Bridging Inference: PROTOCOL FOR CLARIFYING text by adding missing conjunctions

PART ONE – INTRODUCTION TO COHESIVE TIES ( Conjunctions) Anchor Lesson: Defining and categorizing conjunctions: but, so, because, however, except, instead ( start with only 3-4 choices) Kid-friendly definition, organize into like types

Model: Try with a scenario where you choose a cohesive tie and add on to your own sentence. Write the sentence on a chart.

Practice & give feedback: Students start a scenario. Each student chooses a conjunction and adds on to the scenario. After several add- ons teacher or students restate the scenario.

SELF REGULAT Peer practice: Work in groups start and add to scenarios in small groups. E Scenarios can become a daily warm-up activity.

PART TWO – GIVEN POINT OF INFERENCE, ADD APPROPRIATE Cohesive Tie Anchor Lesson: When authors leave out connecting words and are unkind… you need to make the connections yourself. This is making a kind of inference. We can call it a bridging inference- make a bridge to connect ideas.

Model: Identify point of inference- then consider which conjunction to choose. Explain your choice.

Practice with feedback: Identify point of inference in text, for students. Then have students try putting the two sentences together with each conjunction. Allow discussion to continue about content of text if it arises.

Practice with a partner: Give the point of inference to students by placing an SELF REGULAT arrow on their text. Then have them discuss the options for conjunctions and E practice reading the text with the conjunction that was chosen. Discuss the text.

Linda Liss-Bronstein & Robin Otis RTI for Comprehension: Tackling Reading Comprehension from Its Language Roots IDA, 2009 [email protected]

PART THREE – FIND PT OF INFERENCE AND CHOOSE TIE Anchor Lesson: Find the point of inference in order to clarify relationships in the text between sentences and paragraphs.

Model: Read aloud a portion of text and say. “ Oh I need to clarify this relationship right here and put down your arrow.”

Practice: Students work alone or with a partner and put down an arrow where they think a conjunction is missing. Then they justify their choice to the teacher. The teacher gives feedback.

SELF Independent Practice: Students need to find point of inference on the page and REGULAT E insert conjunctions. Then they can share and compare their choices. They should also explain the relationships they learned from the text. Cause Effect

Example Exception

PROGRESS MONITOR Linking passage. Type up a passage at students’ instructional level and put a line between two sentences that should have a conjunction. Have students choose from several conjunctions.

Objectives for RTI Plan: Comprehension Monitoring/Inference Making 1. Uses conjunctions appropriately in everyday scenarios 2. Identifies missing conjunction at point of inference 3. Identifies point of inference for missing cohesion ( conjunctions) 4. Tracks references

Liss-Bronstein & Otis, 2009