College Reading : The Science And Strategies Of Expert Readers, 1st Edition Class Notes

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers1TABLE OF CONTENTSTHENEWSCIENCE OFTEACHING ANDLEARNINGBackground......................................................................................................................................4Introduction .....................................................................................................................................4Benefits of Brain-Compatible Teaching...........................................................................................4Make Your Classroom More Brain Compatible ..............................................................................5Why Teach Reading? .......................................................................................................................7Why Teach Students about the Brain? .............................................................................................7HOW TOTEACH WITH THEFEATURES INSCIENCE ANDSTRATEGIESStudent to Student ............................................................................................................................8Making Connections ........................................................................................................................9Brain Connections: Self-Assessment................................................................................................9Comprehension Checks..................................................................................................................10Tip from the Brain Doctor .............................................................................................................10Practice with a Reading Passage ..................................................................................................11Chapter Summary ..........................................................................................................................11Post Test.........................................................................................................................................11Brain Strengths Options.................................................................................................................12COURSETEACHINGTIPSThe First Day of Class: Icebreakers ..............................................................................................13Teaching Tips to Engage Students.................................................................................................15Mind Mapping inScience and Strategies.......................................................................................17Creating and Facilitating Effective Groups...................................................................................19Using Journals withScience and Strategies..................................................................................30Sample Syllabi................................................................................................................................31FEATURES,TEACHINGTIPS,ANDTESTSCHAPTER1:MAKINGBRAINCONNECTIONS TOBECOME ANEXPERTREADERAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................46Activities............................................................................................................................48CHAPTER2:REMEMBERINGWHATYOUREADAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................52Activities............................................................................................................................52CHAPTER3:DEVELOPINGYOURCOLLEGEVOCABULARYAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................57Activities............................................................................................................................58CHAPTER4:LOCATINGSTATEDMAINIDEASAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................60Activities............................................................................................................................61CHAPTER5:FINDINGSUPPORTINGDETAILSAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................65Activities............................................................................................................................65CHAPTER6:USINGINFERENCE TOIDENTIFYIMPLIEDMAINIDEASAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................67Activities............................................................................................................................68© CLANww

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers2CHAPTER7:RECOGNIZINGPATTERNS OFORGANIZATIONAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................72Activities............................................................................................................................72CHAPTER8:USINGPREVIEW,STUDY-READ,ANDREVIEW(PSR)Author Spotlight................................................................................................................77Activities............................................................................................................................79CHAPTER9:TAKINGCONTROL OFYOURTEXTBOOK:MARKING ANDNOTETAKINGAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................82Activities............................................................................................................................82CHAPTER10:USINGVISUALS TOINCREASEYOURUNDERSTANDING OFTEXTBOOKSAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................86Activities............................................................................................................................87CHAPTER11:UNDERSTANDING ANDCREATINGARGUMENTSAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................90Activities............................................................................................................................91CHAPTER12:READINGARGUMENTSCRITICALLYAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................95Activities............................................................................................................................95CHAPTER13:READINGBEYOND THEWORDSAuthor Spotlight................................................................................................................97Activities............................................................................................................................98

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers3AUTHOR INTRODUCTIONFrom the Desk of Janet ZadinaTo me the most exciting feature ofScience and Strategiesis that we are teaching students about how theirbrain works! We are not only teaching them that theycanchange their brain, but also showing themhowthey can change their brain by leading them through activities that strengthen their learning processes. Assomeone who teaches teachers about how the brain learns, I am thrilled to have an opportunity to bringstudents into this conversation. As a researcher, I know that some research has shown that when lowperforming students are taught about how their brain learns and that they can change their brain, theirgrades rise, while those who were not given that information had grades that continued on a downwardtrend. As a teacher, I know that students are more motivated when they understand why they are beingasked to do a particular task. As a result, this book is very personal and exciting to me as it does what Ithink we now know all books should do—that is to teach students how to learn the content or skills wepresent to them and to share with them the important information that we have about the neurobiology oflearning.From the Desk of Rita SmilksteinScience and Strategiesis different from all other books that teach the skills and strategies of how to be anexpert reader because its methods are based not only on research about how the brain learns, but also onunique research with more than 9,000 people on how human beings naturally learn, how they are born tolearn. This research is discussed in Chapter 1, and the natural human learning process it describes informsthe methods and approach used throughout the book. When students are given the opportunity to learn theway they are born to learn—the way the brain naturally learns—they are motivated, engaged, andsuccessful. The brain-based opportunities throughout the book for students to think critically, practice theskills they are learning, and interact in a community of learners make it possible for all students tosuccessfully learn and use the skills and strategies of expert readers.From the Desk of Deborah DaiekMy favorite feature ofScience and Strategiesis that it truly promotes authentic learning. From the verybeginning of the book, students are guided and encouraged to think about their reading and thinking, andto think about how others think, which gives students a more global perspective. All lessons are modeledfor easier transference of skills.Comprehension Checksare embedded assessments, which let instructorsknow how well students are learning. Scaffolding is used to foster confidence and independentapplication of the skills, which is the most important aspect of the text. Through the combination of brainscience and reading theory taught throughout this textbook, students emerge from the class knowing whatit takes to become expert readers.From the Desk of Nancy AnterWe designed each chapter ofScience and Strategiesto model an effective approach to college reading.This consistent framework for the chapters is probably the aspect of the book I like the most. The quote atthe beginning of each chapter offers inspiration. TheStudent to Studentfeature provides empathy fromanother student who has experienced the struggles and triumphs of college. TheMaking Connectionsfeature encourages students to access their background knowledge before delving into the meat of thechapter. TheBrain Connections: Self-Assessmentreinforces the idea of metacognition—that studentsshould monitor their own learning. If every student began every reading assignment with inspiration, anunderstanding that they are not alone in the college challenge, a habit of accessing relevant backgroundknowledge, and the responsibility of knowing how they learn best, our colleges would be filled withreading experts. This book is our best attempt at making that happen.© CLANww

