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Literacy Strategies to Support
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Student Learning Across
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the Content Areas
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Strategies to Assist Literacy
Development
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Cyndi Clark
Buffalo RSE-TASC
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[email protected]
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Created by Buffalo City RSE-TASC – CC 11/09, revised 9/15
This compilation should not be construed as “approved” or the
only strategies to be used to support the needs of students within the
Buffalo Public Schools – the intent of this document is to serve as a
set of practical, flexible, research-supported literacy strategies to
assist the teachers to improve outcomes for all students in all content
areas
It is critical to note that all instructional strategies must be
explicitly taught and modeled, frequently revisited, and implemented
with fidelity for effective results – please refer to handout on Strategy
Instruction before employing any instructional strategy
The following strategies are divided into before, during and after reading
activities and are readily applicable to a variety of content area coursework,
individual/pairs/small groups/large groups of students, and diverse student
populations
Before Reading
Anticipation Guide
Collaborative-Strategic-Reading Learning Log
Concept Sorts
First Lines
Vocabulary Graphic Organizer (Frayer Model)
List-Group-Label
Listen-Read-Discuss
Mnemonics
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS)
Possible Sentences
Think Alouds
Think-Pair-Share (TPS)
During Reading
Concept Maps
Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)
Double-Entry Journals
Inferential Reading
Inquiry Chart (I Chart)
Jigsaw
Monitoring/Clarifying
Paired Reading
Paragraph Shrinking
Partner Reading
Power Notes
Prediction Relay
Reading Guides
Reciprocal Teaching
Seed Discussions
Selective Highlighting
Semantic Feature Analysis
Story Maps
Structured Note-Taking
SQ3R
Text Structure
Word Hunts
After Reading
Exit Slips
Frame Routine
Question the Author (QtA)
Question-Answer Relationship
RAFT Writing
Summarizing
Before
Reading
Anticipation Guide
An Anticipation Guide is a strategy used to activate prior knowledge and
provide an anticipatory set about a lesson or topic. Before reading a selection,
students respond to several statements that challenge or support their
preconceived ideas about key concepts in the text. This stimulates interest in the
topic and sets a purpose for reading. The Anticipation Guide is revisited via
discussion after reading to help students’ evaluate their understanding of the text
and to correct any misconceptions.
Anticipation Guides engage all students by challenging them to think critically
about what they know or think they know about a topic
Steps:
1. Identify the major ideas presented in the reading
2. Consider the beliefs that your students are likely to have about the topic
3. Write general statements that challenge your students’ beliefs
4. Have students respond to the statements with either a positive or negative
response
Use the Strategy:
1. Students complete the guide before reading – alone, in pairs, or in small
groups. Students must be prepared to discuss and debate their reactions
to the statements on the guide
2. As an attempt to activate critical thinking about the topic, encourage
students to dig deeper than their answers to get them to discuss their
justifications
3. Students read the selected text while the Anticipation Guide is fresh in
their minds – encourage them to mark or jot down where the text supports
their initial reactions to statements or causes them to re-think their
reactions
4. Facilitate a class discussion after reading – did anyone change their
position on any of the statements and what caused you to revise your
thinking?
See sample template
Anticipation Guide
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Please fold the paper along the line where the right column begins so that
it is under your paper. Read each statement below. Think about whether
you agree or disagree with the statement and respond with an (A) for agree
or (D) for disagree in the left column. Be prepared to share!
Before
Reading
A = agree
D = disagree
Statement/Question
After
Reading
A = agree
D = disagree
Collaborative-Strategic-Reading Learning Log
Collaborative-Strategic-Reading (CSR) Learning Log is a strategy that
teaches students to work cooperatively to promote better reading
comprehension. Logs are used to help students keep track of learning during the
collaboration process. Students think about what they are reading and write
down questions and/or reflections about their learning. The completed logs
serve as a guide for follow-up activities.
CSR Learning Logs are used in a variety of content areas and offer teachers
flexibility in implementation. CSR Learning Logs serve as written
documentation of learning, encourage active participation in small groups, and
serve as completed study guides.
Steps:
1. Introduce students to the selected text and discuss the specific CSR
assignment. Prior to reading, students must be:

