Reading, Writing, and Rigor

Helping Students Achieve Greater Depth of Knowledge in Literacy

Nancy Boyles

• Publisher: ASCD
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781416623434
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Teaching Languages

What does rigor, a word that frequently pops up in conversations about education, really mean? More specifically, what does it mean for literacy instruction, and how does it relate to challenging standards-based assessments? In this informative and practical guide, literacy expert Nancy Boyles uses the framework from Webb's Depth of Knowledge (DOK) to answer these questions, offering experience-based advice along with specific examples of K–8 assessment items.

Boyles defines rigor and shows how it relates to literacy at each DOK level and explains the kind of thinking students will be expected to demonstrate. She then tackles the essence of what teachers need to know about how DOK and its associated rigors are measured on standards-based assessments. Specifically, readers learn how each DOK rigor aligns with

• standards,
• text complexity,
• close reading,
• student interaction,
• the reading-writing connection, and
• formative assessment.

Teachers, coaches, and administrators will find clear guidance, easy-to-implement strategies, dozens of useful teaching tools and resources, and encouragement to help students achieve and demonstrate true rigor in reading and writing.

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PART 1

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The Depths of Knowledge in Literacy

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Chapter 1

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Evidence: Supporting Depth of Knowledge 1

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Depth of Knowledge 1 is the foundation for all of the other levels. Before we unpack this DOK to understand its relation to assessment items, standards, text complexity, close reading, student interaction, the reading-writing connection, and formative assessment, let's examine its underlying principles.

Underlying Principles: Rigor for DOK 1

According to Webb (2007), the rigor for readers at this first Depth of Knowledge is their precision in identifying specific textual evidence as they recall and reproduce information (Figure 1.1). Tasks at this level require only a basic understanding—information that comes directly off the page, no interpretation needed. The response may be an exact word or words found within the text, or language that is very close. Do students have the right facts and details? Can they answer who, what, when, where, why, and how? The answer will be right or it will be wrong—no margin of error here. Students either know the answer or they don't. As applied to literacy, Level 1 of the Depths of Knowledge involves a one-step process: returning to the text to check for accuracy.

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Figure 1.1. Depth of Knowledge 1 and Rigor

Depth of Knowledge 1

Recalling and reproducing information

The Rigor

Precision in identifying the best textual evidence

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Measuring DOK 1 on Standards-Based Assessments

New standards-based assessments will not include many reading items that focus exclusively on DOK 1. Rigor at Depth of Knowledge 1 is a component of all standards and of all subsequent Depths of Knowledge because all reading comprehension must be based on evidence.

The chart in Figure 1.2, which includes released items and items from practice tests, identifies questions like those students can expect to see on standards-based assessments. In addition to DOK 1 items for Reading (R), students will see a few Writing (W) items as well—not "real" writing like producing stories and essays, but multiple-choice questions that address spelling, grammar, usage, and writing mechanics. There will also be a few Language (L) items for students to demonstrate their editing skills.

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Figure 1.2. Sample Assessment Items for DOK 1

Standard: R1: Evidence

Focus: Text evidence

Sample Questions: Which detail in the text helps you understand _______________?

Standard: R2: Development of Ideas

Focus: Development of ideas

Sample Questions: What is the second step in the development of _______________?

Standard: R3: Text Elements

Focus: Story parts/facts

Sample Questions: Where does the story take place?

Standard: R4: Vocabulary

Focus: Determining word meaning

Sample Questions: The author uses a word that means _______________. Click on a word in the passage that is closest to that meaning.

Standard: R5: Text Structure

Focus: Understanding text structure

Sample Questions: Which fact is found under [heading 2]?

Standard: R6: Purpose and Point of View

Focus: Purpose and point of view

Sample Questions: Who is speaking in [paragraph 3]?

Standard: L2

Focus: Editing

Sample Questions: Choose the sentence that contains a spelling error.

Standard: L2

Focus: Editing

Sample Questions: Click on two words that should be followed by commas.

Standard: W-3.d

Focus: Precise language

Sample Questions: Choose two words that best replace the underlined words for clarity and tone.

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Aligning Rigor and Standards for DOK 1

We need only look as far as Standard 1 of Common Core's College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading to see that this is the standard we should focus on for the rigor of Depth of Knowledge 1:

1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.(http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf)

In fact, this standard identifies itself as the "close reading" and "evidence" standard, the standard that focuses on determining what the text says explicitly, citing specific textual evidence, or perhaps deriving a few basic inferences. Although most evidence for Depth of Knowledge 1 will be aligned with Reading Standard 1, a few evidence questions may fall under other standards. Some of the sample assessment items in the chart in Figure 1.2 reflect this.

Regardless of the designated standard, the expectation is clear: it's all about the evidence—finding it, citing it, and responding to questions about it orally and in writing. As we select texts, scaffold instruction, and plan for formative assessment, we need to think about best practices in these areas that will provide students with the evidence base they need not only to achieve the rigor of Depth of Knowledge 1, but also to form the foundation needed for rigor at deeper Depths of Knowledge.

The Format of DOK 1 Items

If you examine sample assessment items on sites such as the SBAC portal or PARCC online, you will see that these questions appear as multiple-choice (also called "selected response") items. Common Core Reading Standard 1, essentially the "evidence standard," is often listed along with another standard aligned with the item. Why? Although the item might be aimed primarily at students' knowledge of the author's purpose or theme or character traits, students must prove their response with evidence.

