Help Students Become Skilled Readers
of Informational Text: Top Research-Based
Strategies to Close this Reading Gap
Dr. Barbara Moss
©2012
Today’s Objectives…
To clarify terms related to informational texts
To provide a rationale for teaching this text
type
To examine the exposure, achievement and
instruction gaps
To identify instructional strategies for
bridging those gaps
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To Think About…
Make a list of every thing you have read
during the past 24 hour period.
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What is Informational Text?
Newspapers
Magazines
Encyclopedias
Internet sources
Information trade books
Online texts-blogs,
encyclopedias,
databases, email,
websites, and ebooks
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What is Informational Text?
Text with:
1)the primary purpose of conveying information
about the world
2) particular linguistic characteristics
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2009 NAEP Categories: Defining Terms
Narrative
Nonfiction
Literary
Nonfiction
Biography,
Autobiography
Non Narrative
Text
Exposition
Informational
Text
Argument/Persua
sion
Procedural
Texts/Documents
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Literary Nonfiction
Combines factual elements with story
Uses literary devices as well as informational elements
Great for young children to bridge from story to
information
Much adult reading is in this genre
Conversational/may be first person
Titles like I Want to Be An Astronaut
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Biography
Factual, but combines narrative literary elements
with facts to tell the story of a life
Can be cradle to grave, partial or collective
Also includes autobiography
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Exposition
Straightforward information
Academic vocabulary is crucial to meaning
Textbook like
Third person
Impersonal tone
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Technical Texts
Step by step texts that describe how to complete a
task
Technical in nature
Found in every day life as well as in workplace (e.g.
computer manuals, DVR directions, etc)
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Argument/Persuasion
Texts that use arguments and evidence to
convince the reader of their position
Receiving great emphasis in the new
Common Core State Standards
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Why Use Information Texts?
By sixth grade, 80% of school reading tasks are
expository (Venezky, 2007)
Standardized tests are 85%
expository (Daniels, 2007)
Need to close the “knowledge gap” (Hirsch, 2006)
Lack of social studies or science instruction
(NICCHD,2005)
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Why Use informational Texts?
80% of adult reading is information
95% of websites contain informational texts (Kamil,
2005)
For some students, this is their preferred form of
reading
The Common Core State Standards require that
students engage in reading more informational text
from K-12.
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Distribution of Text Types on
NAEP/CCSS Reading
Grade
Literary
Informational
4
50%
50%
8
45%
55%
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30%
70%
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“Students’ success or failure in
school (and out of school!) is
closely tied to their ability to
comprehend expository text.”
(Kamil, 2003).
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Three Informational Text Gaps….
The Exposure Gap
The Achievement Gap
The Instruction Gap
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The Exposure Gap
First graders spent 3.6 minutes a day with
informational texts (Duke, 2000)
Children need exposure to those text types we want
them to be able to read and write (Duke, 2009)
Basal readers provide little exposure to persuasion or
procedural texts (Moss, 2008)
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Background for the Basal Reader Study
(Moss, 2008)
Basal readers have traditionally focused on narrative
text (20% nonfiction in 1997 study)
About 90% of teachers use basal readers
CA schools use two different series
“Textbook policy actions in Texas and California are
shaping a national curriculum for reading.” (Hiebert,
2000)
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Comparison of Overall Pages/Selections
Narrative
Nonnarrative
Series % of
pages
% of
% of
selections pages
% of
selections
One
50% 56%
28% 49%
44%
51%
Two
54% 61%
43% 70%
39%
30%
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Non Narrative Selections by Type
Genre
Series
Pri
Int
Lit NF
One
Two
One
31%
29%
52%
23%
61%
63%
Two
One
Two
63%
0%
0%
37%
4%
3%
One
Two
17%
8%
11%
0%
Expos
Arg/Pers.
Proc/Doc
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How Can We Close the Exposure Gap ?
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Provide Access to Informational Texts
Add informational texts:
to your library
to your read alouds
to shared/guided reading
to students’ independent reading
to content area learning
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Read Informational Texts Aloud
Surveys of teacher read aloud practices indicate that
informational texts are seldom read aloud (Yopp &
Yopp, 2009)
This pattern extends from preschool through higher
grade levels
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Before Reading
Link book to student’s lives through
brainstorming, problem solving, KWL, anticipation
guides.
Teach key vocabulary before students read
Have kids form their own questions about what
the content could be about (KWL, for example)
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During/After Reading
Ask questions, clarify terms, create a chart or web
Respond and extend
Discuss
Role play
Do drama or readers’ theater
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Read Aloud Tips
Avoid long, technical texts
Identify high interest books on topics that
engage students
Chunk texts that are complex; read a short
section each day
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The Power of Access
Students who are exposed to a variety of genre have
higher average reading scores than students who
experience fewer genre (Campbell, 1995).
Exposure to different informational genre deepens
understanding of how texts work, resulting in higher
comprehension scores.
Exposure to different informational genre helps
students internalize the structures of each, improving
writing and reading (Saul, 2000).
