TEXT CODING

COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES
Comprehension
strategies provide
students with a
structure for
understanding
information. These
strategies are meant
to actively promote
the comprehension

COMMON LITERACY STRATEGIES

Connecting
Predicting
Questioning
Thinking
Inferring
Visualizing
Summarizing
Determining Importance

WHAT IS TEXT CODING?

A writing-to-learn strategy to
use while reading or
rereading.

TEXT CODING

Is a strategy that helps

students leave tracks of
their thinking
throughout a word
problem.
Helps students make
connections
Helps students create
essential questions

TEXT CODING INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:

Highlighting
Circling
Marking out
Creating illustrations
Writing in the
margins
Using the codes

DOES THIS SUPPORT CCSS?

Supports Close Reading strategies that
are continuously mentioned in the
CCSS
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.p
hp?video_id=263439

DOES TEXT CODING HCDES STRATEGIC PLAN FOR

ACADEMIC SUCCESS?

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING

THIS?

Helps readers reach a deeper level of

engagement and promotes active
reading.
It makes the readers dialogue with
the text
Keeps visible record of the thoughts
that emerge while making sense of the
reading.

BENEFITS

Helps students persevere

Creates active readers
Builds stamina
Promotes self-monitoring
Helps teachers
understand student
misconceptions
Helps with writing
explanations (explaining
reasoning/justifying why)

HOW DO I TEACH MY STUDENTS TO USE THIS

STRATEGY?

Before teaching text coding, we ask that students

examine their written responses to a short story and
determine the ways readers think about text after
reading.
Students read a sentence from their responses and we
ask the class, What type of comment is this? What
category would that sentence fit into?
Once a category is named and recorded on newsprint
or an overhead transparency, we have students read
additional sentences that would fit into the category.
Students see the variety of ways to react or respond to
a text.

LETS TRY THAT!!

BEFORE READING

Examine the front and back covers (books)

Read the title and any subtitles
Examine the illustrations
Examine the print (bold, italics, etc.)
Examine the way the text is set up (book, short
story, diary, dialogue, article, etc.)
As you examine and read these, write questions, and
make predictions and/or connections near these
parts of the tex

DURING READING

Mark in the text:

Characters (who)
When (setting)
Where (setting)
Vocabulary ~~~~~
Important information
Write in the margins:
Summarize
Make predictions
Formulate opinions
Make connections
Ask questions
Analyze the authors craft
Write reflections/reactions/comments
Look for patterns/repetitions

AFTER READING

Reread text codesdraw

conclusions
Reread introduction and
conclusiontry
to figure out something new
Examine patterns/repetitions
determine possible meanings
Determine what the title might
mean

WHAT MIGHT THIS LOOK LIKE AT ALL GRADE LEVELS?

Elementary School
Kindergarten: 1-2
codes
(connections &
predictions)
1st and 2ndgrades- 3
codes
(connections,
predictions,
visualizing)
3rd-5th: 4-5 codes
(connections,
predictions,
visualizing,

Middle School
Connections
Predictions
Drawing
conclusions
Questioning
Determining
importance

High School
Predictions
Ask questions
State opinions
Analyze authors
craft
Make connections
Reflect on the
content or their
reading process.

HOW MUCH TIME WILL THIS TAKE?

CAN THIS WORK IN MATH AND OTHER CONTENT

AREAS?

Literacy skills are needed in all content

areas
Math word problems are an excellent
place to incorporate text coding
Any area where there is new
vocabulary new and concepts

HOW COULD YOU USE TEXT CODING TO HELP YOU

SOLVE THIS 4TH GRADE WORD PROBLEM?

Johnny wants to build a fence around his

garden. Using the model below, what
are all of the possible amounts of
fencing he could use?
36 sq. feet

THE CODES
Symbol

Meaning

Connection (TS, TT, TW)

Question (Clarifying)

Visualization

Prediction

WHAT WOULD THIS LOOK LIKE IN YOUR

CLASSROOM?

REFERENCES

Berthoff, Ann E. Dialectical Notebooks and the Audit of Meaning. The Journal Book. Ed.
Toby Fulwiler. Portsmouth:Boynton/Cook, 1987. 1118.
Probst, Robert E. Dialogue with a Text. English Journal 77.1 (1988): 3238.
http://www.hcde.org/Download.asp?
L=1&LMID=618898&PN=DocumentUploads&DivisionID=14317&DepartmentID=&SubDep
artmentID=&SubP=&Act=Download&T=1&I=329251