How to Effectively Chunk Text

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT

With a partner, examine the text Julian Castros Keynote

Address. As students in this English class, do you think
that the text is
aesthetically pleasing
arranged in a way that allows you to easily think about
important moments
easy to read

Community Agreements
Be present in the work (e.g., use tech to engage)

Monitor equity of voice (engage in purposeful talk,

monitor air time)
Practice consideration of colleagues (e.g., limit
sidebars)
Take care of yourself (ask questions, give feedback,
make yourself comfortable)
Have fun!
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Session Goals
Explore the six steps to effectively chunking
text:
Type of text
Aesthetics
Focus

Objectives
Questions

Instructional Notes

Practice chunking

So why Chunking?
Chunking is a strategy that helps students
breakdown challenging texts into more
manageable pieces.

Chunking has been integrated into various

strategies we utilize- Be the Lead Reader,
Chunk & Chew, just to name a few.

Text Selection
Select a text that is appropriate to students
levels of reading.
Depending on the text (genre, length,
structure, and type), determine whether the
text should be chunked by:
-Sentence Segments
-Line
-Stanza
-Paragraph
-Section
-Scene
-Chapter
-Page

How does it look?

Aesthetics can help make a text easier to read.
To ensure that the actual reading is
manageable:
-Adjust font size
-Adjust line spacing
-Bold, underline, highlight, or box important words or
phrases
-Add lines and/or boxes before and/or after chunks
-Add columns to the sides of the text
-Add appropriate images or graphics
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Be Deliberate!
Select a specific focus for reading the text.
The text must lend itself to highlighting that
chosen focus.
Some STAAR/EOC related focuses are:
-Rhetorical devices (diction, syntax)
-SOAPS Tone
-Plot progression
-Character development
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Objectives
It is imperative to align the focus to the
appropriate objective(s)/TEKS.
Although readiness standards are primarily
tested, it is important to touch on the
supporting standards associated with that
readiness standard.

Questions
Questions must be linked to the focus of the
lesson and the TEKS/objectives selected.
Use STAAR/EOC question stems to generate the
questions.
However, remember the following:
-Questions should build up in level (Blooms Taxonomy)
-Written questions might be accompanied by verbal
scaffolding/ guiding questions

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Instructional Notes
It is important to establish the purpose for
reading in chunks and the focus of the lesson:
-Preview key academic vocabulary
-Model reading and pausing at a chunk
-Conduct think-a-louds to model annotating and
answering questions
-Preview text via anticipation guides, KWL, 4Corners, if appropriate
-Mix up the discussions after each chunk
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Instructional Adjustments
Some possible modifications/alterations:
-Students can listen to the audio version of the
text, but pause at noted points and respond to
the chunk activity.
- Students could be given colored folders. At the
stations, there could be leveled text in the
matching folders. For campuses with Achieve
3000, finding leveled texts would be very easy.
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Instructional Adjustments
Some possible modifications/alterations:
-For short answer responses, provide sentence
stems/ fill-in-the-blank as need be.
-For the purpose of this training, you are
physically altering the text; however, in the
classroom, the students will be independently
reading chunked text and completing the
embedded activities.
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Related Strategies & Research

The Everyday Excellence Routines are great
tools to utilize when chunking text:
- Be the Lead Reader zones in on how to chunk
text, and how to conduct effective read-alouds and think-a-louds.

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Practice!
Locate the copy of Gary Sotos Pie.
Locate the resource packet.
Please make sure that your participants guide
is completed.
You will have 15 minutes to chunk this short
story using the 6 steps covered in our session.
Please feel free to collaborate with the partner
you have been working with throughout the
session.
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Closure
Think about the 6 steps and how you
experienced them today. Are these steps
helpful? Did they confirm your instructional
practices?
When you are prepared to answer, please
stand.
Now, find someone you did not have the
opportunity to work with today.
If you do not have a partner, please raise your
hand. I will join you!
Each person will have 1 minute to share.
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Debrief/ Exit Ticket

Please complete the survey prior to leaving.

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