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers4THE NEW SCIENCE OF TEACHING AND LEARNINGBackgroundIn the last few years, research on teaching and learning has exploded, including research coming from thefields of neuroscience, medicine, and psychology. In fact, a new specialty has arisen—EducationalNeuroscience. In the past, teachers used the termbrain-basedto speak about these new insights frombrain research into the teaching and learning process. As this field has progressed, we have moved to newterminology and new insights, and we can talk about how science, particularly neuroscience, hasinformed our practice in the classroom. Historically, some untenable leaps were made, but now, as moreand more scientists are working with educators and building this bridge between science and education,we have learned more about underlying processes, environmental factors, and student differencesthataffect learning. Some of this research has implications for actual classroom teaching strategies andstudent study strategies. While brain research still does not prove anything about what we do in theclassroom, it certainly is providing a new window into the learning process and giving us insights that wecan translate into practice. This textbook is designed to work with new information coming from all of thecognitive and medical sciences that are illuminating the field of education. Education is at the edge of anexciting new frontier in which new technologies in brain imaging are leading to new insights which leadto new scientific studies involving students leading to new implications for our classrooms. Many stepsare required from the brain imaging to the classroom implications, but this new bridge is being crossedand this book is designed with this new information in mind.IntroductionCollege Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readerswas written in part by a cognitiveneuroscientist who specializes in Educational Neuroscience. Throughout the chapters, you will find tips,information, and strategies coming from this field. Underlying the pedagogy is an understanding of whatwe currently know about how the brain learns best. Implications from brain research underlie much ofwhat is in the book, in some cases explicitly and in other cases implicitly. Throughout this book you willsee lessons and activities that are designed in a way that support the learning process as we are coming tounderstand it. Traditional lessons and activities are still included for those who prefer to teach and test intraditional style, but at the same time additional options are provided that approach the lessons differently.This combination may be the best of both worlds. Teachers can do what they have seen works best withtheir students, while having an opportunity to explore non-traditional approaches, activities, andassessments if they so desire. This textbook makes it easy for a teacher to create a more brain-compatibleclassroom by simply taking advantage of many of the features in this book.Benefits of Brain-Compatible TeachingThe benefits of teaching with an awareness of brain research are many. When you as a teacher understandthe biological nature of learning (discussed explicitly in Chapter 1 and in segments throughout the book),you can design your lessons accordingly. This explanation of the learning process is presented to studentsin this textbook because research shows that when students learn that their brain is malleable—that itchanges as a result of learning—their achievement rises. This book is designed to increase studentachievement by providing them with this important information immediately. We also know that whenstudents understandwhysomething should be done, they are more willing to do it. Therefore, studentslearn about their brain and thewhybehind the activities and strategies. This transparency of the learningprocess is a unique feature of this book. Teachers and students acquire these new insights into learningtogether.

