Red4348 critical assignment 1

NON-FICTION READING

STRATEGIESby Emily Gurklis

RED4348

Critical Assignment 1

Purpose of Assignment

• The purpose of this assignment is to provide educators

with research-based, non-fiction reading strategies to

implement with their students. The strategies have been

designed with 6th graders in mind, but they can be

adapted to work with other grade levels as well.

• The strategies included are all research-based, meaning

their usefulness has been tested and proven to be

effective.

• All strategies are broken down into the subcategories

defining when they should take place: before, during, or

after reading.

Before Reading Strategies

• Why should we prepare students before reading?

• Just like a map prepares travelers for the journey ahead,

so a teacher should prepare their students for the text

they will be encountering.

• This idea is called “frontloading.”

• Frontloading techniques consist of equipping students

for the text by activating their prior knowledge,

discussing vital information and vocabulary necessary to

understand the text, providing students with information

about the text structure, and reviewing comprehension

strategies (Bursuck & Damer, 2011).


• Strategy 1: Preview the text.

• Give students a moment to look over the title(s),

headings, illustrations, and other text features.

• Notice common themes, highlighted information, and so

on.


• Strategy 2: Make a prediction.

• Ask them to predict what they believe the text is about.

• Students can record their predictions on a scrap piece of

paper or graphic organizer.


• Strategy 3: Set a purpose for reading.

• Discuss or decide why you are reading the text.

• When reading nonfiction, students are reading primarily to

gain knowledge. Some might be reading for pleasure, to

catch up on current events, to discover new facts, etc.

• Help students find a personal purpose for reading this

particular text.


• Strategy 4: Activate prior knowledge.

• Before reading, ask students what they already know

about the topic they will be encountering.

• If creating a KWL chart, have students fill in the “K”

section (what they already know).


• Strategy 5: Teach new vocabulary.

• Introduce and define 1-2 new vocabulary words that are

necessary for comprehending the text.

During Reading Strategies

• Students must monitor their comprehension of the text as

they read.

• This is the time that they are actively developing their

knowledge as they interact with the text.

• “Reading comprehension is the active process of

obtaining meaning from a written text.” (Bursuck & Damer,

2011).


• Strategy 1: Ask questions.

• Teachers should constantly pose questions as the reading

takes place.

• These questions should clarify meaning, define unknown

vocabulary, etc.

• Provide self-monitoring questions for students to ask

themselves. (Ex: What is the author trying to tell me? Do I

understand what is being said?)


• Strategy 2: Pause and summarize.

• “Chunking” is the term used to describe breaking up

reading into shorter, more manageable sections (Bursuck

& Damer, 2011).

• As students read the text, have them summarize the

section(s).


• Strategy 3: Participate in partner reading.

• Students buddy up with a fellow student.

• Students take turns reading the text (ex: Student 1 reads

one paragraph, Student 2 reads one paragraph, etc.).

• Through this method, students are able to practice fluency

and interact with a peer.

During Read Strategies

• Strategy 4: Highlight critical information.

• Use a highlighter or pencil to note important information.

• When re-reading, this will help the reader recall the main

ideas and facts gleaned from the passage.

During Read Strategies

• Strategy 5: Use a double entry journal.

• Fold a sheet of paper in half, creating two columns.

• Write down interesting or important quotes/facts from the

text on the left side.

• In the right column, record personal reactions, questions,

connections to prior knowledge, etc.

After Reading Strategies

• After reading is the time to collect evidence of student

comprehension.

• Post-reading activities can help students not only

reinforce what they just read, but also look deeper into the

text.


• Strategy 1: Record information about what was read.

• If students began by using a KWL chart, have them complete the “L” (learned) section of the chart.

• They could also record this information in a learning log.


• Strategy 2: Generate questions.

• Students will create their own questions about the text.

• These questions could be things they want to ask the

author or concepts that are unclear.

• The questions could also be designed as a

comprehension quiz that they would give to a friend. (Ex:

What do you think this passage was mainly about?)


• Strategy 3: Summarize what was read.

• In a given length (ex: “In one paragraph, in three

sentences, etc.), students will provide a summary of what

they read.

• Their summary should include the main idea of the

passage, as well as relevant supporting details.


• Strategy 4: Be interviewed.

• Using a set of text-based comprehension questions, the

teacher (or a fellow student) will “interview” the student.

• The teacher will record the student’s answers to measure

comprehension.


• Strategy 5: Complete an exit slip (“Classroom Strategies,” 2015).

• Given a post-it or other piece of paper, students will record what “stuck” with them from the reading.

• Students will respond to a teacher question or prompt in a short answer.

References

• Bursuck, W., & Damer, M. (2011). Teaching reading to

students who are at risk or have disabilities: A multi-tier

approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.

• Classroom Strategies. (2015). Retrieved April 4, 2015,

from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies

Education

Red4348 critical assignment 1