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Kristin C.

University of Kansas

C&T 840: Emergent Literacy & Beginning Reading

March 2, 2017

EBook for the Invention of Basketball

I wrote this book with my 7th grade ELL student in mind who reads at about a second

grade level. Im not sure if this is a common trend in middle schools across the country,

but my 7th and 8th grade boys LOVE basketball. With this in mind, I wanted to select a

topic that is interesting for middle school students and might provide them with some

surprising new information, but still a low-level read. After much brainstorming, I decided

on the invention of basketball. I figure that my students probably didnt know much

about its origins and how much it has changed over the years.

To support readers, I utilized as many appropriate features as possible while

simultaneously trying to keep things simple. To help organize the text, I started with a

table of contents. I added headings according to the topics in a bolder font so that they

stood out in contrast to the main text. I included an anticipation guide prior to reading so

that I could have students think about their own experiences with the sport and what

they might already know about some of the rules. I followed up the reading with a

comprehension check, using some of the same questions from the anticipation guide so

students could see how their knowledge had evolved. I kept myself limited to one coach

because I didnt want to take away students focus from the text. The coaches were
used to prompt students about comprehension and reflection questions while also

reminding them to check the glossary to find meanings for the underlined words.

Print Features

When reading Maloch and Horseys article about the importance of informational texts

in the classroom, the Pause and Ponder section really got me thinking. Do all of my

students have access to high-interest, independent-level informational texts throughout

the day (i.e., in their independent book boxes and our classroom library)? The article

got me excited to produce my own piece of non-fiction to share with my students,

particularly my ELL student.

The article also shared how the teacher, Michelle, taught her students the different

purposes, structures, and features of informational texts. I thought about the types of

text features that I find important and made sure to include them in my EBook. I

included a title, simple yet descriptive headings, a table of contents, photographs

relating to the pages text, photo captions, underlined vocabulary words, and a glossary.

These features help student organize information and improves comprehension.

Fluency

Fluency, I found, was a difficult component to address in an independent read. In

Module 5s Softchalk on fluency, I learned that the three components of fluency are 1.

pace/rate, 2. smoothness, and 3. prosody.


To address pace/rate and smoothness for this independent read, I tried to keep my

word choice at the independent level. My goal was to avoid the slow and laborious

reading that often impedes on comprehension. I found prosody nearly impossible to

address in this assignment. Because the read was supposed to be independent, I chose

not to include a voice-over because I felt that would defeat the purpose of reading to

oneself. Then, I attempted to brainstorm ways that I could address pitch, stress, and

juncture, but I couldnt seem to think up a way to do that from within the text other than,

of course, keeping my word-choice at the students reading level.

Vocabulary & Word Recognition

My topic didnt easily lend itself to much academic language, so I focused on the three

tiers from Module 6s Softchalk when planning my writing. The bulk of my text was

comprised of basic words because my intended audience is a non-native speaker. I

added some high-frequency words for mature users, too, like evolved, judged,

opponent, and permitted. Finally, I added specific, low frequency words, such as dispute

and consecutive. The student was able to use the narration to help with pronunciation of

new words and the glossary to help with the definitions. The basic, tier I words allowed

the student to read with fluency while the tier II and tier III words helped to stretch the

vocabulary knowledge of my student.

Comprehension

From the Softchalk in Module 3, I learned that studentslike my ELL 7th graderat the

second grade transitional reading level need a primary focus on comprehension, then
word recognition, and the smallest amount of time is spent on fluency. After learning this

information, I decided that I was going to be sure to include pre-reading and post-

reading activities and then include questions ranging from basic recall to critical thinking

throughout the text.

Comprehension: Before & After

Module 7s Softchalk on comprehension of expository texts called attention to activation

prior knowledge prior to reading and following up the reading with questioning to help

readers organize and summarize the text.

To accomplish this, I began with an anticipation guide. The yes/no statements were very

basic, asking the reader if he or she has played basketball, knows the rules of

basketball, and if they have a favorite team. The true/false statements checked to see

what they knew prior to reading about the invention of basketball. These were

statements like, The inventor of basketball coached at the University of Kansas, and

Dribbling has always been allowed in basketball.

After the reading, I asked the students to actively use their knowledge to answer the

question, Write what you thought was the most surprising about the invention of

basketball and In your own words, how do you think the game of basketball has

changed? Do you think it is better now? I also followed up with by repeating the

true/false portion of the anticipation guide to see if students were able to accurately

label some of the statements that they may have missed prior to reading.
Comprehension: During

When working on the comprehension piece of the EBook, I worked on climbing up the

comprehension continuum mentioned in Harvey & Goudviss article on comprehension.

Answering Literal Questions:

o Do the math! How many years ago was basketball invented?

o Do you know some of the ways that players can get fouls in basketball today?

Retelling Opportunities:

o Look at the picture. What do you think the player in mid-air is trying to do?

Merging Thinking with Content:

o Where have you played basketball? In PE? Outside? On a team? In your driveway?

o How do most girls and women dress now when they play a game of basketball? Is it the

same or different from the picture?

o The University of Kansas is still known for its basketball program. Do you know the

famous chant that the fans say at basketball games?

o Do you think basketball would be as fun to watch or play if dribbling was not allowed?

Why or why not?

o Have you ever seen players rest the basketball on their hip during a game? Why might

players sometimes do this?

Acquiring Knowledge

o In your own words, how do you think the game of basketball has changed?

Actively Using Knowledge

o Do you think it would be easier or more difficult to have with 9 players per team? Why or

why not?

o Why do you think Dr. Naismith didn't want players to hit the ball with a fist? What

problems might this have caused?


o Look at the picture. Do you think referees should be able to make a decision together

about a play or should they have to decide on their own? Why?

o In your own words, how do you think the game of basketball has changed? Do you think

it is better now?

o Write what you thought was the most surprising about the invention of basketball.

Conclusion

The CAST Bookbuilder site allowed me to incorporate many of the print features

that I find important in nonfiction reading and provided me opportunities to

create a personalized text for my students. Since completing my EBook on the

invention of basketball, I am next considering ways I can use it with my 8th grade

students. I think it is something they would enjoy and it would allow them to be

creative and produce something they could easily share with others.

References

Harvey, S., & Goudvis, A. (2013). Comprehension at the core. The Reading Teacher,
66(6), 432-439.
Matloch, B., & Horsey, M. (2013). Living inquiry: Learning from and about informational
texts in a second-grade classroom. The Reading Teacher, 66(6), 475-485.
Module 3 Softchalk on Reader Development. (n.d.). Reading.
Module 5 Softchalk on Fluency. (n.d.). Reading.
Module 6 Softchalk on Vocabulary. (n.d.). Reading.
Module 7 Softchalk on Comprehension of Expository Text. (n.d.). Reading.

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