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers5Additional benefits to this new approach to teaching and learning accrue throughout the book.The design of the activities, the sometimes unusual process by which a student is taken through a lesson,the order of activities, and the additional options are based on an understanding of the importance ofseveral key aspects of teaching based on neuroscience insights.Making Your Classroom More Brain CompatibleThere are many ways to create a more brain-compatible classroom that are implicitly and explicitlypresented throughout the textbook.Teacher Tips,Tips from the Brain Doctorfor the student, and textualinformation provide you with this information as you go. However, some of the key strategies andinsights underlying this textbook are:•Learning involves making connections. The chapters start with a section calledMakingConnections.This section enables you to guide the student through connecting some of theconcepts that will be learned to an existing neural network—what the student is already familiarwith. It can be used in multiple ways: class discussion, journal activity, group discussion, orindividual reflection.•It isn't enough tofireit,the student mustwireit. This means repetition, but not necessarily“drill and kill.” Neuroscience has made clear the importance of repetition and also the sequencingof it, so this underlies the instructions and activities in the book. The repetition or practice occursin a recursive and spiral fashion and is often achieved by activating more than one pathway orprocess.•Metacognition is a key factor in learning. Therefore, students are asked to draw their dendritesas a metaphorical metacognitive activity to get them to stop and assess what they know with theBrain Connections: Self-Assessmentfeature. It also is a factor in reminding them that they havethe power to change their brain and to control their learning. A sense of progress is rewarding tothe brain and this feature provides them with that sense of progress by asking them to completethe self-assessment early and again later in the learning process.•Students learn better when they figure things out for themselves. This principle from brainresearch relates to several learning pathways. When students figure things out for themselves, it isrewarding to the brain in the form of chemicals that make them feel good. Many of the activitiesin the book are designed in such a way as to create this reward. In addition, when students figurethings out, theyownit, rather than when they memorize it. This process is also motivating andengaging. Rigor is rewarding to the brain, so lessons get more challenging as they go along. Thisstimulates students who may learn quickly or easily at first and provides a sense of progress,another sense leading to rewarding chemicals in the brain.•Relationships are key to learning.Therefore, most of the activities are designed in such a waythat you can put students into groups to do part or all of the activity. In addition,Brain StrengthsOptionsat the end of each chapter provide opportunities for collaborative learning.•We are probably all wired differently. Teachers want to address learning differences in theclassroom but find this a challenge. TheBrain Strengths Optionsis a feature designed to workwith learning differences. The variety of options allows for students to self-select an activity thatuses their strengths. It is critical that students be allowed to select the activity rather than it beingassigned. We want to tap into strengths (which they will naturally select) rather than increasestress by giving an assignment that taps into a weakness, such as asking them to show the class adrawing or to sing for the class. It is encouraged that a project be part of every chapter, but youmay find that class time does not allow for this. This feature can be used in other ways. Studentsmay select one of these as an alternative to traditional testing if you wish to make that optionavailable. Alternatively, you may allow a student to do a project to make up for missed work.© CLANww

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers6•Learning is more effective when it is meaningful and relates to real life.The readings,activities, and examples were selected with this brain-research principle in mind. TheStudent toStudentfeature capitalizes on this. And,Brain Strengths Optionsis an attempt to create moremeaningful activities than that of answering objective questions.As you work with the book, you will gather ideas that you can use to design your own brain-compatible activities. In addition to textbook material, the classroom environment is also important to aneffective learning environment based on what we know about brain research and engagement, motivation,relationship to physiology, and emotion. The most important aspect of the classroom environment issafety—emotional safety. Sarcasm, anger, or demeaning comments, of course are not appropriate, asteachers know. However, this goes beyond that. Freedom to fail and try again gives a feeling of safety.Having choice is key to the kind of emotion that is effective for learning. Not only do theBrain StrengthsOptionsprovide choices, you can find other ways to give students choice wherever possible asappropriate. Allowing students to work with their strengths when possible through use ofBrain StrengthsOptionsgives them a feeling that they will be able to do some of the work and builds success. Startingwith something likely to be achievable on the first attempt is another concept coming from brain research.The lessons start simple and build to more challenging tasks. Use theBrain Connections: Self-Assessmentfeature as a way to remind students of the progress that they are making. Address testing anxiety withsome of the suggestions provided in the appendix of the textbook. This is an important issue becauseanxiety can make it more difficult for students to perform well on tests, thus creating a misleadingimpression of their true ability.Some simple steps will help you make your overall course more brain compatible:Addressing classroom behavioris an important first step. It is not compatible with what weknow about emotion and learning to scare students the first day or to start off hard and get easier, asprevious maxims indicate. Negative emotion and fear is not conducive to learning. However, starting outfirm yet positive is important. By providing students with a clear, written list of procedures (rules) andconsequences you are creating a safe yet effective classroom. Be sure to include that bullying or mockinganother student will not be tolerated and state the consequence (sent to dean, referred to counselor, etc.)Another important step is toform relationships. Learn students’ names and have them learn eachother’s names. One exciting way to do this is to tell them you are stepping out of the classroom for tenminutes and when you return everyone must know everyone else’s name. That is appropriate for a class of30 or less and it is exciting and attainable. In addition, you want to address them by name. Not only doesthat improve attention, but also it creates positive emotion that enhances learning. Take stiff paper andfold it in half lengthwise. Write their name on one side in big letters and have them bring it to class andstand it up on their desk until all names are learned. If they forget it, have them make one and keep sometape handy so they can tape it to the front of their desk. Tell them you are doing this because their name isimportant to you, but you have 100+ (or whatever the case may be) names to learn. Make sure you usetheir names.A third important step is toprovide a clear, simple syllabus. Design it with the student in mind.Include deadlines. Create a calendar for every month with holidays, test days, and deadlines. Just as withyour handout on procedures and consequences, having a sense of what toexpect is important to theproper learning environment. Provide assignments in written fashion whenever possible. Keep in mindthat students ages 18-25 are still developing their frontal lobes and may not exercise the executive brainas well as older students would. They may struggle with using good judgment, meeting deadlines,planning early for tests, and budgeting their time. Consider giving one free “pass” for a deadline not met.However, keep in mind also that a teacher’s job is to help students grow their frontal lobes well by

