Strategies+for+Reading


 * BEFORE READING STRATEGIES**

Strategy #1: Read around the Text
//This is a before reading strategy that helps students to anticipate the main idea of the text [RI.CCR.2]//. //Using this strategy, students will identify text features [RI.CCR.5] and draw inferences about the topics to be covered in the text, the big ideas, and important vocabulary.//


 * DIRECTIONS:**
 * 1) Look at the pictures. What ideas are being presented?
 * 2) Look at the captions and read them.
 * 3) Look at the maps, charts, and graphs. Discuss what information they present.
 * 4) Look at the titles and headings. What is the big idea?
 * 5) Read the first and last lines of each paragraph for more information.
 * 6) Ask questions. Give yourself a reason to read.

**DURING READING STRATEGIES**

Strategy #2: K.I.M.
//This strategy can be integrated before reading and completed while reading. The K.I.M. strategy helps readers to decipher new vocabulary within a text [RI.CCR.4]//.

//Click here for more vocabulary strategies.//
 * DIRECTIONS:**
 * 1) Record the key word (K).
 * 2) Write down important information about the key word including a user friendly definition (I).
 * 3) Draw what the key word means, and link it to an unusual connection to create a memory device (M).
 * 4) Write the key word in a context-rich sentence for application.

Strategy #3: Note-taking/Summarizing
//There are several note-taking strategies that can help readers organize new content. However, effective note-taking using frameworks such as two or three column notes ultimately incorporate a summarizing strategy.// //Teach students the delete-substitute-keep process for summarizing. A "rule-based strategy" for summarizing includes a specific set of steps (Brown, Campione, & Day, 1981).//


 * DIRECTIONS:**
 * 1) Delete unnecessary words or sentences
 * 2) Delete redundant words or sentences
 * 3) Substitute super-ordinate terms (for example, "trees" for pines, oaks, and maples)
 * 4) Select or create a topic sentence

Other note-taking strategies include:
 * **Herringbone** - provides readers with a framework for recognizing and recording main ideas and supporting details **during and after reading**. The categories included in the diagram are often the main idea (the spine of the fish) and "who, where, what, why, when, and how" (the ribs), but they can be altered to fit the particular text students are reading.
 * **H-maps** provide a visual representation—a large H-shaped outline—for comparing two concepts or items. Contrasting characteristics are listed on the vertical columns of the H, while similarities are listed on the connecting bar.
 * **Venn diagrams** are graphic organizers used for comparison. They consist of two or more overlapping circles, each of which represents a different item or concept. Students list the similarities between the items in the intersecting area and list differences in the parts of the circles that are separate.

**AFTER READING STRATEGIES**

Strategy #4: Reciprocal Teaching
//This strategy helps students to apply the comprehension processes of summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting using a challenging text while in a cooperative learning setting.//

By creating reciprocal teaching role cards, teachers can provide learns with a framework for interacting in small group learning tasks.

After the teacher models these skills and the students practice them, students assume the responsibility for using the skills to learn and teach new material to small groups.

Strategy #5: Sum it Up!
//This final strategy will help learners to put into words what they have learned. In many typical assessments, learners are asked to respond to literature or information text using summary strategies.//

Using a three-fold piece of paper, students recorded each part of the topic sentence separately. In the first column (A), students identified the title and author of the text. In the second column (B), they chose a strong verb from the reference sheet. In the third column (C), they recorded the main idea of the reading. An A+B+C topic sentence might look something like this:
 * DIRECTIONS**
 * **Identify the text.** Begin by identifying the piece of text you are going to summarize. Include the complete title and author's name.
 * **Choose a Strong Verb**. Attach a strong verb such as advises, compares, contrasts, describes, explains, identifies, etc.
 * **Add a Big Finish**. Think about the main idea of the text and ask yourself what it is mostly about. Write the main idea as a phrase and attach it to the topic sentence.

//Example: A + B + C =// //Fun with Fabrics by Polly Esther teaches the beginner the basic steps of sewing.//

Now complete your summary paragraph by adding three or more important details from the text. Write them in complete sentences. Remember to use only the main points about what you read. Stick to the facts. Avoid writing a closing sentence, which could lead to an opinion.