Makes Sense Language Literacy Strategies
Edwin S. Ellis, PhD
Linda A. Ellis, MA, CCC
Professor, Special Education
University of Alabama
16652 O’Quinn Rd
Northport, AL 35475
[email protected]
(205) 394-5512
[email protected]
(205) 394-5514
ASHA International Convention
Nov. 19, 2008
Edwin Ellis, Ph.D. is a professor of special education at the University of Alabama. He has published
over 70 articles and 20 books and software on cognitive-based interventions for students with
language learning disabilities.
Linda Ellis, MA, CCC is a speech / language pathologist in private practice in Tuscaloosa, AL.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
Part 1: Elaborating to Learn & Learning to Elaborate – Overview of theoretical & research basis for Makes Sense
Strategies
•
The role of language in processing, understanding, and remembering information
Conceptual framework of information processing & memory: Role of language in short-term, working- and long-term memory
•
Critical elaboration strategies for school success
(Summarizing
•
Questioning
Inferencing
Predicting
Organizing Info Visualizing)
Critical metacognitive learning strategies for school success
•
•
Executive functioning and the role of self-speech
Self-monitoring
•
How schools enhance and impair the development of language learning strategies
•
Implicit instruction in elaboration strategies (creating elaboration-rich school environments that support general
development of elaboration strategies)
•
Explicit instruction in task-specific language learning strategies
•
Taxonomy of Elaboration Cues & Prompts
Information organization prompts
Use of visual (non-semantic) organizational prompts
(webs, boxes with arrows depicting cause- effect relationships or sequences, venn diagrams)
Use of visual, paired with semantic organizational prompts i.e.,
GOs that both visually depict hierarchical organization and contain words associated with hierarchical information
Main idea
Essential detail
GOs that both visually depict cause/effect organization and contain words associated with cause/effect relationships
This… Caused this… Because
Start with… Add this... Results in…
GOs that both visually depict sequence organization and contain words associated with sequence relationships
Step 1…Step 2… etc
This happened….Then this happened… Finally, this happened…
GOs that both visually depict comparison organization and contain words associated with comparisons
Similar, Different
Information processing prompts
Use of summarizing cognitive strategies
Gist
Use of self-questioning cognitive strategies
Note something you would like to know more about this topic.
Convert the text heading into a question you think will be answered in the following passage
Predicting cognitive strategies
What do you think will happen as a result of…
Imaging cognitive strategies
Draw a picture of what you think … is about
Inferencing cognitive strategies
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
Why you think ….. happened
Connecting to back-ground knowledge
How is this similar or different from what you already knew about this?
So what? What is important to understand about this?
What does this idea remind you of? Why”
This idea is like…” (analogies & similes)
This idea makes me think of … because….
Evaluating cognitive strategies
What is the _______’s negative or positive impact on the world?
…Importance?
Self-monitoring cognitive strategies
What do you feel you understand the best about this topic?
Which idea(s) is still confusing to you?
Information analysis prompts
Features analysis
Always / Sometimes / Never
Place a check by each feature in the matrix that accurately describes the topic
Categorizing
This idea is a member or part of this larger group ….
Iterations
An example is…
A non-example is…
Topic-specific prompts - designed to focus attention on essential understandings about specific types of topics (e.g., famous people,
important theories, controversial policies, influential beliefs, etc.)
For example…
Topic-specific prompts associated with essential understandings about a famous person
This person … caused this to happen….
Ways to describe this person…”
Person’s impact on the world then and now
How and/or why did the person cause it to happen?
This person… is important because…
Known for… Not known for…
Don’t confuse this person with…
Topic-specific prompts associated with essential understandings about an important theory
This theory … is supposed to explain….
How do others react to the theory?
What is the theory?
Who is affected by the theory? Why was the theory developed or needed?
How does the theory impact our world?
Generative-idea prompts
Generative ideas, also sometimes referred to as “big ideas,” are assumed to be general truths about specific topics, processes, or phenomena.
