This document provides an overview of informational text strategies for use in English/Language Arts classrooms. It discusses the gradual release of responsibility model and the importance of dialogic talk where students discuss questions with each other to develop understanding. Three specific strategies are covered: possible sentences, where students create sentences from keywords before reading; "Really??", where students note surprises, reasons for surprises, and inferences; and "Somebody...wanted...but...so", a summarizing strategy identifying different points of view. The presenter encourages interactive discussion and applying the strategies to help students actively engage with informational texts.

1. CaldwellCountySchools
March13,2014
PresentedbyMarthaLamb,NWRESA
Informational Texts Strategies
in English/Language Arts

2. Gradual Release of Responsibility
Table
Talk
Student
B
Student
A
Student
B
Student
A
Student A Partner
Talk
Student B
Student Stop and Jot
Turn & Talk
Square & Share

3. Find ONE partner

4. What type of talk is most valuable in our classrooms?
Monologic Talk:
-Teacher gives information
-Teacher provides analysis
and interpretation
-Teacher asks questions to
check for understanding
Dialogic Talk:
-Students often talk to
answer their own questions
-Students talk with each
other to create
understanding

5. Strategy #1: Possible Sentences
Greenwich Time News

6. sleeping depressed mood
exams increased
sleep alertness
ignore school
exams teens
early buses tardiness
school car accidents
decrease learning
decent breakfast
academic performance

7. Strategy #1: Possible Sentences
• Teacher selects 15-20 words/phrases from selection that
are meaningful but not unfamiliar to students (not new
vocabulary words)
• Students work with partners (both write)
• Tell them: Create 5 possible sentences from the text we
will read using 2-4 words per sentence. All the words
must be used.
• Students report, teacher records sentences on screen.
Students listen and only add sentences that are different
from those posted.
• Students suggest questions for each sentence, then read
text to verify sentences and answer questions.
• Students revise sentences to reflect meaning from text.

8. Strategy #3:
Really??

9. Strategy #2: Really??
• After first reading, ask students to make 3 columns on
their paper and head them
• “What I found surprising”
• “Why it surprises me”
• “What does this suggest?”
• Model the strategy for students. The last column will list
inferences that can be made
• Turn & Talk with partner, each sharing one
surprise/why/inference with each other
• Teacher collects contributions from the class and records
on screen
• Students brainstorm further questions they have about
the topic

10. Strategy#3:
Somebody…wa
nted…
but…
so… Hard At Work
by Rita Upadhyay
January 24, 2003

11. Strategy #3: Somebody…wanted…but…so
• After first reading, ask students to make 4 columns on their
paper and head them
• “Somebody”
• “Wanted”
• “But”
• “So”
• This is a SUMMARIZING strategy that requires students to
read closely and to look for various points of view
• Have students stop & jot on their paper, turn & talk, then
contribute to class list on screen
• Write longer, more detailed summary statements for each
• Have students write a brief constructed response by choosing
one of the statements and elaborating upon it with evidence
from the text

12. Thank you for
your
participation!
Contact me:
Marthalamb@g
mail.com
Slideshare.com:
marthalamb
will be available until
end of March