TeachME Professional Development

Strategies to Access and Comprehend Complex Reading Tasks

Introduction

1. The language of Common Core Standards has made it clear that our students are expected to engage regularly with complex texts, and the first step toward doing so is understanding exactly what makes a given text complex.

A. True B. False

Chapter 1: Ramping Up for Complex Texts

2. In order to expose students to great literary works, many teachers have assigned difficult texts independently, but rather than read the material, students find summaries and notes in order to more easily answer questions and write essays.

A. True B. False

Reading Complex Texts: Anchor Standard 10

3. The anchor standard that strives to ensure that students "read and comprehend" complex texts serves as a reminder that the ultimate goal is:

A. Connecting to prior knowledge B. Engaging students in their own learning C. Having the ability to make meaning D. Capturing motivation, knowledge, and experiences

A New Definition of Text Complexity

4. In determining text complexity, quantitative evaluation accesses levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands.

A. True B. False

Matching Readers with Texts and Tasks

5. Proponents of reader response theory argue that selected texts should do each of the following EXCEPT:

A. Allow students to see themselves and their religion, ethnicity, language, and culture in the selected texts B. Permit students to interact with people who have different experiences and beliefs through the act of reading C. Offer a balanced portrayal of gender identities and roles in terms of the depiction of the characters and what the characters do D. Embrace complexity and readability as interchangeable variables

Reading Closely: Anchor Standard 1

6. Under Anchor Standard 1, for grades 9-10, expectations for literature and informational texts include citing strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

A. True B. False

Accessing Complex Texts Through a Gradual Release of Responsibility

7. Some experts worry that in a rush to engage students in critical thinking skills, such as integrating prior knowledge, too little time will be allotted for simply reading the material.

A. True B. False

Summary

8. The intention behind effective instruction with complex texts is for students to expand their capacity to deeply understand these kinds of complex texts outside the company of their teachers.

A. True B. False

Chapter 2: Access Point One

9. To ensure that students can access complex texts, their teachers must first select such texts and then:

A. State objectives B. Model their thinking about the text C. Allow time for students to practice new strategies D. Provide feedback about the process

Model That Which is Difficult for Students

10. The first principle of modeling is to demonstrate what students already know, but in clear and decisive language, in order to clarify and prime learning.

A. True B. False

Model How You Interact with Text

11. Annotation of text, the practice of making notes for oneself during reading, is an essential practice for closely reading complex text, and it is useful when writing about the text.

A. True B. False

Model Through Think-Alouds

12. Think-alouds provide teachers the opportunity to share their expertise while using each of the following strategies EXCEPT:

A. Chose a longer piece of text for the think-aloud as this will provide many opportunities to stimulate the students' interest B. Let the text tell you what to do C. Keep the think-alouds authentic D. Resist the urge to "over-think"

Characteristics of Interactive Shared Reading Lessons

13. Effective teachers create a sequence of instruction that includes modeling through demonstration, scaffolding through questions and prompts, and:

A. Telling the students what the goal is B. Asking and answering questions about details C. Supporting through peer interactions D. Providing self-monitoring and connection strategies

Assessing Complex Text Requires a Clear Purpose

14. While establishing the purpose of a lesson helps to focus instruction, provides students with an answer to the question, 'why do we have to learn this?' and allows for assessment of outcomes, experts believe it is more beneficial to allow students to interpret what the purpose is, as that will stimulate thinking and creativity.

A. True B. False

Communicate the Purpose Statement

15. The most effective way to communicate a purpose statement is to post a clearly written comment on the board so students can visualize the goal of the lesson.

A. True B. False

Chapter 3: Access Point Two

16. While close reading instruction exposes students to content that stretches their thinking and reading skills, scaffolding reading instruction helps students practice reading strategies and uncover and address errors and misconceptions.

