Reading, Inquiry, and Research
The teacher understands the importance of research and inquiry skills to students’ academic success and provides students with instruction that promotes their acquisition and effective use of those study skills in the content areas.
The Beginning Teacher:
- A. Teaches students how to develop open-ended research questions and a plan (e.g., timeline) to locate, retrieve and record information from a range of content-area, narrative and expository texts.
- What does this mean?
- Research skills begin with a plan; what is being researched, where will the information be found, and how the information will be sorted. Open-ended questions allow for more broad information to be acquired and make use of different resources.
- How do you apply this?
- Model for students how to choose a topic, ask questions about the topic, locate information, and document the information they find. Have them sort between their open-ended questions and closed-ended questions and choose a few to go forth in their research. Take students to the school library to search for texts on their topics and allow them time to search through their resources
- What does this mean?
- B. Selects and uses instructional strategies to help students comprehend abstract content and ideas in written materials (e.g., manipulatives, examples, graphic organizers).
- What does this mean?
- To understand why and how information is conveyed in the different ways that they can be, our job is to show students how to categorize information via sorting, rearranging, and drawing connections to life.
- How do you apply this?
- Model information sorts, instruct on how to use real-life examples and how to communicate ideas in different ways.
- What does this mean?
- C. Selects and uses instructional strategies to teach students to interpret information presented in various formats (e.g., maps, tables, graphs) and how to locate, retrieve and record information from technologies, print resources and experts.
- What does this mean?
- Our job is to help students find meaning in both text and visual information and to properly instruct them on utilizing the multiple different formats of resources.
- How do you apply this?
- Instruct students on how to read and interpret different visual media and how to use and compare and contrast features of technological and print media.
- What does this mean?
- D. Selects and uses instructional strategies to help students understand study and inquiry skills across the curriculum (e.g., brainstorming; generating questions and topics; using text organizers; taking notes; outlining; drawing conclusions; applying critical-thinking skills; previewing; setting purposes for reading; locating, organizing, evaluating and communicating information; summarizing information; selecting relevant sources of information; using multiple sources of information; recognizing identifying features of sources, including primary and secondary sources; interpreting and using graphic sources of information) and knows the significance of organizing information from multiple sources for student learning and achievement.
- What does this mean?
- These are all research and inquiry skills and writing skills; to present research properly the resources must be valid, and what is presented should display clear communication as well as critical thinking on the topic and writing processes. Many types of resources should be used as well. The end goal is to instruct students on how to use their skills and give them the opportunity to display these skills.
- How do you apply this?
- Model how to research and document information from resources. Allow for students to practice sorting their research information and organizing their writing as well as allowing them to display what they’ve learned.
- What does this mean?
- E. Knows grade-level expectations for study and inquiry skills in the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) (e.g., in kindergarten, use pictures in conjunction with writing to document research; in fifth–sixth grades, refine research through use of secondary questions).
- What does this mean?
- Each grade has specific standards for research and inquiry, all based on the TEKS; instruction should reflect appropriately.
- How do you apply this?
- Depending on the grade, the teacher will utilize the TEKS available on the TEA website.
- What does this mean?
- F. Provides instruction to develop a topic sentence, summarize findings and use evidence to support conclusions.
- What does this mean?
- A topic sentence helps lead research while the information found supports the knowledge gained with facts. Students will utilize both to display what has been learned and present said information in a way that they understand.
- How do you apply this?
- If the topic is about the life and habitat of a native American species, for now, we’ll say coyote, the information found would support where they live, what they eat, any threats to them, etc. The research and resources would be used to reinforce the information presented.
- What does this mean?
- G. Understands how to foster collaboration with peers, families and with other professionals to promote all students’ ability to develop effective research and comprehension skills in the content areas.
- What does this mean?
- Having parents involved with student projects helps ensure that the parents are aware of what the student is learning. One can also inquire for additional academic advice from peers and from training seminars over research and inquiry.
- How do you apply this?
- Have a parent sign-off checklist for the student’s research/inquiry project at each stage. This ensures that students are getting their key points completed and the parents are aware of what the student is learning and what their student is working towards, potentially allowing them to assist if needed.
- What does this mean?
Questions:
- How would one check the validity of an online resource?
- How would one teach a student if a resource had enough information for what they may be researching?
- Depending on if the research required an interview, how would one teach a student how to conduct an interview?
- What kinds of open ended questions could a student use to lead research?
- What are some simple activities to teach and facilitate research?
- What are different ways of presenting research?
- What is the appropriate format of citing sources per grade?
- How would a student reference a visual in research?
- What types of visuals benefit research?
- What are other ways to involve parents in the research and inquiry process?
TExES ELAR Study Guide 