Generative-idea prompts are designed to focus attention on essential understanding of a given generative idea, or iterations of the essential
understandings. A generative idea may have multiple corollaries that reflect specific essential understandings about the generative idea.
Generative idea related to warfare: All wars begin due to fear related to opportunity, safety, and/or values.
Corollary 1: A group considers going to war when it fears its opportunities are (or may be) severely restricted in one or more of the following areas: Economy, Space/land,
Movement, and/or Exploitation of Resources”.
Sample prompts:
Which type of opportunity does the group believe is being threatened?
This group… believes its opportunities are being threatened by this group… because…
Corollary 2: A group considers going to war when it fears the safety of its borders, people, property, and/or investments is being, or might be threatened.
Corollary 2.1: A group’s perception that safety is threatened is always based on its own previous experiences or those of similar groups.
Sample prompt:
What happened to the group at a previous time that might cause the group to be concerned about its safety now?
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
Part 2: Makes Sense Language Literacy Strategies
Makes Sense Strategies (MSS) is composed of scientific research-based instructional procedures and resources designed for “watering-up” the
curriculum, and was developed and validated by Edwin Ellis, Ph.D. (University of Alabama). Data from a range of scientific studies in schools have documented
substantial increases in academic performance.
Makes Sense Strategies…
Used when teaching…
* Is based on principles of brain-based learning & universal instruction.
* Features use of cognitive elaboration strategies and higher-order thinking skills.
* Focuses on essential understandings of big ideas rather than memorization of trivia.
*
*
*
*
*
*
MSS is implemented in…
* Over 50,000 school districts across the U.S.
* Preservice teacher-education programs in universities and colleges.
* Professional development programs of six state departments of education
that support state-wide implementation of MSS.
“Questions Connections” SMARTsheet
How do SMARTsheets differ from graphic organizers?
At first glance, Makes Sense Strategies (MSS) appears to be a
comprehensive collection of graphic organizers. What differentiates
MSS from other graphic organizer resources is (a) its use of
SMARTsheets, (b) a comprehensive set of instructional tactics for
using them, and (c) an extensive collection of how teachers have
used them across a wide range of subjects.
Makes Sense Strategies SMARTsheets are different from other
graphic organizer resources in several fundamental ways, including
use of embedded semantic prompts. These prompts are designed
to:
* Signal users to engage in robust thinking and informationprocessing strategies as they tackle important academic and
social tasks.
Critical & analytical thinking.
Reading & listening comprehension.
Process writing & note-taking.
Vocabulary & abstract concepts.
Social studies, science, & math.
Social skills & character education.
WHAT?
What was the
issue about
States’ Rights?
Real-life
Connection
WHO?
Who was
Abraham Lincoln?
Real-life
Connection
* Cue users to think about and process information in specific ways
that are based on what research has shown to be very powerful
language-based or brain-based cognitive learning strategies.
* Cue the user to take highly strategic actions associated with
specific tasks.
WHY?
Why did the
South secede
from the Union?
Real-life
Connection
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
States wanting certain amount of independence
from Fed. Gov. when making decisions regarding
state issues (e.g., whether to have slaves)
One family may run their household differently
from another, but both families have to obey
child-abuse laws so children are protected
Lincoln had to make decisions that led to US
Civil War – resulted in freeing Af. Americans
from oppression of slavery & devastated
South’s economy
Bush made decisions that led to the Iraq war –
resulted in freeing Iraqi citizens from dictator
& oppressive government – but also resulted in
Iraq civil war
N v S political arguments about rights to have
slaves, rights to capture escaped slaves, rights
to impose tariffs that affect state’s economy
Some workers, believing they had been treated
unfairly by their employer, leave their jobs and
start their own businesses.
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
Types of SMARTsheets
SMARTsheets 4 Vocabulary
* Feature highly effective SBR vocabulary learning strategies associated with language-based cognitive strategies such as . . .