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers7providing them with and expecting them to meet deadlines and schedules. Our job is not to make schooleasy but to make it engaging! Set a challenge and expect them to rise to it, but keep some scaffoldinghandy. There are example syllabi on page 31 of thisthat you can refer to as well.Finally, since research shows that when students understand how much control they have overtheir learning they rise in achievement, be sure toinsist they read the part of the text that instructsthem in the learning process. This is the best thing you can do for your students. You will convincethem by your leadership that learning about their brain and learning about learning is important with anemphasis on this important aspect of the textbook. Perhaps you may feel that learning study skills is atopic best taught elsewhere or something that can be omitted when time is short, but this textbook goesbeyond study skills—it is how to be a betterlearner, which translates into being a better reader whenworking throughScience and Strategies. Yes, working through this textbook is important and will makethem a better reader, but teaching them about their brain, how to use it, and how much control they haveover the process will enhance their learning in all classes and throughout life.Why Teach Reading?Reading is not a normal activity. Yes, you read that correctly. There is no single part of the brain devotedto reading as there is for vision or hearing. Instead, there are multiple parts of the brain working togetherto do a task for which the brain was not originally designed. Reading uses parts of the brain designed forother tasks and recruits them in this task that is relatively new in human history. Therefore, learning toread requires wiring a pathway that is effective and efficient for reading. Neuroimaging shows us thatwhile most good readers use a similar pathway in the brain that is efficient and effective, those withdyslexia sometimes use an alternative pathway. This pathway is not as efficient or effective. In fact, oftenthose with dyslexia must use a compensatory pathway or compensatory strategies to accomplish this quiteintricate skill of reading.Science and Strategieswas written with this understanding in mind. Topics are selected to helpthe reader consciously learn the skills and strategies of expert readers. Some will struggle with this morethan others depending upon their prior reading experience and their “wiring” for reading. Therefore,opportunities for compensation are included. Suggestions for leading with strengths are provided.BrainStrength Optionsalso reminds students that while reading may be a weakness, they have other strengthsthat can be used in life to compensate and to support achievement.Why Teach Students about the Brain?Recent neuroscience research studies indicate that when students learn that the brain is malleable and thatit changes as a result of experience, their achievement rises. Therefore,Science and Strategiesprovidesexplicit information throughout the book about how the activities change the way they have been usingtheir brain or help them create more effective brain “wiring.”A unique feature ofScience and Strategiesis the chapter on the memory process. It takes thestudent beyond “I am not good at memorizing” to an understanding of how the brain creates a memory,and the steps that a student can take to consciously create stronger memories. A difficulty that may beinvisible to teachers but can underlie reading comprehension problems is working memory. Teachersthink that a student can’t comprehend even though he or she seems to be a good reader, but this mayactually be a deficit in working memory capacity. The student cannot hold the entire sentence orparagraph in working memory long enough to process the information and make sense of it. To ourknowledge, this is the first and only textbook on the market that addresses this underlying issue ofworking memory. The textbook shows students how to deal with this issue and break down material into© CLANww

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers8units that they can process. It is very empowering to students to understand that it is not that they can’tcomprehend, but that they may be “biting off more than they can chew” for their working memory andhow to compensate for this.Vocabulary instruction is included throughout the textbook because learning means makingconnections in the brain, but if students have no understanding of the concept, they cannot make aconnection. If they can’t “fire it” then they certainly can’t “wire it.” Again, the importance of this is madeexplicit to the student.Oftentimes students have trouble reading because they do not understand what is important andwhat to focus on when reading. Explicit strategies throughout the book help students learn this skill ofevaluating what they read and making sense of it.HOW TO TEACH WITH THE FEATURES INSCIENCE AND STRATEGIESScience and Strategiesincludes specific features, which were designed with both the instructor andstudent in mind. The features are designed to provide relevancy, motivation, formative and summativeassessments, collaborative experiences, as well as independent learning. It’s not easy motivating studentswho initially don’t want to be in a developmental reading class. By teaching students that academicsuccess isn’t about intelligence you will open doors; our students are far more capable than they may atfirst imagine. Success is all about knowing what skills and strategies to use, when to use them, and how touse them. By teaching students how to optimize their ability to learn, instructors can make an immediateconnection with students, keep them on track, and provide them with successful and authentic learningexperiences. The following features demonstrate to students that successful learning can be fun, engaging,and is a choice. Each feature and strategy provides a goal, as well as the intended benefit to students andinstructors.Along with the various features included in the book, the authors wanted to give instructors moreinformation on their favorite parts ofScience and Strategies. Throughout theyou willfindAuthor Spotlightfeatures and activities for classroom use. TheAuthor Spotlightsgive youinformation on why the authors included these items in the book and how to use them in your ownclassroom.Student to StudentGoal: The goal of this feature is to make the instruction relevant. Introducing students to anotherstudent who has experienced what they are experiencing also provides students with hope. Relevancyand hope help create a positive foundation for instruction.Overview: Students were interviewed from around the country and invited to discuss their concerns,frustrations, and strengths regarding specific topics. They were also encouraged to share strategiesthat worked.Benefit to Students: When the chapters are introduced, students who have gone before currentstudents share their story regarding specific strategies and skills. This makes what instructors teachrelevant. These introductions are a way to legitimize what students are being asked to learn.

