Planning Reading Instruction for
Second Language Learners
Text Analysis
for Planning
ELD/SDAIE Lessons
Jill Kerper Mora
San Diego State University
Preparatory Analysis
Analyze the match between the reading material and L2 students' language proficiency and background knowledge by asking the following questions:
Features
of Text
What features of the textbook make the content and concepts more accessible for the EL reader? Examples are the use of graphics, highlighted text, margin notes, guide questions, a glossary of terms, etc. Are these used effectively or is there too much "busyness" created in the text by this features that are distracting rather than helpful?
Concept
Load
What is the level of “concept load” of the text? Is the text “dense” in terms of the number of new ideas or concepts introduced and explained in the flow of the narrative or exposition? Are new ideas and terms sufficiently described, defined or elaborated so as to build an understanding of related concepts or ideas to follow?
Author's Intent
In a narrative text or academic essay, what is the author's intent or purpose? What does he/she wish to convey to the reader? Information? A mood or feeling? A new understanding or interpretation of a concept or idea? A description of a person or character?
Text Structure
How is the text structured? What is the function of different paragraphs or sections? What sequence or order of exposition is followed? How are the ideas woven together into a cohesive text? What "connecting words" are used to show logical connections and to give the text cohesion? Examples are words to introduce additional ideas, indicators of comparison and contrast, words to indicate summary or conclusion, and/or chronological order or sequencing terms.
Reader's Background Knowledge
What background knowledge must the reader have in order to understand the text? Are there experiences the reader must have had, either in reality or vicariously, to comprehend the passage? Are these experiences specific to a particular culture, region or group of people?
Vocabulary
What specific vocabulary in the text will be unfamiliar to the L2 reader? Is the vocabulary essential to understanding the overall meaning of the text?
Phonics Skills
Which words will be difficult for beginning readers to decode using phonics? Are these words that are key to the overall meaning of the passage?
Idiomatic Usages
Are idiomatic expressions or jargon that might be unfamiliar to L2 readers used in the passage? If so, can these be rephrased into more simple sentences using conventional grammar?
Stylistic Elements
Are there stylistic or literary devises where common grammatical structures are altered? Are similes and metaphors used frequently? To what extent is an easy recognition of their meaning essential to an uninterrupted flow of interpretative reading of the text?
Lesson Planning
Following this analysis, the teacher plans these components of a total literacy lesson:
- Pre-reading activities
- Outlining, paraphrasing or summarizing strategies
- Graphic organizers to depict key vocabulary and concepts
- Transformation of language activities with students and text to L2 learner level of proficiency
- Reader Response
The teacher should keep in mind the four skills of language arts: listening, speaking,
reading and writing. Click here for listings of appropriate
L, S, R, & W activities.
To Navigate Dr. Mora's CLAD Website
This page was last updated on 03/23/06