Using Learning Strategies to Improve How Students Learn and Perform

Don Deshler University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

August 8, 2006 Portland, Oregon

Lion Orange Chevrolet Frog Cherry Ford Horse Apple Fish Lemon Dodge Toyota Banana Dog Chrysler

What do you do?

1. Read the passage and answer the question 2. List everything you did to read and understand the passage 3. Share and compare with a neighbor

Reading Sub Test

Loitering with a vacant eye Along the Grecian gallery, And brooding on my heavy ill, I met a statue standing still. Still in marble stone stood he, And steadfastly, he looked at me. Well met, I thought the look would say. We both were fashioned far away; We neither knew, when we were young, These Londoners we live among.
A.E. Housman, 1896 A. Why does the speaker feel the way he does at the beginning of the poem? (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) He is far from home and feels out of place. He is in very poor health. He feels oppressed by the crowds of people in London. He has nothing to do? He is saddened by the fact that the statue is unhappier than he is.

Adolescent Reading Model

Word Recognition
Phonological Awareness Decoding Sight Word Reading Fluency

Language Comprehension
Background Knowledge Syntax Vocabulary Text Structures

Executive Processes
Cognitive Strategies Metacognitive Strategies

Integration

Reading Comprehension: Comprehension comes from

integrating prior knowledge with new information from the text. This new knowledge facilitates deeper thinking about the text and can be applied to learn new information and solve problems.
KU-CRL Hock & Deshler, 2006

Building Blocks for Content Literacy

HIGHER ORDER SUBJECT MATTER STRATEGIES SKILLS LANGUAGE

Some guiding questions.

What are some of the powerful strategies you use to learn new information? How did you learn these strategies? What are some important learning strategies to teach? How do we teach struggling learners to use learning strategies?

Content Skills Strategies

Content
Knowledge of the world

Skills Strategies
Guidelines related to selecting and applying skills Rules and procedures

Content Strategies Skills

An Individuals approach to a task is called a

STRATEGY
It includes how a person thinks and acts when planning, executing, and evaluating performance on a task and its outcomes.

Strategy Instruction
is instruction in

how to learn and perform

So.
What are some important strategies for students to learn?

Learning Strategies
Acquisition
Word Identification
Summarizing Self-Questioning Visual Imagery

Storage
First-Letter Mnemonic
Paired Associates Listening/Notetaking LINCS Vocabulary

Expression of Competence
Sentences Paragraphs Error Monitoring

Interpreting Visuals
Multipass

Themes
Assignment Completion Test-Taking

Paraphrasing Strategy Read a paragraph Ask yourself what is the main idea

and what are important supporting details details into your own words

Put the main idea and supporting

Self-Questioning Strategy
Attend to clues as you read Say some questions Keep predictions in mind Identify the answer Talk about the answers

Word Mapping Strategy

To expand students vocabulary by helping them predict the meanings of unknown words using key language elements (roots, prefixes, suffixes) they come across while reading.

Word Families
port to carry
import report deport important export porter support transport

Word Mapping Strategy

Step 1: M Map the word parts
Step 2: A Attack the meaning of each part Step 3: P Predict the words meaning Step 4: S See if youre right!

Map the targeted word by breaking down into its word parts

Attack the meaning by translating each word part

Predict the meaning of the word by putting the word part meanings together

See if your prediction is correct by checking with the dictionary or someone

The LINCS Vocabulary Strategy

Word Reminding Word LINCing Story

LINCing Picture

Definition

Creating LINCS Study Cards

1. Take an index card and divide both sides in half by drawing lines across the middle of both sides.

Creating LINCS Study Cards (cont.)

2. Write the word to be learned on the top half of one side. Then circle it.

fief

Creating LINCS Study Cards (cont.)

3. Write the parts of the definition you need to remember on the top of the other side.

fief

Land given by king for fighting in army

Creating LINCS Study Cards (cont.)

4. Write the Reminding Word on the bottom half of the first side.

fief chief

Land given by king for fighting in army

Creating LINCS Study Cards (cont.)

