Text Sets… the JOYcabulary Way!
Game. Set. Match. Win Your Way into Building Knowledge & Developing Vocabulary (no rackets needed)
As you pack up and head off for the summer - maybe to a nearby tennis or pickleball court - think about rubberbanding some books into text sets for next year’s read alouds. Elfrieda Hiebert, Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinell all urge us to move away from singular book experiences to text sets: a collection about a single topic, theme, concept, or question. A text set can include books, videos, infographics, charts, graphs - even poetry.
Text sets allow students to explore a common theme, issue or subject as they build knowledge and develop vocabulary related to the topic. These sets of books help students explore the topic from multiple angles and hear different perspectives. Focusing on a topic for an extended period of learning deepens knowledge and helps students to learn to read with a purpose. Questions will arrive naturally as text sets promote conversations and critical thinking skills. Since text sets are used as read alouds, they create an inclusive thinking community where everyone participates no matter their reading level.
How to Teach with Text Sets
Step #1: Select Texts
You want 5-6 high quality texts that are grade appropriate, provide multiple perspectives on the topic, and increase in complexity. Identify one of the texts as the anchor text - a grade level text that you will read first. This text will be used to connect new information from the subsequent range of texts in order to study the topic as a whole.
Before beginning this read aloud sequence, establish an essential question to provide a clear purpose for reading:
How do authors create suspense in mystery stories?
How do animals rely on a healthy ocean ecosystem for survival?
How do friends help us to deal with challenges in our lives?
Be sure to gather a few hooks to launch the topic: photographs, video shorts, maps - even a poem.
Step #2: Select Vocabulary Words
Identify the Tier 2 and Tier 3 words you want students to learn and use - especially words that are repeated across the texts. Be sure to include not only hard words, but concept words as well (family).
Step #3: Purpose
Nonfiction Text Sets: identify text structures and text features.
Fiction Text Sets: identify themes, perspectives, craft moves and authors.
Step #4: Hook
Introduce the text sets to students along with any hooks to capture interest. Discuss the essential question.
Step #5: Anchor Text
Teach the anchor text using the before reading, during reading, after reading format. Capture ideas in some format.
Step #6: Teach the Rest of Texts Across Days
Add to your notes any new knowledge, perhaps using a different color for these new notes. Keep track of repeated vocabulary in some way (perhaps a checklist). As P . David Pearson says, collecting vocabulary is really collecting knowledge. Freddy Hiebert advises us not to pre teach vocabulary, but to collect and use as you go. After each text is read, make connections between the different texts.
Step #7: Synthesize Readings
For vocabulary, make clusters and/or gradients of language. In fiction, explore synonyms and antonyms. In nonfiction, group the words into topic networks. In your final discussion, return to your essential question:
What did you learn?
Has your thinking changed?
Do you still have questions?
Maximize Your Read Aloud Minutes
The research for rereading is strong. Make sure your text sets are available for independent and partnership reading. Always consider volume: When kids read more, they learn more. According to Irene Fountas, text sets allow us to build knowledge brick by brick. But remember, these book collections do not replace content area instruction. They enhance and extend it. Text Sets will allow you to serve up an ace shot next year to maximize your read aloud minutes!
