WMS Common Reading Strategies2005-2006

In order that our students hear common language and use effective strategies across the disciplines, please include the following strategies in your instruction. Model how to use each strategy, provide ample practice and guidance, and move students towards independence and automaticity. Students should continue to use the strategies they have learned even after new strategies have been introduced.

As we work through this process, questions are bound to arise, and some things will work better than others. This will be an ongoing process. We will revisit how things are working before moving on in upcoming professional development. In the meantime, feel free to share any progress or concerns with the Donna Laithy or Elaine Zagrodny.

Until the End of Quarter 2 :

Before Reading: Activate prior knowledge.Help students to think about what they already know about the topic. Thinking about what they already know peaks student interest and curiosity, helps students to make connections, and helps them to attach new information to what they already know, which in turn aids in retention.

During Reading: VisualizeHave students create clear sensory images in their minds. Read aloud to students, modeling as you go how the picture in your mind changes as new information is received. This makes the reading process more active, helps students to remember what they have read, and can be used to cue students to when comprehension has broken down. Images are fuzzy or can no longer be made.

After Reading: Summarize and Paraphrase Key IdeasModel for students how to determine the main ideas and important supporting details in a piece of text. Model separately how to paraphrase these ideas to create a summary in your own words. Our test scores indicate that this is an area where our students are having a great deal of difficulty. Summarizing and paraphrasing as a group orally may be a necessary step.

Quarter 3:

Before Reading: Predict and Make Text-based ReferencesBased on what students know about a piece of writing or a part of it that they have already read, have students make and support predictions about what they expect to learn as they read.

During Reading: Check Predictions

Have students notice whether or not their predictions were correct. Not every prediction will be correct or there would be no point in reading. However, students should evaluate whether or not incorrect predictions were logical.

After Reading: Support Conclusions With References From TextBased on the events in the text and the outcome of their predictions, have students draw conclusions about the situation at hand. This may take a good deal of modeling and practice. As students become more comfortable, ask them why they believe these statements to be true. Teach students to reread to find supporting evidence. Model for students how providing evidence from the text supports and makes their conclusions stronger.

Quarter 4:

Before Reading: Set a PurposeHave students examine their prior knowledge, predict what might be included in this piece of writing, and determine what they want to read to discover. This is often scaffolded by the teacher telling the students what to read to find out, followed by teacher modeling of determining a purpose, but should result in the students’ ability to determine a purpose for reading independently.

During Reading: Make ConnectionsModel for students how to use information in the text, pictures, and graphics to make connections between the information and what they already know. Some connections are more helpful than others. Lead them to making connections that help them to better understand the text. Ask them how seeing a specific connection helps to better understand the situation at hand.

After Reading: Connect Themes/Ideas in the Text to Other Learning SituationsIn order to see the bigger picture, assist and encourage students to make connections to things they have read in this and other classes.Share with them how you can relate what you have read to your personal experiences and help them to do the same. Make connections between the text and relevant connections around the world. Help students to think about how these connections lead to a deeper understanding and forming opinions and conclusions.