Appendix A
If students are to successfully transition from high school to college they must possess the skills to independently read and fully comprehend college level texts. Appendix A addresses the issue of text complexity, both why it is critical for students to master increasingly complex texts and how texts can be evaluated to assess their complexity. In addition to text complexity, vocabulary development and writing skills are also addressed. The four most common types of writing assignments are listed, with argument being selected as the most essential to master, although students should be familiar and experienced with each prior to matriculation.
While Appendix A has some sections that contain new information, a large amount of it seems to be a simple case of stating the obvious. For example, while I was unaware that school texts were failing to match the increase in complexity reflected in both global and cultural text development, I was aware of the gap in independent ability between average high school students and college students who attempt to independently read and comprehend texts. This was my greatest challenge when I was adjusting to the demands of college level comprehension. High school students typically enjoy a kind of life preserver in the form of teachers that keep them safely afloat by explaining difficult or challenging text passages and pulling them safely to shore. Foundational instruction and section by section explication ensure that no student is allowed to drown in their lack of understanding. Unfortunately, this also allows some students to complete their high school education without knowing how to swim the waters of text analysis alone.
Looking at the common core curriculum after reading Appendix A, I now see far more depth than I did before. I saw the common core as a list of skills and experiences students should have at each grade level. Now I see the far more challenging task of providing each student with text instruction and support which is appropriate to their level of skill while allowing them to learn and progress to a state where my assistance is not required. I must also become so familiar and comfortable with each student’s skill level that I can gradually increase the challenge of reading and writing tasks while simultaneously decreasing the need for my guidance and support. As a new teacher, this is a daunting prospect.
Implementation of these requirements will be challenging, but certainly not impossible. My first step will be to consult with experienced teachers to gain insight into their strategies which have proven successful. Next, I’ll combine my new arsenal of strategies in a way that works for my teaching style. I already have some ideas I would like to implement in my classroom. For instance, I’d like to select four or five young adult texts, each with different levels of complexity, to offer as book group readings. Once my students are grouped into clusters of approximate skill level, I can offer guidance as needed while the largest portion of plot, theme, and character analysis questions can be answered through peer discussion. This provides the entire group with experience collaborating and explicating texts without excessive teacher interference while writing assignments will demonstrate how each student had progressed in their ability to analyze the text independently. As the teacher, I’ll provide the guidance and instruction required to keep the class on the right path in the form of vocabulary exercises, journal writing, and rhetorical strategies. I can only hope I’ll have the freedom to offer a wide variety of texts to my students.
Reading
The Standards’ Approach to Text Complexity
Text complexity is a key issue today because the literacy demands of modern society are and have been increasing with time while K-12 school textbooks have become less sophisticated. This becomes a real problem for students in college or those entering a competitive workforce who, having been carefully guided through complex texts by teachers, are now expected to read and comprehend challenging texts independently.
Qualitative dimensions of text complexity - aspects best measured by an attentive human reader, such as levels of meaning or purpose; structure; language conventionality and clarity; and knowledge demands
Three-Part Model for Measuring Text Complexity
Qualitative and Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity – this entire section seems more than a little self-evident. Why is it necessary to state the obvious?
Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity
i. Levels of Meaning (literary texts) or Purpose (informational texts) – texts which convey only a single level of meaning are simpler to comprehend than those which possess multiple levels of meaning. Same goes for texts with explicit meanings being simpler to understand than those with implicit meanings.
ii. Structure – simpler, more conventional structure is easier to understand than texts with more complex structures.
iii. Language Conventionality and Clarity – rhetorical strategies and academic or archaic vocabulary increase difficulty of text comprehension
iv. Knowledge Demands – texts that address issues common to all cultures are more easily understood than those which requires specific cultural or historical knowledge.
Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity - word length and sentence length
Key Considerations in Implementing Text Complexity
I. Texts and Measurement Tools – useful but not entirely accurate
II. Readers and Tasks - Students reading well above and well below grade-band level need additional support. High achieving students need to be challenged while low achieving students need greater support to maintain grade level reading skill. This is where a teacher’s knowledge of each student’s individual needs is essential in determining the appropriate level of scaffolding.
The Standards’ Grade-Specific Text Complexity Demands
I copied the following as a quick reference guide to literacy goals for each grade level:
The Model in Action: Sample Annotated Reading Texts
This section demonstrates how texts are analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Interesting that the first sample text used, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, is categorized as appropriate to grade levels 6-8 yet I first encountered this text as assigned reading in a sophomore level college class. Is it better to expose middle school students to these types of texts which can be read explicitly or is it better to wait for a college level explication to allow the experience of the full impact of the work? This question could also apply to the other example texts used, The Grapes of Wrath and The Longitude Prize.
