Determining a Purpose
When deciding on reading selections in class or for independent reading we devised a set of questions to ask when choosing these readings.
When choosing a text and determining your purpose for using that text, consider these questions:
1. Will this text engage students?
- Is it relatable? provocative? appealing?
2. What point of view/cultural perspective does this text add? Do the readings throughout the unit/course present a variety of perspectives/voices?
3. Is the level of text appropriate for this class? How much support/ scaffolding will students need to be successful?
- ACTFL proficiency
- vocabulary, modismos (idiomatic expressions), regional,
- predictability (familiarity with topic, structure, etc.)
- length of reading/ alternative text
- aids to comprehension (illustrations, subheadings, footnotes, etc.)
- genre (non-fiction, alternative text, fiction: novel, drama, poetry, narrative, etc.)
4. Will this support communication/ oral & written proficiency?
- Where does this fit into my thematic units?
- What messages/ ideas does it present?
- Useful vocabulary? repeated structures?
5. Which habits of mind do I want to help students cultivate with this reading/alternative text?
6. What do I want my students to be able to do with this text? How should I structure my lessons with all of this in mind?
7. How will I formally and/or informally assess whether my students have understood and/or can successfully do what I’ve asked them to do? How will I assess whether my students are successfully cultivating the habit of mind? What kind of formal assessment pieces match the skills practiced?
8. How do our new reading practices affect the attitude and competence of our students?
How do our new reading instruction practices affect our competence.
Proficiency:
How do we use reading
How does independent reading improve my students attitudes and proficiency in reading?
In what ways will we use reading to promote more cultural awarness and compare and contrast to what they already know, experience?
When deciding on reading selections in class or for independent reading we devised a set of questions to ask when choosing these readings.
When choosing a text and determining your purpose for using that text, consider these questions:
1. Will this text engage students?
- Is it relatable? provocative? appealing?
2. What point of view/cultural perspective does this text add? Do the readings throughout the unit/course present a variety of perspectives/voices?
3. Is the level of text appropriate for this class? How much support/ scaffolding will students need to be successful?
- Things to think about:
- ACTFL proficiency
- vocabulary, modismos (idiomatic expressions), regional,
- predictability (familiarity with topic, structure, etc.)
- length of reading/ alternative text
- aids to comprehension (illustrations, subheadings, footnotes, etc.)
- genre (non-fiction, alternative text, fiction: novel, drama, poetry, narrative, etc.)
4. Will this support communication/ oral & written proficiency?
- Where does this fit into my thematic units?
- What messages/ ideas does it present?
- Useful vocabulary? repeated structures?
5. Which habits of mind do I want to help students cultivate with this reading/alternative text?
6. What do I want my students to be able to do with this text? How should I structure my lessons with all of this in mind?
7. How will I formally and/or informally assess whether my students have understood and/or can successfully do what I’ve asked them to do? How will I assess whether my students are successfully cultivating the habit of mind? What kind of formal assessment pieces match the skills practiced?
8. How do our new reading practices affect the attitude and competence of our students?
How do our new reading instruction practices affect our competence.
Proficiency:
How do we use reading
How does independent reading improve my students attitudes and proficiency in reading?
In what ways will we use reading to promote more cultural awarness and compare and contrast to what they already know, experience?