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The Achievement Gap: Test Scores
4th Grade Slump (Chall, Jacobs, and Baldwin, 1990)
PISA and PIRLS (International Assessments)-US
students consistently do better on literary texts
Scores on 2010 NAEP informational text for English
learners far lower than for native speakers (190 vs.
219)
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The Instruction Gap
Research continues to confirm lack of comprehension
instruction of any type in K-6; especially
informational text (Durkin, 1979; Taylor, Pearson,
Clark & Walpole, 2000)
Children need explicit instruction if they are to meet
the challenges of reading informational text, which is
more difficult for them than narrative
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What Makes a Great Informational
Text?: The 5 As
Is the author knowledgeable?
Are text and illustrations accurate?
Is the text appropriate?
Does the text have artistry?
Does it have an appealing
appearance?
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Awards for Informational Texts
Newbery, Caldecott
Robert F. Siebert Award
(http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/siber
tmedal)
Orbis Pictus Award
(http://www.ncte.org/awards/orbispictus)
NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies)
National Science Teachers’ Association
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Ingredients for Successful Instruction
with Non-Narrative Text
1. Provide time for teaching informational text
2. Provide before, during and after reading support
and promote text talk
3. Build background and content knowledge
4. Teach text features and their purposes
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Ingredients for Success with NonNarrative Text
5. Teach common text structures.
6. Engage students in writing about informational
text.
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Providing Support
Provide lots of support before, during and after
reading
Model what you want them to do (I do)
Do it with them (We do)
Let them do it collaboratively (You do it together
and talk about it)
Let them do it independently (You do it alone)
(Fisher & Frey, 2006)
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Build Background Knowledge
Build background for the content
Build background for academic vocabulary
Build background for genre
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Table of Contents Prediction
Present a book cover for a book with a TOC
Students predict the title of each chapter (what is in
the table of contents) for Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc.
Gets students thinking about text content,
macrostructure, sequence of presentation of
information
Promotes reflection on big ideas of text
Then have them compare the author’s choices with
their own
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Comparison of TOC-Hurricane by
Maureen Hasselhurst
My Prediction
Where do
Hurricanes Happen?
Why do they
Happen?
When do Hurricanes
Happen?
What Damage do
they Cause
The Actual TOC
A Deadly Storm
The Hurricane
Begins to Develop
Waiting for the
Storm
Mitch Hits
Recovery
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Build Background for Vocabulary
Understanding of vocabulary is a strong
predictor for comprehension
Introducing vocabulary is especially important
for English learners
Vocabulary knowledge contributes to
background students need to comprehend
text
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Selecting the Words
Preview the text
Identify words that students will not know
Select words that are crucial to comprehension
Limit the number to 4-5 key terms
Directly PRETEACH words not defined in the text
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The California Gold Rush
John Sutter owned a large fort on a river in
California. James Marshall worked at the fort. On
January 24th 1848, Marshall found a shiny rock in
the river at Sutter’s Mill. It was gold. News about the
gold traveled fast, and by 1849, 100,000 people
migrated to California to find gold. Some became
gold miners. They came from all over the world.
Some came by boat, some came by covered
wagon, and others came by foot. Gold changed
California. Because of the discovery of gold, cities
sprang up. Today California is called the Golden
State. Do you know why?
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Vocabulary Prediction Chart
TERM
shiny
WHAT I
PREDICT IT
MEANS
FROM THE
SENTENCE
DEFINITION
large
bright, glossy
RATE MY
PREDICTION
+
NOTES
or --
-
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Four Square Word Cards
Children create 3x5 or 5x8 cards
Include a student-created definition
Provide a visual cue (picture for learners)
Create a sentence
Can include examples, opposites, synonyms
Less useful for more abstract words
Cards can be sorted, used on a word wall, etc
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Build Vocabulary Knowledge-Strategy:
Word Cards
Gold-a valuable metal
used for coins and jewelry
John Marshall
discovered gold in in
1848.
It reminds me of:
My mom’s gold chain….
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Build Background for Genre
Talk about characteristics of genre
Compare and contrast narrative and
informational text genres
Have children sort books from different
genre
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Narrative Text
Eggs flew past us and pelted our front door. Just as the boys
disappeared the door flew open. My mother glared straight
at the offenders. “What do you think you are doing? Why do
you do stuff like this?” “It wasn’t us,” one of them tried to
say, but mom wasn’t buying it.
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Expository Text
In some areas ospreys nest on power poles. These huge
nests can damage the wires. Sometimes the birds touch
their wings to the two wires at once, killing themselves and
causing power outages. Some companies solve this problem
by putting up spiked poles where the birds can’t nest.
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How are fiction and informational texts
different?
Fiction
Informational Text
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Strategy: Book Comparison/ Contrast
Questions
How are these two books different?
Do we read information the same as stories? Why?
Why not?
What do storybooks have that informational books
do not?
Why are they different?
What do informational books have that stories do
not?
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Strategy: Book Comparison/Contrast
Questions
What parts of the book help me find
information?
