Weaving Expository Texts into the Fabric of the Elementary School Curriculum

The hope is that by presenting children with informational texts at a younger age, studentswill be better equipped to engage in informational reading and writing later in life, thus clos

Weaving Expository Texts into the Fabric of the Elementary School Curriculum

Allison BurkaVanderbilt UniversityMaster’s Capstone Essay

3/1/2012

Table of Contents

Strategies to Maximize the Benefits of

The Development of Expository Textual and

Visual Assessment Tools

24

Conclusion: Looking to the Future of

Expository Texts in the “Information Age”

Classroom

26

Abstract

Today’s students live in an “Information Age,” surrounded by texts (e.g emails, websitesand newspapers) that convey vast amounts of information, therefore the ability to interpret informational texts is critically important to academic success (Duke & Kays, 1998) Sadly, unacceptably large numbers of American students lack the skills necessary to read and write informational texts proficiently This is in large part due to existing claims that children are unable to comprehend expository texts at a young age (Duke, 1998) However, these claims are being challenged and according to current researchers, young children can begin to read to learn and build a foundation that is then refined throughout their schooling experience (Guillaume, 1998) The hope is that by presenting children with informational texts at a younger age, studentswill be better equipped to engage in informational reading and writing later in life, thus closing the “expository reading gap” (Duke, 1998) Furthermore, incorporating expository texts into the curriculum not only helps “mitigate” potential problems in later schooling, expository texts have also been found to have many other profound benefits for young children including motivation toread (Caswell & Duke, 1998)

With the growing realization of the importance of introducing students to expository texts

at a young age coupled with the motivational benefits for young students, there has been an

“explosion” of informational trade books available to educators in recent years However, despitethis growth, teachers have received little guidance in learning effective ways of selecting high quality books for classroom libraries Therefore, this paper investigates and critiques suggested frameworks currently used by teachers when selecting informational trade books

While the selection of high quality informational trade books is the first step in increasingstudents’ exposure to expository texts, this paper also explores strategies that maximize the benefits of expository texts for young readers Finally, this paper addresses the need for early

expository textual and visual assessment tools that can be easily administered, in order to help teachers better meet the needs of their students.

Note to the Capstone Committee

This Capstone essay in an extension of an inquiry project for EDUC 3390 The inquiry paper titled, “Pathways to Expository Texts,” investigated the importance of teaching students,

starting at the preschool age, strategies to help comprehend expository texts based on current research It analyzed past studies that suggest narrative texts are more suitable for young childrenand compared these studies with more current and contrasting studies, which argue that the existing evidence does not support this belief Current evidence compellingly suggests that expository texts be incorporated into academic curricula beginning at a young age and supports the push for expository texts to gain a larger presence in elementary school classrooms.

The four areas of professional knowledge are incorporated throughout this Capstone essay The introductory section discusses the importance based on current research, of

introducing expository texts into the classroom beginning at an early age This section addresses the learning environment of students Curriculum is addressed in the research pertaining to the selection of high quality informational trade books for the classroom The portion of the essay that reviews and critiques instructional strategies to help students comprehend expository texts addresses the area of strategy instruction as well as the learner Finally, this essay addresses the importance of assessment in exploring the development of early expository textual and visual assessment tools

Throughout this paper, expository/information texts (I will use these terms

interchangeably) are defined as texts that communicate information, include factual content, use timeless verb constructions, generic noun constructions, technical vocabulary, classificatory and definitional material, comparative/contrastive, problem/solution, cause/effect text structures, and graphical elements such as diagrams and maps (Duke, 2000)

Introduction

As we look to the future of the American schooling system, we must consider what values educators promote, and how we can positively develop these values in order to guide students effectively into the “Information Age.” Today’s students live in an “Information Age,” surrounded by texts (e.g emails, websites and newspapers) that convey vast amounts of

information, therefore the ability to interpret these texts is critically important to academic

success (Duke & Kays, 1998) Sadly, unacceptably large numbers of American students lack the skills necessary to read and write informational texts proficiently These unprepared students struggle to make sense of “real world information” (Duke, 2010) In 2001, a study administered

by the Progress in International Reading Literacy (PIRLS), found that of the student populations

of the 35 nations studied, American ten year olds exhibited the largest gap between their ability

to read narrative texts versus informational texts (Duke, 1998) Educational researchers are beginning to explore the reasons for this troubling gap and how the American schooling system can work to overcome this deficiency

