This document summarizes a presentation given by Elizabeth Mora and Isabel Morales, social studies teachers at Los Angeles High School of the Arts. They discuss the challenges of teaching deliberation skills to struggling readers. Most students at the school read below grade level. The teachers explain strategies they use to improve reading comprehension, such as activating prior knowledge, using graphic organizers, and collaborative reading strategies. They emphasize the importance of directly teaching reading comprehension across all subjects.

1. deliberating.posterous.c
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DELIBERATING WITH
STRUGGLING READERS
DDA Conference Elizabeth Mora & Isabel Morales
June 27, 2012 Social Studies Teachers, Los Angeles High School of the Arts

2. Los Angeles High School of the
Arts
• 90% Latino
Grade Reading Level
• 91% Economicallydisadvantaged (Fall 2011)
•
9th
35.2% Limited English Proficient 6.6
10th 8.3
• 45.1% Reclassified 11th 8.6
• 10% Special Education 12th 9.2

3. Koreatown Westlake
Pico/Union
 Pop. 124,000  Pop. 124,000  Pop. 45,000
 2.70 sq. miles  2.70 sq. miles  1.67 sq. miles
Education
Earnings
Densely populated communities with low educational attainment and low
earnings.

4. We believe…
In the transformative
potential of low-
income students of

5. Why should they learn to
deliberate?

6. We want our students to do
this…
“Education is not only about issues of work and
economics, but also about questions of justice,
social freedom, and the capacity for democratic
agency, action, and change…” – Henry Giroux

7. …and so we need to teach them
this!
“Academic literacy skills are essential to both private
deliberation and responsible citizenship in a
democratic republic.” (Common Core Standards)

8. What are we doing in our
classrooms?
4 Corners Activity
Directions
•Listen to each statement that is
read.
•Walk to the corner of the room
that indicates your level of
agreement with each statement.
(Strongly Disagree, Disagree,

9. Several of my students struggled to
understand the deliberation
readings.
 In a small group of 2-3 people, answer the
following question:
 In what way(s) did you see your students
struggle to understand the readings?
(Cualesproblemastuvieronsusestudiantes con
laslecturasescritas?)
 Share out
Varios de
misestudiantestuvieronproblemasenten
diendolaslecturas.

10. I adequately addressed the needs of
my struggling readers during
deliberations.
 In a small group of 2-3 people, answer the
following question:
 In what way(s) did you succeed/need help in
meeting the needs of struggling students?
Cómofueronexitosos (onecesitabanmásayuda)
paralograrquetodos los
estudiantesentendieranlaslecturasescritas?
 Share out
Fuiexitoso en
lograrquemisestudiantesentendieranla
slecturas.

11. Some facts:
 8 million U.S. students in grades 4-12 read
below grade level.
 Of those struggling readers, 70% struggle
with reading comprehension.
 In a study of secondary content-area
classrooms (not English), reading
comprehension instruction comprised 3% of
total instructional minutes.
 Reading comprehension: TAKING and
(Ness,
MAKING meaning from written words 2009)

12. Why 3%?
 Turn to the person next to you, and
discuss why you believe reading
comprehension instruction takes 3%
of instructional time.
 Reasons included:
 Pressure to cover content
 Assuming students know how to read and
understand
 Not seeing it as their job to teach reading
 Lack of time, lack of training.

13. We CAN improve our students’
reading comprehension, using
various strategies:
DURING
 Pre-Reading
 During Reading
 Post-Reading

14. Pre-reading
 Establishing the purpose for reading.
 Technique: “Everybody reads to…”
 Ex: “Everybody read to find the definition of
genetically modified food.”
 Activating prior knowledge
 Technique: “List, Group, Label”
 Teacher writes a topic on the board.
 Students list words related to topic.
 Students group words that go together.
 Students label each group of words.

15. Wordle.net

16. During Reading
 Help students understanding the
structure of the text.
 Ex: (Using “environment” deliberation)
 Deliberation question
 Background on GM foods
 Discussion of other countries’ views on
GM foods
 Reasons to support/oppose GM foods

17. Graphic Organizers
 How are genetically modified foods used and regulated around the
world?
United States European Union South America (*where
Bolivia, Ecuador, & Peru
are located)

18. Collaborative Reading Strategy
 In groups, students will:
Identify and define difficult and
significant words and phrases.
Rephrase statements in other words.
Use statements to form reasons that
support or oppose the deliberation
question.
Make connections between the reading
and activate prior knowledge or

19. Before Groups Collaborate
 Into Activity
Political Cartoon OR
Images showing the difference
between organic and genetically
modified fruits.
EXAMPLE
Which would you buy?
Pretty or imperfect fruit?
Cheap or more expensive fruit?