How do I use the diagrams, maps, etc.?
What do the headings tell me?
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Teach Text Features
Teach students
differences in text types
Teach them to identify,
use and recognize the
purpose of text features
Teach one at a
time
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Strategies-Text Features
Sticky Notes Book Marks
As children read, they use post-it notes to mark key
features and content
Text Feature Search
Students search for text features, identify, and record
the purpose of the feature
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Sticky Note Bookmarking (Vogt)
As children read, they use a post-it note to mark:
A question /a confusing part ?
An interesting part *
A new vocabulary word everyone should know V
A visual that helped them understand the text and
they can explain □
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Text Feature Search
Children must be taught features like
sidebars, headings, photographs,
captions, maps, etc.
Children can search for these and
identify their purposes
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Teach Text Features: Headings
Often large print and bolded
May be of different font size
Provide guides to the text
organization
May be replicated in table of
contents
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Strategy: Teaching Headings
Show students how headings organize texts
Teach children to turn headings into questions
Model how to read and talk and draw to answer the
question in the heading/take notes
Record questions and answers on flip books or
foldables
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Teach Text Structures
Non-narrative structures include 5 organizational
patterns:
1) description
2) sequence
3) compare contrast
4) problem solution
5) cause effect
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Teach Text Structures
All five text structures can appear on a single page of
text
Some of the text structures have signal words that
can help children identify them
All have corresponding graphic organizers that aid in
instruction
Children who know text structure comprehend better
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Identify the Structure
San Diego is a beautiful city. Sparkling oceans,
beautiful beaches, and stunning mountain vistas are
visible from downtown. San Diego is a city of great
diversity, where people from all corners of the world
come together to engage in work related to
biomedicine, defense, and the military.
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Identify the Structure
San Diego is very different from my home town of
Akron, Ohio. San Diego has a constant temperature
around 75 degrees, while temperatures in Akron
range from below zero to 95 degrees. San Diego has
a very diverse population; however, Akron does not.
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Identify the Structure
One of the biggest problems of living in San
Diego is the traffic. At rush hour the roads
are extremely crowded with cars and rude
drivers. A solution to the problem has been
the widening of one of the most crowded
highways in the county, which has more than
250,000 cars per day.
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6) Teach Text Structures: Graphic
Organizers
Help children segment text
Keep track of information
See how text is organized (description, cause
effect, comparison contrast, problem solution)
Semantic map for Spiders by Gail Gibbons
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gray
brown
black
Appearance
abdomen
Headchest
Spiders
Their bodies unlike
insects
How they reproduce
toads
frogs
trapdoor
Enemies
tarantula
widow
water
wolf
Types of spiders
wasps
triangle
funnel
Types of webs
Spiderlings
Lay eggs in a silk sac
Care for
selves
orb
tangled
sheet
Ballooning
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7. Write Informational Text
Strategies:
I Remember…
Written responses to read alouds, books
read independently or visuals
Two Column Journal
Writing Frames to reinforce text
structures
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I Remember…(Hoyt)
Post reading/listening
activity
Promotes attention to
text and concentration
Children share facts
they remember with
entire group
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I Remember…
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Possible Written/Discussion Responses
for Nonfiction
1. How would this book be different if written 10 years ago? 10
years later?
2. Compare this book with your textbook’s discussion of the same
topic. How are they alike? How different? Which did you
believe more and why?
3. Compare this book with another on the same topic/or person.
What discrepancies did you find.
4. Draw a picture illustrating three things you learned.
5. What steps did this author follow to find information about this
book?
6. How would this book be different if written for a second grader?
7. What was the most interesting information in this book?
8. What information do you wish the author had included but did
not? Abrahamson & Carter, 1993
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Two Column Journal A Boy’s War
What it Said:
Boys joined the war to
get out of work.
Later rules said that
boys under 18 couldn’t
join the war.
A boy could enter war
at any age if a
musician.
A boy could enter if
parents wanted them to
under age.
What I Thought:
I think boys shouldn’t
work until age 18.
I agree. I disagree that
if you are a tall 14 year
old you could be in the
war
I thought if there was a
rule you had to follow
it.
I think it would be the
parents’ fault if the boy
dies.
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Framed Writing: Winterizing a Car
First get everything you need. You will need oil,
antifreeze, oil filter, and hoses. Second, lift up the
hood and screw off the oil filter. Put in new oil and
the new oil filter. Thirdly check the antifreeze adding
antifreeze to the radiator if it needs filled. Next, put
water in the battery. Close the hood. Finally, check
the gas to make sure you have enough before taking
off.
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Now…evaluate yourself!!
Where are you as a teacher of
informational texts???
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Self-Assessment
Do your students have access to informational texts?
Do you read informational texts aloud?
Do you build background for content, vocabulary and
genre with this text type?
Do you teach text features? Can your students
identify them and their purposes?
Do your students know the 5 informational text
structures?
Do your students read and write informational text
every day?
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Contact Info:
Barbara Moss
[email protected]
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