This document provides a summary of before, during, and after reading strategies for 6th grade non-fiction texts. It describes several strategies for each category. Before reading strategies activate prior knowledge and set a purpose. During reading strategies help with comprehension, monitoring understanding, and making connections. After reading strategies have students reflect on and respond to the text through discussion, writing, and summarizing. The goal is to help students understand reading as a process and improve comprehension.

1. Before, During, and
After Literacy
Strategies Flip Chart
Critical Assignment 1
RED 4348- Spring 2018
Professor Kinggard
By: Keila Cordero

2. Purpose:
• The purpose of this assignment is to create a flip chart that includes
before, during, and after literacy strategies, with a specific focus on
non-fiction 6th grade level text.
• These strategies can be easily modified to be used with any grade
level text.
• The main focus for these strategies is to guide students towards the
realization that reading is a process, and to aid students in reading
comprehension.

3. “Before” Literacy Strategies
• The reader's task prior to reading is to
activate his or her prior knowledge of the
topic, to prepare the mind to interact with
the new information contained in the text.
It acts as a “warm-up” prior to the
reading.
• In the before-reading stage, the teacher
can use various strategies depending on
the content to motivate students to
engage in the reading process. One way
to is to help them to activate their prior
knowledge of the topic (schema).
• In general, the teacher can help students
create a focus for their reading efforts, to
set a purpose for the reading.
Strategies Described:
• Quick Write
• Semantic Map
• Quadrant Cards
• Three Step Interview
• Carousel Brainstorm

4. Quick Write Strategy
• Its purpose is to introduce a concept and to connect this concept with the
student’s prior knowledge and to allow students to discuss and learn from
each other’s past experiences.
• Procedure:
1. Introduce a single word or concept to the class.
2. Have students copy the word or concept on an index card.
3. Students are given 2-3 minutes to write whatever comes to their minds in
relation to the word or concept.
4. After time is called, students may share their thoughts with the class.

5. Semantic Map Strategy
• The purpose for this strategy includes activating
prior knowledge, built background knowledge, helps
to organize knowledge about a specific topic.
• Procedure:
1. Select a main idea or topic of the reading then
write it on the board and put a circle around it.
2. Have students brainstorm subtopics related to the
topic. Use lines to connect these to the main topic.
3. Have students brainstorm specific vocabulary
words related to each subtopic presented. Record
these beneath each subtopic.
4. After reading the text revise the Semantic Map to
reflect on new knowledge acquired.

6. Quadrant Cards Strategy
• It helps to motivate students to engage in
vocabulary study and to expand their
vocabulary knowledge. Helps students read
the passage more fluently by acquiring
vocabulary knowledge prior to the reading.
• Procedure:
1. Divide a sheet of paper into four parts.
2. List the words to be learned in the top left
quadrant.
3. Write a definition and or synonym in the top
right quadrant.
4. Write an antonym or draw an illustration in
the bottom right corner.

7. Three Step Interview Strategy
• This strategy helps to engage students in
meaningful conversation for the purpose
of analyzing new information before
reading the text.
• Students cooperate with each other and
learn from each others prior knowledge
and experiences.
• Procedure: Students work in pairs one is
the interviewer, and one is the
interviewee. The interviewer asks
questions about the given topic and
actively listens to responses while
paraphrasing key points and interesting
details. Students reverse roles,
repeating the process. Then, students
pair up with another pair of students to
form a group of four. Students then
discuss and share their findings with one
another.
• Example: Present students with an
ethical situation regarding the reading.
Allow students to use the interview
process to discuss (compare/contrast)
their viewpoints regarding the situation.

8. Carousel Brainstorm Strategy
• Purpose: provides students opportunities for
reflection, activates prior knowledge,
motivates students prior to reading, engage
and expand vocabulary, and helps to make
connections between prior knowledge and
text content.
• Procedure: The teacher places topic
questions on chart paper. Place students into
small groups. Student groups begin at
designated chart. Students read the prompt,
discuss with group, and respond directly on
chart. Students then move to a different chart,
read previous responses, discuss, respond,
and move onto different chart. Continue until
every group has responded on each chart.
Teacher then reads information on each chart
and discusses with class.

9. “During” Literacy Strategies
During literacy strategies help students to
comprehend the text by making
connections.
They help students to:
• Engage with the text
• Verify and formulate predictions
• Summarize the text
• Self-monitor comprehension
• Use mental imagery
• Integrate new information with prior
knowledge
Strategies Described:
• Clarifying/Monitoring
• Say Something
• Grand Conversations
• Backwards Note-Taking
• X Marks the Spot

10. Clarifying/Monitoring Strategy
• When clarifying/monitoring, students become
actively aware of their comprehension. They
begin to recognize that they did not
understand a word, a sentence, or even an
entire section.
• Students then take action to gain the
understanding that they need to fully
comprehend the text.
• Provide students with sentence stems they
can use during this step such as: I didn’t get
____ so I _____.
• This should be modeled to your class
preferably during think aloud, and for higher
level students to model in group work
because it helps struggling readers see
solutions to their comprehension dilemma.

11. Say Something Strategy
• Purpose: helps students to make connections with
texts during reading and also enhances
comprehension of the text through short readings
and oral discussions.
• Procedure:
1. Choose a text for students to read and have them
work in pairs.
2. Designate a stopping point for reading.
3. Have students read to the stopping point and then
“say something” about the text to their reading partner.
4. Repeat the steps (2 and 3) until students finish
reading the text.
5. Students may discuss with the class what they
learned about the reading with their partners.

