This document discusses strategies for creating an effective learning environment for reading non-fiction texts. It outlines several strategies including using a smart chart, think-pair-share, previewing text, pre-teaching vocabulary, and making connections. Additional strategies covered are graphic organizers, marking text, logograph cards, saying something while reading in groups, and creating custom bookmarks. The document also discusses comprehension checks, exit slips, RAFT writing assignments, Twitter summaries, and oral reports to assess student understanding of texts.
2. 1. Smart Chart
2.Think Pair Share
3. Previewing Text
4. Pre teach Vocabulary
5. Make Connections
3. A smart chart is similar to a three column KWL chart. The
first column is “K”, What we Know. The second column is
“W”, What we want to know. The third column is “L”, What
we learned. The difference is that a smart chart has a fourth
column “Background”.
4. Students write down ideas, discuss with a fellow peer, and
then share collaborative ideas with the rest of the class. This
strategy promotes interaction between the students and the
non-fiction book being presented. Furthermore, it also can
expose students to different perspectives, while activating
students’ schema (prior knowledge) and schemata
(background knowledge).
5. Point out the organization of the book and explain the
purpose of footnotes, time lines, visual aids, glossaries, etc.
Getting the student familiar with what to expect to see in non
fiction text
6. Finding a set of key vocabulary words that students will need
to know in order to understand a text. Find vocabulary that
they will not determine from the text alone.
7. Jot a topic of study on the whiteboard and allow students to
come up and jot down what they know about the topics.
Create a Venn diagram showing how subjects overlap or how
textbooks relate to novels.
8. 1. Graphic Organizer
2. Marking the Text
3. Logograph Cards
4. Say Something
5. Custom Bookmarks
9. Graphic organizers (some of which are also called concept
maps, entity relationship charts, and mind maps). They help
the student convert and compress a lot of seemingly
disjointed information into a structured, simple-to-read,
graphic display. The resulting visual display conveys complex
information in a simple-to-understand manner.
10. Marking text with sticky notes and highlighters helps readers
pay attention and remember what they read.
11. Students write a vocabulary word on one side of the card and
write the definition and draw a picture depicting the word on
the other side of the card.
12. Students get into groups of two or three and take turns
reading a portion of a text aloud. As they read, they
occasionally pause to "say something" about what was read.
The partners respond, then a different student continues the
reading until they pause to say something.
13. Allow students to create bookmarks that assist in reading. Mark
My Words: A bookmark for recording interesting or unusual
words. Every few days, spend ten minutes reviewing the words
students recorded and place them on a chart in the room. Marking
Time: Use these to mark how setting changes or the changes in a
historical time period. Question Mark: Students can record their
questions as they read and include the page number so they can
revisit that part of the text. Mark Who? Students can record
information about characters or historical figures. Mark the Bold:
Students record each bold work they encounter as they read and
write the definition in their own words on the back. Once a week,
have students review the terms and study with a partner.
19. Are a way for a student to do research on a chosen topic,
which requires the student to read multiple forms of text,
and then transfer the facts and ideas into a summary, or an
outline into their own words. Students will then present
their report to the class.
20. Boyton,A. & Blevins, W. (2003) 5 Keys to reading
nonfiction,New York, NY.: Scholastics
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=0049978276
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8&as_q=Before, during, after reading strategies