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Changing the Way We Tackle Text Dependent Analysis
Changing the Way We Tackle Text Dependent Analysis
In a recent meeting this past summer with Fairforest Middle's literacy coach, Julie McDowell we discussed how our current structures and strategies for teaching students how to write a text dependent analysis response or "TDA" as we refer to them have not been effective. Over the years we have worked to teach students how to decode the prompts, how to annotate the text with close reading strategies, and how to create well- organized essays that show evidence of their thinking. Unfortunately, in spite of our efforts, student scores on the TDA writing portion of the SC Ready assessment have not significantly improved. When we polled our middle school ELA teachers their concerns echoed ours. See their jamboard responses below.
In third through eighth grade classrooms across our district, teachers and literacy coaches have all agreed with these issues with TDA. Julie decided that this year we needed to change our approach. If we continue to do what we've always done, we will continue to get the same results. The teachers at Fairforest Middle School were in agreement that changing the way we tackle TDA would be the focus of our reading plan this year. We rolled up our sleeves and went to work.
Targeting Our Teaching of TDA
Targeting Our Teaching of TDA
When we reflected on our current instruction with TDA we realized that we were trying to teach a multitude of complex, cognitive tasks at one time and while we explained analysis students were struggling to apply analytical thinking in their responses. When we researched how other states were teaching text dependent analysis we noticed that Pennsylvania chose to separate the essential components of a TDA response in their rubric and in their support documents, allowing teachers and students to focus on learning, applying, and mastering one component at a time. This approach of beginning with reading comprehension with the text and the prompt, before moving towards analysis, and essay writing was one that facilitated growth and development of students' reading and writing skills. We took our current SC TDA rubric and re-organized it using Pennsylvania's TDA rubric as an example. Click on the link below or the picture below to view our adapted District 6 SC Ready TDA Rubric.
District 6 SC Ready Aligned Skill Progression for TDA Reading and Writing Grades 6-8.docx
One Step At A Time... Beginning with the End in Mind
One Step At A Time... Beginning with the End in Mind
You will see how the rubric clearly organizes the components into three categories: reading comprehension, analysis, and essay writing. Our first step in our new growth mindset approach to TDA was to tackle the components within the reading comprehension section: focusing on the prompt, and understanding the text. To do that, Julie created a simple student activity template that teachers could adapt and use with their students to help them decode the prompt and understand the text they are reading. Students then show what they understood from the prompt and the passage by creating a written response answering the prompt using their short answers from the graphic organizer.
Click the link below or the picture below to see Julie's TDA Reading and Writing Student Activity--VERSION 1
Analysis for Reading and Writing Student Activity--VERSION 1.docxFlexibility Leads to Possibilities
Flexibility Leads to Possibilities
During our November grade level plc meetings, Julie shared with ELA teachers in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade the template she created but knew that flexibility was essential in order for teachers to be effective at implementing this process with their students. After engaging teachers in a walk through of the reading comprehension strategies embedded in this activity she asked them to think about how they would teach it to their students and what adjustments they would make in order for it to work best with their students. We invited teachers to try this strategy out in a TDA practice during second nine weeks with their students an asked them to share with us what changes they made and how it worked with their students. Our ELA teachers at FMS came up with some excellent revisions and we now have two additional versions of the Analysis for Reading and Writing student activity to share with you. Click on the links below o
TDA Try It Out: Step One Implementation with Mrs. Price
TDA Try It Out: Step One Implementation with Mrs. Price
After our November 11th PLC several teachers at FMS were willing to try out this new approach to TDA. We videoed Ms. Charity Price trying out this new approach to TDA with her students. We noticed how she intentionally structured her ELA lesson in a workshop format utilizing a gradual release of responsibility where she provided modeling in a teacher demo at the beginning of the lesson showing and explaining to students her process in a think aloud before she asked them to try it out on their own. Click on the links below to see the parts of her mini-lesson as well as student interviews of their experience applying this new approach.
IMG_0052.MOVMini-Lesson Part 1
Mini-Lesson Part 1
IMG_0053.MOVMini-Lesson Part 2
Mini-Lesson Part 2
IMG_0055.MOVMini Lesson Part 3
Mini Lesson Part 3
IMG_0068.MOVStudent Conferencing
Student Conferencing
IMG_0066.MOVStudent Video 1
Student Video 1
IMG_0072.MOVStudent Video 2
Student Video 2
IMG_0074.MOVStudent Video 3
Student Video 3
IMG_0054.MOVStudent Video 4
Student Video 4
Stay Tuned for Step 2...
Stay Tuned for Step 2...
Stay tuned as we work to implement Step 2 of our TDA process this second semester with a focus on specific analysis strategies that build on the reading comprehension strategies embedded in Step 1. Please know that we appreciate each and every one of you as you work to try out innovative instructional strategies and technology this semester. If you have a strategy that you would like to share, please send me an email at mitchelld@spart6.org We are in this together!
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