This document provides before, during, and after reading strategies for students in grades 6-8. The purpose is to help students comprehend what they are reading. Before reading strategies activate prior knowledge and set a purpose. Strategies include table talks, introducing vocabulary, KWL charts, think-pair-shares, and ABC brainstorming. During reading strategies monitor comprehension, like saying something, partner reading, note taking, paired summarizing, and Venn diagrams. After reading strategies have students reflect on and discuss the text through 3-2-1 summaries, exit tickets, journal responses, graphic organizers, and interviews.

1. The Declaration of
Independence
Before, During, and After Reading
Strategies
By: Karen Price Hossell
Grade Band: 6th-8th
Spring
18’

2. Purpose of the Assignment
★ This assignment is for 6th to 8th graders based on the text.
★ This assignment provides students before, during, and after reading strategies that will help develop their
comprehension skills.
★ The goal for each student is to be able to understand what is being read.
★ The follow strategies are evidence based strategies that have proven to be effective.

3. Before Reading
Before reading strategies help
students activate prior knowledge
about the given text and gives the
students a purpose for reading.

4. During Reading
During reading the teacher and
student can monitor their progress.
During reading strategies help
students make connections to the
text, generate questions, and stay
motivated and focused.

5. After Reading
After reading strategies
provides the student an
opportunity to reflect on the
reading, as well as, discuss,
question, and summarize the
text.

6. Before Reading Strategies
1. Table Talk
2. Introduce New Vocabulary
3. KWL Chart
4. Think Pair Share
5. ABC Brainstorm

7. Before Reading Strategy: Table Talk
● Activates prior knowledge.
● Builds background knowledge.
● Encourages active listening.
● Sets up a purpose for the lesson.
★ Write a thought provoking statement or
question related to the Declaration of
Independence text.
★ Each student has two minutes to read
the topic, reflect, and write a response.
★ Each student has three minutes to
share his/her response with a partner,
reflect, and write a response to his/her
partner’s statement.
★ Responses are shared within the group
and one response is chosen to share
Table Talk
Instructions:

8. Before Reading Strategy: Introduce New
Vocabulary
★ Gives the student an idea of what
the text will be about.
★ Introducing and teaching new
vocabulary are essential for
understanding the given text.
★ Teaching new vocabulary words
will allow the students to focus on
the text instead of focusing on
unknown words.
★ Creating a word wall will allow
students to have access to the

9. Before Reading Strategy: KWL Chart
★ Link prior knowledge to new information
★ Generate questions to guide meaningful learning
★ Create own meaning and learning from new text
★ Helps set their purpose for reading and focuses their
attention on key ideas.
Before reading, students fill in
the Know column with words,
terms, or phrases from prior
knowledge. Students generate
questions about what they
might learn or want to learn
about the text.
KWL Chart Instructions:

10. Before Reading Strategy: Think Pair Share
★ Activate prior knowledge
★ Generate questions
★ Make predictions Establish a purpose for
reading
★ Preview the text by viewing and discussing
the title, author, pictures, opening
sentence, vocabulary, and outcomes.
★ Encourage students to predict what the
text may be about.
★ Students should be able to justify how text
aspects support their predictions.
★ Students then read a portion of the text,
stopping at critical points to discuss
whether their predictions were or were not
confirmed by the text.
Think Pair Share
Instructions:

11. Before Reading Strategy: ABC Brainstorm
★ Present the topic (Declaration of Independence) to brainstorm.
★ Students list all the letters of the alphabet down a sheet of paper,
leaving room beside each letter to write out the rest of a word.
★ Students work individually thinking of as many words as they can that
are associated with the topic and write the words beside the
appropriate letters.
★ After, allow students to pair up to fill in blank letters they have not
completed.
★ Allow students to share with the entire class possible terms for the
different letters of the alphabet.
ABC Brainstorm
Instructions:

12. During Reading Strategies
★ Say Something
★ Partner Reading
★ Note Taking
★ Paired Summarizing
★ Venn Diagram

13. During Reading Strategy: Say Something
★ Make connections with
texts during reading.
★ Enhance comprehension
of written material
through short readings
and oral discussions.
Say Something
Instructions:★ Choose a text for the students to
read and have them work in
pairs.
★ Designate a stopping point for
reading.
★ Have students read to the
stopping point and then “say
something” about the text to their
partners.
★ Repeat until students finish
reading the text.

14. During Reading Strategy: Partner Reading
★ Student pair up and take
turns reading the given text.
★ The students are practicing
fluency, comprehension,
and peer interactions.
★ Students can then
incorporate the strategy
“Say Something”, while
partner reading.
Partner Reading Instructions:

15. During Reading Strategy: Note Taking
★ Note taking allows students to
refer back to them when they are
unsure.
★ Note taking allows students to
build on writing, comprehension,
and literacy skills.
★ When students take notes during
reading, they can write down
words they do not understand,
comments, or thoughts that
pertain to the text.
Note Taking
Instructions:

16. During Reading Strategy: Paired Summarizing
★ Pairs of students read a selection and then
each writes a summary.
★ When summaries are completed, the partners
trade papers and read each other’s work. Then
each writes a summary of the other partner’s
paper.
★ Then the pair of students compare or contrast
their summaries. The discussion should focus
on: what each reader understands, identifying
what they cannot understand, and formulating
clarification questions for classmates and the
teacher.
★ Share understandings and questions in a
whole-class or large group discussion.

17. During Reading Strategy: Venn Diagram
★ Teacher should model the strategy first.
★ Draw two circles overlapping. Each circle
represents a concept or topic.
★ Unique characteristics of the two ideas
being compared are recorded in the
outer of the two overlapping circles.
Common characteristics are recorded
where the circles overlap.

18. After Reading Strategies
★ 3-2-1
★ Exit Ticket
★ Journal Responses
★ Graphic Organizers
★ Interviews

19. After Reading Strategy: 3-2-1
High Order Thinking Strategy!
3-2-1 promotes:
★ Self-monitoring comprehension.
★ Helps identify important details in
the content.
★ Can make connections to content.
★ Identifies areas in the content
where understanding is uncertain.
3 Important
Details
2 Connections
1 Question

20. After Reading Strategy: Exit Ticket
This strategy allows the
students to reflect on what
they read during the
lesson.
The Exit Ticket also allows
teachers to read over their
students comments, to get
a better understanding of
where their student is
academically.

21. After Reading Strategy: Journal Responses
Journal responses provide
opportunities for reflection and critical
thinking.
Writing Prompt Examples:
★ What was important in the chapter?
How do you know?
★ What is something new you
learned? Explain.
★ What connections did you make?
Explain

22. After Reading Strategy: Graphic Organizers
Graphic Organizers provide a visual model of the structure
of text and provides a format for organizing information and
concepts.
★ Demonstrate how
graphic organizers
work by reading a
piece of text and
noting key concepts
and ideas on the
organizer.
★ Have groups of
students practice using
the graphic organizer
with ideas from
Graphic Organizer
Instructions:

23. After Reading Strategy: Interviews
★ Students will generate questions
based on the given text.
★ Questions are based on the story;
characters, setting, climax.
★ Students will be paired into groups
of 2 and ask their partner their
written questions.

24. Citation
1. Bursuck, W. D., & Damer, M. (2015). Teaching reading to students who are at
risk or have disabilities: A multi-tier, RTI approach. Boston: Pearson.
2. Klages, C. Before-During-After Learning Strategies. Retrieved March 22,
2018, from http://www.thomasvilleschools.org.