This document provides strategies for students to improve their reading comprehension of nonfiction texts. It outlines strategies to use before, during, and after reading. Before reading strategies include using KWL charts, think-pair-share, skimming, building background knowledge, and pre-vocabulary lessons. During reading strategies involve story maps, think-alouds, underlining text, guided reading, and taking notes. After reading strategies are retellings, attribute maps, timelines, Venn diagrams, and flow charts. The goal is for students to be active, engaged readers who understand what they read.

1. Reading
Strategies
Fun ways to be a wonderful
reader!
6th Grade and above
Nonfiction Reading
By Joseph Stence

2. How to Become an Excellent
Reader
 Go through the flip chart
 Go over the Before, During, and After
strategies
 Use at least one of each strategy in your
reading

3. Before Reading
 KWL charts
 Think-Pair-Share
 Skimming
 Background Knowledge
 Pre-Vocabulary Lesson

4. KWL
 Make a chart with three columns labeled
K-W-L
 The K-column is for what you know
already about the non-fiction topic
 The W-column is to write what you want to
know about the topic
 The L-column is to be filled in about what
you learned about the topic after you
finished reading

5. Think-Pair-Share
 Find a partner with whom to share with
 Predict what the passage might be about
 Ask yourselves what you already know
about the topic

6. Skimming
 Read title and headings
 Look for words in bold
 Look for underlined words or italicized
words
 Read captions
 Look at pictures

7. Pre-Vocabulary Lesson
 The student should go through the
nonfiction book or article and look for
words in bold or any unfamiliar words
 These words should be defined before
reading the passage.

8. Background Knowledge
 Connect background knowledge to new
knowledge that you will read in the text.
 Discussion among classmates any
knowledge they may have about the
subject about to be read.
 Activate what he or she knows to use it
during reading to comprehend a text.

9. During Reading
 Story Maps
 Think-Alouds
 Underline or highlight words
 Guided Reading
 Take notes

10. Story Maps
 Complete a story map which will help you
focus on the significant elements in a story
as well as the relationship among these
elements.
 In the story map you write down the
name of the story, its author, the setting,
characters, the problem and the solution.

11. Think-Alouds
 You may need to think out loud about
the story.
 Ask questions: “I wonder why . . .” “Can I
learn more about . . .”
 I predict that this next section will be
about . . . because . . .
 I have a picture in my mind of .. . .

12. Underline or Highlight
 If possible underline or highlight important
words, titles, subtitles, unfamiliar words
and key terms.
 Mark each paragraph
 Mark unknown vocabulary, metaphors,
and concepts

13. Guided Reading
 Find a student, parent or volunteer
 Have them model how to read a passage
 After you are comfortable with the
passage you can read in independently

14. Take Notes
 Use Cornell Notes
 Fold a piece of paper in half.
 On the left side write the main idea of the
passage.
 On the right side of the paper write notes
that are aligned with the main idea
written on the left hand side of the paper.

15. After Reading
 Retellings
 Atribute Map
 Time Line
 Ven Diagram
 Flow Chart

16. Retelling
 After reading the story you retell it the way
you remember it.
 Tell the story with details that you think are
important

17. Atribute Map
 Display characteristics, thoughts, or ideas
related to a central topic.

18. Time Line
 Draw a line extending from the beginning
of a period of time to the end of the
period with intervening events placed at
intervals.
 Give your timeline a title
 Make a list of events to include
 Decide when it will begin and end

19. Ven Diagram
 Draw two or more overlapping circles to
compare and contrast concepts or
information
 Write details that tell how the subjects are
different in the outer circles.
 Write details that tell how the subjects are
alike where the circles overlap.

20. Flow Chart
 Draw a visual representation of a
sequence of events.
 Pick out the main events
 Describe these events in words or in
pictures

21. 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=004997
827699593338140:nptllrzhp78&cof=FORID:11&ie=UT
F-8&as_q=Before, during, after reading strategies
 Roe, B.D., & Ross, E.P.,(2006). Integrating language
arts through literature and thematic units. Boston,
Massachusetts: Pearson Education, Inc.