"Comparing Texts"
Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Common Core Reading Standard #9 is another indicator of how our standards for reading have become more complex. Whereas traditional reading has emphasized the comprehension of a single text as a “stand alone,” today’s standards are asking students to read “across” texts to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate ideas. The good news is that this practice challenges students to think more deeply about their readings. The bad news is that it requires a considerably more complex cognitive task-- namely that readers will have to hold two ideas in their heads at one time: the text they are currently reading and the text of the other reading. For the struggling reader, this will be pretty difficult, and teachers will have to help them navigate between the two texts. So the question is how can we do this?
For starters, readers need to be accustomed to marking up a text. This would include highlighting or underlining, as well as making notations in the margins. Again, for the struggling reader this will be difficult. However, when reading across multiple texts, this is especially important, since it will take some pressure off the cognitive load. In other words, the student would not need to “memorize” all the details of the text, if they do a good job of annotating it (highlighting / underlining and making notes or marginalia). For low ability readers, you will need to help them with the process of annotation, but here are some general words of advice to them.
- Underline / highlight ideas, facts, statistics or lines that are important.
- Underline / highlight at least three to five items per page for short texts, two to four things for longer texts.
- For everything underlined / highlighted readers should annotate or make a note. Here are some things they could be writing in the margins: a prediction, a question, a connection, a brief label or summary, an opinion.
Once the student finishes the first document, they repeat the process on the second document. The only slight difference is that as they read the second, in addition to the types of notations they made the first time, they will take note of the following.
- Ideas, facts, statistics they share in common.
- Ideas, facts, statistics that differ.
Being explicit with the process of working through multiple texts is necessary to these students. While the lesson will help those who struggle with executive functioning, it will also benefit those who are just not accustomed to this type of reading.
As you develop lessons that require students to read across texts, here are some things to consider. First, text selection matters. The easiest application is to provide a point / counter point combination of articles (a pro and a con). However, do not limit yourself. Sometimes, you might find two short informative or technical texts about the same topic, only they present the information in unique ways. Sometimes, you might criss-cross genres, providing a poem with a companion piece in non-fiction, or a primary source document with a secondary source. Additionally, don’t limit yourself to just print text. Showing a video short followed by an article is also a meaningful way to read across texts.
Second, the questions you ask are important. While it is easiest to simply ask students to compare and contrast, you might consider narrowing your concentration a bit more. You could include questions like, what information does the second text include that the first does not? How is the tone of the first article different from the first? Which of these two texts does a better job with. . . ? Compare and contrast the genres of the two texts. What is the genre of each? And how do those genres change the tone or credibility of the information they offer?
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