Story Impressions:
About the Comprehension Strategy:
The comprehension strategy of Story Impressions is a front-loading strategy to introduce students to key terms within a passage prior to them reading it. Through providing students with a chain of key words, they can be instruction to make an impression of the material through viewing these terms, and determining how they relate/interact with one another as you follow down the chain of connected words. During/after students complete the reading, they can be given a new Story Impressions chart to fill out as a summary of what they have learned.
General Guidelines for Teachers to Use this Strategy:
1. Preview a text that students will read, and identify a series of words and two- or three-word phrases related to significant information or plot event. List these in the order students will encounter them while reading, and be sure to include both familiar words and new vocabulary. This is how to create a Story Impressions Chart by arranging the terms and phrases in a vertical column, connected by arrows to indicate the order.
2. Have students work with partners to brainstorm possible connections to the chain of clues on their Story Impression sheets.
3. Have partners draft impressions/predictions paragraph(s) of what a text might contain. All terms from the chain must be used, and students should integrate them in their writing in the order that they appear on the list. Partners can be encouraged to share their prediction paragraphs with the class.
4. Have students challenge their impressions by instructing them to read the actual text. As they read, have them check off the terms in the chain that they used accurately in their prediction paragraphs.
5. To ensure comprehension of new material, have students write a new paragraph(s) using all the terms in the chain, summarizing what they have read and correcting their predictions as needed.
General Guidelines for Teachers to Use this Strategy:
1. Preview a text that students will read, and identify a series of words and two- or three-word phrases related to significant information or plot event. List these in the order students will encounter them while reading, and be sure to include both familiar words and new vocabulary. This is how to create a Story Impressions Chart by arranging the terms and phrases in a vertical column, connected by arrows to indicate the order.
2. Have students work with partners to brainstorm possible connections to the chain of clues on their Story Impression sheets.
3. Have partners draft impressions/predictions paragraph(s) of what a text might contain. All terms from the chain must be used, and students should integrate them in their writing in the order that they appear on the list. Partners can be encouraged to share their prediction paragraphs with the class.
4. Have students challenge their impressions by instructing them to read the actual text. As they read, have them check off the terms in the chain that they used accurately in their prediction paragraphs.
5. To ensure comprehension of new material, have students write a new paragraph(s) using all the terms in the chain, summarizing what they have read and correcting their predictions as needed.
My Rationale for Use of this Strategy:
I wanted to incorporate this comprehension strategy, Story Impressions, into my literacy plan for middle school students, as I feel this approach to learning, attaining, and confirming understanding of new information is interactive and systematic. Story Impressions allows for students to interact with their peers to interpret and discover new material together through use of their prior knowledge and experiences, as well as thinking and creativity through prediction making. Also, I believe this comprehension strategy holds students accountable for their learning, through use of their resources effectively to acquire new knowledge and summarize their learning. In regards to the connections this comprehension strategy has to reading, Story Impressions is a great way to introduce students to new academic vocabulary and scientific concepts prior to experiencing them for the first time within the reading. This strategy also incorporates writing and speaking development.
Common Core State Standards:
READING:
Key Ideas and details
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details
and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
range of reading and Level of text Complexity
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
WRITING:
Text Types and Purposes
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Production and distribution of Writing
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
LISTENING & SPEAKING:
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
LANGUAGE:
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Key Ideas and details
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
2. Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details
and ideas.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, or ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
Craft and Structure
4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
5. Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the whole.
6. Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
range of reading and Level of text Complexity
10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
WRITING:
Text Types and Purposes
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
Production and distribution of Writing
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
LISTENING & SPEAKING:
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
LANGUAGE:
Knowledge of Language
Vocabulary acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
References:
Buehl, D. (2001). Classroom strategies for interactive learning, (2nd Ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Images retrieved from Google Images. (2014). https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&ei=KUz_VL2QBZetyAT58YDQDQ&ved=0CBMQqi4oAg
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (2011). Common core state standards for literacy in all subjects. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.
Buehl, D. (2001). Classroom strategies for interactive learning, (2nd Ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.
Images retrieved from Google Images. (2014). https://www.google.com/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi&ei=KUz_VL2QBZetyAT58YDQDQ&ved=0CBMQqi4oAg
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. (2011). Common core state standards for literacy in all subjects. Madison, WI: Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.