Text Sets and Text Accessibility Continuing Education Webinar
At the end of this learning opportunity you will have a new tool for expanding background knowledge before reading and extending comprehension after reading. You will see two examples of social studies text sets, learn what to include, how to evaluate the materials, and ways to differentiate instruction using text sets. You will read an article which will widen your view of science instruction with ways to use different genres of trade books, connecting literacy with scientific inquiry. Lastly, you will view a video which drives home the important idea of the contribution of background knowledge to understanding.
Intended Audience
grade 3-8 teachers, reading specialists
Hours and Cost
5 CPE/CEUs: $50
What to Do
- View the webinar "Building Background Knowledge with Text Sets" on RTN.
- View the webinar "Building Background Knowledge With Text Sets - The Great Depression" on RTN.
- Read the article "Science Text Sets: Using Various Genres to Promote Literacy and Inquiry" by Margaretha Ebbers, printed in Language Arts, Vol. 80 No. 1, September 2002.
- View the video, "Teaching Content Is Teaching Reading", by Professor Daniel Willingham on YouTube.
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Complete the Assignment:
- Describe a text set with a minimum of five multi-media resources that represent a range of reading levels – for example, picture books, biographies, fiction, how-to books, objects, poems, newspaper articles, websites, art, cookbooks.
- Include a brief introduction that describes how you will use the text set. Include topic and ages, levels, and interests of your students. Explain why you selected your sources.
- Using this website, http://www.online-utility.org/english/readability_test_and_improve.jsp, determine and describe the quantitative readability of each resource (review the first webinar).
- Describe the qualitative readability of each resource (review the first webinar).
- Briefly describe the value of each resource to the topic you are teaching. This might be a statement of how you would introduce the resources to your students, and why you think they are important. You might use phrases like, “Notice the pictures (or graphs, sidebars, photographs) in this book. They might tell you a lot about…” or “From these websites you might find out about…” or “Take a close look at the (object) and see what you can find out about…”
- Include complete bibliographic information about your resources.
- Send your written response to ContEd@neuhaus.org.