You will also find that Part B of two-part questions addresses evidence. For example, Part A might ask the question: What is the meaning of [calamity] as it is used in paragraph 2? Part B will push for validation: What clue in the text helped you understand the meaning of [calamity]?

In the classroom, for instructional purposes, questions with single right/wrong answers may be oral or written, but we should try to make response authentic. In our life as "real" readers, we are seldom given four options from which to choose, so let's not reduce literacy to "bubbling in" as we study great literature and informational text with our students. For oral or written response, however, students will need a large fund of words to express their knowledge of the evidence—which brings us to the need for academic language.

Academic Language and Visual Support for DOK 1

Much of the academic language students need will not be restricted to DOK 1. But this is where our work with words must begin so students can enjoy an efficient command of literary vocabulary within all Depths of Knowledge.

The first academic vocabulary challenge students face at any Depth of Knowledge is the need for an understanding of the concepts upon which literary thinking is built. Without knowing the meaning behind the words that they see in test items, how will they know which evidence is the right evidence? Do they know the meaning of terms like character trait, theme, motivation, and hundreds more academic terms they will encounter? And then, can they label different themes, traits, and motivations using precise language? They'll need this knowledge so they can choose the right option when they answer those multiple-choice questions. For example, what do we mean by "character motivation" and what might motivate a character? We need to teach these concepts, but then we need to make them visible so students can reference them easily.

Visions of anchor charts dance in my head! I see lists of literary terms, possible themes, character traits and feelings, motivations, attitudes, problems, and more. For ease of access, these are provided in Figures 7.14 through 7.20.

Where to Increase Instructional Focus for DOK 1

In recent years, there has been so much emphasis on the need for deep thinking that teachers have become almost reluctant to spend much time on questions that ask only for evidence. I think that's the wrong approach.

Asking straightforward evidence questions is a valuable way to monitor meaning and basic comprehension. Too often teachers go immediately to higher-level tasks that assume entry-level knowledge—like "Do you think there's more evidence for the existence of the Loch Ness Monster or the Yeti?" When students can't respond, it's their lack of higher-level thinking ability that is presumed the culprit.

But truth to tell, if the teacher had asked a very rudimentary question first—"What is the evidence that the Loch Ness Monster exists?"—it would have been clear that the real problem lay in lack of foundational understanding. The problem with DOK 1 questions is not that we shouldn't ask them, but that we shouldn't stop there. When you ask a basic evidence question, you can follow up by digging deeper.

Monitor students' understanding of DOK 1 during close reading by asking questions such as these: "What information or details did the author provide on this page or in this paragraph?" "What do you know now that you didn't know before?" Follow up with more specific questions related to other standards and Depths of Knowledge: "Based on the details on this page, what caused this problem?" (DOK 2; Standard 3). Support younger students or students who struggle with language by asking them to draw a picture of their Level 1 knowledge, showing accurate and thorough details.

Follow any question with an expectation that students will return to the text to support their claim with evidence: "How do you know?" We should see eyes dropping to the page, scanning line by line, and perhaps fingers flipping between pages. "Right here!" we want them to say. "Right here is the proof."

Bottom Line for Aligning Rigor and Standards for DOK 1: The standard that should receive the strongest emphasis for Depth of Knowledge 1 is College and Career Readiness Anchor Standard for Reading 1. The language within this standard—closely, explicitly, logical—will keep us focused on what matters most for the rigor of this Depth of Knowledge.

Aligning Rigor and Text Complexity for DOK 1

There are times when we cannot choose our instructional resources. Maybe we are obliged to use a core program with reading selections predetermined, or maybe our science or social studies unit requires a specific text or topics. But almost all of us have a little wiggle room somewhere within our school day for a piece of literature or an informational source that kids will enjoy.

Perhaps there's a book or a short story that connects to a required text. If we're extra lucky, the text might even be a part of the grade-level curriculum. Either way, if students are intrigued by the content, they'll more readily tune in to the details. Hence, we need complex texts that not only meet the qualitative and quantitative criteria identified by the Common Core but also interest readers.

Texts That Intrigue Students

What kind of texts do students find intriguing? For starters, texts about animals—the more unique, the better. Some animals seem to have almost universal appeal: pandas, sea turtles, sharks, and platypuses, to name a few. I have an adorable book I love to read to primary students, Panda Kindergarten, by Joanne Ryder. It's a true account of panda cubs raised together at the Wolong Nature Preserve in China, where they learn skills that prepare them to be released into the wild. It's an endearing story. But it's the beautiful photographs that captivate young children and make the facts memorable. Don't forget the power of illustrations to make details come alive.

Also in the primary grades, there's the lure of those ancient beasts, dinosaurs, and at many grade levels, monsters real or imagined, like the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot. Recently I had an especially scintillating experience with rats. I was asked to model a close reading lesson in a middle school classroom during the last period of the day on a muggy Friday afternoon in late September. I decided to use a passage from the book Oh, Rats!: The St...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Table of Contents
• Dedication
• Introduction. Wanted. Rigor in Literacy
• Part 1. The Depths of Knowledge in Literacy
• Part 2. Materials to Support DOK in Literacy Instruction
• Appendix: Bibliography of Student Resources
• References
• Study Guide
• Related ASCD Resources
• About the Author
• Copyright