I taught a couple of lessons on how to paraphrase when reading and writing nonfiction. Majority of the students were able to understand and use the term paraphrasing accurately by the end of the third lesson. There was evidence of students understanding and using the term paraphrasing. Sam explained how he would paraphrase “breaching.” Afterwards, Justin shared how he would paraphrase. Sam repeatedly said, “I already said that,” interrupting Justin as he was explaining. I responded by saying, “ Sam, you also explained about breaching but you said it in your own way, and Justin said in his own way. And that’s both okay. That’s what paraphrasing is. You guys are using your own words to explain…” Sam responds, “Oh yea,” indicating that he recognized how paraphrasing allowed writers to share the same ideas in their own way. Earlier I had asked the question “What is paraphrasing?” and Laura tried to explain her understanding on paraphrasing. She started off by saying “I remember how Amy was paraphrasing,” and then struggled to explain her thoughts in a clear manner. It was evident that Laura did not know how to verbally express her understanding on paraphrasing. Therefore, I asked if someone could “add on to what Laura said.” Laura’s classmate Ashley shared her understanding on paraphrasing. She explained, “Paraphrasing is when, uhm, there is something in the book that you want in your book, but you have to use your own words to write.” Ashley demonstrated a strong understanding of the language and skill through her clear explanation.
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AuthorA learning teacher and student living in New York City. Love exploring new ways to teach literacy and finding new books that inspire me and you. Archives
May 2015
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