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers9Benefit to Instructors: In order to get students to buy-in to what you are teaching, it has to berelevant; students need to be able to connect with it. These introductions make that neededconnection. They give their viewpoints and provide students with hope.Making ConnectionsGoal:The goal of this feature is to activate students’ existing network of knowledge in order to helpthem make connections to the new material introduced in that chapter.Overview:The feature consists of a list of five to eight questions. There are no specific instructionsfor this feature other than a very general guideline. It is to be used as the instructor prefers. Studentsmay think about it, write about it, or talk about it. It is theprocess, not the modality that is theimportant part of this feature.Benefit to Students: In order to learn, students must make connections from existing knowledge tothe new material. These questions help them activate what they already know and use that priorknowledge to process the information in the chapter. It is a sort of scaffolding for students in that ithelps them apply existing concepts and experiences to the new material. It also builds confidence asthey start out with a no-fail activity.Benefit to Instructors: Activating prior knowledge is a step that is easily overlooked by instructors asthey are pressed for time to get into the chapter. This provides a quick and easy way to incorporate thatimportant first step of ascertaining what they already know. It is designed to be quite flexible for theinstructor who can just have them think about it while taking roll, use it for a learning journal, or use itfor class discussion to start off a chapter so that students can begin with no wrong answers and buildconfidence going into the chapter. A teacher may want to select only one question or use them all. It is avery flexible, efficient, and effective way to start the conversation about the concepts in the chapter.Brain Connections: Self-AssessmentGoal:This feature is the key to student confidence, engagement, and motivation. Students gain themetacognitive knowledge that when they are practicing, processing, thinking, trying to understand,and working at learning something, their brain actually grows dendrites, which underlie theirlearning, understanding, and skill. When students make this real connection, they know they can andwill learn if they work at it. They know it is a physical fact that by their practicing, processing,thinking, trying to understand, and working at learning, the result will be natural physical changes intheir brain that will be their new learning. This metacognitive knowledge empowers students becauseit provides them with knowledge and confidence about how and why they can and will learn. Thus,by having students self-assess how much they know by imagining and representing how many newdendrites they might have grown, it is no longer a mystery how and why learning occurs; they see thatit is in their own hands:If they do it, they grow it; if they grow it, they know it.Share this statementwith your students, as and after they learn about the brain in Chapter 1. Also let them know, andremind them each time they do a self-assessment by drawing the amount of dendrites (knowledge,understanding, skill) they imagine that they have, that this metacognitive activity will show them thatthey can be successful learners if and when they do the work and practice needed to grow theirdendrites. Students are always happy to hear this. There are two goals of this feature. One goal is togive students the opportunity to assess the knowledge they already have for the material in the newchapter before they begin reading the chapter. The second goal is to give students the opportunityperiodically to focus on and assess their level of understanding as they progress through the chapter.That is, this feature gives students a specific, clear, focused way to assess what they already knowabout the topic of a chapter and also to keep track of how and what they are learning as they proceedthrough a chapter.© CLANww

