T4 Journal:

Talking to the Text

Post-It Notes

As you read, talk to the text either on this form or on your own sticky notes. Remember to record the page number. When you’ve finished, attach your sticky notes to this sheet.

Sentence Starters

Fix-It Strategies:

  • I am confused by…
  • I am confused because…
  • I will try…

Make Connections:

  • That reminds me of…
  • It made me think of…
  • I read something else where…
  • This is different from…
  • I remember when…

Ask Questions:

  • What is the author trying to say?
  • What is the author’s message?
  • ??? = Question

Determine Importance:

  • The big idea is…
  • The most important ideas are…
  • So far I’ve learned that…
  • The author wants me to know…
  • This is important because…
  • I can use this information to help me…
  • This idea is similar to …
  • This idea changed my mind because…
  • MS = Must Share
  • NTA = I Never Thought About it like that
  • NL = New Learning
  • !!! = Shocking Fact
  •   

Visualize:

  • I can picture…
  • I can see/taste/hear/feel/smell the…
  • Draw it.
  • Graph it.
  • Map it.

Infer/Assume:

  • I wonder why…
  • I wonder how…
  • I wonder if…
  • How do you know this?

Coding Questions:

  • Level 1: Right There
  • On the line
  • 1-2 connected sentences
  • Word by word
  • Level 2: Search and Locate
  • Among several lines
  • Several unconnected lines
  • Word by word
  • Level 3: Author & Me
  • Between the lines
  • Combine what the author knows

with what you know

  • Work it out
  • Level 4: On My Own
  • Beyond the lines
  • What you know or want to know
  • Connect to prior learning

T4 Journal Rubric:

Talking to the Text

“Talking to the Text” (also known as T4 ) is a technique for thinking about your thinking, making the invisible visible, metacognition.

You will earn a grade of 1-5 based on how well you critically think about the text and how well you show that thinking.

ScoreExplanation

0Did not complete the assignment, made no attempt at metacognition.

1Attempted very little talking to the text, difficult to see thought patterns.

2Little evidence of interacting with the text, use of one or two types of strategies; perhaps only summarizing information, or just circling “big words”.

3Evidence of some interaction with the text, clearly trying to use strategies such as questioning and connecting, focus on surface or literal meaning. Struggling to “dig deep” or high level thinking skills.

4Reasonable demonstration of thought process. Mature thinking is obvious. Two or more of these are clear: summarizing main ideas, questioning, commenting, connecting, predicting.

5Reflective, thoughtful, insightful interaction with the text. Very clear and thorough demonstration of most or all of: synthesizing main ideas, questioning, commenting, connecting (text to me/class/world), predicting and confirming. T4 comments go beyond the text; graphic notes or visuals aid in thinking.

Teacher Notes:

Name: ______

Title: ______