Ranges of Readers

Shalee Schmutzler

slschmutzler@gbaps.org

Katy Schroeder

dkschroeder@gbaps.org

N.E.W. School of Innovation - Who are we?

7-12 Grade Program

• Proficiency based
• Created 19-20 School Year
• 125 student capacity
• Partnership with NWTC

12th Grade Academy Program

• Competency-based program for 12th grade students
• Created 15-16 School Year
• 165 student capacity
• Demographically disproportionate
• Post Secondary Transition
• Partnership with NWTC
• Work-Based Learning

Strategy: Technical Language → pre-teach through role play

Strategy: Pre Teach Educational vocabulary

• Assumptions vs. Realities of Student Literacy
• We often assume that students know what “explain,” or other vocabulary used in education, means - they don’t
• 5 minute Vocab lessons - Direct Instruction
• Give students EXAMPLES
• Specific instructions on assignments (“When I say explain, this is what I want”)
• Resource: Sprenger’s Teaching the Critical Vocabulary of the Common Core

Strategy: Gist

1. Preview the text by looking at headings, subheadings, pictures, bolded terms, diagrams, etc.

2. As you read, ask yourself the following questions. This will help guide your highlighting and annotations:

• Who is doing what?
• When and where is this taking place?
• Why is this taking place or Why is this important?
• How is this taking place?

3. Create a short (approximately 25 words) Gist Summary of text that encapsulates as much of the above as relevant.

Strategy: Visual Timelines

• US History Assignment: Red Summer to Tulsa, 1919
• Most Social Studies competencies include videos AND reading, along with dates/timelines
• Many of our students struggle with chronology of events
• Visual timelines:
• Give context clues
• Help identify cause/effect
• Establish chain of events

Strategy: Graphic Novels (The Odyssey)

Strategy: Graphic Novels (March)

• National Book Award Winner
• Early life of John Lewis, up to March on Washington
• Visual Literacy and narrative History
• Makes material more accessible
• Context clues in the images for inaccessible vocabulary
• Other options (for History/Historical Fiction)
• They Called us Enemy (George Takei)
• White Bird
• The Best We Could Do
• Maus
• Boxers & Saints

Strategy: Non-Fiction (Mostly)

Graphic Novels

Strategy: Edge Reader

Strategy: Natural Reader

Strategy: Metaphor Dice

• Reluctant Readers are often ALSO Reluctant Writers!
• Metaphor Dice - roll some, roll all
• Can be used as a warm up for writing, can be the starting point of a narrative
• Helps students understand metaphors vs. similes

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Strategy: Board Games for Storytelling (Dixit)

We’d love your feedback!