Three Sure-Fire Reading Strategies

1. Three Sure-Fire Reading Strategies

2. When a Text is Fairly Simple to Read Meaning that • Students have some prior knowledge • The writing is straightforward • Vocabulary is not overly technical Use Content DR-TA • Put students in pairs with one sheet of paper • Ask them to jot down what comes to mind when they hear “___” (General concept) • Ask them to jot down what comes to mind when they hear “___” (More specific topic) • Have them read together and note when they read about something they predicted and jot down new information not predicted Why? • With minimal assistance from you at the beginning, you can release responsibility for reading to students quickly and check their comprehension at the end of reading

3. When a Text is More Challenging Meaning that • Students need a bit more help with “activating” prior knowledge • The writing (sentences and structure) may be less familiar • Vocabulary is not overly technical Use DR-TA • Read the title; ask for predictions • Read the first sentence or paragraph; check predictions, make new predictions • Have students read the next page or so; check predictions as a class, make new predictions; and so on Why? • With minimal assistance from you at the beginning, you can release responsibility for reading to students as you continue to check their comprehension while they read

4. Some Unsolicited Testimony

5. And another one.

6. When Students Initially Need a Lot of Help with a Text Meaning that • Students have limited or no prior knowledge • Sentences are complex and/or the style is “old fashioned”’ or just difficult • Vocabulary and concepts may be unfamiliar Use Shared Reading • Work with the whole class or sit with small groups • You take the initial responsibility for reading, stopping to model your own comprehension process as you read, wondering aloud, and trying to draw the students in • Ask for students’ opinions, ideas as you read through; jot down words or ideas on the blackboard as needed—Begin to do DR-TA informally • Gradually ask students to read the end of paragraphs, then whole paragraphs, and then pages, stopping to check comprehension, reading a bit, asking the students to read a bit (eventually you’re going to move to DR-TA and then Content DR-TA with the students) Why? • You can be sure that students get off on the right track with this text. • You have a chance to “sell” this text to the students and give them confidence they can read it by modeling your reading process • You can assess student’s reading comprehension and make adjustments immediately