Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
Practical approaches for
strengthening sentence-level
reading comprehension and
writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
How often have you seen this face?
Bonnie Singer, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur, 2016
@AFLbonniesinger
Architects For Learning
www.architectsforlearning.com
Most common way of teaching
reading comprehension
“Text complexity is
often driven by
sentence complexity”
Scott, 2008
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Everyone’s worried about
reading
Complex thought demands
complex language
SENTENCE
So what do we know about
spoken syntax development?
• Up to 5 = predictable
Grammar
(a.k.a. Syntax)
• After 5 = ???
– Complexity
packing ideas in different ways
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Houston, we have a problem
Norms
Let’s look to the literature
Scott & Balthazar
• Focus on adverbial, relative, object
complement clauses
• For ages 10-14
Marilyn Nippold
• Routine for unpacking complex
sentences into smaller chunks
• Every kid you work
with doesn’t have a
syntax goal
• They still need to
learn how to deal
with complex syntax
(Full citations in attached references)
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Guiding Principles
Teaching syntax “on the fly”
4 Key Concepts for Treatment
1. Reduce verbal working memory load - address
bigger “chunks” of language
2. Get meta with mini lessons - develop a shared
meta language about the chunks
3. Use that meta language to guide access to
complex syntax - on the fly to talk about spoken
and written language
This approach requires
You know who’s at risk for crashing and
burning with complex sentences…
…even if they have other stuff going on that
seems more pressing
Needs…
Four concepts
(up front)
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
What is a sentence?
What’s this look like?
Sentence =
Whole
thought
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
Next level of complexity
• Compound sentences
• Coordinating conjunctions
– For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So (FANBOYS)
Whole
thought
+
Whole
thought
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Examples
• They may take our lives, but they will never
take our freedom.
• The computer crashed, so I lost all of my
work on my PowerPoint.
Punctuation rule
Don’t forget about
punctuation
• After the end of the first sentence, add a
comma
• Add end punctuation after the second
Meaning-based instruction
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
On the fly with story retell
What is NOT a sentence?
Original utterances:
The princess couldn’t find any
clothes.
She put on a paper bag.
Possible combination:
The princess couldn’t find any
clothes, so she put on a paper bag.
Subordinating Conjunctions
Although the puritans tried to be good.
Before we start the math test.
Half a
thought
If the class behaves well.
Time
when, after, before, since, until, while,
as, once, whenever, as soon as
Place
where, wherever
Condition
even if, unless, in case, provided that
Concession
although, even though, even if, while,
whereas, when
Contrast
while, whereas
Reason
because, since, as
Purpose
(in order) to, in order that, so (that)
Result
so (that)
Anderson, 2005
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
On-the-fly ways to build
grammar gut
Building a
“grammar gut”
• Leave kids hanging – then name it.
– “Before we get started…”
– “When you finish two more…”
PART 2:
Half a thoughts MUST connect to a whole
thought to make a sentence
• After I came home, I made dinner.
• Because the bridge wasn't properly
maintained by the government, it fell down.
Where do half-a-thoughts
live in a sentence?
Usually at the beginning or end
• We visited the museum before it closed.
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
Commas help you
UNDERSTAND!
Find the “chunks”
• Though it used to range from Alaska to Mexico and
across the prairies to the east, the grizzly bear has
been driven into northern habitats.
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
•
At the beginning of a sentence (Hold on: the whole thought is still
coming)
When I hear a song by Taylor Swift, I can’t help but dance.
• The grizzly bear doesn’t need to form a defensive
pack, as it lacks natural enemies.
• As cold weather sets in and food sources become
scarce, the grizzly bear prepares for a winter rest.
Practice with mobility and commas
•
After the complete thought (Only if what follows is not essential
information)
The package came after you left.
The package came at 8:30, after you left.
Essential information
A total add-on
Solidify with sentence
combining (Do-nows, warm-ups,
homework, ticket out, etc.)
1. We will buy plane tickets this week
2. The plane ticket prices will go down this
week.
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Solidify with sentence completion
• My mom won’t let me have a sleep over until
______________________________.
With a meta-language in
place, then you can…
• Although _________________________, I
have to attend each and every one of my
family parties.
• Unless __________________________, I will
likely get a C or worse on the test.
