Reading Strategies, Skills, Resources

Developed by Raani Agrawal, ELA Interventionist & RTI Coordinator, OVMS

November 12, 2015 Parents’ Night, 6PM to 8PM

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Table of Contents

Reading Strategies: Comprehension Strategies (Top 4) Multiple Choice Strategies (Top 5)

Reading Skills: Theme Recalling Details Drawing Conclusions by Making Inferences Practice Now: Activity Packet #1

Resources: Websites Practice for Home: Activity Packet #2

Reading Strategies:Comprehension Strategies

Strategy #1: Preview Text and Predict StoryExamine text. Do not read it yet.Look at title, pictures, captions, bold print, underlined words

Why It WorksGives general idea of what the text will be aboutHelps students focus on what’s important

Reading Strategies:Comprehension Strategies

Strategy #2: Preview QuestionsRead the questions first and take mental notes of what the questions are asking.Underline important words and/or phrases.

Why It WorksHelps set purpose or goal for reading

Reading Strategies:Comprehension Strategies

Strategy #3: Mark Up Text

Highlight/underline/circle/write in margins important details while reading text and questions

Why It Works

Saves time because students can refer back to their notes when answering questions.

Helps students organize thoughts and remember story details.

Reading Strategies:Comprehension Strategies

Chart taken from: http://lmsnjask.wikispaces.com/

Reading Strategies:Comprehension Strategies

Strategy #4: Chunk Text

Break text into bite-size sections

Jot down notes within sections

Why It Works

Saves time because students can refer back to their notes when answering questions.

Helps students organize thoughts and remember story details.

Chart taken from: http://lmsnjask.wikispaces.com/

Reading Strategies:Top Multiple Choice Strategies

1. Flip Back

2. Skip Extremely Hard Questions/Come Back Later

3. Eliminate Answer Choices: Sillies & Distractors

Reading Strategies:Multiple Choice Strategies

4. Rely on Context Clues and Word Connotation

Example: What is the meaning of the word straggle as used in the sentence below?

Vinnie thought that the 5K run would be a breeze, but after he got about a mile into it, he started to straggle

behind the rest of the group.

a)To catch up c) To grab

b)To lag behind d) To outrun

Reading Strategies:Multiple Choice Strategies

5. Substitution of Personal Word Choices

Example:

The problem was, I was sitting in Ms. Sweet’s first floor classroom, grounded by the second day of a punitive indoor recess.

It wasn’t fair. Soccer tryout were next week, and I’d planned to perfect my skills with diligent practice during recess – a plan that had been scuttled by the anonymous class crook who’d stolen Gonzo the guinea pig.

What does the word scuttled mean as it is used in the passage above?

a)Improved c) Invented

b)Thrown away; destroyed d) Brought about; caused

Reading Skills: Theme

Underlying Message Lesson to be Learned

Reading Skills: ThemeThe Tryout

Kai tossed his books on the table and opened the refrigerator. He funneled fruits and vegetables into the blender and pressed the button, stopping the machine briefly to throw in a scoop of walnuts – can’t forget the protein. He briefly wondered if it would all taste good together before taking a huge gulp, but it didn’t matter: all athletes get in shape by drinking smoothies.

In the backyard, Kai relentlessly threw the baseball at a net that was designed to return the ball to him. He was working to get his throwing arm in good shape, along with the rest of him. Kai didn’t know much about baseball, since he had never played before; all he knew was that tryouts for the school team were on Saturday, and he would be primed and ready. His parents had always encouraged him to succeed at academics in school, but this was something Kai wanted to do for himself.

Next, he ran wind sprints across the lawn, crouching down and hustling back and forth from fence to fence until he was panting hard and down on one knee. Then he did sit ups – grueling, punishing crunches – and he grimaced with each one, all seventy-five of them. Kai was aware that earning a spot on the team wasn’t going to be a cakewalk, but he was determined to immerse himself in the effort and give it his all. The other players would have experience, speed, agility, and strength, but what Kai lacked in skill, he would make up for in gumption.

From Newmark Learning 2014

Reading Skills: Theme

Part A: What is the theme of this passage?

a)Never give up on something that is important to you.

b)It is important to always put family first.

c)Bullies can be overcome.

d)Follow the footsteps of others

Part B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to part A?

a)All athletes get in shape by drinking smoothies.

b)His parents had always encouraged him to succeed at academics in school.

c)The other players would have experience, speed, agility, and strength.

d)He was determined to immerse himself in the effort and give it his all.

This question had two parts. Answer Part A first. Then answer Part B.

Reading Skills: Recalling DetailsGo back into the text to find correct answers.Excerpt from Thank You, Ma'am by Langston Hughes

When they were finished eating she got up and said, “Now, here, take this ten dollars and buy yourself some blue suede shoes. And next time, do not make the mistake of latching onto my pocketbook nor nobody else’s—because shoes come by devilish like that will burn your feet. I got to get my rest now. But I wish you would behave yourself, son, from here on in.”

She led him down the hall to the front door and opened it. “Good-night! Behave yourself, boy!” she said, looking out into the street.

The boy wanted to say something else other than “Thank you, ma’am” to Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, but he couldn’t do so as he turned at the barren stoop and looked back at the large woman in the door. He barely managed to say “Thank you” before she shut the door. And he never saw her again.

Reading Skills: Recalling Details

What did the boy wish to purchase with the money?

a)Green suede shoes

b)Food for his house

c)Blue suede shoes

d)Clothing to wear

Poem:

Young birds seesaw on their first flights;

Melting snows churn and gurgle in

woodland streams;

Early crocuses splatter purple,

yellow, and white on people’s

lawns.

What do the images in

the poem lead you to

conclude?

A) It is spring.

B) It is summer.

C) It is autumn.

D) It is winter.

Reading Skills: Drawing Conclusions by Making Inferences

Reading Skills: Practice Now: Activity Packet #1

Practice Activity #1: Heidi

Conclusion/Resources

Agrawal Teacher Page PARCC Links Websites Accelerated Reader Study Island

Activity Packets #2, #3

Any Questions?