Instructional ConnectionEducators across the state see student gains from comprehension strategies in Elements of Understanding training
Berry Elementary Principal Deborah Silver models the Think-Turn-Talk technique
Imagine opening the door of a first-grade classroom and lively chattering filling your ears. Is it chaos? No—you see the teacher kneeling beside a pair of students, scribbling furiously in her notebook. You see her raise her hand, counting down from five. Silence fills the room as all students turn attentively toward the teacher. “Now,” she says, “let’s share some of our conversations.”
This mental image is becoming a reality at many of our schools throughout the state. One such school is Berry Elementary in Houston Independent School District (ISD). This school has focused on implementing the instructional tools found in the Elements of Understanding modules Reading With Purpose and Think-Turn-Talk. Has it made a difference? Juan Regalado, the local campus coach (LCC), explains that the implementation of these modules is “becoming a part of us. It’s becoming a routine. It’s not just a novelty.”
Implementation at Berry Elementary began by identifying an area of improvement upon which to focus. After reflecting on data from both assessments and classroom observations, the school leadership determined that increasing student engagement would positively affect achievement.
At the invitation of the school and Reading Technical Assistance Specialist (RTA) Enrique Cruz, Reading First partners presented the Think-Turn-Talk module, followed immediately by time for teachers to develop lessons. At the conclusion of the session, Principal Deborah Silber demonstrated her commitment to implementing the Think-Turn-Talk routine by asking grade-level teams to identify a date upon which they might be observed in the early stages of implementation.
Teachers soon began seeing differences in their students’ comprehension. As one teacher said, “I have experienced my students . . . focusing more and understanding the text better during their reading.” Another teacher said that students are “more engaged with the stories, and they are starting to have more intellectual conversations during the readings.”
This enthusiasm prompted a follow-up presentation of Reading With Purpose. Comprehension purpose questions (CPQs) were implemented alongside the Think-Turn-Talk routine. A subsequent meeting allowed teachers the opportunity to reflect upon successes and challenges in implementation of both modules.
These successes are not limited to a single campus; they are being observed throughout the state. For example, teachers in Region 4 who have been trained in Making Connections Section 1: Building and Activating Background Knowledge have used the anchor lesson from the training to create touchstones in their students’ use of the strategy.
RTA Joanna Oliver explained that in Region 6, “CPQs are running rampant.” Not only are teachers posing CPQs for reading, but they also are planning CPQs across the curriculum. One campus also implements a comprehension strategy focus each month. “We see amazing posters in the hallway that show how they are emphasizing strategies,” Oliver said. “We also hear academic language buzzing through the school from administrators to teachers to students. The strategies accompany students home in the newsletters. Comprehension instruction is extremely evident as you walk in classrooms throughout this region.”
In other parts of the state, RTAs report that teachers are effectively implementing strategies from the modules. “Teachers are taking time to plan cognitive strategy instruction, and comprehension scores are rising on weekly assessments,” RTA Laura Smith said.
The true measure of success of these comprehension modules is how thinking about text has been challenged for both teachers and students. One teacher explains that now, when planning her weekly reading lessons, “I read the story, and then I diagnose my own thinking.”
This thoughtful instruction increases opportunities for students to think deeply about text. As one teacher said, “It allows students to think beyond the ‘boundary’ of the story and explore possibilities.”