A. True B. False

Limited Frontloading

17. During close reading, the teacher does not provide much in the way of pre-teaching or front loading, but rather encourages students to:

A. Provide explanations for what is occurring in the reading B. Determine the function of the language being used C. Use previous skills learned to check for understanding D. Figure out what is confusing and identify resources they can use to address their confusions

Text-Dependent Questions

18. Close reading is predicated of the notion that the text is well known to the teacher and:

A. Conveys purpose B. Contains inferences C. Offers opinions, arguments, and intertextual connections D. Is deeply understood

Author's Purpose

19. The genre of a text and the use of narration help students make sense of what they are reading, while understanding the overall purpose of text guides students in following the flow of the reading.

A. True B. False

Close Reading for Young Readers

20. Close reading lessons for young readers draw on many of the same principles as those for older students, including each of the following EXCEPT:

A. Uses short, worthy readings that are complex due to structure, use of language conventions, levels of meaning, or knowledge demand B. Frames activities and deepens student understanding of the text through text-independent questions C. Relies on after-listening tasks that require students to draw on knowledge of the text D. Requires the text to be reread several times throughout the lesson

Questions to Check for Understanding

21. Questions about the main idea or the author's purpose for writing the book are intended to inquire about the literal meaning of what was read.

A. True B. False

Figure 3.4 Types of Prompts

22. A process or procedure prompt should be used when:

A. Established or generally agreed-on rules or guidelines are not being followed and a reminder will help resolve and error or misconception B. There is content that the student already knows, has been taught, or has experienced but has temporarily forgotten or is using incorrectly C. Students need to be encouraged to be metacognitive and to think about their thinking D. Learners need to develop their own ways to solve problems

Cues to Shift Attention

23. Although teachers often use gestural, verbal, visual, physical, environmental, and positional cues in their initial teaching, they often fail to use them when students are stuck, although they may be helpful to resolve an error or misconception.

A. True B. False

Chapter 4: Access Point Three-Collaborative Conversations

24. Literature circles are effective collaborative learning opportunities where students read independently and make notes to be used in later discussions that are moderated by the students themselves.

A. True B. False

Accessing Complex Text Requires Collaborative Conversations

25. Anchor standard 1 acknowledges that students do not necessarily come prepared for discussions, so work should be expected to begin when they enter a group.

A. True B. False

Building Structures for Collaborative Learning

26. Quality indicators of appropriate task complexity consider designs that require students to work together, structures that elevate academic language, the presence of grade level work, and:

A. A system that enables students to determine task rules B. Key ideas expressed and demonstrated through multiple means C. The opportunity for productive failure D. None of the above

Structures That Elevate Academic Language

27. While younger, less-experienced learners benefit from language scaffolds that encourage them to use academic language and vocabulary, older students tend to benefit more from posing and asking questions that relate to broader themes and ideas.

A. True B. False

Ensure Grade-Level Work

28. When students are engaging in collaborative conversations and peer learning, the text difficulty level should be more complex than those texts that are used during independent reading, thus encouraging the group to make meaning together.

A. True B. False

Key Elements of Collaborative Learning-Grouping

29. Research suggests that mixed-ability groups tend to be the most effective during cooperative learning activities, and it particular, the optimal group consists of two higher-performing students with one lower-performing student.

A. True B. False

30. A common criticism of collaborative learning is that the distribution of labor may be uneven, but this can only occur if:

A. Learning goals have not been clearly established B. There is a flawed accountability system in place C. Groups are too homogeneous D. Sufficient time has not provided for students to engage in cooperative learning

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Student-to-Student Interaction

31. Collaborative strategic reading (CSR) is a technique designed to facilitate student reading and discussion by practicing a specific comprehension strategy that includes predicting, questioning, summarizing, and clarifying.

A. True B. False

Chapter 5: Access Point Four

32. A guiding principle of the Common Core State Standards is that students should achieve a level of independence that makes it possible for them to express their own thoughts and ideas and:

A. Develop skills that can be used outside the classroom B. Increase their sense of competence C. Set appropriate goals for themselves D. Understand the thoughts and ideas of others

The Goals of Independent Learning

33. Self-regulation is an essential component of independent learning that allows students to manage their time, monitor their progress, and:

A. Think critically B. Solve problems C. Access complex tasks D. Draw on previous knowledge

Goal Setting

34. Students who are oriented toward achieving performance goals are interested in the content of a task and the opportunity to expand their own knowledge base.