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers10Format:The format for this feature is a box at the beginning of each chapter. The box contains anillustration of a brain cell upon which students are to draw the amount of dendrites they imagine thatthey already have—the knowledge they already have—for this chapter. There is also a box containinga brain cell at the end of the chapter upon which students draw the amount of dendrites they imaginethat they have so far grown, representing the amount of knowledge and skill they have so far learnedin the chapter.Benefit to Students:When students understand that learning actually means their brain is growingdendrites, they are able to visualize their learning, which in turn demystifies learning. Thismetacognitive knowledge is empowering. It makes it possible for students to say, “If I do this workthat the teacher and book give me to do, my brain will grow new dendrites—I will learn. Let me drawthe dendrites I think that I have now which is what I know now.” As they progress through a chapter,they draw more dendrites on their brain cell, which they know means they have learned more.Because of this empowering knowledge, their confidence, self-efficacy, and engagement increase.Benefit to Instructors:Demystifying learning makes an instructor’s work easier and less stressful.Instructors who guide students to focus on growing their dendrites find that their students aremotivated to do more work so they can grow more dendrites and know more. Thus, instructors nolonger have the problem of how to motivate or engage their students because students are responsiveto their instructor’s assignments when they know that if they do the work assigned by their instructor,they will grow their dendrites and learn more. Discussing with students the connection betweendrawing dendrites and what students have learned and are learning helps instructors ensure that theirstudents are motivated and engaged.Comprehension ChecksGoal:TheComprehension Checkis a formative assessment technique—a type of classroomassessment technique (CAT). The goal is to let students and instructors know if students understandthe information that has been presented in the chapter, up to the point of theComprehension Check.Benefit to Students:TheComprehension Checksbecome a metacognitive tool for students. Theybegin to think about their thinking in every chapter by learning how to monitor their own thinking.They are guided to ask questions about what they understand. It serves as a checkpoint for students toknow if they need to ask for assistance, or if they feel comfortable moving forward. TheComprehension Checkis a strategy students should begin applying to all of their other coursework.Benefit to Instructors:TheComprehension Checkslet instructors know if corrections need to bemade to their lesson plans, or not. If students do not understand the new information presented in thechapter, it will be very obvious. Instructors don’t want to wait for the end-of-the-chapter assessmentsto learn that students didn’t understand the intent. If necessary, instructors can then use additionalactivities from theto reinforce concepts, or move on if all students understand theinformation.Tip from the Brain DoctorGoal:This feature gives students information about the brain from an outside source that they wouldfind credible. Sometimes students don't want to hear study tips from their parents or their teacher, butmight be more accepting if they knew the study skills came from someone else, such as a scientificresearcher. The feature consists of a piece of research explained in layman terms followed by anexplanation of what this might mean in terms of student learning and success, or a tip based on

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers11something presented in the text. It is written informally, as if the scientist were giving the students aninsider tip.Benefit to Students: This feature puts information into a format that might not be overlooked orignored. It is set apart, quickly read, and is clearly for the students’ benefit. It is more personal thanthe rest of the text so it benefits them by putting them at the center of the learning.Benefit to InstructorsMuch of this research may be unfamiliar to instructors as well, so they areactually gaining teaching tips. The feature contains research and practice in a visible, brief format sothat it can be accessed and used. It is one of the pathways in the chapters used to reinforce material,but in this case, in a more personal format.Practice with a Reading PassageGoal: This feature is designed to provide guided reading practice with longer readings. Questionsbecome incrementally more challenging so that students are scaffolded through application of thereading strategies taught.Format: This feature occurs at the end of each chapter and has pre- and post-reading questions. Pre-reading questions reinforce the idea of previewing readings. The post-reading questions synthesizethe reading strategies from all previous chapters and the current chapter.Benefit to Students: Students can begin to synthesize reading strategies and gain practice in applyingthem.Benefit to Instructors: This feature sets up scaffolding in learning and allows instructors to addressany weak areas before post testing students.Chapter SummaryGoal: The summary provides the main point and important details of a chapter, thus providinganother review of the material to strengthen the learning of the material.Benefit to Students:The summary is a previewing tool that students can use in order to get anoverview of the chapter. It also helps students see the essential elements of a chapter after studyingthe chapter.Benefit to Instructors: A summary presents important points of a chapter so instructors can reviewchapters with students. A summary also serves as a previewing tool.Post TestGoal: The Post Test serves as a measurement of student learning, or student learning outcome.Format: A Post Test is presented at the end of the chapter as a cumulative test. Part 1 consists ofmultiple-choice, matching, true-and-false, and fill-in-the-blank question types. Part 1I providesstudents with a reading selection, and students will be expected to apply the reading strategiespresented in the current chapter and preceding chapters. Questions, at varying levels of Bloom’sTaxonomy, will be asked to test their understanding of the reading selection.© CLANww

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College Reading : The Science And Strategies Of Expert Readers, 1st Edition Class Notes - Page 13 preview image