5. Write the LINCing Story on the bottom half of the second side.

fief chief

Land given by king for fighting in army Chief of his land

Creating LINCS Study Cards (cont.)

6. Draw the LINCing Picture on the bottom half of the second side.

fief chief

Land given by king for fighting in army Chief of his land

Lets Practice!!

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

Vocabulary Words
Charitable Mortified Tirade Perpetual

The LINCS Table

Term

LINCing Story

LINCing Picture

Definition

3 Reminding Word

List the parts Identify a remaining word

Note a LINCing story Create a LINCing picture Self-test

A Good REMINDING WORD always

Sounds like part or all of the new word. Is a real word.

Has a meaning that you already know.

Helps you remember what the new word means.

A Good LINCing Story always.

Includes the Reminding Word or some form of the Reminding Word
LINCs the Reminding Word to the meaning of the new word Is short and simple

A Good LINCing Picture always...

Contains a part related to the Reminding Word. Contains parts related to the important ideas in the definition. Helps you remember the new terms definition.

LINCS Strategy
Step 1: List the parts
Step 2: Identify a Reminding Word Step 3: Note a LINCing Story Step 4: Create a LINCing Picture

Step 5: Self-test

The LINCS Table

Term

LINCing Story

LINCing Picture

Definition

3 Reminding Word

List the parts Identify a remaining word

Note a LINCing story Create a LINCing picture Self-test

Example LINCS Tables

1
Term

LINCing story

LINCing picture

Definition

charitable He gave lots of food

3
Reminding word

Giving, generous

for the table. table

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

Example LINCS Tables

1
Term

LINCing story

LINCing picture

Definition

mortified The mortician was scared to death when he saw the corpse. Scared to death

Reminding word

mortician

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

Example LINCS Tables

1
Term

LINCing story

LINCing picture

Definition

tirade The tire screamed as it went around the corner. Screaming or yelling

Reminding word

tire

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

Example LINCS Tables

1
Term

LINCing story

LINCing picture

Definition

perpetual The pet constantly barks.

3
Reminding word

Constantly

pet

The University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning

So.
How do we teach learning strategies to students?

Instructional Methodology
(Large group)

I do it! (Learn by watching) We do it! (Learn by sharing) You do it! (Learn by practicing)

Instructional Methodology
(Small group)

Pretest Describe Commitment (student & teacher) Goals High expectations Model Practice and quality feedback Controlled and advanced Posttest & reflect Generalize, transfer, apply

The listening, speaking, reading and writing skills and strategies necessary to learn in each of the academic disciplines.

is the door to content acquisition & higher order thinking.

A Continuum of Literacy Instruction

(Content Literacy Continuum -- CLC) Level 1: Enhance content instruction (mastery of critical content
for all regardless of literacy levels)

Level 2:
Level 3: Level 4: Level 5: Tutoring:

Embedded strategy instruction (routinely weave

strategies within and across classes using large group instructional methods)

Intensive strategy instruction (mastery of specific strategies

using intensive-explicit instructional sequences)

Intensive basic skill instruction (mastery of entry level

literacy skills at the 4th grade level)

Therapeutic intervention (mastery of language underpinnings

of curriculum content and learning strategies)

Strategic Tutoring (extending instructional time

through before or after school tutoring)

The CLC says

There are unique (but very important) roles for each member of a secondary staff relative to literacy instruction

Every teacher is not a reading teacher, and literacy coaches may be necessary but arent sufficient!

Some students require more intensive, systematic, explicit instruction of content, strategies, and skills

Content Literacy Synergy

CONTENT CLASSES CONTENT CLASSES Level 1. Enhanced Content Instruction Level 2. Embedded Strategy Instruction

Level 3. Intensive Strategy Instruction strategy classes

strategic tutoring

Improved Literacy

Level 5. Therapeutic Intervention

Foundational language competencies

Level 4. Intensive Basic Skill Instruction

KU-CRL

CLC- Lenz, Ehren, &Deshler, 2005