When reflecting upon past studies, it is apparent that expository texts have been

pejoratively stereotyped as “cold and passive” and unfit for children of young ages (Duke, 2000).There is a widely held, but largely unsubstantiated, belief that development progresses from storyforms to other forms and that this progression will inhibit young children’s ability to comprehendexpository text structures (Duke & Kays, 1998) Therefore, educators must wait until children are older to use expository texts because they are simply too difficult and developmentally inappropriate (Duke, 2010) In 2001, Donovan and Smolkin found that many educators still prefer narrative texts as they do not feel comfortable teaching expository textual structures and assume that informational texts are “boring” and “too complicated” for young students (Donovan

& Smolkin, 2001) Very little research exists to support this assumption, and some researchers argue that young children can in fact interpret and comprehend expository texts successfully when given the opportunity (Duke, 2003) In the future, it is imperative that the notion of

narrative as primary is dispelled in order to fully guide students into the 21st century

Existing claims that children are unable to comprehend expository texts at a young age are being challenged (Duke, 1998) While some theorists and researchers believe that students

must be able to read fluently and with automaticity before focusing on the development of comprehension skills (Adams, 2004), there are numerous studies that validate the use of

expository texts at a younger age (e.g., Richgels, 2002; Duke & Kays, 1998; Pappas, 1993) These studies support the conclusion that “learning to read and reading to learn” should happen simultaneously (Guillame, 1998, p 476) According to these researchers, young children can begin to read to learn and build a foundation that is then refined throughout their schooling experience (Guillaume, 1998) The hope is that by presenting children with informational texts at

a younger age and teaching these students to comprehend expository text and visual structures, students will be better equipped to engage in informational reading and writing later in life, thus closing the “expository reading gap” (Duke, 1998)

Furthermore, incorporating expository texts into the curriculum not only helps “mitigate” potential problems in later schooling (Caswell & Duke, 1998), expository texts have also been found to have many other profound benefits for young children  One such benefit is high interest

in texts, which increases students’ motivation to read Rosenblatt’s “transactional theory”

highlights the importance of having a connection with the text What the reader brings to the text highly influences what they will take away Therefore, there needs to be a wider range of texts available in classroom libraries (Sanacore &Palumbo, 2009) If particular children have more of

a connection to expository texts, it is essential that they are not denied access to these texts (Mills, Stephens, O’Keef, & Waugh, 2004)

The “Explosion” of Informational Trade BooksWith the growing realization of the importance of introducing students to expository texts

at a younger age coupled with the motivational benefits for young students, there has been an

“explosion” of informational trade books available to educators in recent years (Gill, 2009) These informational trade books can help educators include clearly written exposition in their classrooms that are suitable for even the youngest reader (Moss, Leone, & Dipillo, 1997)

However, with the increased availability of informational texts, educators must become more knowledgeable of what is available and begin to include these texts in classroom libraries

(Banford, Kristo, & Lyon, 2002)

In 2000, researchers Guthrie, Schafer, Von Secker, and Alban found that with a larger presence of informational trade books in the classroom, greater gains were made by students on statewide reading, math, and science proficiency exams (Young & Moss, 2006) It is also

recommended that in order to increase exposure to informational texts, these trade books need to

be prominently displayed throughout the classroom and fill about half of a classroom library (thispercentage should increase in the upper grades) (Young, Moss, & Cornwell, 2007) While this percentage may seem overwhelming to teachers creating their own classroom libraries, Young and Moss recommends that teachers work towards this goal gradually and to focus on selecting books for quality rather than focusing on quantity (Young & Moss, 2006)

Despite the growth of informational trade book publishing, teachers have received little guidance in learning effective ways of selecting high quality books for their classroom libraries Even when teachers are given sets of criteria to judge the quality of informational trade books, the breadth of the criteria can often seem “daunting,” and many teachers lack the necessary content knowledge to ease this process Often informational trade books are chosen solely based

on availability in school libraries or on blanket recommendations Therefore, there needs to be a quick, easy, and valid way for teachers to make selections of quality informational trade books for their classroom libraries (Atkinson, Matusevich, & Huber, 2009) Harvey and Goudvis

(2007) suggest referring to professional organizations that publish lists of honored informational texts such as the Washington Post Annual Children’s Book Guild for Nonfiction Award, Robert F.Silbert Informational Book Award, Orbitus Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for

Children, ALA’s Notable Children’s Book list, and the National Science Teachers Association and the Children’s Book Council’s Outstanding Science Trade Books For Students list (Atiknson,Matusevich, Huber, 2009)

