Text Codes Lesson

Text Codes Lesson

Here are bits of a lesson I created to teach 4th grade students the importance of using Text Codes when reading. This will help with their reading comprehension as well as a great tool for when students are writing opinion pieces, persuasion pieces, or informational pieces. 

The hook/engagement strategy used was that I had the symbols drawn on the whiteboard. Each student had a post-it and was to pick a symbol and write what they think it meant. We went though each definition that the students wrote for the symbols. Then, I turned over the anchor chart and told them what each of them really meant when it related to reading.

The one symbol the students has the most trouble with was the @ symbol. The majority kept thinking it was for an email address. I stood in front of the class and did a "real world" and "reading" symbol comparison with funny voices and body movements. This helped build a funny visual for the students to understand that the symbols have multiple meanings just like multiple meaning words.

Text Codes are used for reading purposes. They help in place of highlighting, underlining, or tabs to mark words or phrases of importance. 

You can use this with any story being read and have students apply the Text Codes. A good challenge would be to have them apply the Text Codes in the books they are reading individually for fun.

Common Core State Standards for Language Arts & Literacy that are being met      RL.4.3   Key Ideas and Details            Describe in depth a character setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

OR....


RL.4.1 Reading Literature:  Key Ideas and Details

      Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when    drawing inferences from the text.

 

Here is a bookmark I made for the students to use as a helpful reminder.

 

 

Here is the Anchor Chart I displayed after the engagement activity.