Knowledge and Skills Statement
Provide small groups of students with informational texts to read. Then, task students with determining the controlling idea of each text and to provide text evidence to support their responses. Based on student needs, a teacher may consider providing texts with similar controlling ideas to compare. For example, two texts may have the same controlling idea of sharing information about infant animal breeds.
Further Explanation
This assessment provides an opportunity for the teacher to observe student understanding of the distinguishing characteristics of informational texts, such as the use of a controlling idea to guide the focus of the writing. Students should understand that texts can be structured in various ways to serve specific purposes. Students must be familiar enough with these characteristics and structures to be able to examine the intent and effect of their use in texts.
Research
1. Dickson, R. (2004). Developing "real world intelligence": Teaching argumentative writing through debate. The English Journal, 94(1), 34–40. Retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/4128845
Summary: Students who debate are required to consistently engage in critical thinking, argumentation, and presentation. Dickson suggests that debate can be used as a framework to improve writing. Combining debate and essay writing is one way to integrate the two concepts.
2. Denton, C. A., Enos, M., York, M. J., Francis, D. J., Barnes, A. M., Kulesz, P. A., Fletcher, J. M., & Carter, S. (2015). Text-processing differences in adolescent adequate and poor comprehenders reading accessible and challenging narrative and informational text. Reading Research Quarterly, 50(4), 393–416. doi:10.1002/rrq.105
Summary: This study examined what students consciously determined would help them to access an informational or narrative texts. Students used a think-aloud verbal protocol to guide the process. Groups were assigned different genres and different reading levels. Both groups varied along the lines of inference and paraphrasing and monitoring. The study suggests that increasing students' ability in these two areas will improve students' reading ability and comprehension.
3. Scott, J. L. (2012, April). Teaching students to analyze informational text. University of MO-Columbia. Retrieved from https://dese.mo.gov/sites/default/files/ela-6-courage_and_bravery-instructional_strategy_6.5a-teaching_students_to_analyze%20_informational_text.docx
Summary: This article provides an overview of five styles of informational text and characteristics of each. Multiple strategies are included in the article, and teachers may find these useful in teaching students how to analyze informational text. The process outlined in the article is sequential. Charts and visuals are provided.
4. Hedin, L. R., & Conderman, G. (2010). Teaching students to comprehend information text through rereading. The Reading Teacher, 63(7), 556–565. doi:10.1598/RT.63.7.3
Summary: Hedin and Conderman describe specific strategies that students can use to make meaning of the text and increase reading and writing comprehension. The study reveals strategies are successful with struggling readers. The approach uses paraphrasing and rereading to identify the placement of the main ideas, key terms and definitions. The approach also includes pronouns, appositives, or text enhancements. Charts, samples, and references are included.
5. Olson, C. B., Land, R., Anselmo, T., & AuBuchon, C. (2010). Teaching secondary English learners to understand, analyze, and write interpretive essays about theme. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 54(4), 245–256. doi:10.1598/JA AL.54.4.2
Summary: This study reveals the results of a collaborative project with the California Writing Project and a large, urban, low‐SES school district where 93% of the students speak English as a second language and 69% are designated Limited English Proficient. The article describes a longitudinal study related to the impact of ongoing professional development centered on strategies used to teach student to comprehend, analyze, and write interpretive essays about themes. Fifty five teachers and 2000 students participated in study. The students showed significant improvement in comprehending and analyzing themes.