20. But Ms., what’s genetically modified
mean?
 Genetically modified foods: Food for
Foods that
humaneat, use
Tohas
consume,
Small unit in DNA that
makes living things what
they are
had the genes in its DNA changed.
consumption that have had their genetic
Changed
Humans can use or eat this kind of
material
food.
Time to annotate:
altered in some way.
 Circle rewrite the orprocess other words.
 Now, unfamiliar definition in for organic
 Use the same significant words.
 Let’s define them.
&
the DELIBERATION QUESTION

21. Deliberation Question
Allow
 Should our democracy permit the
Farming, growing
cultivation of genetically modified
foods?
 Should our democracy allow the
farming of genetically modified
foods?

22. Students Annotate the Reading
 Directions:
Circle unfamiliar and significant
words.
Define with synonyms or brief
explanations.
Highlight/underline significant
information.

23. Collaborative Reading Strategy
Everyone participates!
 Form groups of 3-4
 Give the marker to…

24. Collaborative Reading Strategy
Rotation 1 (2 min):
ROTATE POSTERS &
MARKERS
 Read the quote.
 Circle at least two unfamiliar or
significant words.
 Define them with synonyms or simple
phrases.

25. Collaborative Reading Strategy
Rotation 2 (3 min):
ROTATE POSTERS &
MARKERS notes.
 Read the quote and group
 Underline significant phrases (3 or more
words within the sentence).
 Squiggle underline confusing phrases.
 Finish one of these statements:
In other words this means…
Does this mean…?

26. Collaborative Reading Strategy
Rotation 3 (3 min):
ROTATE POSTERS &
 MARKERS
Read the quote and group notes.
 Look at what the last group wrote and respond.
How can your team improve the last
team’s summary statement?
OR, if necessary, answer the last
group’s question.
Does the information help support the
deliberation question or go against it?
Label YES or NO. Explain why.

27. Collaborative Reading Strategy
Rotation 4 (3 min):
ROTATE POSTERS &
 MARKERS
Read the quote and group notes.
 Look at what the last group wrote and respond.
Does the group agree with the last
group’s YES or NO response?
Explain why or why not.
What does the information on this
poster remind you of? Jot down as
much as you can.

28. Collaborative Reading Strategy
Rotation 5 (3 min):
 Read the quote and group notes. (2
min)
 Everyone shares out something: (2
min)
A summary of the quote.
Explain how the information helps
support a yes or no answer to the
deliberation question.
Elaborate on the meaning of the quote

29. Collaborative Reading Strategy
Debriefing the Activity
 Benefits?
 Adjustments?

30. Post-Reading Strategies
 Monitor comprehension through
questioning.
 Student-generated questions
 Engagement and independence.

31. Assessing Comprehension

32. facebook
Wall
Pantaleon Today my grandson left the farm and left to the city, is is sad that
people leave the farms... it is the earth that sets the mind free and cures the
body of life's indignities. This is very dirt, this is life. this is what matters and
this land is not for sale
Beatriz Suarezand Norma Pablo like this.
Like • Co
Beatriz SuarezYes Mr. Pantaleon, although I know that living in a farm is the
best place on earth, there are reasons beyond our reach that we as young
people are forced to leave the farms and make a living in the city.
September 15 at 2:55 pm •
Benito Juarez 100% agree with you young lady! I love my indigenous land,
but there was a time when I had to leave the land to make a better living in the
city I didn't plan to become president but I did.
September 15 at 3:56 pm •
Rigoberta menchuThe land is certainly not for sale but if the
government takes away our land, then we should deal with it and
fight for it eventhough we have lo leave the farms
November 30 at 4:55 pm •

33. facebook
Wall
Jamaican farmer
I speak today, representing all the farmers who have lack of cultivation,
how dare you the World Bank take advantage of us, you are committing a
sin charging us for interest!
Like • Comment • See Friendship
Zapatistaslikes this.
World BankExcuse me? We are sorry that you Jamaicans had
inconveniences it was not our purpose to disappoint you , but to
please you.
June 7 at 5:55 pm • Like
ZapatistasQue tristeza que como siempre los que tienen
poder aprovechan del el pobre. Pero es tiempo de un cambio.
Jamaica esta haciendo abusado por el govierno Estaunidence.
June 7 at 5:56 pm • Like
LAHSA student This controversy between this particular
countries have caused lack of natural resources, as
globalization suppose to connect with others bringing everyone
closer, its actually separating and bringing apart farmers,
people, countries, causing hate, fear, and instability.
June 7 at 5:55 pm • 1

34. “No one is as smart as all of us
together.”
Give One, Get One
Directions:
Jot down and the room, and speak to
Wrap up some successful
Walk around share out strategies
strategies you have usedyour
different people, giving one make
you would like to try with to strategy
textstaking one strategy.
and accessible to your students.
students!

35. Thank you!
Isabel Morales Elizabeth Mora
 Los Angeles High  Los Angeles High
School of the Arts School of the Arts
 ijm3616@lausd.ne  emm9674@lausd.n
t et
deliberating.posterous.co
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