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