7.++Text+Structure

//7. Text Structure Pre-Reading - Initiating Reading Strategy//

· **Rationale: ** The text structure – initiating – reading strategy helps students understand the difference between narrative and expository patterns. The success of the student in understanding content area texts is dependent upon differentiating between the two basic types of writing. As students are able to differentiate between the two basic types of texts, they can learn how to identify the major expository structures and then how to adjust their reading techniques accordingly. · **Courses in which it could be implemented: ** I use this initiating pre-reading strategy with the struggling learners, as well as the gifted and regular Language Arts students. With the teacher’s guidance this strategy can be effective with a diverse classroom of learners. I teach 8th grade Language Arts and this strategy is useful for my students in understanding the diversity of texts and their structures. I have 5 clsses of 28-30 students each and I believe this strategy is an excellent pre-reading strategy to learn the skills involved in reading narrative and expository texts. History classes could incorporate this strategy when discussing historical events in comparison to narratives of historical figures' stories and tales from long ago. · **Diverse learners: ** All learning styles benefit from this reading strategy. This is a skill that can be used in a diverse learning environment. All students, whether strugglers, or accelerated learners, can benefit from using this technique to identify the various contextual structures in writing. It helps students understand the differences in the way fiction versus non-fiction texts are written. · **Procedure: ** 1. The teacher reads to the class short selections that clearly demonstrate the basic differences between fiction and non-fiction. 2. With the teacher’s guidance, the class develops a checklist (see example on page 73 of the Stephens and Brown book, __A Handbook of Content Literacy Strategies: 125 practical reading and writing ideas)__ of the characteristics of each type. 3. Students, individually, in pairs, or in small groups, find examples of each type and describe their characteristics. · **Potential Issues: ** There may be a better technique to teach this strategy for visual learners by using a Venn Diagram or another graphic organizer to compare and contrast the differences between narrative and expository patterns in texts or books. In figure 5.2 on page 73 of the Stephens and Brown book, the checklist is helpful for students when writing their own fiction and non-fiction stories/text. · **<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">References (Bibliography Information & Cross reference the Resource Binder): ** <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Stephens, E. C. & Brown J. E. (2005). A handbook of content literacy strategies: 125 practical reading and writing ideas. //Strategies for initiating// (pp. 72-73). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">