Unpacking Complexity in Informational Texts : Principles and Practices for Grades 2-8.

Cover -- Half Title -- Also from Sunday Cummins -- Title Page -- Copyright -- About the Author -- Foreword -- Contents -- Introduction: The Issue of Informational Text Complexity -- One. What Do We Mean by Text Complexity? -- Two. What Makes an Informational Text Complex? -- Purpose and Ideas -- Structure -- Language and Vocabulary -- Knowledge Demands -- Three. What Do We Mean by an Author's Purpose? -- To Instruct -- To Recount -- To Explain -- To Describe -- To Persuade -- Recommendations for Instruction -- Four. What Do We Mean by a Text's Structure? -- Enumerative Structure -- Sequence, Chronology, and Narrative Structures -- Comparison Structure -- Causal Relationships -- Problem-Solution Structure -- Recommendations for Instruction -- Five. What Types of Details Are in Non‑Narrative Texts? -- Details in Texts about Systems -- Details in Texts about Mechanisms -- Details in Texts about Processes or Transformations -- Details in Other Non‑Narrative Texts -- Recommendations for Instruction -- Six. What Types of Details Are in Narrative Texts? -- Frequently Used Details -- Details That Reveal an Author's Bias -- Recommendations for Instruction -- Seven. Why Pay Attention to Connective Language? -- Additive Connectives -- Temporal Connectives -- Causal Connectives -- Adversative Connectives -- Recommendations for Instruction -- Eight. How Are Main Ideas Constructed? -- Gist, Theme, and Topic -- Relationships between Ideas Reveal the Main Idea -- Main Idea Vocabulary -- Recommendations for Instruction -- Closing Thoughts -- Appendix. Study Guide -- References -- Index.

To acquire content knowledge through reading, students must understand the complex components and diverse purposes of informational texts, as emphasized in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). This practical book illuminates the ways in which a text's purpose, structure, details, connective language, and construction of themes combine to create meaning. Classroom-tested instructional recommendations and "kid-friendly" explanations guide teachers in helping students to identify and understand the role of these elements in different types of informational texts. Numerous student work samples, excerpts from exemplary books and articles, and a Study Guide with discussion questions and activities for professional learning add to the book's utility.

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Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.