“On the fly” with reading
“On the fly” with reading
When Bill and the children
had finished razor-blading
the last bits of paint off the
windows and washed the
panes, they called Judy down
from her upstairs study to
come and see.
Frank, M.S., Jones, R.M., Krockover, G.H., Mozell P.L., McLeod, J.C., Valenta, C.J., Van
Deman, B.A. (2007). Science. Retrieved from http://www.eharcourtschool.com/
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
“On the fly” with story retell
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
“On the fly” with writing
Original utterances:
The princess couldn’t find any
clothes.
She put on a paper bag.
Possible combination:
She put on a paper bag
because she couldn’t find any
clothes.
Because she couldn’t find any
clothes, she put on a paper
bag.
What’s a LAN?
The hot, humid, and rainy climate of Costa
Rica helps a variety of plants and animals
thrive.
“LANs”
That’s a long
noun!
That’s a longa** noun!
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
LANs come before or after the verb
• A number of unemployed, disenfranchised, and
disgruntled Americans stopped looking for jobs.
• A tornado is a violent, whirling wind that moves in a
narrow path over land.
Solidify LANs
“On the fly” support with LANs
• Need text to support this concept
__ colonists revolted.
___ ___ colonists revolted.
___ ___ ___ colonists revolted.
___ ___ ___ ___ colonists revolted.
• LANs are rampant in Science and Social
Studies text!
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
“On the fly” with reading
The familiar sequence of saddening events that begins
with logging and ends with expensive deforestation of
entire countries is repeated in the Philippines.
This killer fog resulted from a combination of
mountainous terrain surrounding the valley and
weather conditions that trapped and concentrated
deadly pollutants emitted by the community’s steel
mill, zinc smelter, and sulfur acid plant.
“Split thoughts”
Fang, Lamme & Pringle, 2010, p. 62
Split thought LANs are
comprehension busters!
Split thoughts can be
a type of LAN
Text:
Groups that built their lives around the
pasturing of animals remained nomadic.
Comprehension question: Who remained nomadic?
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
Examples of split thoughts
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Solidify with ID tasks
• Stella’s party, which is next week, is going to
be a lot of fun.
• The people who swarmed to the restaurant
wanted bugs.
“On the fly” with reading
Houston, we have a problem!
Indeed, Janice Avery,
who devoted her
entire life to scaring
the wits out of anyone
smaller than she, was
right behind him.
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Pig pile sentence
After I finished my presentation at the 2016 SENIA
convention, I searched high and low for the nearest
hip, reasonably-priced, and non-sleazy establishment
where I could order Mimosas all day.
Resources
31 words; 3 clauses
OR…
“Half a thought followed by a whole thought with a
really long noun”
Guiding Principles
1. Get meta with mini lessons
develop a shared meta
language about the chunks
2. Use that meta language
on the fly to talk about spoken
and written language
Thank you!
Curriculum-relevant
language
intervention
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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Bonnie D. Singer, Ph.D.
Practical approaches for strengthening sentence-level reading comprehension and writing
Useful References
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Anderson, J. (2005). Mechanically inclined: Building grammar, usage
and style into writer’s workshop. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Fang, Z., Lamme, L. & Pringle, R.M. (2010). Language and literacy in
inquiry-based science classrooms, grades 3-8. Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Nippold, M. (2015, April). Read comprehension for expository texts.
Language and literacy in the elementary schools, ASHA-sponsored
online conference.
Peha, S. The writing teacher’s strategy guide.
http://www.ttms.org/PDFs/01%20Writing%20Strategy%20Guide%20v00
1%20(Full).pdf
Saddler, B. (2012). Teacher’s guide to effective sentence writing. New
York: Guilford Press.
•
2016 SENIA Conference
Kuala Lumpur . February
Scott, C. (2014). One size does not fit all: Improving clinical practice in
older children and adolescents with language and learning disorders.
Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools, 45, 145-152.
Scott, C. & Balthazar, C. (2010). The grammar of information:
Challenges for older students with language impairments. Topics in
Language Disorders, 30(4), 288-307.
Scott, C. & Balthazar, C. (2013). The role of complex sentence
knowledge in children with reading and writing difficulties. Perspectives
on language and literacy, 39(3), 18-26.
© 2015 Architects For Learning®, LLC / All Rights Reserved / www.architectsforlearning.com
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