Teacher talk:

Connecting Assessment to
Instruction to Independence
for Striving Readers
Strand 4: Informational Text Learning
“We must be highly planned in order to be highly responsive.”
-Irene Fountas

Lesson Preparation How and to what degree do you plan

● Analyze Data
● Summarize Strengths and Needs
● Prioritize Teaching Points
● Plan Teacher Language
teacher language for . . .
● Text introduction
● Model and elicit skill development
● Generative language for transfer
Crafting an Introduction

Overall Meaning Statement

What it’s about and what it might really be about

Scaffold and Support

Text structures, Language structures, Skill development

Launching Statement or Question

Sets purpose
 Introduction: Meaning Statement
“The book introduction and the discussion after
reading are symbiotic. We sow the seeds for
readers to construct meaning with a well-
planned book introduction, and we end the
lesson by giving them time to unearth their
ideas through conversation.”
Powerful Book Introductions, p. 141

What are some things it might really be about?

Introduction: Scaffold and Support
Text Organization & Language Structure
● Set them up for success rather than reinforcing the sense
of learned teacher dependence. This is instructional not
independent!

● How does this book work? How might it affect the way
students make meaning?

● Literary language, Sentence complexity, Familiar words in

unfamiliar phrases, Multiple meaning words
Introduction: Launch Statement
Launching Statement Implied Purpose for Reading

As you read, notice a few words that are

unfamiliar and write them on your sticky
Focus on the words.
note to talk about when you finish.

As you read this book, notice the Focus on practicing a

commas and make sure you take a strategy (fluency).
brief pause at each one.

As you read, see what this book makes

you think about trying something new. Focus on the meaning.
Model & Elicit Teacher Language:
Teach, Prompt, or Reinforce
Model & Elicit Teacher Language:
Teach, Prompt, or Reinforce
Teach (Model) Prompt (Elicit) Reinforce (Feedback)
Generative Teacher Language for
Transfer
Non Generative
You said shouted and that
starts with an sh and Danny is
shouting.
Try again and look at the vowel.
Is it a short a or a long a?
Yes you know the character is
mad because she clenched
her fists and stomped her feet
Generative
You said something that made
sense, sounded right, and
looked right here.
Try that again and look closely
at the middle.
You used the characters actions
to make an inference about her
feelings
Generative Language: Notice & Name
ZPD - find a place where a student did something well (or
approximated it) then apply that in a different spot

• Where might you reinforce a behavior (notice & name)?

• Where’s a different place you can prompt the child to do
it again (model and elicit)?
• “So today and everyday . . .” (transfer)
Teacher Talk Connects Assessment
to Instruction to Independence
“We must be highly planned in order to be highly responsive.”
-Irene Fountas

Lesson Preparation How and to what degree WILL you

● Analyze Data
● Summarize Strengths and Needs
● Prioritize Teaching Points
● Plan Teacher Language
plan teacher language for . . .
● Text introduction
● Model and elicit skill development
● Generative language for transfer