Language Arts and Reading TAKS Overview

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Language Arts and ReadingTAKS Overview

• Presented by the HISD English Language Arts
  Department

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Reading

• Basic Understanding
• Literary Elements
• Use of Strategies
• Analysis of Text

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Reading Objectives
3-4-5-6-7-8 9-10-11
1. Word Meaning 2. Supporting Ideas3.
Summarization
1. Basic Understanding
1. Basic Understanding
3. Use of Strategies 4. Analysis/ Critical
Thinking
4. Relationships/ Outcomes5. Inferences/
Generalizations6. POV/ Propaganda/
Fact-Opinion
3. Analysis/ Critical Thinking
2. Literary Elements
2. Literary Elements
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Features

• Paired Selections (4-8) Narrative/Expository
• Triplets (9-12) literary, expository - non
  fiction, visual representation
• Lengthier passages
• Higher reading level than TAAS
• Comparative questions across texts
• Higher order thinking emphasis
• Graphic organizers

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Only at the High School...

• Lengthier passages - not controlled for
  vocabulary
• Published pieces (authentic)
• Multiple choice and open ended questions

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Grade 4 734 Words RL 6.0 /-
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A picture is worth...

• TAAS selection 8th grade
• TAKS selection 6th grade

639 words RL 6.0 (8)
874 words RL 5.3 (6)
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(No Transcript)
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(No Transcript)
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ELA Grade 11/English III Literary Selection
(Non-fiction)
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Visual Representation
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(No Transcript)
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Writing Grades 4-7-10-11

• Composition
• Responses driven by prompt, not purpose
• Proofreading and Editing
• Approximately one and one-half pages
• All skills (CUPS)
• Multiple choice

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It Is Time To Revise Our Thinking!

• Emphasis
• Authentic Writing
• Revision and Editing
• Prompts
• Assessment Focus ?
• Instructional Focus

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Composition Elements

• Organization/focus
• Development of Ideas
• Voice
• Mechanics
• Sentence Structure/Variety

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• 78 words in the text
• 3 questions - all variations on one theme

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89 words in the text
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• 261 words in the text (4 Sample)
• Each selection may cover all 4 objectives

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General Guidelines

• Peer-Revision / Peer-Editing
• Lengthy, Authentic Passages
• Assumed Vocabulary
• Conventions Count

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• The Best Tool Available
• Locate the TEA websites splash page
• www.tea.state.tx.us
• Click on the button, Texas Assessment Program,
  located under the Curriculum and Assessment
  section
• in the upper right hand
• corner of the TEA splash page.
• www.tea.state.tx.us/student assessment

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• Click on TAKS on the Student Assessment web page
  navigation bar. This is a horizontal bar at the
  top of the web page.
• www.tea.state.tx.us/student assessment/taks/index.
  html
• Once you reach the TAKS web page , scroll to
  Resources and click on TAKS Information
  Booklets button
• www.tea.state.tx.us/student assessment/taks/bookle
  ts/index.html

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Portfolios

• Reflecting on Writing

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Portfolio

• A student writing portfolio is a deliberate
  collection of work that documents depth and
  breadth of student writing.
• Depth various points of the writing process
  from prewriting through publishing
• Breadth various products which may include
  stories, brochures, how-to pieces, interviews,
  poems

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According to NAEP Portfolio Study

• The use of portfolios to help students collect,
  review, select, and present their work
  accomplishes several goals of the process writing
  curriculum.
• The use of process strategies has been related
  to the production of higher level writing.
• Gentile, Claudia A., Martin-Rehrmann, James, and
  Kennedy, John H. Windows into the Classroom
  NAEPs 1992 Portfolio Study. U.S. Department of
  Education, 1995.

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The 1998 NAEP Writing Report Card

• Students whose writing was saved in portfolios
  achieved higher scores than their peers who did
  not save their writing.
• Effective Writing Instruction for All Students.
  TEA/Region IV ESC.

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Types of Portfolios

• Think of the artists portfolio.
• These are usually finished works that display the
  best work of the artist.
• Imagine portfolios that may be created by
  individuals in these professions
• hair stylist
• news reporter
• architect
• tattoo artist

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What might be included in a Writing Portfolio?

• Prewriting
• brainstorming lists, graphic organizers,
  interview notes

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What might be included in a Writing Portfolio?

• Drafting
• first through finished drafts

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What might be included in a Writing Portfolio?

• Revising
• copies of
• revised drafts

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What might be included in a Writing Portfolio?

• Editing
• checklists of skills

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What might be included in a Writing Portfolio?

• Publishing
• finished works, photos of displays, copies of
  publications

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The Portfolio Process
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Self-assessment and Decision-makingin the
Portfolio Process

• Write
• Make decisions about process and strategies.

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Self-assessment and Decision-makingin the
Portfolio Process

• Build
• Keep writing in a working notebook or folder.

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Self-assessment and Decision-makingin the
Portfolio Process

• Decide
• Establish the
• purpose of the portfolio.
• Assess and select pieces with that purpose in
  mind.

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Self-assessment and Decision-makingin the
Portfolio Process

• Reflect
• With teacher guidance, evaluate writing and
  process.
• Use rubrics, checklists, or open-ended responses.
• More on reflection later.

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Self-assessment and Decision-makingin the
Portfolio Process

• Confer
• Writing conferences align student goals with
  classroom goals.
• Teachers can use observations made in conferences
  to inform instruction.
• Mini-lessons may be part of conference.
• Allow student to celebrate writing and process.

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Self-assessment and Decision-makingin the
Portfolio Process

• Set Goals
• Goals may be individual and may initiate
  whole-class instruction.
• Teach strategies to achieve goals.

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Self-assessment and Decision-makingin the
Portfolio Process

• Write
• Writing process and strategies becomes more
  purposeful.

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Reflection

• Types of Reflection
• I chose this because
• I learned
• My goals are
• Next, I want to learn
• A strategy I used here is
• I improved
• I learned this from
• (Schipper and Rossi, 1997)

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Reflection

• Reasons for Selecting a Piece
• I was able to do something that I could not
  previously do.
• I used a strategy for the first time.
• I changed from one strategy to a more effective
  one.
• I tried real hard.
• This piece is personally meaningful.
• This was my best work.
• (Schipper and Rossi, 1997)

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Reflection

• More Types of Reflections
• What have I done well in a piece of writing?
• What do I value in writing? (favorite type of
  writing, what makes good writing)
• What are my goals and interests as a learner and
  developing writer?
• What are my strategies and processes for writing?
  (also demonstrates students awareness of
  strategies and processes)
• What am I learning about writing?
• (Camp and Levine, 1991)

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Record Keeping

• Checklists
• Students keep checklists of skills and record
  what they have worked on or mastered.
• Strategy Sheets
• Students keep lists of strategies where they can
  reflect on how they used them in their writing.
• Teacher Notes
• When the teacher observes certain writing
  behaviors she can write a note for a student to
  keep in his portfolio.
• Rubrics
• Attach rubrics to finished products outlining
  criteria for evaluation and student performance.
• (Schipper and Rossi, 1997)

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Record Keeping

• Conference Notes
• Record discussion and decisions from writing
  conferences. These may include the following
• Students reflections
• Criteria that were met
• Areas of growth
• Areas for development
• Student goals
• Teachers reflections
• Teachers goals for the student

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Whos in Control?
The locus of control over decisions about content
and purpose of a portfolio can fluctuate between
teacher and student.
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Whos inControl?

• Benchmark Portfolio
• Based on a criteria of good writing
• The student has indicated a sense of awareness of
  audience by addressing opposing opinions.
• The student has demonstrated the ability to
  extend an interview by asking probing questions.
• The student has demonstrated growth in using
  adjectives, adverbs and verbs to create more
  vivid descriptions.
• Used for evaluation informing instruction

(adapted from Jenkins, 1996)
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Whos inControl?

• Collaborative
• Includes both teacher and student choice,
  evaluation, and reflection.
• Final selections sent home to parents. Remainder
  of portfolio remains in classroom to inform
  goal-setting and instructional decisions.
• Contributes to cognitive, metacognitive, and
  affective development.

(adapted from Jenkins, 1996)
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Whos in Control?

• Showcase
• Demonstrates student selection, reflection, and
  assessment.
• Shows best works.
• Primary purpose is self-assessment and goal
  creation.

(adapted from Jenkins, 1996)
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Whos inControl?

• Schipper and Rossi (1997) suggest that using
  portfolios can develop desirable outcomes in
  students
• Self-awareness
• Self-evaluation
• Metacognition
• Awareness of Process
• Ownership
• What impact might locus of control have on these
  outcomes?

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References

• Camp, Roberta, and Levine, Denise. Portfolios
  Evolving. In Belanoff, Pat and Dickson, Marcia,
  eds. Portfolios Process and Product. Heinemann,
  1991.
• Gentile, Claudia A., Martin-Rehrmann, James, and
  Kennedy, John H. Windows into the Classroom
  NAEPs 1992 Portfolio Study. U.S. Department of
  Education, 1995.
• Jenkins, Carol Brennan. Inside the Writing
  Portfolio What We Need to Know to Assess
  Childrens Writing. Heinemann, 1996.
• Sommers, Jeffrey. Bringing Practice in Line
  with Theory. In Belanoff, Pat and Dickson,
  Marcia, eds. Portfolios Process and Product.
  Heinemann, 1991.
• Schipper, Beth and Rossi, Joanne. Portfolios in
  the Classroom Tools for Learning and
  Instruction. Stenhouse, 1997.

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Writing Conferences

• Building Better Writers

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Writing Conferences

• Writing Conferences are not magic. They are
  structured events. Teachers and students can
  learn and develop the skill of conducting writing
  conferences.

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Writing Conferences

• Conferences have a point to them.
• Conference have a predictable structure.
• In conferences, we pursue lines of thinking with
  students.
• Teachers and students have conversational roles
  in conferences.

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Writing Conferences

• Writing conferences are not therapy. The focus
  is developing the writer first and the writing
  second.
• The content of the writing is not as important as
  the process of teaching students strategies and
  techniques more experienced writers use to write
  well.

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General Structure of a Writing Conference

• Conversation about the work the child is doing as
  a writer.
• Conversation about how the child can become a
  better writer.

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General Structure of a Writing Conference

• First the student takes the lead

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General Structure of a Writing Conference

• Then the teacher takes the lead

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General Structure of a Writing Conference

• The teachers role in the first part of the
  conference conversation
• Invite the student to set an agenda for the
  conference.
• Get on a line of thinking about the students
  writing work by asking questions and reading the
  students writing.
• Decide what to teach the student.

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General Structure of a Writing Conference

• The teachers role in the second part of the
  conference conversation
• Give the student critical feedback.
• Teach the student.
• Nudge the student to have-a-go.
• Link the conference to the students independent
  work.

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Peer Conferences

• Allow the writer to talk about his or her
  learning. The listener shares in this celebration
  and points
• out other positive aspects
• of growth and progress.

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Peer Conferences

• Develop conference ground rules as a class
• Let your partner hold his or her own writing.
• Give positive feedback first and suggestions for
  improvement afterward.
• Ask questions instead of judging.
• Respect the other persons effort.
• Teacher chooses partners at first.

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Peer Conferences

• Teacher Models conference
• asking questions like these
• Why did you choose your first piece?
• What other kinds of pieces have you selected for
  your portfolio?
• What piece do you plan to share with the teacher?
• What do you think you learned?
• Did you discover that you learned any new
  strategies?

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Peer Conferences

• Students complete
• Peer Conference Form
• Sample form entries
• I am most impressed by
• My favorite entry in the portfolio is
  because(name) shows strengths in the following
  areas of reading or writing
• Recommendations I would make for next time
• Additional comments

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Teacher/Student Conference

• Keep records
• that support observation
• Notes taken during reading and writing
  conferences
• Notes taken during shared book discussions
• Your notebook, which contains anecdotal records
  based on observations youve made
• Checklists of developmental milestones
• The baseline information forms from early in the
  semester
• Your gradebook

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Teacher/Student Conference

• Use a Writing Conference Notes Form
• Sample Observations
• Student reflected on
• Criteria that were met
• Areas of growth
• Areas for development
• Students goals
• Teachers reflections
• Teachers goals for the student

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Sample Conference Questions

• Getting started
• What would you like to share?
• What kinds of pieces have you selected for your
  portfolio?
• What will a reader learn about you from your
  portfolio?
• What new learning does your portfolio show?
• How does the writing in this portfolio compare to
  your first writing sample?
• How has your writing changed?

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Sample Conference Questions

• Additional questions
• What area is strongest (genre, strategy, or other
  focus of instruction)?
• How do the choices in your portfolio show your
  new strategies?
• What things did you learn about yourself in
  developing this portfolio?
• Which aspects of your reading and writing
  improved?
• Which criteria of proficient readers and writers
  of (strategy or genre) are seen in your work?
• Which criteria did you satisfy that caused you to
  select this piece of work?
• What does it show about you as a learner?

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Sample Conference Questions

• What was your purpose in
• choosing this topic, project?
• Did you accomplish your purpose?
• What would you do differently?
• What special knowledge or interest did you use to
  make this project meaningful?
• What obstacles did you overcome to make it
  meaningful?
• If this is a best work piece, explain the
  process you followed to make it a best work.
• Now that you have evaluated this piece of work,
  what criteria would you strive to meet next time
  you do this type of assignment or project?
• What are your goals for reading? for writing?

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Setting Goals Be Specific

• Sample goals
• Learn a strategy for learning an unfamiliar word.
• Use short sentences to create emphasis.
• Use another structure for writing a narrative
  other than starting when you woke up and ending
  when you went to bed.
• Brainstorm more specific goals.

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What do the other students do?

• If students are at different stages in the
  process, designate a corner of the room where
  students can conference.

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What do the other students do?

• List options for student activity while
  conferences are taking place
• Make your own decisions.
• Ask a neighbor for help.
• Go to a learning center.
• Do research on the computer.
• Read a book.
• Work on a piece of writing.
• Write in journals.
• Draw a picture to go with your reading or
  writing.
• Work on the next step of a project.
• Do homework.

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What do the other students do?

• Relate the idea that conferences are sacred.
• Reinforce---Reinforce---Reinforce

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Informal Conferences

• Have chair, will travel.Use a rolling chair to
  travel from desk to desk.
• Mini conferencesCirculate during writing
  workshop, meeting briefly with students as
  needed.
• Conference by letter / email.

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References

• Anderson, Carl. Hows it Going? A Practical
  Guide to Conferring with Student Writers.
  Heinemann, 2000.
• Schipper and Rossi. Portfolios in the Classroom
  Tools for Learning and Instruction. Stenhouse,
  1997.

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TheTeacher Toolbox ProjectModel Lessons

• ELA Grade 7
• Unit 3
• Welcome

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Unit Three-Overview

• Historical Fiction
• I, Juan de Pareja

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Major Concepts

• Historical Fiction
• Reading Strategies
• Vocabulary Development
• Art Connections
• Style
• Sentence Patterns

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Products / Assessments

• Vocabulary Activities
• Showing and Telling Writing
• Parallel Writing
• Sentence Chunking
• Writing Assignment
• Test

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Materials

• Copies of I, Juan de Pareja, Chapter One
• Overhead projector
• Transparencies
• Vis-à-vis pen
• Computer with Internet Access (A5)
• Thesauruses and Dictionaries
• Blackline masters, copied

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Strategies

• Think-aloud
• Literature circles
• Modeling
• Writing conferences
• Mini-lessons

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Historical Fiction
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Historical Fiction

• Have you ever read a book that was set in the
  past?
• What other eras (time periods) have you read
  stories about?
• What are some details that were included from
  that era?
• Imagine you were writing about something that
  happened during the American Revolution (or Texas
  Revolution, or Ancient Greece, or another era).
• What are some setting, character, or plot details
  you might include from that era?

B2, A1
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Historical Fiction

• Beck article
• Well-told story first
• Historical details second
• Categories
• Glimpses of everyday life
• Real-life historical figures
• On and behind the front lines
• Oppressed peoples

A1
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Introducing the Text

• Fountas and Pinnell, Guiding Readers and Writers,
  Grades 3-6.
• Print Features
• Content, Theme, Ideas
• Text Structure
• Language and Literature Features

A2
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Reinforcing Reading Strategies

• Predict
• Connect
• Question
• Visualize
• Clarify
• Evaluate

Lesson 1 Appendix LOL
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Reading the Text

• Teacher reads
• Class reads
• Round-robin
• Small groups
• Pairs
• Individual
• Other Ideas?

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Vocabulary Development
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Vocabulary Development

• Context Clues
• Magic Square (A3, B4)
• Concept Chart (A4, B5, B10)

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Art Connections
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Art Connections

• Web Access
• Art Links

http//www.artchive.com/artchive/V/velazquez.html
The Artchive biography of Diego Velazquez and
links to paintings http//www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint
/auth/velazquez/ WebMuseum, Parisbiography of
Diego Velazqueza, thumbnails and links to
paintings http//www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/vel
azquez_diego.html Artcyclopedialinks to
paintings by Diego Velazquez http//www.artcyclope
dia.com/artists/juan_de_pareja.html Artcyclopedia
biography of Juan de Pareja and links to
paintings http//www.costumes.org/pages/fashiondre
ss/17thCent.htm The History of Fashion and
Dress, 17th Century Europediscussion and
pictures
A5, B6
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Optional Features

• Literature Circles (A6)
• Art Links (two viewings)
• Class Reading

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Writing Strategies Style

• Style
• Showing and Telling
• Parallel Writing

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Style

• A manner of writing how something is said
• Word choice
• Sentence length
• Tone
• Figurative language

TAKS Reading Objective 4 How style contributes to
the effect of the text.
A8, B11
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Showing and Telling Writing

• Rebekah Caplans Style Study
• B7 overview (activity)
• B8 transparency
• B9 handout
• A7 answers

Reading Objective 1 Summarizing
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Chunking

• Divide writing into chunks of meaning.
• Chunks often naturally take the form of clauses
  and phrases.

Writing Objective 4 Sentence Construction
A9, B12
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Parallel Writing

• Imitates Style
• Professional Models
• (Tierney, p.177)

B13
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Writing Assignment

• Historical Fiction A Lesson in Style
• Formula
• Writing Process
• Checklists

B14
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Points to Remember

• Model, model, model
• Share expectations ahead of time
• Circulate and monitor progress
• Adapt lesson/assignment to your students