A. True B. False

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Independent Reading-Positive Reading Attitudes

35. Various studies have demonstrated the importance of positive reading attitudes, which are developed through each of the following EXCEPT:

A. An environment driven by extrinsic motivators and rewards B. Clear learning goals and support from the teacher C. Instruction in reading strategies and opportunities to collaborate with other students D. Personal connections to the teacher and cohesive instruction

Differences Between SSR and Independent Reading

36. While the primary goal of sustained silent reading (SSR) is to develop positive students attitudes toward reading and to encourage them to view reading as a recreational activity, independent reading is designed to provide time for practice of skills and strategies previously taught.

A. True B. False

Reflection Journals

37. The purpose for reading should be established at the beginning of independent reading time, with appropriate instruction about what to look for in the reading, and reflection journals can help students engage in a meaningful transaction with the text.

A. True B. False

Students Talk About Texts

38. Providing students with the time to share what they are reading in collaborative conversations offers numerous benefits for readers and is useful for oral language development at both the __________________ levels.

A. Cognitive and structural B. Formal and informal C. Contextual and literal D. Social and content

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Conferring

39. Brief student-teacher conferences allow the teacher to gauge the progress of each student, clarify information, and provide feedback for next steps, and effective conferences must include engagement, growth indicators, reflection, and evaluation.

A. True B. False

Summary

40. When students read independently and confer with their teachers about what they are reading, they begin to access complex texts in new ways that will help them read for meaning in college and in their careers.

A. True B. False

Chapter 6: Access Point Five

41. Although many students are able to make personal connections to the texts they are reading, too many fail to fully understand what the author is stating and how it is situated within a particular historical, scientific, or social context.

A. True B. False

Accessing Complex Texts Requires More Than Personal Connections

42. Which of the following is NOT one of the steps recommended for teachers to discourage students from relying on personal connections while reading and to help them refocus on the text?

A. Model before expecting B. Pose questions that require students to return to the text C. Have students engage in a range of collaborative discussions about the author's message D. Ask students to provide evidence to support opinions and ideas and to write rhetorically

43. One way to present students with language scaffolds they need to write academically is to use paragraph frames where they fill in the blanks of a short paragraph with a single word that provides the missing content of the reading.

A. True B. False

Accessing Complex Texts Requires Students to Do Something After Reading

44. When a student offers an opinion or idea, the teacher or a peer should probe further by asking for evidence from the text to substantiate the claim.

A. True B. False

Writing to the Prompts

45. As students respond to specific writing prompts that require the use evidence from the text, they should introduce the evidence, explain the evidence they have selected, and:

A. Show a clear connection to the surrounding text B. Provide analytical reasoning for their selections C. Discuss significant points and implications from the author's perspective D. Make logical inferences that support the evidence

Socratic Seminars

46. Socratic seminars require that students have read a text that is worthy of investigation and include:

A. Questions that lead participants back to the text as they speculate, evaluate, define and clarify issues involved B. A student or teacher leader who is a guide and participant and who involves reluctant participants and restrains overactive group members C. Participants who come to the discussion having read the text and ready to share their ideas and perspectives with others D. All of the above

Moving Beyond the Text

47. After students have thoroughly investigated a text and have a solid understanding of the information contained within it, they should be given the opportunity to compare their learning and thinking across several texts or to make connections with their own experiences or beliefs.

A. True B. False

Accessing Complex Tasks Requires Formative Assessments

48. When providing feedback to students that yields deeper understanding, researchers note that feedback that moves from information about self-regulation to information about the process itself is the most effective.

A. True B. False

Knowing the Flock

49. While feedback is primarily offered at the individual level, the concept of ____________ refers to the process of making instructional decisions about what should happen next for the class as a whole.

A. Group response B. Feeding-up C. Shared assessment D. Together forever

50. While checklists may be used to track mastery, an error analysis sheet is used to identify and highlight those who are struggling with major concepts despite initial instruction and to help make decisions about follow-up and reteaching.

A. True B. False


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