Elkhart Community Schools

Readers of nonfiction have to

decide and remember what is
important in the texts they read
if they are going to learn
anything from them.
~ Harvey & Goudvis

Elkhart Community S

Have you ever asked

someone how their day
went and received a
blow-by-blow description
of every detail?
Elkhart Community S

Decisions about importance

are based on
The

readers purpose
The readers schema for the text
content - ideas most closely connected
to the readers prior knowledge will be
considered most important
The readers sense of the aesthetic what he or she values or considers
worthy or beautiful
Elkhart Community S

The House

Elkhart Community S

It is critical to support learners

through the learning process and
gradually release responsibility to
them.
Keene & Zimmerman - Mosaic of Thought

Independent Application
Independent Practice
Guided Practice
Teacher Modeling
Elkhart Community S

Teacher Modeling
Teachers should model thinking
aloud about their own process of
determining importance during
reading.

Elkhart Community S

Guided Practice
In small or large group minilessons, students are invited to
share their thoughts about what
is important.

Elkhart Community S

Independent Practice
Students may work individually,
meet in small groups, or work in
pairs to compare ideas about
what is most important in text
and how they came to that
conclusion.
Elkhart Community S

Independent Application
Conference with students during
independent reading. This will
give you the opportunity to
discuss what decisions they are
making about important ideas in
a variety of texts.
Elkhart Community S

10

Elkhart Community S

11

Power Notes contribute to students

awareness of text structure as they read
and write. In addition ~
Students learn to read actively and to prioritize
main ideas from details as they study.
Power Notes can be integrated into a number
of other activities to help students perceive how
information in interconnected.
Elkhart Community S

12

Power 1 ~
main point or category
Power 2s, 3s, and 4s ~
corresponding details and
examples
Elkhart Community S

13

An example of Power Notes

1. Penalties in Football
2. On Offense
3. Holding
3. Clipping
2. On Defense
3. Off Sides
3. Pass Interference
3. Grabbing Face Mask
2. On Special Teams
Elkhart Community S

14

Power 1
Power 2
Power 3

Power 3

Power 2
Power 3

Elkhart Community S

Power 3
15

A Chapter Tour is a form of study

guide that "talks" the reader
through a chapter, and points out
elements of the text that warrant
special attention.

Using a Chapter Tour activity

involves the following steps.
1. Preview the Chapter
2. Create the Tour
3. Students Complete the Tour
4. Develop Variations

Preview a typical textbook

chapter to identify salient
features that students might
overlook during their reading.

Create a Chapter Tour that

guides students toward noticing
organizational features as they
use the book.

Have students complete your

first Chapter Tour as an
introduction to the textbook.

Elkhart Community S

23

We must teach our students what

nonfiction is. Teaching our students
that expository text has predictable
characteristics and features they can
count on before they read allows
them to construct meaning more
easily as they read.
~ Debbie Miller
Elkhart Community S

24

 Labels
Captions
Comparisons
Graphics
Maps

Fonts and Effects

Table of Contents
Index
Glossary
Appendix

Elkhart Community S

25

Elkhart Community S

26

Elkhart Community S

27

In the Past
You were asked to highlight the
most important parts of the
material.
How many of you highlighted almost
the entire page?
Were you ever told how to figure
out what are important details?
Elkhart Community S

28

When students highlight or mark text in

nonfiction materials, they should keep
the following guidelines in mind ~

Look carefully at the first and last line in each

paragraph.

Highlight only necessary words and phrases.

Dont get thrown off by interesting details.

Try not to highlight more than half of a

paragraph.
~ Continued
Elkhart Community S

29

Make notes in the margins.

Cue words will be followed by important

information.

Nonfiction has many features that signal

important information.

Pay attention to surprising information. You

may be learning something new.

Elkhart Community S

30

V.I.P. (Very Important Points)

Students cut sticky notes so there are slim
strips of paper extending out from the sticky
edge.
As students read, they tear off pieces to
mark points in text they feel are significant.
After reading, students compare
the points they marked. They
must justify their answers. I
chose to mark this point
because

Elkhart Community S

31

Coding

I Important
L Learned something new
* Interesting/important
Aha! Big idea surfaces
S Surprising
S!!! Shocking
!!! - Exciting
Elkhart Community S

32

Two or Three Column Notes

The Monarch Butterfly - Pg. 9

Monarchs
that emerge
in spring and
early
summer

Mate in 4 days
Lay eggs on
milkweed plants
Males & females
die in one month

Monarchs
Live longer
that emerge
Migrate hundreds
in late
of miles to warmer
Elkhart Community
33
summer and
areas S

Anticipation Guides
1. Prepare a list of true / false statements about a
subject that is about to be read.
2. Have the students make a true or false
prediction about the statements BEFORE
reading.
3. Have the students read the article or text.
4. Tell the students to answer the same set of true /
false questions as they can now verify their
answers from the reading.
Elkhart Community S

34

Elkhart Community S

35