College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers12Benefit to Students:Students will become aware of the gaps in their learning. They will know wherethey need to focus to remediate. It’s important for them to understand the strategies they still haven’tmastered or to celebrate those they have.Benefit to Instructors: It’s difficult for instructors to make adjustments in their teaching if they arenot certain what students have learned or how well they have learned it. The Post Test provides anopportunity for instructors to remediate and opportunities to offer supplemental instructionalmaterials, if necessary.Test Bank questions and answers can be found on the instructor companion website for this title. Goto www.cengagebrain.com to locate the specific book site.Brain Strengths OptionsGoal:Brain-compatible teaching and learning includes the understanding that we are probably allwired differently and that students have differing strengths and deficits. It is impossible to diagnoseand remediate the wide variety of differences in underlying processes, such as memory and attention,subtypes of reading difficulty, biological and learning exceptionalities, impact of English as a secondlanguage, and experiential differences. Providing an opportunity for students to self-select learningstrategies and/or assessments enables the instructor to address some of these differences. This featureprovides options that tap into a variety of strengths that can be used to compensate for deficits. Thisfeature also increases motivation and engagement as it provides students with an opportunity to showthe instructor their strengths instead of a constant focus on their deficits.Format:This feature is designed for use in a variety of ways according to the preferences of theinstructor.•Alternative assessment:Educators know that objective tests do not always measure the truelevel of understanding, especially in those with test anxiety, dyslexia, second-language issues, orother exceptionalities. Providing options for alternative assessment using strengths helpsinstructors address these challenges. We suggest allowing students to self-select the option so thatthey can lead with their strength rather than assigning items, as that potentially taps into anotherweakness, thus increasing stress and discouragement.•Brain-compatible learning:TheBrain Strengths Optionsfeature is designed to create alearning scenario that is more compatible with the way the brain learns best. These activities aredesigned to be more engaging, more like real life, more social, and to utilize a variety of skills toreach the goal. Therefore, instructors may wish to have students do a project per chapter as analternative to some of the paper and pencil activities throughout the chapter. As-needed options:Sometimes students need to be allowed to complete make-up work due to illness or otherlegitimate absences. Having them complete activities later that they did not turn in earlier is notalways an option when the rest of the class has completed the work and possibly even had theirwork graded and returned. These options are ideal for make-up work. The student would have toselect ones that could be done individually. Sometimes instructors want to allow students to domake-up work if they have failed a test. These options are ideal for that as well.Benefit to Students:This feature is of great benefit to students because they would not be in thisreading class if their skills were up to par. However, everything else in the book requires them to usetheir weak modality of reading to learn any of the concepts or information. This feature allows themto use their strength to unlock the material. If they speak well, they may choose an oral presentation.If they are artistic, they may choose to represent, for example, patterns of organization with

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College Reading : The Science And Strategies Of Expert Readers, 1st Edition Class Notes - Page 14 preview image

College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers13illustrations or a poster. Some may choose to use their computer strengths to review and present theinformation.Benefit to Instructors:In our experience, teachers read the research and want to apply it, but fewactually know what that looks like in the classroom. Also, how do you diversify your strategies witheverything else you have to plan for and cover? This section provides them with strategies that haveproven popular with instructors in our experience working with diverse and challenged learners. Itmakes it very easy for teachers to deal with learning differences. Teachers can allow students to selecta project rather than a post test, which deals with memory—a problem for many students. They canbe used for make-up work. However, these are options available to the instructor, not required.COURSE TEACHING TIPSOne of the great features aboutScience and Strategiesis that it intentionally provides many extraactivities. At first glance, the size of the book may look overwhelming. However, we have providedadditional information so that you can select some or all of the material to ensure that your students havelearned the skills and strategies presented in each chapter. If students are having difficulty after theComprehension Checks, all of the activities may be used. Or, individual students can be given extra workfor extra credit. If, however, students seem to understand the concepts, you can choose to move forward.We acknowledge that you are a reading professional who is teaching the course using this textbook andhonor your experience, background knowledge, and ability to teach. This book is a vehicle designed tohelp you facilitate your teaching and students’ learning.The First Day of Class: IcebreakersThe first day of class is usually one of the most important days. You get to introduce yourself, yourexpectations, the syllabus, and your environment to your students. You set the stage for a great semester.From day one, you begin to build a sense of community. Share something about yourself. Begin to bridgethe humanistic side of learning with the academic. Icebreakers help you to accomplish this. They are not“fluff” if done correctly. Critical thinking will not occur in a classroom where students feel uncomfortablesharing information. You want students to engage in learning, not sit through class in fear of appearingstupid to others. Students need to know that what they think is important to you, the instructor.Icebreakers are a great way to get to know students, and they allow students an opportunity to get to knoweach other.Icebreakers play a critical role in developing a safe environment in your class. If you expectstudents to develop authentic critical thinking skills, students need to know that they have the right todisagree and that they are not going to be punished for sharing their thoughts. Icebreakers bridge theacademic with the humanistic. They make students feel comfortable, relaxed, and give students anopportunity to connect fun with learning. They give students a chance to learn about each other and makeconnections. The time you invest in your initial icebreaker will be well worth it.Provided are some favorite, tried-and-true icebreakers for you to consider:•M&MsGive students small treat-size packet of M&Ms. Have each student dump his/her individual bagto determine which color of M&M occurs most. (Or give students a 3 x 5 card with a color on itas they enter the room. Not as much fun as the candy, but students still like it.) Have students© CLANww

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College Reading : The Science And Strategies Of Expert Readers, 1st Edition Class Notes - Page 15 preview image

