This document discusses strategies to use before, during, and after reading to improve student comprehension. Before reading strategies include previewing text, activating prior knowledge, making predictions, and learning new vocabulary. During reading strategies involve thinking aloud, close readings, wait time, graphic organizers, and seed discussions. After reading strategies are summarizing, using a 3-2-1 strategy where students note 3 things learned, 2 things interesting, and 1 question, think-pair-share, creating timelines, and discussions. The document cites sources that explain the importance of comprehension strategies and specific strategies.

1. Before, During, and
After Reading Strategies
Jessica Walker
RED4348
Spring 2017

2. Why should you use reading strategies
in your classroom?
• Reading strategies will help the students comprehend the material they are reading
or that is being read to them.
• Bursuck (2015) states “Reading Comprehension is the active process of obtaining
meaning from written text” (pg 280).
• Bursuck (2015) states “the process of deciphering the meaning of written words is
exceedingly complex because it is influenced by a number of important factors
including the person who is reading, the text being read, the task the reader is trying
to accomplish, and the context in which the reading is being done (RAND Reading
Study Group, 2002). Effective comprehension instruction takes into account all four
factors.” (pg 280).

3. Before Reading Strategies
Before reading strategies will help the student understand the content they are
about to read.
• Preview
• Prediction
• Activate Prior Knowledge
• Preview Text
• Learn New Vocabulary

4. Preview
• Students and teacher should preview the text before reading. This will
interest the students in what they are about to read.
• Read the title, and headings, look at pictures or preview chapters.

5. Activate Prior Knowledge
Activating prior knowledge will allow students a way to connect to the text for
better comprehension. Bursuck (2015) states “If Carla has visited the
Southwest, she is more apt to understand a mystery that takes place in the
Arizona desert.” (pg 283).

6. Prediction
• Making predictions activates students' prior
knowledge about the text and helps them make
connections between new information and what
they already know.
• Example:
“Think aloud before reading a book to students,
modeling the process of predicting before reading. "I
found an interesting book at the library and by
looking at the cover I am guessing or predicting the
story will be about _____ and _______. When we use
what we know to make a guess before we read it is
called 'predicting.'“ (Teachervision.com)

7. Picture Walk
• Teacher previews just pictures in a
book with the students.
• Students make predictions on what
the story is about by connecting to
the pictures in the text.

8. Teach New Vocabulary
• Teaching students the meaning of
vocabulary words they might not
know yet is another before reading.
• Learning new vocabulary words
will help them comprehend the text
better by knowing the definition of
important words in the text.

9. During Reading
These strategies will be used during the reading process to aid in comprehension of
the text. Teaching and modeling metacognitive skills, so students can see step by step
how the teacher is comprehending the material.
• Think Aloud
• Close Readings
• Wait Time/Think Time
• Graphic Organizers
• Seed Discussions

10. Think Aloud
• Teachers describe their own
thought process while reading a
text.
• “Students able to see what
comprehension looks like”
(Bursuck, 2015, pg 289) because
they are hearing and seeing the
teacher thought process while
reading a text.

11. Close Reading
• Students read and reread text to gain a
better understanding of its deeper
meanings.
• Questions get more difficult after each
reread.
• Provides opportunity for meaningful
discussion of the authors intentions
for the text (characters, events,
vocabulary, etc,)

12. Wait Time/Think Time
• Teachers should provide longer wait
times to students for more accurate
answers, more student participation,
and increase ELL participation.
• “Even though keeping perky pace
during reading lesson is important,
extending the wait time to three
seconds between the end of a question
to the start of the answer gives the
students additional time to think about
their answers” (Bursuck, 2015, pg 293).

13. Graphic
Organizers
• Graphic organizers help students visually
organize their thoughts while reading a
story.
• Concept maps and story maps are useful
tool in aiding comprehension while
reading a story.
• Teachers should model and scaffold
completion of a graphic organizer.

14. Seed Discussions
“Seed Discussions allow students to identify
and develop topics important to their own
thinking.” (Simon, n.d).
• Information I don’t understand
• Things that are interesting
• Vocabulary I want to know
• Things that remind me of other things I
know.

15. After Reading
• These strategies are used to review the material and show that the student
understood the content they just read.
• Summarize
• 3-2-1
• Think-Pair-Share
• Create a Timeline
• Discussions

16. Summarize
• Summary is a strategy that is used
after reading for comprehension.
The students put the main idea and
key details about the text into their
own words.

17. 3-2-1
• “The idea is to give students a chance
to summarize some key ideas, rethink
them in order to focus on those that
they are most intrigued by, and then
pose a question that can reveal where
their understanding is still uncertain.”
(Jones, 2012).
• Students will fill out an organizer
stating 3 things they learned, 2 things
they found interesting, and 1 thing
they still have a question about.

18. Think-Pair-Share
• Teacher ask a thought provoking questions
and allows students to think about their
answer.
• Students pair up with a peer and discuss their
answers.
• Teacher has students come back to attention
and asks the students each individually or by
group to share their answers to the question.
• This strategy allows students to think about
the question they are being asked, and have
collaborative conversations with peers to
share, compare and contrast their answers.

19. Create a Timeline
• Students can create a timeline to
organize the events in a text.
• Useful for biographies and
historical events.

20. Discussions
Discussion allow students to verbalize
their opinions, and thoughts of the
story. Also, allows students to hear
other students perspective, and think
about things in a different way.

21. References
References
Bursuck, W. D., & Damer, M. (2015). Teaching Reading to Students Who Are At Risk or Have Disabilities.
Pearson.
Jones, R. (2012, 08 26). Strategies for Reading Comprehension 321. Retrieved from Reading Quest:
http://www.readingquest.org/strat/321.html
Jones, R. (2012). Strategies for Reading Comprehension Think Pair Share. Retrieved from Reading Quest:
http://www.readingquest.org/strat/tps.html
N.A. (n.d.). Predicting Lesson. Retrieved from Teacher Vision:
https://www.teachervision.com/reading/predicting-lesson
Simon, C. A. (n.d.). Introdcing New Content with Seed Discussions. Retrieved from Read, Write, Think:
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/introducing-content-with-seed-30631.html