12. Grand Conversations Strategy
• Helps to verify and formulate predictions about the
text. Summarizes the text and helps to self-monitor
comprehension of the text.
• Give students four different index cards to use at
different times during the reading.
1. I wonder card (W)- Use when you have a question
about what is being read or wonder something
about the information.
2. I notice card (N)- Use this card when you notice
something interesting about the text or pictures.
3. Prior knowledge card (P)- Use when you have any
prior knowledge to share about the topic.
4. Spark Card (S)- Use this card when someone else
says something that makes you think of something
else related to the text.

13. Backwards Notetaking Strategy
• This strategy helps students to understand and remember more of what they read. It
supports students in making connections, monitoring their reading, and understanding the
main points of the text.
• This strategy is especially helpful for non-fiction texts and for subjects such as Science,
Math, and Social Studies.
• Procedure:
1. Provide students with a graphic organizer or have them set up their notepapers in a T-
chart. Label one side “My notes” and the other side “Teacher notes”.
2. Students read the text in small chunks taking notes on their side of the graphic
organizer. Once finished have students compare their notes with a partner.
3. Teacher then gives his/her notes to the class and discusses the main ideas, adds
information that he/she wants students to know, and writes any clarifications or
additional information. Students copy the teacher’s notes on their graphic organizer.

14. “X” Marks the Spot Strategy
• This helps students to engage with the text during reading.
To connect prior knowledge with text, and to seek
clarification.
• Procedure:
1. Teacher puts the key on the board or anchor chart for
students to see:
X= key point
!= I get it! I can explain this!
?= I do not understand this
2. The teacher models the procedure for the students during
think aloud using a small chunk of text.
3. Students practice using the strategy independently.
*Modify by using sticky notes on book/text with symbols if no
copies are available for students.

15. “After” Literacy Strategies
The purpose of after literacy
strategies are to help students to:
• Reflect on content of the text
• Evaluate their predictions
• Examine questions that guided
the reading
• Respond to the text through
discussions and writing
• Retell or summarize the text
Strategies described:
• Magnet Summary
• Discussion Web
• GIST
• RAFT
• Challenge Envelopes

16. Magnet Summary Strategy
• This strategy is helpful because students can
identify key terms or concepts within the text
which will be used to organize the important
information into a summary.
• Procedure:
1. Give students an index card. On the unlined
side, the student will write 3-5 key
vocabulary words that he/she finds
important in the text.
2. On the lined side of the card, the student will
then write a summary of the text using the
words chosen in the summary. The student
will then underline or highlight the words
chosen as they are used in the summary.

17. Discussion Web Strategy
• This strategy provides a structure for
discussing a topic while also providing
opportunities for critical thinking.
• After reading the text, give students a
two-sided question supported by the
text. Write the question in the middle of
the discussion web. Have students
work in small groups or individually to
find support in the text for the pro and
con positions about the question. Have
students justify their thinking and write
a conclusion at the end of the web.
Then, discuss the conclusions and
reasoning as a whole class.

18. GIST (Generating Interactions between
Schemata and Text)
• Its purpose is to have students reflect on the
content of the text, summarize the text, and
be able to differentiate between the
information that is essential and nonessential
in the text.
• Procedure: Have students write a summary of
the text in 20 words or less. This should
capture the “gist” of the text.
• Model the procedure to the class by drawing
20 blank spaces on the board. Think aloud as
you begin to complete the 20 blank summary
of the text.
• Once finished, have students work in a small
group or pairs to complete a GIST for the next
portion of the text. With practice, students
should be able to independently complete a
GIST.

19. RAFT Strategy
• This strategy helps students to integrate
information from the text with prior knowledge.
It is also a way for students to respond to and
analyze the reading through brainstorming
various roles, audience, format, and topic to
create a new text. Helps students use their
critical thinking skills.
• Role of the Writer- Who are you as the writer?
• Audience- To whom are you writing?
• Format- What form will the writing take?
• Topic-What is the subject or point of this
piece?

20. Challenge Envelopes Strategy
• This strategy helps to review the text. It helps students with higher level
processing of a topic or concept. It provides students the opportunity to
formulate challenging questions while learning from peer responses
about the text content/topic.
• Procedure:
1. Divide the class into small groups and give each group of students
an envelope.
2. Have each group write a challenge question on the front of the
envelope (encourage higher level questions and provide prompts if
needed).
3. Have each group generate the answer and include a sample
response inside the envelope.
4. Scramble the envelopes and have the groups rotate the envelopes
throughout the class. When the group receives the envelope, they
will discuss the question and provide a response. They will read the
response included in the envelope and discuss once again. Then,
the students will place their response inside the envelope and send
the envelope back to circulation.
5. As the envelopes are filled with responses, the groups will gather to
compare/contrast their responses with the other responses inside the
envelope.

21. References
• All About Adolescent Literacy. (2018). Retrieved April 20, 2018, from
http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/
• Brophy, M. C. (n.d.). Reading Comprehension: Process and Strategies.
Retrieved April 21, 2018, from
https://www.ntid.rit.edu/sea/processes/comprehension/intro
• Klages, C. (2009). Thomasville Schools Before-During-After Literacy
Strategies. Retrieved April 23, 2018, from
http://www.thomasvilleschools.org/