Maryland IRA Council - 21st Century Literacy Leader: The Inaugural Issue.

1. Volume 1, Issue 1 – Inaugural Issue
February 1, 2013
21 s t Centu ry Literacy Leaders
State of Maryland International Reading Association Council (SoMIRAC)
21 s t Century Literacy Leaders
By Anitra Butler
INSIDE THIS readability demands
The purpose of this According to ACT:
ISSUE: and university text
newsletter is to provide
 Reading demands in is increasing
What is Close
specialized information to
Maryland’s literacy the workforce, (Williamson, 2008,
Reading? 2
leaders. As our state’s college, and life p. 618; ACT 2011)
Town Hall for schools build teacher have held steady or
Digital Learning 3 capacity in preparation for increased over the Hence, this newsletter will
the Common Core State last half century, yet provide bi-monthly updates
Linguistics Standards, it is essential K-12 texts have on literacy issues and serve
Anyone? 3 that Maryland’s literacy
declined in as an optimal source of
leaders understand the
The Authentic sophistication information to state leaders,
Literacy Model 4
demands of these
standards and keep (CCSSI, 2010, district leaders, curriculum
Save the Date/ abreast of the best Appendix A, p. 2) writers, school-based
Resources 5 approach, methods, leaders, teachers, and
and/or practices that will  This gap between support service personnel
get our students career the end of high because it takes a village to
and college ready. school text educate a child.
Digital Learning Day – Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Special points
of interest: The Alliance for Excellent sign-up TODAY to join
Education is the proud tens of thousands of
host of Digital Learning educators in a wave of
 Digital literacy is the Day - a national campaign innovation sweeping
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Participation is free and
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on understanding the 17,000 teachers already of technology in
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effectively. host local activities and participate.

2. Page 2
21 s t Century Literacy Leaders
What is Close Reading?
By Dr. Sheron Brown
If you have been keeping sentence by sentence. This that can transfer for later
up with the Common means that students engage use. The third level of
Core, in particular ELA, with a very meaty piece of close reading asks the
you have heard the term text and the text is short. It reader to analyze the
close reading a few times also means that teachers text. This analysis follows
and may have asked have to decide on the most a structured format. The
―what is close reading?‖ important portion of text as format is referred to as
In the last year I’ve it relates to the content they the eight elements of
participated in several want the students to engage thought (purpose,
sessions where attendees in for the day. At this point questions, information,
have asked this same of the definition, teachers inferences, concepts,
question. The presenters and leaders tend to respond, assumptions, implications
attempted to define close ―Yes BUT, what about my and point of view.) Every
reading, but none of them struggling readers? They lesson may not
provided the clarity don’t know the words in the necessarily require
needed to help a teacher text.‖ After I ask, ―have students to engage in all
really understand what to they been taught the elements, but students
do in the classroom. I necessary vocabulary, ‖their should be familiar with
heard one presenter say answer is a gaze toward the how to interact with all
to have the students read heavens. A lack of eight elements of
the text slowly. I’ve heard understanding of the thoughts and should be
another say have them academic language is one asked to use them
re-read the text multiple major reason struggling regularly.
“The fellows at times. My favorite was learners struggle. So if your
The fourth level of close
when a presenter said question is how can I get
the Critical reading asks students to
―have them hold the text struggling learners to
Thinking evaluate. Evaluation
close to their eyes.‖ That grapple with complex text,
requires critiquing and/or
Foundation was hilarious! But one major response is teach
judging. When one judges
unfortunately, neither of them the vocabulary they
defined close those descriptions could need for the day.
they need standards, and
in this case the standards
reading for us help teachers support
The second level of close are the foundation’s
students as they grapple
years before with complex text, and so
reading involves intellectuals standards.
summarizing a piece of text, They include clarity,
the Common the question is beckoned:
paragraph by paragraph. precision, accuracy, logic,
Core even what is close reading?
The foundation suggests the breadth, relevance,
existed.” A clear definition of close following format for significance, and fair-
reading exists for us all. summarizing: state your mindedness. I’ve heard
The fellows at the Critical understanding of the text; teachers ask, ―but how do
Thinking Foundation elaborate on your I teach these standards
defined close reading for understanding; provide an everyday?‖ I would
us years before the example of the meaning of suggest that you don’t.
Common Core even the text; and illustrate the Instead, look at your unit
existed. According to their meaning of the text with an plan or lesson and
clear definition, close analogy or metaphor (SEEI). determine what
reading has five levels This process sounds rather intellectual standards are
and each level supports easy, but actually doing it is most appropriate in
students with determining a challenge–even for the relation to the text you
the meaning behind adults I’ve observed. are using and your
complex texts — yes, Nevertheless, it is still a learning goals. Developing
even struggling learners great exercise because it proficiency in this
too. The first level deepens comprehension, professional exercise
involves students improves mental capacity takes time, but it’s time
paraphrasing the text and supports the well spent.
understanding of concepts

