Post on 14-Jan-2016
Strategies for Reading
in Content Areas
Activating Prior KnowledgeRelate what we are reading to something we already
know
Often don’t think what they already know is important
May not have any background knowledge—so teacher must build it
Use procedure before, during, & after reading
Materials to support strategy RAN Preview Guide—Anticipation Guide K-W-H-L Heart Strategy Graphic organizers SQ3R Cornell Notes Go Chart
Previewing & Using Text Structure
Look at title, subtitles, graphic support, margin information, embolden words to determine what information lies ahead
Look for problem and solution in science/social studies texts
Look for important details that support the questions posed by reader
Use before and during reading
Materials to support strategy Nonfiction features activities Problem/Solution Chain of Events
Setting a Purpose ActivityRead The House and circle with your pencil
whatever you think is important
Read The House again and use a green highlighter to mark places in the text a robber would find important.
Read The House again and use a blue highlighter to mark places in the text a prospective home buyer would find important
What did you notice about the 3 times you marked the text? Which time was the hardest?
Setting a Purpose for Reading
Set very specific purposes for reading
Begin by modeling procedure and teacher setting purpose
Move toward having students set purpose or read more than once to fulfill different purposes
Read to get information, solve a problem, perform a task
Use before and during reading
Materials to support strategy: Graphic organizer to record purposes Anticipation guide
Adjusting the Rate of Reading
Adjust rate of reading as purpose changes
Introduce this idea and model
Choose materials that are both easy and difficult to model and practice the need to vary the rate
Use before and during reading
Materials to support strategyWatch Your Reading Speed Café Strategy
Predicting Ideas and Events
Use before and during reading
Enhance by activating prior knowledge & previewing and utilizing text structure
Materials to support strategyStrategic StrategiesPrecise PredictionsPlenty of Predictions
Mental Imagery
Think about pictures and illustrations as you read
Use pictures to help you remember
Make connections between the visuals and the text
Make pictures in your mind
Use before, during, & after reading
Materials to support strategyTalking Drawings Sketching Through the Text
Use Cueing System Effectively
Figure out unknown words using phonics and meaning cues
Figure out and understand unknown concepts
Use during reading
Materials to support strategyWord attack strategies & bookmarksFix-up Strategies
Employ Vocabulary Techniques
Utilize a variety of methods to unlock the meaning of unfamiliar words
Use multiple forms of context—effective vocabulary learning occurs in context
Use graphic information
Access external sources for word meaning
Use before, during & after reading
Materials to support strategy Types of Context Oh My Word! Word Wrap Inside Information Defining Depictions Ask a Word
Connect Text to Experience
Ask questions such as these: Does this sound familiar? What does this remind you of? What have you already read about this? Have you seen a video/TV show on this topic?
Relate reading to actual or vicariously acquired experiences
Before, during and after reading
Materials to support strategy RAN Strategy Double Entry Journal Text to self, text, world connections
Monitor ComprehensionModel comprehension strategies
Monitor comprehension by stopping at intervals and asking if it makes sense
Use fix-up strategies to deal with comprehension obstacles
Materials to support strategyClicks & ClunksFix-Up Strategies to Repair ClunksFlow Chart Concept Maps Jigsaw Power Notes
Check for UnderstandingStop periodically and reflect on understanding
Confirm that purpose(s) for reading is being or has been met
Summarize or paraphrase important points and details
Use during and after reading
Materials to support strategyParaphrasingSummarizingVIPs
Teach Reading Strategies Provide direct instruction of sufficient length and duration to
provide opportunities for developing competence and automaticity
Model the skill or strategy
Provide opportunities for guided and independent practice
Provide positive feedback as students put strategies into practice
Give opportunities to use newly learned skills
Provide periodic reviews and extensions
Show how strategies can be combined, i.e., how previewing the text can help students set a purpose and select a pace for reading
Give opportunities to practice strategies with a variety of texts
Resources AdLIT.org
Comprehension Toolkit, Goudvis & Harvey
Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?, Cris Tovani
I Read It But I Don’t Get It, Cris Tovani
Florida Center for Reading Research, www.fcrr.org/
generalscience@list.nsta.org
Read,Write,Think.com
Revisit, Reflect, Retell-Strategies for Improving Reading Comprehension, Linda Hoyt
Strategies That Work, Goudvis & Harvey
Subjects Matter-Every Teacher’s Guide to Content-Area Reading, Harvey Daniels & Steven Zemelman
Thinkport.org, sponsored by Maryland Public Television & Johns Hopkins University Center for Technology in Education