Writing
Definitions of the Standards’ Three Text Types
I. Argument – position paper, persuasive paper, etc... takes and supports a specific view
II. Informational/Explanatory Writing - conveys information accurately
III. Narrative Writing – tells a story, whether fictional or non-fictional
IV. Texts that Blend Types – any text that combines the two or more of the above three
The Special Place of Argument in the Standards
While all three text types are important, the Standards put particular emphasis on students’ ability to write sound arguments on substantive topics and issues, as this ability is critical to college and career readiness. True, true, true. Being able to clearly articulate a position and then support it with research or logic is essential to college level success.
Language
Conventions and Knowledge of Language: Teaching and Learning the Conventions of Standard English
I. Development of Grammatical Knowledge – because written language has many levels, grammar instruction should be reinforced as more complex syntax in encountered.
II. Progressive Language Skills in the Standards – each successive level should both reinforce prior knowledge and skill while offering a degree of new challenge and opportunity for growth.
Vocabulary
I. Acquiring Vocabulary – a steadily increasing vocabulary is essential to mastery of increasingly complex texts. Vocabulary is developed through the major forms of communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
II. Three Tiers of Words:
III. Tier Two Words and Access to Complex Texts – teacher should provide foundational instruction for any terms or concepts which are likely to be unfamiliar to students.
IV. Tier Three Words and Content Learning – cross curricular learning makes tier three vocabulary development quicker.
If students are to successfully transition from high school to college they must possess the skills to independently read and fully comprehend college level texts. Appendix A addresses the issue of text complexity, both why it is critical for students to master increasingly complex texts and how texts can be evaluated to assess their complexity. In addition to text complexity, vocabulary development and writing skills are also addressed. The four most common types of writing assignments are listed, with argument being selected as the most essential to master, although students should be familiar and experienced with each prior to matriculation.
While Appendix A has some sections that contain new information, a large amount of it seems to be a simple case of stating the obvious. For example, while I was unaware that school texts were failing to match the increase in complexity reflected in both global and cultural text development, I was aware of the gap in independent ability between average high school students and college students who attempt to independently read and comprehend texts. This was my greatest challenge when I was adjusting to the demands of college level comprehension. High school students typically enjoy a kind of life preserver in the form of teachers that keep them safely afloat by explaining difficult or challenging text passages and pulling them safely to shore. Foundational instruction and section by section explication ensure that no student is allowed to drown in their lack of understanding. Unfortunately, this also allows some students to complete their high school education without knowing how to swim the waters of text analysis alone.
Looking at the common core curriculum after reading Appendix A, I now see far more depth than I did before. I saw the common core as a list of skills and experiences students should have at each grade level. Now I see the far more challenging task of providing each student with text instruction and support which is appropriate to their level of skill while allowing them to learn and progress to a state where my assistance is not required. I must also become so familiar and comfortable with each student’s skill level that I can gradually increase the challenge of reading and writing tasks while simultaneously decreasing the need for my guidance and support. As a new teacher, this is a daunting prospect.
Implementation of these requirements will be challenging, but certainly not impossible. My first step will be to consult with experienced teachers to gain insight into their strategies which have proven successful. Next, I’ll combine my new arsenal of strategies in a way that works for my teaching style. I already have some ideas I would like to implement in my classroom. For instance, I’d like to select four or five young adult texts, each with different levels of complexity, to offer as book group readings. Once my students are grouped into clusters of approximate skill level, I can offer guidance as needed while the largest portion of plot, theme, and character analysis questions can be answered through peer discussion. This provides the entire group with experience collaborating and explicating texts without excessive teacher interference while writing assignments will demonstrate how each student had progressed in their ability to analyze the text independently. As the teacher, I’ll provide the guidance and instruction required to keep the class on the right path in the form of vocabulary exercises, journal writing, and rhetorical strategies. I can only hope I’ll have the freedom to offer a wide variety of texts to my students.
Reading
The Standards’ Approach to Text Complexity
Text complexity is a key issue today because the literacy demands of modern society are and have been increasing with time while K-12 school textbooks have become less sophisticated. This becomes a real problem for students in college or those entering a competitive workforce who, having been carefully guided through complex texts by teachers, are now expected to read and comprehend challenging texts independently.