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
Determining a definition’s critical elements
Summarizing & visualizing
Determining examples & non-examples
Relating to background knowledge
Forming real-world connections
Analyzing critical features
Creating visual and audio mnemonic devices
Understanding new terms and concepts within a
“bigger picture” context of the overall topic of study
“Semantic Table” Vocabulary SMARTsheet
Things people do to make money that harm the environment
X
Is a type or part of …
- OR -
Is a member of this group
DEFORESTATION
(Massive cutting down of large forests)
• Prove useful as pre-teaching tools (e.g., tools for pre-teaching new
vocabulary associated with a forthcoming lesson).
• Work well as well as post-instruction tools (used to review new
vocabulary recently taught in the context of subject-matter lesson).
“LINCS” Key-word Mnemonics Vocabulary SMARTsheet
Key things to remember…
Is important because…
Trees cut down to provide land for
crops to feed the growing population.
Negative consequences to
deforestation = disrupting the carbon
and water cycles, soil erosion,
extinction of some plant species
Trees are harvested for lumber but
not re-planted = no more forest
Actions address immediate needs
but long-term effects may
be harmful
Picture
Plants breath in CO2 produce O2
Animals breath in O2 produce CO2
Is like… (simile or analogy)
Is like tearing apart your favorite toy to get a battery out of it. You are
destroying something important to you to get something that is useful out of it.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
“Questioning Caterpillar” Reading SMARTsheet
SMARTsheets 4 Listening & Reading Comprehension
* Are designed for enhancing use of listening and reading cognitive strategies.
?
?
was in the
story?
* Offer a wide range of SMARTsheets provided for each of the following areas:
*
*
*
*
Story Grammar
Literary Analysis
Story Problem
Inferencing
*
*
*
*
Character Analysis
Text Perusal
Questioning
Predicting
TITLE
* Contain embedded semantic prompts that cue use of powerful cognitive
comprehension strategies, as well as topic-specific prompts. For example, the
Character Analysis SMARTsheets contain prompts designed to target or focus
student thinking on the essential elements involved when analyzing a
character (e.g., appearance and personality of a character, role in the story,
how the character changed).
WHAT
happened in
the story?
WHO
Sam (cub)
Splash!
by Arlane Dewey
Jose Aruego
Nelly
They rush out of
the cave and
(cub) run to the
river.
Bears
Fish
Sam & Nelly
wake up late.
They are afraid
the bears have
eaten all the
fish.
The bears aren’t
happy to see the
cubs because
they always
make a mess,
* Have become very popular among reading coaches, speech-language
pathologists, and English as second language teachers.
* Range in sophistication from those designed for use in the primary grades to
those used at the secondary and college levels.
WHEN
did the story
happen?
In the
morning
Can see
the sun
They are
waking up
They are
hungry for
breakfast
WHERE
did the
story
take place?
Cave
River
Rock on
bank of
river
“PredictCheckConnect” Reading SMARTsheet
“Character Analysis” Reading SMARTsheet
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
SMARTsheets 4 Process Writing
* Are designed to enable students to produce well-organized paragraphs and essays.
* Contain descriptive, narrative, expository, & persuasive formats.
* Include specific strategies for pre-writing, producing, editing, & revising.
* Range from those used at the emerging literacy level (primary grades) to those used
by high school and college students.
“Process Writing” SMARTsheets
Perdido Cemetery
Is about a place that…
An old cemetery behind my house that’s really scary – “Perdido”
tombstones,
sunken
4
There are old tombstones everywhere - some fallen
over. Lots of indentions where graves caved in.
rusty gate squeaks
2
To go inside, you have to open an old rusty gate - makes
a scary squeak
scary trees,
moss
3
You’ll see huge old oak trees with Spanish moss. Wind
blowing the leaves makes a spooky sound.
dark, full
moon
1
Best time to go is late at night when the moon is full.