3. 21 s t Century Literacy Leaders Page 3
What is Close Reading? Continued…
Figure 1. PARCC Model Content Framework
The more you develop as reader must have already forth, and close read.
a practitioner in using deeply considered the
these tools, the better concepts and perspective of Figure 1. Draft ELA
you’ll become and the the author. The previous Framework that
better your students will levels of close reading recommends close reading
become. The last level of provides the opportunity for for every grade level.
close reading involves the deep consideration. Click on the figure for a full
placing yourself in the Each level is built on the explanation of the
position of the author. previous level, and so, this framework.
This level requires model of close reading
students to engage in provides the cognitive
empathy and to consider scaffolds that students
another’s perspective by need for success.
This article is courtesy of www.sheronbrownphd.com © 2012. She
thinking the way the
author might think. In So there you have it–a can be reached at sheron.brown@edsolutionsbydesign.com
order to do this, the practical definition of close
reading. Now you can go
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Linguistics Anyone?
By Anitra Butler
―[A]ll educators need service teachers need to standardized American Hence, instructors must
knowledge and tools to be sensitive to the English, vernacular make room in their
understand their students’ linguistic differences of variances, and coursework that
language differences and their learners in order to sociolinguistics will ―incorporates learning
variations, address the support the support the pedagogy of exercises that help
language-related developmental needs of educators by allowing
students examine how talk
challenges they may face, students as they acquire them to scaffold their
standardized American shapes social life‖ and
and support their students’ linguistic
educational development English for academic competence and academic academic achievement
and academic progress‖ purposes. Knowledge of language acquisition. (Mallinson, 2009, p. 302).
(p. 1). In other words, in-
.
References: Charity Hudley, Anne H., and Christine Mallinson. Understanding English Language Variation in U.S. Schools. New
York: Teachers College Press. (2011)

4. Page 4
The Authentic Literacy Model
By Dr. Sheron Brown and Anitra Butler
When reading instruction for What is Authentic Close Reading - Close reading
struggling readers focuses on Literacy Model? is a technique that deliberately
remediation and requires conscious reading on the
simplification of text, it can ALM is a constructivist
part of the reader. In particular,
create a vicious cycle of literacy approach that
the Elder-Paul (2008) version of
students disengaging from requires students to actively
close reading demands a deep
texts they find irrelevant and build their knowledge of a
analysis of text during reading
teachers answering with discipline. The model
and has 5 levels with specific
further simplification and involves four components:
behaviors for each.
remediation. This paper explicit vocabulary instruction
presentation will highlight the (or word study), close Inquiry Text Talks (ITT) - The
Authentic Literacy Model reading, inquiry text talks function of the Inquiry Text Talk
(ALM) which is an approach (ITT), and substantive is to create a community of
to literacy instruction that writing. Essentially, the learners who are free to share
uses rich powerful texts to components of ALM have all ideas about the text and their
provide students with the individually demonstrated the questions related to the text
opportunity to grapple with ability to increase student while developing oral language.
complex, ambiguous, and learning through providing
the supports that struggling Substantive Writing - Because
relevant ideas. Through the
learners require when reading and writing are reciprocal
authentic literacy model,
grappling with complex texts. processes, ALM has students
reading is repurposed as an
doing close reading and
experience students partake
Word study - Word study is substantive writing concurrently.
in to study words, discuss
the back bone to the model. This enhances deeper reading
texts, close read texts, and
Word study builds students’ comprehension and improved
substantive written
oral language and supports written compositions.
expression.
their acquisition of text by
first understanding the This article is courtesy of Dr. Sheron
language. Brown and Ms. Anitra Butler © 2012

5. Page 5
21 s t Century Literacy Leaders
Save the Date – February 9, 2013
T H E 2 1S T C E N TU RY
L I T E R A CY LE A DE R S Maryland ASCD invites you to join us for a Super Saturday
Professional development opportunity to Lead, Learn, and
COMMITTEE
Teach with the Common Core.
Yvette Rivers, Chair, Buck
Lodge Middle School Maryland’s Education: Setting a New Course for Success
for the School Leader, Teacher, and Student
Anitra Butler, Assoc.
Professor, Prince George’s Keynote Speaker:
Community College
Dr. Lillian Lowery, MSDE State Superintendent
Gloria Darlington, Robert
Goddard Montessori
When: Feb. 9 (snow date- Feb.23)
Elementary School Cost: $25 for members and $30 for nonmembers
Brenda Davis, William Wirt Time: 8:30-3:30
Middle School
Place: Anne Arundel Community College
Agnes Fatokun, Buck Lodge
Middle School
Jennifer Johnson, Templeton Continental Breakfast and Box Lunch included!
Elementary School
Earn 1 CEU and/or 1 CPD credit
Kweli Powell, University of
Maryland, Doctoral
Candidate
For further information call: Chris Sparr at 440-465-4134 or
Carolyn Seubert, PhD,
Templeton Elementary e-mail: mascdinfo@gmail.com
School
See us at:
Resources links:
T H E 2 1S T C E N TU RY
http://www.mysay.org/
L I T E R A CY LE A DE R S Newsletter for middle schoolers, published by local Author Jennifer Keats C urtis,
SHALL COMMUNICATE WITH powered by SoMIRAC
ADMINISTRATORS,
SUPERVISORS, http://www.corestandards.org/
COORDINATORS, AND Common Core State Standards
DIRECTORS IN MARYLAN D
TO INFORM THEM OF THE http://www.all4ed.org/
PURPOSE OF SOMIRAC, Alliance for Excellent Education website
MAKE THEM AWARE OF NEW
TRENDS IN THE AREA O F http://www.edsolutionsbydesign.com/
READING AND LANGUAGE Local educational online resource
ARTS AND UPDATE THEM ON
NEW FEDERAL AND STAT E www.lilaac.com
LEGISLATION AND ITS A blog site dedicated to literacy, language, and culture
IMPACT ON SCHOOLS.
See us at: http://sheronbrownphd.com/
A blog site where Dr. Brown shares, reflects, and inspires
http://www.somirac.org/
Anitra Butler serves as the Publisher and Editor of the 21st Century
Newsletter. She can be reached at anitra.butler@gmail.com