Qualitative dimensions of text complexity - aspects best measured by an attentive human reader, such as levels of meaning or purpose; structure; language conventionality and clarity; and knowledge demands
Three-Part Model for Measuring Text Complexity
- Qualitative dimensions of text complexity - aspects best measured by an attentive human reader, such as levels of meaning or purpose; structure; language conventionality and clarity; and knowledge demands
- Quantitative dimensions of text complexity - aspects, such as word length or frequency, sentence length, and text cohesion, that are difficult if not impossible for a human reader to evaluate efficiently - are typically measured by computer software
- Reader and task considerations - variables specific to particular readers and to particular tasks must also be considered when determining whether a text is appropriate for a given student. Best made by teachers employing their professional judgment, experience, and knowledge of their students and the subject
Qualitative and Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity – this entire section seems more than a little self-evident. Why is it necessary to state the obvious?
Qualitative Measures of Text Complexity
i. Levels of Meaning (literary texts) or Purpose (informational texts) – texts which convey only a single level of meaning are simpler to comprehend than those which possess multiple levels of meaning. Same goes for texts with explicit meanings being simpler to understand than those with implicit meanings.
ii. Structure – simpler, more conventional structure is easier to understand than texts with more complex structures.
iii. Language Conventionality and Clarity – rhetorical strategies and academic or archaic vocabulary increase difficulty of text comprehension
iv. Knowledge Demands – texts that address issues common to all cultures are more easily understood than those which requires specific cultural or historical knowledge.
Quantitative Measures of Text Complexity - word length and sentence length
Key Considerations in Implementing Text Complexity
I. Texts and Measurement Tools – useful but not entirely accurate
II. Readers and Tasks - Students reading well above and well below grade-band level need additional support. High achieving students need to be challenged while low achieving students need greater support to maintain grade level reading skill. This is where a teacher’s knowledge of each student’s individual needs is essential in determining the appropriate level of scaffolding.
The Standards’ Grade-Specific Text Complexity Demands
I copied the following as a quick reference guide to literacy goals for each grade level:
- By the end of grade 7, read and comprehend literature [informational texts, history/social studies texts, science/technical texts] in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
- By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend literature [informational texts, history/social studies texts, science/technical texts] at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
- By the end of grade 9, read and comprehend literature [informational texts, history/social studies texts, science/technical texts] in the grades 9–10 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
- By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend literature [informational texts, history/social studies texts, science/technical texts] at the high end of the grades 9–10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
- By the end of grade 11, read and comprehend literature [informational texts, history/social studies texts, science/technical texts] in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
- By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend literature [informational texts, history/social studies texts, science/technical texts] at the high end of the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.
The Model in Action: Sample Annotated Reading Texts
This section demonstrates how texts are analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Interesting that the first sample text used, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, is categorized as appropriate to grade levels 6-8 yet I first encountered this text as assigned reading in a sophomore level college class. Is it better to expose middle school students to these types of texts which can be read explicitly or is it better to wait for a college level explication to allow the experience of the full impact of the work? This question could also apply to the other example texts used, The Grapes of Wrath and The Longitude Prize.
Writing
Definitions of the Standards’ Three Text Types
I. Argument – position paper, persuasive paper, etc... takes and supports a specific view
II. Informational/Explanatory Writing - conveys information accurately
III. Narrative Writing – tells a story, whether fictional or non-fictional
IV. Texts that Blend Types – any text that combines the two or more of the above three
The Special Place of Argument in the Standards
While all three text types are important, the Standards put particular emphasis on students’ ability to write sound arguments on substantive topics and issues, as this ability is critical to college and career readiness. True, true, true. Being able to clearly articulate a position and then support it with research or logic is essential to college level success.
Language
Conventions and Knowledge of Language: Teaching and Learning the Conventions of Standard English
I. Development of Grammatical Knowledge – because written language has many levels, grammar instruction should be reinforced as more complex syntax in encountered.
II. Progressive Language Skills in the Standards – each successive level should both reinforce prior knowledge and skill while offering a degree of new challenge and opportunity for growth.
Vocabulary
I. Acquiring Vocabulary – a steadily increasing vocabulary is essential to mastery of increasingly complex texts. Vocabulary is developed through the major forms of communication: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
II. Three Tiers of Words:
- Tier One – everyday, common words
- Tier Two – general academic words which offer a more formal way of saying things: (words such as relative, vary, formulate, specificity, and accumulate), technical texts (calibrate, itemize, periphery), and literary texts (misfortune, dignified, faltered, unabashedly)
- Tier Three – domain specific words. Words related to a specific field of study found most commonly in informational texts rather than in literature. (lava, carburetor, legislature, circumference, aorta)
III. Tier Two Words and Access to Complex Texts – teacher should provide foundational instruction for any terms or concepts which are likely to be unfamiliar to students.
IV. Tier Three Words and Content Learning – cross curricular learning makes tier three vocabulary development quicker.