5
Sometimes you’ll hear screech owls or hoot owls that
sound like ghosts. You might see bats.
bats & owls
Conclusion
If you think you are brave enough, I’ll take you there
one night.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
The Perdido Cemetery is about a place that is in
the woods behind my house that is really scary.
“Perdido” means lost so you may feel that way if you go
there. The best time to go is late at night when the
moon is full. To go inside, you have to open an old rusty
gate that makes a scary squeak. You’ll see huge old oak
trees with Spanish moss hanging from the limbs. Wind
blowing the leaves makes a spooky sound. There are old
tombstones of all sizes everywhere. Some have fallen
over. There are lots of indentions in the ground where
graves caved in. You might hear a screech owl or hoot
owl that sounds like a ghost. You might see bats flying
over the graves. If you think you are brave enough, I’ll
take you there one night!
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
“This Caused” Cause/Effect Graphic Organizer SMARTsheet
SMARTsheets for organizing ideas
* Provide the most extensive selection of graphic organizers (GOs) on
the planet, thus enabling teachers to select from those that are very
simple to highly sophisticated.
* Visually depict the four most common ways information is structured:
hierarchic (whole-to-part), compare/contrast, cause/effect, and
sequence.
* Contain embedded semantic prompts that signal information
structures and cue students to engage in higher-order thinking
processes such as drawing conclusions, relating the information to the
bigger picture, and making real-world connections.
Fredrick Douglas & the Fight for Freedom
Is about…
an x-slave who became a strong leader in the fight to end slavery in US
This…
Caused this…
Highly intelligent & articulate exslave began writing and speaking out
Many people became actively
involved in trying to end slavery
Helped dispel myths about Blacks
2
Douglas provided realistic pictures
of what slavery was really like
2
1
Could debate evils of slavery with
the smartest people in the nation
3
Helped bring into focus how
immoral slavery was
3
Provided a powerful counterexample of low-intelligence myth
4
Caused people to examine their own
racist attitudes and beliefs
4
Laid the foundation for supporting
all minorities’ rights
1
Served as a rallying point that
enabled protesters to organize
(limited in IQ, happy, needs supervising)
So what? What is important to understand about this?
His ability to describe slavery in detail & provide extremely articulate
arguments against slavery made Douglas a powerful abolitionist leader.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
“DEBATE PLANNER: Our Position” Project-based Learning SMARTsheet
SMARTsheets 4 Project-based
Learning
* Provide an extensive array of project-based
learning strategies for enabling students to plan
and execute student-investigations and make
presentations as a means for learning content
objectives.
* Offer a wide range of resources for supporting
student- (self), peer-, and teacher-based
evaluations of both how well the project-based
learning strategies were used by students and
of the outcomes of their work.
* Assist teachers, behavior therapists, &
counselors in focusing on critical aspects of
analyzing problematic behaviors and why they
may be occurring.
“DEBATE PLANNER: Counter-response Plan” Project-based Learning SMARTsheet
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
“Influence * Action * Impact ” Essential Understanding SMARTsheet
SMARTsheets 4 Essential Understanding
PERSON
* Dramatically increase the focus and clarity
of content-area subject lessons.
* Feature a set of “Essential Understandings” about each of the
most common topics taught in any science or social studies
lesson:
-
famous person or group
significant place/geography
important theory or idea
controversial issue/debate
significant problem
important thing or object
- important event
- impacting policy
- war or conflict
- common belief
- impacting invention
- key process
For example, if the social studies lesson is primarily about a
famous person, MSS provides a range of SMARTsheets that
focus on essential understandings of any famous person.
Likewise, if a science lesson is primarily about
a biological process, there is a range of
SMARTsheets specifically designed to address
the essential understandings associated with any process.
* Present embedded semantic cues designed
to prompt students to engage in highly robust critical thinking
and language-learning elaboration strategies.
