1. Literacy Study
W. Ross Macdonald School
Fall 2011

2. AGENDA
SESSION 1: Making Thinking Visible (09/30)
Introduction/Chapter 1/Think Aloud in Action/Gradual Release
SESSION 2: Creating Meaning (10/28)
Chapter 2/Making Connections/Planning for Informal Sessions
SESSION 3: Debrief and Planning (12/2)
Sharing/Reflection/Planning
Supporting Text: Improving Comprehension with Think-Aloud Strategies (Wilhelm)

3. Action Plan
INQUIRY QUESTION:
To what extent does the use of the Think-Aloud
strategy improve student reading comprehension
MEASURED BY:
pre-test, post-test, student reflections, teacher
observations and reflections

4. 3 Part Lesson:
MINDS ON/ACTION/CONSOLIDATE

5. MINDS ON

6. ACTION

7. Background
“The most important thing that we can teach our
students is how to learn”
What do we want from our students?
How do we get there?

8. Vygotsky
“What is learned must be taught”
Vygotsky’s View (p. 8-9)
The Zones (p. 10-12)
Active Teaching in the ZPD (p. 13-15)
*Six Recursive Steps of Explicit Instruction*

9. Think Aloud
Definition: a reader makes his reading process manifest to others by
articulating all that he is noticing, thinking, feeling, and doing as he reads a
text. (Wilhelm, p.8)
“Through participating in experiences like think-alouds that they can take
back into their own teaching, teachers from different content areas learn
that they read discipline-specific texts very differently. Reading poetry is
very different from reading a history or math book. Being more conscious
of the strategies they themselves use helps content area teachers teach
those strategies more explicitly to students.” (Kathryn Egawa, 2007)

10. Chapter 1
What can think-alouds do for students?
What can think-alouds do for teachers?
How can we present think-alouds to our
students?
How and why do expert readers do essentially
the same thing?

11. Think Aloud in Action
Harvey Daniels Think Aloud model
Asking Questions (Clint): There Are No Bad Days
Making Connections (Dan):
Practice: The Case of the Missing Cars/A
Warrior’s Lesson

12. CONSOLIDATE

13. Fisher & Frey. (2008). Better Learning Through Structured Teaching. Alexandria, VA: ASCDCD
Gradual Release of
Responsibility Framework

14. Strategy Implementation
Continuum
Modelling means the teacher assumes responsibility to demonstrate the use of
and the thinking behind the strategy.
Shared practice means that the teacher provides explicit instruction and
feedback as the students participate in the strategy.
Independent practice means that the students use the strategy as the teacher
provides supports as needed, and gathers assessment information.

15. EXIT CARD
1. What did I learn?
2. What do I want to know more about?
3. For next time, I am going to try ...
4. Reflective Journal

16. https://chwiki.wikispaces.com