Teaching the Lessons

The Three Phases of Textual Analysis

On this page you will find:
The three phases of Textual Analysis: Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3

Throughout the year, move your students through the three phases of Textual Analysis to build strong comprehension skills.

The three phases of Textual Analysis: Phase 1: Introduction

Students become familiar with the steps of Textual Analysis, which support appropriate before, during, and after reading strategies. The goal of this phase is for students to be proficient at the pre-reading strategies of Textual Analysis (steps 1-4).

When to move on:

Students are performing or are ready to perform all pre-reading strategies independently. Students are making strong predictions about the text.

The Steps What the Teacher is Doing What the Students are Doing
Before Reading: Step 1: Read the title and introduction. Step 2: Look at the pictures and read the captions. Step 3: Read the first two sentences and subheadings. Step 4: Brainstorm what you already know and predict what the text may be abou Before Reading: Takes the role of the instructor. Introduces and familiarizes students with the Textual Analysis process. Emphasizes steps 1-4 as a collection of pre-reading strategies that support predictions. Before Reading: Becomes familiar with the Textual Analysis process. Gradually participates more during pre-reading activities. During Reading: Step 5: Read and label the questions. Step 6: Read the passage. During Reading May read the passage to students and/or facilitate shared reading opportunities. During Reading: May follow along as the passage is read aloud and/or participate in shared reading opportunities. After Reading: Step 7: Answer the questions. Step 8: Prove your answers. Step 9: Check your work.

After Reading: Models answering questions and proving answers. After Reading: Answers questions and proves answers with teacher support. [back to top]

Phase 2: Practice
Students are working more independently by internalizing the steps. Students are using the steps to guide their thinking rather than as a checklist. Individual steps should be consolidated, eliminated, or emphasized based on each student.

When to move on:

Students are completing all pre-reading activities independently. Students are reading and labeling questions accurately and with little to no teacher support. Students are reading or are ready to read the text independently.

The Steps: What the Teacher is Doing: What the Students are Doing:
Before Reading: Steps 1-4: Use the title, introduction, pictures, captions, first two sentences, and subheadings to make an informed prediction about the topic and/or main idea of the text. Before Reading: Begins to transition from instructor to facilitator. Encourages students to follow the Textual Analysis process using the question prompts (found on classroom display posters) rather than simply following the steps. Before Reading: Performs all pre-reading activities independently and/or with minimal teacher support. Makes predictions about the text. During Reading: Step 5: Read and label the questions. Step 6: Read the passage. During Reading:

Emphasizes step 5 and 6 as a way to set a purpose or focus for reading and to monitor comprehension of the text. Strengthens students' reading stamina by guiding students through shared and/or independent reading opportunities. During Reading: Reads and labels questions with the appropriate Concept of Comprehension with minimal teacher support. Participates in shared and/or independent reading of the text. After Reading: Step 7: Answer the questions. Step 8: Prove your answers. Step 9: Check your work. After Reading: Models answering the questions and proving answer. After Reading: Answers questions and proves answers with or without teacher support. [back to top]

Phase 3: Application
Students are discussing their thinking about the text. Textual Analysis is a means for structuring and facilitating the conversation. How to Keep Students Engaged:

Vary content of passages based on student interest. Incorporate extension discussions, activities or projects to extend and enhance student learning. Vary the schedule for teaching textual analysis (for example, shortening from 5 days a week to 3).

The Steps What the Teacher is Doing What the Students are Doing
Before and During Reading

Steps 1-4: Use the title, introduction, first two sentences, and subheadings to make an informed prediction about the topic and/or main idea of the text. Steps 5-6: Read and label the questions and read the passage. Before and During Reading Takes on the role of a facilitator. Encourages students to ask themselves questions in order to make predictions and monitor comprehension while reading. Before and During Reading: Moves through the Textual Analysis process by asking themselves necessary questions for comprehension versus simply following the steps. Reads text independently. After Reading: Step 7: Answer the questions. Step 8: Prove your answers. Step 9: Check your work. After Reading: Facilitates student discussions in which students use text evidence to support and/or defend inferences made during reading. After Reading: Answers, proves, discusses and defends answers to questions about the te

Teaching the Lessons

Planning for Textual Analysis

Textual Analysis is designed to support or reinforce the teaching of the Concepts of Comprehension. It is recommended that Textual Analysis lessons are taught within 30 to 45 minutes, at a minimum of twice a week.

Steps for planning a Textual Analysis lesson:

Step 1: Set an objective for the lesson. The purpose of the objective may be to:

Teach students the steps of Textual Analysis. Move students to the next phase of Textual Analysis. Reinforce a Concept of Comprehension previously introduced through a lesson. Review all Concepts of Comprehension introduced in the class thus far.

Step 2: Choose a passage based on grade level, lesson objective, and student interest.

Step 3: Identify the background knowledge that will be necessary for comprehension of the passage and plan ways to support lacking background knowledge in students. This may be through:

Other texts. Video. Conversations. Fact sheets.

Step 4: Identify the vocabulary support that is necessary for comprehension of the text. Plan prereading, during reading, and after reading activities that will support vocabulary. Step 5: Go through the nine Textual Analysis steps with your chosen passage through the lens of a student so that you can be prepared for misleading or confusing text and/or questions. Teaching the Lessons

Differentiating Textual Analysis

Three ways to make Textual Analysis meet the needs of your students:
Choose appropriate reading level - Passages are leveled for grades 2 - 6 to match the reading level of your students. Choose the grade level most appropriate to your students' reading level. Modify the steps of Textual Analysis - Here is an example of how one teacher modified the steps of Textual Analysis to meet the needs of his students. "My students were spending so much time labeling the questions that they weren't getting the benefit of thinking about the comprehension skills needed to understand the text. We modified the Textual Analysis process so that students no longer labeled the questions on their own." - 4th grade teacher Modify the questions - Each passage comes with a question sheet provided in Microsoft Word so that you can easily modify the questions. Questions can be modified by:

Changing the language in the question to make the question more explicit. Changing all the questions to address one specific Concept of Comprehension. Changing the format of the question - multiple choice, open ended or graphically organized. Changing the questions to better match a state mandated test (see Related Materials at right for example based on the CMT).