekly Book Hook ThemesAuthor Historical Event(WW2, Hiroshima, Gold Rush, Civil War)StruggleRace Gender IssuesBig Questions (Why hate? Why love?)See Session on Book Hooks Tomorrow!

What are the steps?Find BooksOrganize a Classroom LibraryPlan Book HooksIdentify Student Needs

What are the steps?Find BooksOrganize a Classroom LibraryPlan Book HooksIdentify Student NeedsHelp Students Select Books

Challenging Middle School Readers with the SEM-R