Many guides have been published in recent years to help teachers sift through the wide array of informational trade books available The professional organizations listed above use these guides in their own selection process in order to determine accuracy, organization, design and style However, which of these guides are the most effective? Is there a way to combine the best suggestions from each guide? Furthermore many online booklists fail to identify their sources and process of book selection These lists are also often long and overwhelming

(Atkinson, et al, 2009)

Nonetheless, there are many high caliber guides available for teachers that have been created by respected professionals and professional organizations in the literacy field (Atkinson,

et al, 2009; Bamford & Kristo, 2000; Donovan & Smolkin, 2002; Gill 2009; Kiefer & Tyson, 2010; Rice, 2002; Stephens, 2008) While many of these guides use different formats, ask

different types of questions, and focus on different criteria such as analyzing for theoretical rationale versus quality (Atkinson, et al, 2009), all of the guides stress the importance of

assessing content accuracy (Rice, 2002) For instance, Gill emphasizes that it is essential to analyze the author’s research process, consultants listed, supplemental materials such as

glossaries, illustrations that depict the text, and other credits and references (Gill, 2009)

Bamford, Kristo, and Lyon urge teachers to review content by checking copyright dates, author credentials, awards, and acknowledgements (Bamford, Kristo, & Lyon, 2002)

Teachers must also be aware that often books intended for emergent readers at times

“over simplify” the content and thus inaccurately alter the information (Bamford, et al, 2002) Futhermore, with the “explosion” of informational trade book publishing a trend of “blending” fiction and nonfiction together has developed This “fictionalization of children’s nonfiction books” stems from the view that the best way to engage young students in nonfiction is to,

“surround facts with a fictional framework,” (Gill, 2009, p 264) Therefore, educators must be able to identify these “blended” texts as many pitfalls can occur when using them in classroom instruction For instance, much of the factual information presented in these “blended” trade books is often distorted or inaccurate Students may also have difficulty separating the story fromthe facts Bamford and Kristo (2000) question whether informational storybooks send “a

distorted message” to young readers about what nonfiction truly is (Gill, 2009)

During the process of assessing content accuracy, it is also critical to gauge the depth of content as well as the ways in which the author has chosen to share information with the reader One particular guide created by Stephens, focuses on determining if content is exciting and age appropriate for the intended reader However, while Stephens notes that her guide is meant to be

a “quick checklist” to help ease the selection process, this guide inadequately addresses essential questions that are key in the selection process For instance, Kay and Duke note that teachers must choose different books for different purposes that emphasize the skills being studied (Kay

& Duke, 1998) Therefore, teachers must have their instructional objectives in mind when

choosing informational books for classroom use Bamford , Kristo, and Lyon ask “what will be learned about this topic by reading this book? How much will we learn? How much of the topic

is covered in the book and to what depth? How has the author organized the information to make

it easier for readers to learn?” (Bamford, et al, 2002, p 11) This process of questioning is important as the magnitude of information included within trade books can effect the ways in which teachers ultimately choose to introduce books to their students Furthermore, these

questions allow teachers to judge the complexity of the trade books as well as the

appropriateness for their students (Donovan & Smolkin, 2002)

While many of the reviewed guides stress accuracy of content information, many fail to question how informational trade books’ content will connect to students’ own personal

experiences Furthermore, there is no judgement of whether or not the informational trade books promote inquiry and an active stance for the reader Atkinson, Matusevich, and Huber (2009) recognize the importance of evaluating trade books for inquiry and activation of background knowledge, especially when using trade books for science instruction They include assessment

of this criteria in their “Science Trade Book Evaluation Rubric.” Furthermore, in the process of creating their rubric, they found ways of connecting the evaluation criteria to national and state standards This focus on standards is a strong point of this particular guide as many teachers need

to be able to match their curriculum to standards based instruction (Atkinson, et al, 2009)

Just as standards based instruction is crucial into today’s educational field, so is

recognizing “today’s visually oriented society” (Broemmel & Rearden, 2006) Broemmel and Rearden believe that while assessing the factual information present in text is crucial, the visual features are often the “hook” that motivates a child to pick up a book and begin reading

