GLAD Strategy for the Month of February: Narrative Input Chart

Post date: Mar 13, 2019 9:0:34 PM

What makes this strategy powerful and culturally responsive?

• This strategy celebrates the art of storytelling, a tradition used in cultures throughout the world. We can use stories to share content, social skills, author’s purpose, and more!

• Using a narrative story with scaffolding allows children of all skills ranges to access the same information in a fun and engaging way, as well as introduces students to the narrative genre

• Cultures and languages can be explored and celebrated through a narrative text.

• By using a story with embedded content vocabulary, students are exposed to academic language in context.

• Extremely low prep for the teacher – you can check one out from the GLAD Lending Library and use for each unit so that students are exposed to the language of stories throughout the year, excellent exposure to students of all ages and backgrounds!

When should this strategy be used?

Narrative Input Chart can be used anytime and with any content! Pick a story that conveys the message or skill you are focusing on, and then share that story for several days in your classroom (see steps below). Multiple exposures to the same text is especially helpful for culturally and linguistically diverse students, as well as struggling readers, as you will scaffold the vocabulary and assist with comprehension.

What does this strategy look like?

A narrative story, cut into pages, that are taped up to a background. Each page has the text on the back of the card (for teacher eyes only) while the front conveys the picture that accompanies the text. The pages are in sequence on the background, creating a “living” literary chart!

What are the basic steps to completing this strategy?

• To begin this strategy, there are two routes to go:

  • You can check out a pre-made Narrative Input Chart from the GLAD Lending Library (see attached list of titles to choose from!) or click HERE to find it list on Connect.

  • OR you can create your own Narrative Input Chart:

1. Choose concepts and vocabulary, or a specific title, that you would like to present via narrative input. Consider adapting a story that already exists by embedding standards-based concepts and vocabulary.

2. Draw or use pictures from a book for your narrative, and attach the text to the back (tip: number the picture cards, in case they get mixed up while in storage.)

3. Laminate the pictures for retelling.

   1. Create a background for the narrative (this may be as simple as a laminated piece of butcher paper).

• Day 1/Initial Telling:

  • Establish a content objective and language objective for your students.

  • Gather your students close to you and read the entire story off the backs of the pictures as you tape the pictures onto the background in sequential order. (*Use Scouts, Literacy Awards, and the Three Personal Standards for management. Not sure what these are? Ask your Building Leader!)

  • At the end of the story, use a 10/2 (Heads Together) to have your students process the content objective from the beginning of the story.

• Day 2/Revisit:

  • Establish a content objective and language objective for your students, most likely the same standard from Day 1

  • Again, gather your students close to the chart, still up from Day 1, pictures in order on the background. (Scouts, Literacy Awards, and Three Personal Standards utilized again.)

  • Ask students, “Who is feeling smart today?!” Pass out words card, inferring/though bubbles, or dialogue cards to students, differentiating by student need (more component readers receive more difficult words and/or students that speak more than one language could receive a word with a picture sketched next to it for comprehensibility). Call these cards “smart cards."

  • Have students read their card three times to themselves or to students around them. Give directions for tape and word cards (see next bullet) and have blue tape bubbles already created and ready for students to grab, as well.

  • As you retell the story today, students will interact with the chart. As students hear the word on their cards, they will silently come to the chart, put a tape bubble on the back, and tape them directly to the narrative input as you retell the story (don’t stop and cue them). Tip: have a second copy of the story printed up (text only) so that you can read it for the retelling without having to take the pictures off the background.

  • Instead of only having a 10/2 at the end of the story, you will pause multiple times throughout the story to have students process the story and your content objective with a partner, including a final 10/2 at the end.

    • At the end, ask if anyone still has a card they need to put up. Problem solve together where the card could go.

Want to know more?

Please see me, your GLAD Building Leader, if you would like more information about this culturally responsive GLAD strategy!

Thanks!

Joelle Nelson