This document provides strategies to help readers at various stages of the reading process - before, during, and after reading. Some key strategies include using KWL charts, skimming texts for bold/italicized words, discussing topics with peers, taking notes, using graphic organizers, and writing summaries. The goal is to equip students with techniques that will help them comprehend texts and become "super readers."

2. How to Become a Super
Reader
Go through the flipchart and review the
Before, During, and After strategies
Implement some of the strategies into your
reading habits.

4. Before Reading
5 Helpful Strategies
KWL charts
Skimming
Think-Pair-Share
Pre-vocabulary Lesson
Class Discussion

5. KWL
Know, Want to Know, and Learned
Make a chart with three columns labeled “KWL”.
Before the child starts reading have them write
what they already know about the non-fiction
topic in the K section. In the W chart have them
write what they want to know about the topic.
When they finish reading they will fill in the L
section for learned.

6. Skimming
Before actually reading scan through the text
and look for BOLD words or underlined words or
even italicized words. Read a little about those
words to get an understanding of what the text
may be about. Also, look for any pictures or
graphs that are in the passages. Read the
captions and examine the picture.

7. Think-Pair-Share
This strategy is when students write down ideas
about the passage, discuss with a fellow peer,
and then share collaborative ideas with the rest
of the class.
This allows students to gain the perspective and
ideas from other students before actually
reading.

8. Pre-Vocabulary Lesson
When reading nonfiction, there tend to be a lot
of new words. Coming into the 6th grade the
child will be introduced to a lot of new
vocabulary.
The student should go through the passage and
skim and see if there are any bolded words or a
word that looks unfamiliar.
Have them define these words before actually
reading.

9. Class Discussion
This would act as a quick over view of what is
going to be read. Ask the student about the topic
and help build their background knowledge.
If the child is reading on their own, encourage
them to take time to think about the topic and tell
them to draw ideas from their past experiences
and see if they can relate it to the topic.

10. During Reading
Sticky Notes
Graphic Organizers
Guided Reading
Underline or highlight words
Take notes

11. Sticky Notes
During reading sticky notes are very useful for
any reader. Place a sticky note where there is an
important fact or a main idea. This way the
student can look back at the passage and find
the main idea quickly. This will also help them
actually look through the passage and not skim.

12. Graphic Organizers
These tools will help students organize key
terms, facts, and ideas from the text. The
student can choose any graphic organizer that
they find the most useful.
Recommended graphic organizers; KWL, Venn
diagrams, Concept Maps, and Flow Charts.
These can all be accessed online or I can print
out some in the classroom.

13. Guided Reading
This is good not only in class but at home by the
parent/guardian. The adult models how to read
directly to the student/child. The technique used
is scaffolding (building on one idea and adding
more to it). This will ultimately help the child
branch away from guided reading to
independent reading.

14. Underline or Highlight
If the student has a printed copy, have them
highlight key terms and circle words that they do
not know.
If the student cannot write on the text,
encourage them to start making mental notes of
where the words are.

15. Notes
This is the easiest strategy and something that
student can take with them all the way from
middle school, to high school, and even college.
The easiest form is Cornell Notes. Students fold
a piece of lined paper in half. On the left side of
the paper they write a main idea. On the right
side of the paper the student writes notes that
are aligned with the topic written on the left
hand side of the paper.

16. After Reading
Learning Logs
Class Review
Exit Slips
Graphic Organizers
Summarizing

17. Learning Logs
Students can use a notebook or composition
book to write down the main ideas, facts, or
important information that they learned. These
are really good for large books so students can
go back and reread what they learned about in
the previous text.

18. Class Review
Parent/guardian or the teacher go over what was
read with the class as a whole or the child as an
individual. This review is very beneficial because
it allows the instructor to ask questions about
some ideas that may have been missed and it
allows the student to actually have to go back
and think about what they just learned.

19. Exit Slips
The instructor tells the student that they have to
write down four facts before they can go do the
next activity. The exit slips could also be
premade questions that the child should be able
to answer.

20. Graphic Organizers
This is a very affective way ot making sure that
the child completes the reading and fully
understands it. The KWL chart (as listed in
before strategies) is what is highly
recommended. The L section is what the child
learned. The teacher could guide them to help
them remember everything that they learned.

21. Summarizing
This can be in a paragraph or essay form.
The student writes down the main ideas and
basically everything that they learned from the
passage.
This allows the student to have to retell what
they read.

22. Congratulations!
You now should be equipped with some
beneficial strategies that will help you grow and
become a SUPER reader!
-Emily Sweeny

23. 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=00499782
7699593338140:nptllrzhp78&cof=FORID:11&ie=UTF-
8&as_q=Before, during, after reading strategies