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Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me, Then Who?, 3rd Edition

by Vicki Urquhart and Dana Frazee

Table of Contents

1. Academic Conversation


Narrative Text

Informational Text

___ Prereading

___ During Reading

After Reading

___ Writing to Learn

Reflection

Discussion

___ Vocabulary Development

What is it?

This strategy includes a set of conversational skills teachers can model and teach to help all students engage in extended meaningful conversation about narrative or informational texts (Zwiers & Crawford, 2009). Although these skills were designed specifically for ELLs who need scaffolding to use the skills effectively, they are pertinent to and necessary for all students. The skills include the following:

  • Initiating a worthwhile topic
  • Elaborating and clarifying
  • Supporting one's ideas
  • Building on or challenging another's ideas
  • Applying ideas to life
  • Paraphrasing/Summarizing

How do I use it?

  1. Make a set of six visual reminder cue cards, so you can show students what they will make for themselves. Note cards work fine as cue cards. Then have students make a similar set.
    • On one side of each card, students should draw the symbol for one of the conversation features and label the feature.
    • On the other side of each card, have students write two headings: "Prompts for Using the Feature" and "Prompts for Responding."
    • Beneath each heading, write or have students write the prompts from the template.
  2. Have students memorize one "Prompt for Using the Feature." For example, students can begin by memorizing "Why do you think the author wrote this?"
  3. Teach the suggested hand motions for each feature. Model and use the hand motions consistently to reduce dependence on the cue cards.
  4. Model how to use the cards and prompts repeatedly to increase fluency and familiarity with the strategy.


Figure S1.1. Academic Conversation Features

Source:Educational Leadership 66


Figure S1.2. Modeling an Academic Conversation Example


  1. Read a text selection, stopping from time to time to elicit students' comments and questions.
  2. As students offer their responses, ask them to elaborate, using the appropriate hand motion.
  3. Ask students to pair-share and tell their partners whether they agree or disagree with their ideas.
  4. Model by saying, "I agree with [Juan's] interpretation because … "
  5. Lead a short whole-class discussion to brainstorm possible themes for the text selection.
  6. Have students choose the themes they think are most relevant to the text selection and then identify examples from the text that support those themes.
  7. Conduct a minilesson in which you carry on a conversation with the whole class, using the cue cards as necessary.
    1. Students: "Why do you think the author wrote this story?"
    2. Teacher: "Perhaps she wrote it because … " (pause) "Now what might you ask me?"
    3. Students: "Can you elaborate?"
    4. Teacher elaborates with more details from the text.
  8. Remind students of the prompts on their cards.
  9. Pair students for a conversation.
  10. Have partners take out their cards and quiz each other on the symbols and prompts before beginning.
  11. Tell students to use their notes and discuss possible themes of the text selection.
  12. Go around the room and monitor the conversations.
  13. Have each pair write an "exit ticket" synopsis of the conversation they had and then present that synopsis to the class.
  14. Reflect on the process and have students self-assess with a kid-friendly rubric, such as the following:


Figure S1.2. Modeling an Academic Conversation Example (continued)


Conversation Skill

3:I am practicing all of the skills.

2:I am getting better at some of the skills.

1.I need to practice the skills.

Stay on topic

  • I suggested a logical theme.
  • I stayed on topic the whole conversation.
  • I listened and built on the author's ideas and others' comments.

  • I stayed on topic.
  • I tried building on others' comments.

  • I came up with ideas that were not in the text.
  • I had a hard time staying on topic.
  • I have not tried building on others' comments yet.

Support ideas by explaining and showing examples from the text

  • I prompted others to explain or give examples.
  • I gave explanations for my thinking and showed examples and details from the text.

  • I gave explanations for my thinking.
  • I showed one example from the text.

  • I had a difficult time explaining my thinking.

Make connections

  • I could explain how this text connects to things in my life.
  • I could talk about what I learned from this text.

  • I could explain how this text connects to things in my life.

  • I could not explain how this text connects to things in my life.

Use appropriate conversation behaviors

  • I actively listened to others.
  • I took turns speaking.
  • I paraphrased what others said.

  • I took turns speaking.
  • I listened to others.
  • I don't know how to paraphrase yet.

  • I think I talked too much.
  • I don't know how to paraphrase yet.

Copyright © 2012 by McREL. All rights reserved. No part of this publication—including the drawings, graphs, illustrations, or chapters, except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles—may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system.

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