The document outlines research-based non-fiction reading strategies for educators to implement with students, particularly 6th graders. It divides the strategies into three categories: before, during, and after reading. Some of the before reading strategies include having students preview the text, make predictions, and activate their prior knowledge. During reading strategies involve asking questions, pausing to summarize, and highlighting important information. After reading strategies provide ways for students to record what they learned, generate questions, and complete a summary or exit slip to assess comprehension.

1. NON-FICTION READING
STRATEGIES
by Emily Gurklis
RED4348
Critical Assignment 1

2. Purpose of Assignment
• The purpose of this assignment is to provide educators
with research-based, non-fiction reading strategies to
implement with their students. The strategies have been
designed with 6th graders in mind, but they can be
adapted to work with other grade levels as well.
• The strategies included are all research-based, meaning
their usefulness has been tested and proven to be
effective.
• All strategies are broken down into the subcategories
defining when they should take place: before, during, or
after reading.

3. Before Reading Strategies
• Why should we prepare students before reading?
• Just like a map prepares travelers for the journey ahead,
so a teacher should prepare their students for the text
they will be encountering.
• This idea is called “frontloading.”
• Frontloading techniques consist of equipping students
for the text by activating their prior knowledge,
discussing vital information and vocabulary necessary to
understand the text, providing students with information
about the text structure, and reviewing comprehension
strategies (Bursuck & Damer, 2011).

4. Before Reading Strategies
• Strategy 1: Preview the text.
• Give students a moment to look over the title(s),
headings, illustrations, and other text features.
• Notice common themes, highlighted information, and so
on.

5. Before Reading Strategies
• Strategy 2: Make a prediction.
• Ask them to predict what they believe the text is about.
• Students can record their predictions on a scrap piece of
paper or graphic organizer.

6. Before Reading Strategies
• Strategy 3: Set a purpose for reading.
• Discuss or decide why you are reading the text.
• When reading nonfiction, students are reading primarily to
gain knowledge. Some might be reading for pleasure, to
catch up on current events, to discover new facts, etc.
• Help students find a personal purpose for reading this
particular text.

7. Before Reading Strategies
• Strategy 4: Activate prior knowledge.
• Before reading, ask students what they already know
about the topic they will be encountering.
• If creating a KWL chart, have students fill in the “K”
section (what they already know).

8. Before Reading Strategies
• Strategy 5: Teach new vocabulary.
• Introduce and define 1-2 new vocabulary words that are
necessary for comprehending the text.

9. During Reading Strategies
• Students must monitor their comprehension of the text as
they read.
• This is the time that they are actively developing their
knowledge as they interact with the text.
• “Reading comprehension is the active process of
obtaining meaning from a written text.” (Bursuck & Damer,
2011).

10. During Reading Strategies
• Strategy 1: Ask questions.
• Teachers should constantly pose questions as the reading
takes place.
• These questions should clarify meaning, define unknown
vocabulary, etc.
• Provide self-monitoring questions for students to ask
themselves. (Ex: What is the author trying to tell me? Do I
understand what is being said?)

11. During Reading Strategies
• Strategy 2: Pause and summarize.
• “Chunking” is the term used to describe breaking up
reading into shorter, more manageable sections (Bursuck
& Damer, 2011).
• As students read the text, have them summarize the
section(s).

12. During Reading Strategies
• Strategy 3: Participate in partner reading.
• Students buddy up with a fellow student.
• Students take turns reading the text (ex: Student 1 reads
one paragraph, Student 2 reads one paragraph, etc.).
• Through this method, students are able to practice fluency
and interact with a peer.

13. During Read Strategies
• Strategy 4: Highlight critical information.
• Use a highlighter or pencil to note important information.
• When re-reading, this will help the reader recall the main
ideas and facts gleaned from the passage.

14. During Read Strategies
• Strategy 5: Use a double entry journal.
• Fold a sheet of paper in half, creating two columns.
• Write down interesting or important quotes/facts from the
text on the left side.
• In the right column, record personal reactions, questions,
connections to prior knowledge, etc.

15. After Reading Strategies
• After reading is the time to collect evidence of student
comprehension.
• Post-reading activities can help students not only
reinforce what they just read, but also look deeper into the
text.

16. After Reading Strategies
• Strategy 1: Record information about what was read.
• If students began by using a KWL chart, have them
complete the “L” (learned) section of the chart.
• They could also record this information in a learning log.

17. After Reading Strategies
• Strategy 2: Generate questions.
• Students will create their own questions about the text.
• These questions could be things they want to ask the
author or concepts that are unclear.
• The questions could also be designed as a
comprehension quiz that they would give to a friend. (Ex:
What do you think this passage was mainly about?)

18. After Reading Strategies
• Strategy 3: Summarize what was read.
• In a given length (ex: “In one paragraph, in three
sentences, etc.), students will provide a summary of what
they read.
• Their summary should include the main idea of the
passage, as well as relevant supporting details.

19. After Reading Strategies
• Strategy 4: Be interviewed.
• Using a set of text-based comprehension questions, the
teacher (or a fellow student) will “interview” the student.
• The teacher will record the student’s answers to measure
comprehension.

20. After Reading Strategies
• Strategy 5: Complete an exit slip (“Classroom Strategies,”
2015).
• Given a post-it or other piece of paper, students will
record what “stuck” with them from the reading.
• Students will respond to a teacher question or prompt in a
short answer.

21. References
• Bursuck, W., & Damer, M. (2011). Teaching reading to
students who are at risk or have disabilities: A multi-tier
approach (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson.
• Classroom Strategies. (2015). Retrieved April 4, 2015,
from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies