Close Readings, Metacognitive
Conversations, and
Marking Up The Text
EDC448
Dr. Julie Coiro
Today’s Objectives
Increase awareness of think-aloud procedures
and levels of metacognitive strategy use
View activities/lessons that makes thinking visible
and link to M&MDAAVISS strategies
Work in small groups to share text locations
likely to challenge your students and consider
think-alouds to make visible your own problem
solving strategies
Prepare for Thursday’s think-aloud lesson
(Stand up and Teach!)
What is metacognition?
Cognition: Thinking
Metacognition: Thinking about thinking
In a reading context: Thinking about
the goals, tasks, and strategies that will
help you comprehend more deeply as
you read
Cognitive apprenticeship: Making
these thoughts visible
Levels of Metacognitive
Awareness (Perkins, 1992)
Tacit readers: lack awareness of their thinking
Aware readers: know when meaning breaks
down but no strategies to repair meaning
Strategic readers: know when meaning breaks
down and uses strategies to fix meaning
Reflective readers: reflect on reading and
intentionally apply strategies not only when
meaning is lost but also to deepen
understanding
So, how do we foster strategic, reflective readers?
Process Think-Alouds
Lapp, Fisher, and Grant (2008)
1. Choose a short section of text and decide on a few strategies to
highlight.
2. State your purposes.
3. Read text aloud and think-aloud (point out the mental moves you
make; reveal your “inner voice”) about unfamiliar language, concepts,
and text structures.
** “deliberately planned to provide commentary and conversational
support for comprehension, word study, and engagement by noting
where students might need explanation, elaboration, or connection”
(p. 90)
** draw students into the conversation and capitalize on places they
naturally experienced anticipation” (p. 94) > links to increases in
comprehension & motivation
4. Ask students to try it out with the next section, working in teams.
Reinforce with follow-up lessons (gradual release: I do, you
watch/help; we do together; you do, I watch/help).
Holding Thinking to Remember
and Use (Tovani, Ch. 6)
Students often don’t know what to do – and need more
modeling and explanation
Capturing thinking/reactions while reading provides
something to revisit and reconsider
Thinking on paper = alternative assessment and
rehearsal for writing response
Gradually release responsibility (move from
pictures to text from one lesson to the next)
It’s ok to show evidence of getting stuck > this
paves the way for figuring out how to get unstuck!
Holding Thinking to Remember
and Use (Tovani, Ch. 6)
Model the use of tools for reading actively and
holding thinking:
– Text codes, sticky notes, highlighters, double-entry
journals, digital voice recorders and podcast
feedback from teachers!
– Asking questions is a signal that you are
constructing meaning! (the more you know, the
more questions you have!)
Holding Thinking to Remember
and Use (Tovani, Ch. 6)
Model the use of tools for using thinking:
– Whole group thinking, graphic organizers, quadentry journals,
– ** Comprehension constructors (think-sheets); a
concrete way of taking students through an abstract
process - the simpler, the better
– After introducing/modeling/trying options, let
students choose (compile sticky-notes; individual
double-entry journals with feedback leads to
constructive group thinking on double-entry
journals)
Comprehension Constructors
What questions do you have?
Asking questions is a sign you are engaged & constructing meaning.
Formative Measures of Evidence-Based
Thinking (pair with CCSS Tests!!
Inferring
Analyzing
Summarizing
Synthesizing
Individual Accountability in
Group Level Work
Making
Connections
Asking questions
Monitoring/Clarifying
Confusion
Using evidence from
the text
Gr. 9-10 History Lesson
What do you notice?
Lesson Objective: Connect the Declaration of
Independence to the American identity
Why is the break up letter an effective way to engage
students?
What strategies do Ms. Katznelson and Mr. David
use to support students in constructing their own
knowledge?
What evidence of “thinking aloud” do
you observe? Is it effective?
How are the four themes developed throughout the
lesson?
Let’s Watch a Think-Aloud in Action
(English Teacher, Fisher video)
Part 1: How does the teacher engage her
students at the beginning of her lesson? Is
this technique effective? Explain…
Part 2: Notice/Name some of the strategies
the teacher uses to think-aloud with her
students.
Part 3: How does the fishbowl technique
support her gradual release of responsibility
to students?
Workshop Groups
Work in groups of three to:
– 1. Share text locations likely to challenge your
students while working toward lesson objective.
– 2. Model your draft of how to make visible your
own thinking at these challenging spots.
– 3. Get feedback and ideas from your classmates.
– 4. Exchange ideas about a digital think-aloud.
– 5. Use these reflections to inform your Tackling
the Text Think-Aloud Assignment due Thursday.
Homework
1. READ
Tovani
Chapter 3
(Mental
Modeling)
Metacognitive Strategies
Extra Resources
Practicing Thinking Aloud
About Tackling Challenging
Texts
EDC448
Dr. Julie Coiro
In your mini-lessons…
Practice modeling a think-aloud minilesson with your “students” (8 min)
You Teach (model and get your students
ready for hard parts) 4 minutes
They Notice– 1 helpful idea you noticed your
teacher did to support your comprehension of
this difficult text) [2 min] – (Oh, I get it! So, you
used/modeled ___ M&MDAVIS to help you figure out___)
Group Reflections and
Quick Write
Were you able to cover your content in this
“metacognitive literacy lesson”?
Did the guide help you teach? How? Teach
differently than you might usually?
What did you notice when you gave your
students a chance to reflect out loud about
what they learned?
How might you want the modeling / talking to
change in your lessons as you move through
the year?