(Broemmel & Rearden, 2006) Bamford and Kristo address the importance of analyzing the visual features of “heavily illustrated,” informational texts because these visuals can often create more confusion than clarity for the reader For instance, Peeck (1987) found that poorly designed

and “low information” pictures often caused students to become disinterested in the text and decreased their desire to learn more about the topic (Donovan & Smolkin, 2002) Therefore, teachers must assess visuals by asking questions such as, “do the visuals clarify information or assist reader’s comprehension, what access features are used and do they help the reader locate information, are visuals clear and focused, are there too many visuals present on a page and how will the reader know what information to tackle first?” (Bamford, et al, 2002, p 12) Gill pushesthe assessment of visual features even further by analyzing books for, “visually attractive

layouts,” such as illustrations appearing on covers, endpapers, copyright pages, and title pages (Gill, 2009)

Visuals are especially vital as they often serve as a motivational feature for students Huck points out that “amazing photographs” elicit students to ask thought provoking questions and promote “wonder and awe.” This type of response to photographs encourages students to make “complex meaning making” while reading (Donovan & Smolkin, 2002) However, Kiefer and Tyson note that it is also important to consider the artistic medium used in informational trade books When interviewing elementary students, Kiefer and Tyson found that often students associated illustrations with narrative texts and photographs with informational texts

Consequently, it is imperative that teachers change this perception by including informational trade books that use a variety of artistic mediums in their classroom libraries and by addressing students’ misperception in classroom instruction (Kiefer & Tyson, 2010)

Finally, many of the guides mentioned previously suggest that teachers critique the style

of writing included in trade books In particular, teachers need to question, “how has the author written the book to support learning and engagement, is the book written in an interactive format,how does the author deal with vocabulary, does the writing include metaphors, analogies,

definitions within the text, or observational writing that helps students to visualize the text?” (Bamford, et al, 2002, p 12) Gill adds to this list by by addressing the importance of evaluatingthe appropriateness of the language for the intended audience For instance, “is the language condescending towards young readers, is the information related to what students already know,

is the writing organized and cohesive, and is the reader left feeling satisfied or wanting to learn more? (Gill, 2009, p 265)

Both of the above guides fail to mention one essential factor in assessing the quality of writing in informational trade books As our country becomes more and more diverse, it is necessary to question whether books respect the reader, “by presenting positive ethical and cultural values, especially inclusive of gender and racial representation,” ( Atkinson, et al, 2009,

p 490) Kiefer and Tyson do however focus on diversity and go into depth regarding the

repercussions of omitting significant facts from a text, which can cause “stereotyping by

omission,” (Kiefer & Tyson, 2010) In addition, Kiefer and Tyson recommend that teachers look for informational trade books that use facts to support generalizations, distinguish between fact and theory, and avoid anthropomorphism (Kiefer & Tyson, 2010)

While the most effective questions and strategies to guide teachers in selection of quality informational trade books has been discussed above, this still leaves the question, how do

teachers organize and synthesize this information into one easy to use format? Atkinson,

Matusevich and Huber also had this same question and therefore created their own evaluation tool that incorporates a majority of the suggestions previously mentioned, while also leaving room for teachers to make comments and score books on a 1 through 5 basis If teachers feel thatthis guide is lacking or includes too much specific assessment criteria, it is always possible to take a guide such as Atkinson, Matsuvevich and Huber’s and use the structure in creating a guide

more tailored towards the needs of students However, it is then suggested that these teachers seek out the guidance of experts in content areas to help evaluate the criteria included in newly created guides (Atkinson, et al, 2009)

Atkinson, Matusevich, and Huber further recommend that in order to review

informational texts in a timely fashion, school professionals can organize “review teams”

comprised of members with literacy and/or science expertise These teams help promote

“collegial conversations” and assist teachers in making more informed decisions about how thesetexts can be used for classroom instruction (Atkinson, et al, 2009)

Strategies to Maximize the Benefits of Expository Texts for Young

Readers

Even with the overwhelming evidence that supports the use of informational texts in the classroom beginning at a young age, Donovan and Smolkin found that many teachers still hold assumptions that information texts are boring, “unfun,” impossible to read aloud, better suited forolder students, and thus many teachers still continue to promote narrative over informational texts (Young & Moss, 2006; Palmer & Stewart, 2006) This is of great concern, as the role of the teacher is essential in introducing young children to informational texts and success in secondaryschooling relies heavily upon students’ abilities to read and write expository texts (Williams, et

al, 2004) Fortunately, teachers are gaining access to current research studies on effective ways ofteaching with informational texts, and while this integrated instruction may be an adjustment for many educators, the benefits for students will be worth the time and effort (Webster, 2009) For instance, with increased interaction and experience reading and writing expository texts, it has