Beck and McKeown Assignment
23 Jan 2010 5 Comments
1. What seems to be the most important points? Discuss several of them.
- Designing questions that encourage children to connect ideas. Teachers need to continuously ask students questions about the plot and characters of a story. It is very possible for a teacher to read an entire story to his or her class and at the end of the story the students are unable to summarize the plot. In order to prevent this from happening teachers should ask questions after every two or three pages to make sure that students are comprehending the story line and understanding meaning.
- Take advantage of sophisticated words used in books. Books are a very powerful avenue for students to learn new vocabulary. Teachers should emphasize unfamiliar words in books and make sure to give clear contextual definitions.
2. Summarize the key steps in planning and performing a Text Talk Lesson.
- Texts: Select texts that are intellectually challenging and provide new vocabulary words.
- Initial Questions: Provide opening questions that require students to explain ideas.
- Follow-up Questions: Pose questions that require students to give more elaborate responses. If students at first give general responses then the teacher should repeat and rephrase what the students are saying. The teacher should also ask students: “What’s that all about?” and “What does that mean?”
- Pictures: Teacher should show students pictures after he or she reads a couple of pages and after students respond to questions about the text. We do not want students relying too heavily on pictures to interpret meaning.
- Background Knowledge: Ask students specific questions about the book and steer them away from general responses based on background knowledge.
- Vocabulary: Give clear definitions. Trade books are especially helpful in introducing new vocabulary.
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Jan 25, 2010 @ 03:47:12
I agree with the fact that children need to be asked open ended questions to allow for a more “in depth” response rather than a one word answer. This helps them connect to the book and gives them a chance to truly understand the story they are reading/being read.
Jan 25, 2010 @ 20:09:12
I agree that you need to ask questions as you read that story rather than just wait until the end. This helps keeps the students attention on the book and the lesson as opposed to them ‘drifting off’ and losing focus. They will get more out of the text if you continously find ways to draw them in to what is being read.
Mar 02, 2010 @ 21:07:29
I really liked your layout of the questions. It was very easy to read. I also liked how you emphasized the importance of presenting unfamiliar words.
Mar 08, 2010 @ 20:07:39
Great response, Sarah.
~Dr. Ari