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Literacy 7-12

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Literacy 7-12 > Factors > Argumentative Reasoning

Argumentative Reasoning

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Factor Connections

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How Argumentative Reasoning connects to...

Children develop the skills to present arguments and persuade others early, with skills increasing with Verbal Reasoning skills. However, as they grow, their Argumentative Reasoning skills become more complex and include the ability to answer questions through evidence-based claims. Adolescents are increasingly able to produce detailed arguments and analyze the effectiveness of others' arguments.

Main Ideas

Argumentative Reasoning can promote more effective content learning as it requires organizing information into cohesive explanations for others. Rather than simply writing for persuasion, students are now following a set of interrelated argumentative components to bolster their original theses. Adolescents may not fully master these skills without formal instruction and practice.

The component skills of Argumentative Reasoning include:

  • Providing justification using evidence: Younger children are sometimes able to create original claims to justify an opinion. However, adolescents learn to give detailed explanations, or warrants, for the applicability of different pieces of evidence.
  • At the highest level of argumentative reasoning, students can qualify their claims using words such as probably, very likely, and almost certainly, which communicate that their claims and the corresponding evidence cannot be proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, but can be argued as true.
  • Understanding and challenging counter arguments: The structure of academic arguments becomes more competitive in that they require anticipation and response to possible rebuttals. Adolescents begin to predict opposing arguments and gather evidence to support their responses.

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Research-Based Strategies For This Factor

Acting/Role Play

Physically acting out a text or enacting major themes from texts enhances reading comprehension, particularly as texts become more complex.

Annotating

When annotating, students engage deeply with a text and make their thinking visible while reading.

Authentic Audiences & Purposes

When adolescents can connect and communicate with authentic audiences about their interests and values, reading and writing become more personally meaningful and relevant.

Book Clubs

Students practice making and finding meaning in texts through book discussions moderated by teachers to varying degrees.

Checklists & Rubrics

Checklists and rubrics help students understand expectations as they navigate more complex tasks and assignments.

Collaborative Writing

When peers are able to work together to plan, draft, edit, and revise during the Composition process, their writing quality improves.

Debate

When preparing for and debating with peers, students analyze, form, and express verbal arguments, fostering their critical thinking and literacy skills.

Direct Instruction: Comprehension Strategies

As part of a varied curriculum, explicit instruction in reading comprehension strategies from teachers can help older students use strategies meaningfully and flexibly.

Discipline-specific Writing

Interpreting and composing discipline-specific texts requires tailoring literacy strategies, like annotating or asking questions, to the disciplinary goals and practices.

Extended Writing Opportunities

Increasing how much and how frequently students write improves both their writing quality and content knowledge.

Feedback on Writing

Providing constructive feedback supports students' writing development by letting them know how to improve their writing.

Goal Setting & Monitoring

Setting overall goals with actionable steps for achievement can help students feel more confident in their skills and abilities.

Graphic Organizer

Visualizing how ideas fit together helps students construct meaning and strengthens their recall.

Guided Inquiry

During guided inquiry, teachers foster student autonomy by designing lessons centered on meaningful questions in which students locate, analyze, and present relevant information on their own or in small groups.

Journaling

Journaling allows students to reflect on their thinking and feelings, process their learning, and connect new information to what they know.

Mentor Texts

By observing, rereading, and closely analyzing published writing, students see examples and learn the strategies of good writing that they can integrate into their own Composition.

Multiple Texts

Providing multiple texts on the same topic or theme allows students to interact with multiple perspectives and develop their critical thinking skills.

Prompts & Questions

Providing guiding prompts and questions for students to use when reading or participating in discussions deepens their understanding of texts and gives them space to question and grapple with issues of power, justice, and equity.

Provide Writing Models

When teachers provide students with model texts for their writing, they learn to identify effective elements to incorporate into their own writing.

Reading Conferences

Teachers can provide individualized support through one-on-one conferences to assess reading comprehension, understanding of content, and spark further interest in reading.

Sentence Frames

Sentence frames or stems provide language support for students' writing and participation in academic discussions.

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