College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers14introduce themselves by their names, and then answer the question for the most color of M&M intheir bags, or have each student respond to the color on the card he/she selected. If students havemore of the following colors, they answer the question associated with it:Green:most exciting momentBlue:a funny thing that happened to meYellow:favorite bookBrown:best learning experienceRed:most frightening moment•Beach Ball (Thumb-ball)In each slice of color on the beach ball, write a number using a permanent marker, 1–6. On theboard or on a handout, list six questions of your choice, suggestions provided here:1. My favorite novel/movie/cartoon character2. Favorite time period3. The most unusual thing about me4. If money weren’t an option, I would5. My favorite hero6. Most exciting day of my lifeThrow the ball to anyone to get it started. Whichever number is touching the student’s left thumb,that’s the question he/she responds to. Then, that student throws the ball to another student untileveryone responds and is introduced.•3 x 3 SquaresCreate a sheet with six to nine squares (the number will depend on available time). In each squareput a characteristic (i.e., someone who plays an instrument, someone who has an unusualcollection, someone who is married, someone who is has been a Brownie or Girl Scout, someonewho writes poetry, someone who is a parent, someone who is a musician, someone who is aserious athlete, etc.) Students need to move around the room and find someone who fits thesquare and can initial it. Then when class reconvenes, each student introduces one person fromtheir square to the rest of the class.Variation:Six to nine other students need to fill in the squares by providing the answer andsigning their names. Each student first fills in one of the squares. In the squares for students to fillin, questions may include: longest journey to school, weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten, unusualhobby, favorite author, favorite class, best day of my life, most frightening moment, etc.•Fact or FictionEach person writes down three facts about themselves, one of which is a lie. Each person takesturns reading his/her list aloud and the rest of the class writes down the one they think is the liewith the person’s name. When everyone has finished going around, you can go through list andhave students vote on the lie. Each person then identifies the lie.•InterviewStudents pair up and interview each other. Each pair introduces themselves to the class whenclass reconvenes, remembering key points without taking notes.

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College Reading : The Science And Strategies Of Expert Readers, 1st Edition Class Notes - Page 16 preview image

College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers15•Desert IslandTo start this icebreaker, announce, “You've been exiled to a deserted island for up to two years.You are allowed to take a few clothes, enough food, soap, toothpaste, etc. You may take onepiece of music, one book, and one luxury item you can carry with you. What would you take andwhy?” Allow a few minutes for students to write down their list of three items. Then, in a circle,have students introduce themselves and share their three items. You will want to share your threeitems with the class as well. You’ll need to be a timekeeper to keep everyone on track. There aremany versions of this activity; however, this version works well as an icebreaker. Students get topick their items.Teaching Tips to Engage Students•See If You Can Figure It OutUse this sentence to encourage students to cooperate with you and each other in a learningenvironment where students are given time and tools to figure out patterns and logical structuresin what they are learning. This “figure it out” strategy creates a stronger memory in students’brains, which helps learning. This strategy underscores most of the instruction inScience andStrategies. When students figure out a pattern or an idea with guidance, they have a more vividand positive learning experience. Instructors should look for any opportunity to let studentsdiscover knowledge. Many of the Teaching Tips in the Annotated Instructor’s Edition ofScienceand Strategiesgive examples of “figure it out” teaching strategies.•Keep It Rewarding(share this information with students)Some people, such as the authors ofScience and Strategies, are actuallyaddictedto learning.This means that they choose to engage in this activity as often as possible because it makes themfeel good. They take more courses and keep going to school. They love to read material thatenables them to learn new information. They devour books. They have learned that learning is avery pleasurable activity. These are the lifelong learners. And since our world is changing sorapidly and we are in an information age, these are the people who can learn, change, adapt, andcontinue to have a great quality of life no matter what life throws at them. Sounds good, doesn’tit? How can students take advantage of this? First, in order to get that feel-good feeling, studentshave to actuallylearn, and that means they have to be emotionally engaged and involved with thematerial. So tell students to approachScience and Strategieswith the attitude that they areactually going tolearn, not just go through the motions.•10-80-10To optimize learning, it is recommended that you consider using the 10-80-10 plan. At thebeginning of class, 10% of the class time is spent reviewing the last class—making connections.80% of the class time is spent on a new topic, or new session. And, at the end of the class, 10% ofthe class time is spent reviewing the current day’s lesson. It’s an excellent way to ensure that yourstudents understand and learn what was being taught. Both the preview and review can beclassroom assessment techniques (CATs). This is a great way to engage students, keep themfocused, and make everything you teach relevant.•Creating the Safe EnvironmentCreating a safe environment cannot be over-stressed. If students are going to learn to thinkcritically, they need to know that it’s ok to disagree. A safe environment produces goodchemicals in the brain: serotonin and dopamine. These good chemicals optimize the brain’sability to learn. If students feel safe, they are more likely to participate. If they know that it’s okto not answer correctly, students will be motivated to participate. All ideas are good; however, not© CLANww

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