Reading Strategies

Fun ways to become a SUPER reader!

(A focus on Nonfiction) 6 Grade and

above

How to Become a Super Reader

Go through the flipchart and review the

Before, During, and After strategies

Implement some of the strategies into your reading habits.

Before During After

Before Reading 5 Helpful Strategies

KWL charts

Skimming

Think-Pair-Share

Pre-vocabulary Lesson

Class Discussion

KWL

Know, Want to Know, and Learned

Make a chart with three columns labeled “KWL”. Before the child starts reading have them write what they already know about the non-fiction topic in the K section. In the W chart have them write what they want to know about the topic. When they finish reading they will fill in the L section for learned.

Skimming

Before actually reading scan through the text and look for BOLD words or underlined words or even italicized words. Read a little about those words to get an understanding of what the text may be about. Also, look for any pictures or graphs that are in the passages. Read the captions and examine the picture.

Think-Pair-Share

This strategy is when students write down ideas about the passage, discuss with a fellow peer, and then share collaborative ideas with the rest of the class.

This allows students to gain the perspective and ideas from other students before actually reading.

Pre-Vocabulary Lesson

When reading nonfiction, there tend to be a lot of new words. Coming into the 6th grade the child will be introduced to a lot of new vocabulary.

The student should go through the passage and skim and see if there are any bolded words or a word that looks unfamiliar.

Have them define these words before actually reading.

Class Discussion

This would act as a quick over view of what is going to be read. Ask the student about the topic and help build their background knowledge.

If the child is reading on their own, encourage them to take time to think about the topic and tell them to draw ideas from their past experiences and see if they can relate it to the topic.

During Reading

Sticky Notes

Graphic Organizers

Guided Reading

Underline or highlight words

Take notes

Sticky Notes

During reading sticky notes are very useful for any reader. Place a sticky note where there is an important fact or a main idea. This way the student can look back at the passage and find the main idea quickly. This will also help them actually look through the passage and not skim.

Graphic Organizers

These tools will help students organize key terms, facts, and ideas from the text. The student can choose any graphic organizer that they find the most useful.

Recommended graphic organizers; KWL, Venn diagrams, Concept Maps, and Flow Charts.

These can all be accessed online or I can print out some in the classroom.

Guided Reading

This is good not only in class but at home by the parent/guardian. The adult models how to read directly to the student/child. The technique used is scaffolding (building on one idea and adding more to it). This will ultimately help the child branch away from guided reading to independent reading.

Underline or Highlight

If the student has a printed copy, have them highlight key terms and circle words that they do not know.

If the student cannot write on the text, encourage them to start making mental notes of where the words are.

Notes

This is the easiest strategy and something that student can take with them all the way from middle school, to high school, and even college.

The easiest form is Cornell Notes. Students fold a piece of lined paper in half. On the left side of the paper they write a main idea. On the right side of the paper the student writes notes that are aligned with the topic written on the left hand side of the paper.

After Reading

Learning Logs

Class Review

Exit Slips

Graphic Organizers

Summarizing

Learning Logs

Students can use a notebook or composition book to write down the main ideas, facts, or important information that they learned. These are really good for large books so students can go back and reread what they learned about in the previous text.

Class Review

Parent/guardian or the teacher go over what was read with the class as a whole or the child as an individual. This review is very beneficial because it allows the instructor to ask questions about some ideas that may have been missed and it allows the student to actually have to go back and think about what they just learned.

Exit Slips

The instructor tells the student that they have to write down four facts before they can go do the next activity. The exit slips could also be premade questions that the child should be able to answer.

Graphic Organizers

This is a very affective way ot making sure that the child completes the reading and fully understands it. The KWL chart (as listed in before strategies) is what is highly recommended. The L section is what the child learned. The teacher could guide them to help them remember everything that they learned.

Summarizing

This can be in a paragraph or essay form.

The student writes down the main ideas and basically everything that they learned from the passage.

This allows the student to have to retell what they read.

Congratulations!

You now should be equipped with some beneficial strategies that will help you grow and become a SUPER reader!

-Emily Sweeny

References

Bursuck, W. D., & Damer, M. (2011). Teaching reading to students who are at risk or have disabilities a multi-tier approach. (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc

Campbell, E. (2001). Reading rockets. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/search?cx=004997827699593338140:nptllrzhp78&cof=FORID:11&ie=UTF-8&as_q=Before, during, after reading strategies