Thursday, November 20, 2014
Finding the "MVP" Phrase
One of the features of the CCSS standards is the call to close reading of complex texts with students, even when the text is beyond that of the students' independent or instructional reading level. Many educators hear this call, but find it difficult to find ways to truly help students "unlock" and make meaning of such complex texts. (To hear more about the shift to close reading and text complexity, listen here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/ed/2014/11/11/356357971/common-core-reading-the-new-colossus)
In her Reading Teacher article, "Designating the MVP: Facilitating Classroom Discussion About Text," Carolyn Strom shares a strategy that teachers can use to help students unpack the meaning of complex texts to promote reading comprehension. After reading the text through on a first read to gain the literal meaning of the text, Strom suggests asking students to read the text again, this time looking for the "MVP" phrase to help them unlock the overall main idea or central argument of a text. She shares that by students assigning the phrase to their previous knowledge of the "MVP" or most valuable player on sports team, they will also gain understanding that by reading closely we can find words and phrases that help convey the author's central message.
As students search for the "MVP" phrase, they can also use "MVP" as a mnemonic device helping them to find a phrase which does at least one of the three:
M-conveys the main idea of the text
V-provides a vivid visual image for the reader
P-is a "phrase that stays" because it adds to the reader's overall thinking about the passage
Using this strategy might provide a useful way to help students work through the difficulty of texts that are often beyond their independent reading level, as it would allow them to think critically about the meaning of the text. Through thoughtful discussion with their peers, using this strategy might unlock key ideas that will help them better infer the meaning of the text, and what the author is trying to convey. This might even be a great way to do some re-teaching with students in small or guided reading groups when they just didn't fully understand a whole-group read-aloud or focus lesson.
Works Cited:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/trtr.1287/abstract
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Having this as a mnemonic device could be so helpful in assisting students to dig deeper into texts-- what a great idea! And even better that it's a sports metaphor! I can see how focusing on the most important part of the text directs students to the big ideas and aids comprehension.
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar in the "close reading" strategy since I teach Kindergarten, but I wonder how this looks with our young readers. I wonder if a shift occurs when students are no longer "learning to read" but rather, "reading to learn"-- and it is at this point that students can dive deeper into text. I'm interested to see at what age "close reading" is appropriate.
Thanks for sharing the MVP strategy!