* Include very powerful tools for guided note-taking, guided
reading in the content area, planning writing about contentarea subjects, assessing student knowledge about subjects.
* Help to structure cooperative learning discussions about a
topic.
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
Ida Tarbell
Is about a person who …
was a “muckraker” who reported on things the government needed to
improve people’s lives during the Progressive Era
Factors that INFLUENCED
the person’s actions
Notable ACTIONS
of the person
• Many big businesses
became monopolies forced small
competing companies
out of business & then
raised prices.
• Investigated
corruption in big
businesses like
Standard Oil Co.
• Abused workers (long
hours & dangerous
conditions)
• Wrote books &
magazine articles
about the corruption
in big businesses
• Hired children to work
in factories
• Exposed abuses to
workers
IMPACT of this person
on the world
• One of most influential
muckrakers of
Progressive Era
• Influenced Fed. Gov. to
pass antitrust acts
(prohibit monopolies) &
other laws to protect
workers and children
So what? What is important to understand about this person?
Investigative journalism exposes corrupt practices and social ills in society,
encourages people to take a stand against the corruption & can lead to reforms.
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
SMARTsheets 4 Social / Emotional Literacy
* Help learners understand social phenomena.
* Develop character & emotional stability.
* Increase social skills and strategies.
* Extend perspective-taking ability such as:
“Who Controls the Problem?” Social / Emotional Literacy SMARTsheet
ISSUE or
PROBLEM
Things about this
I can control
My parents
are separated
Be equally
supportive of
each parent &
control my own
emotions
Write down
assignments &
finish homework
before watching
TV
Whether I say
smart-aleck
things to Mr.
Wilkes
What people probably are thinking when . . .
How various people may view a situation differently . . .
* Build self-regulation language skills such as . . .
* Use of positive self-speech
* Goal-setting
Poor grades not turning in
assignments
* Self-monitoring
* Self-advocacy
Getting in
trouble in Mr.
Wilkes’s class
Conclusion
I can control my
EAA (Effort,
Attitude &
Actions)
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
Things I have NO
control over
How they feel
about each other
& whether they
choose to get
divorced
How hard the
assignments are &
how long they
take to finish
How boring social
studies is.
Conclusion
I can’t control
situations around
me or decisions
others make
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
Conclusion
They don’t have
to be together
for me to love
both of them
Conclusion
I need to force
myself to get the
job done on time
even if I hate it.
Conclusion
My mouth is
screwing up my
grade.
SMARTsheets 4 Math Literacy
Focus on essential understandings of math as well as cue the use of thinking strategies in:
•
•
•
Mathematical concepts
Computational processes
Math rules/theorems
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
3 Main-idea Frame
© 2008 Edwin Ellis, All Rights Reserved MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475
(205) 330-5813
This SMARTsheet is one of over 500 found in the Makes Sense Strategies software. Visit MakesSenseStrategies.com to view an extensive collection of
samples of how teachers have used these resources and to order software and books. Teachers have permission to photocopy this page.
Is about …
Main Idea
Main Idea
Main Idea
So what? What is important to understand about this?
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.
2 Topics X 4 Main Ideas Comparison Matrix
© 2008 Edwin Ellis, All Rights Reserved MakesSenseStrategies.com
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475
(205) 330-5813
This SMARTsheet is one of over 500 found in the Makes Sense Strategies software. Visit MakesSenseStrategies.com to view an extensive collection of
samples of how teachers have used these resources and to order software and books. Teachers have permission to photocopy this page.
Comparing…
Main Ideas
Topic #1
Topic #2
Features
Features
Conclusion about this main idea
Conclusion about this main idea
Conclusion about this main idea
Conclusion about this main idea
Conclusion about these features
© 2008 Edwin Ellis
MakesSenseStrategies.com
Conclusion about these features
16652 O’Quinn Rd. Northport, AL 35475 phone/fax (205) 330-5813
Makes Sense Strategies and SMARTsheets are trademarked.