Grouped according to reading levels

Provided a set of guidelines for writing their logs (may include
impromptu writing, note taking, or diagram drawing)

Prepared to write what they already know about the topic
2. As students read they record information learned or questions about the
text – this may be written in a notebook, handout, or class-made journals.
Students enter their reaction after reading the selected text
3. The teacher monitors entries, responds to questions, and provides
clarification
See sample template
CSR Learning Log
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Before
Reading
During
Reading
After
Reading
Brainstorm
Predict
What’s the Gist?
Questions about main ideas What I learned
Concept Sorts
Concept Sorts are a strategy used to introduce students to the vocabulary of a
new topic or reading selection. The teacher provides the students with a list of
essential terms or concepts from the topic or text and the students place the
words into different categories based on each word’s meaning. Categories may
be defined by the teacher or the students. Concept Sorts provide an
opportunity for a teacher to see what students already know about a given topic.
If used as an after reading strategy, teachers can assess their students’
understanding of the concepts presented.
This strategy is helpful when there is a lot of specialized vocabulary to introduce
and enhances reading skills by providing the content to which students can
attach new oral vocabulary. There is a research base to suggest that this is also
an effective technique for ELL students. Concept Sorts can be used
individually, small group, and large group.
Steps:
1. Pre-determine the essential vocabulary to be mastered
2. Introduce the topic or selection to be read
3. Print out the vocabulary terms on index cards (make several sets) – you
may even wish to color code depending upon course or unit
4. Create and label the categories or support the students with creating their
own categories as they sort the cards (such as, but not limited to:
character/setting/problem/solution, herbivores/carnivores/omnivores, etc.)
5. The students sort the cards and then explain why the terms are grouped
as they are – the students continue this activity by developing a chart of
their sorts
First Lines
First Lines is a strategy in which students read the beginning sentences from
selected readings and make predictions about the content of what they are about
to read. This strategy assists students to focus their attention on what they can
tell from the first lines of text. As the selection is read in its entirety, the students
discuss to revisit and/or revise their original predictions.
This strategy requires students to anticipate what the text is about before they
begin reading and activates prior knowledge. It encourages the students to
become active participants in their learning, not merely passive. Writing is
included as a way of organizing predictions and thoughts generated from
discussion.
Steps:
1. Select the text to be read and introduce it to the students
2. Write the first line of the text on the board, overhead, Smartboard, or have
prepared ahead of time to distribute to students
3. Ask the students to read the first line of text
4. Students make predictions for the reading based on what they see in the
first sentence – students should be prepared to discuss their predictions
5. Remind the class that there are no “right” or “wrong” predictions about
text, but emphasize that their predictions should be able to be supported
from information in the first line
6. Facilitate class discussion about each student’s prediction
7. Students are asked to review their predictions and to note any changes or
additions to their predictions on their recording sheet or in a journal before
reading the selection – this can be done individually, in pairs, or small
groups
8. After reading, encourage students to return to their original predictions,
assess their original predictions, and build evidence to support those
predictions which are accurate. Students are free to revise their original
predictions and then engage in a brief class discussion related to their
original predictions and any revisions made
See sample template
First Lines
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
First Line
Prediction
Explanation
Revision
Vocabulary Graphic Organizer (Frayer Model)
The Vocabulary Graphic Organizer (Frayer Model) is a strategy that employs
a GO to build essential content area vocabulary. Students are required to define
the target vocabulary words or terms, and apply this information by generating
examples and non-examples, drawing a picture, using the word/term that will
remind them of the word in context, listing facts or characteristics associated with
the word or term, etc. This information is place on a chart that is divided into 4
sections around a center hub to provide a visual representation for the students.
This strategy promotes critical thinking and encourages students to identify and
understand unfamiliar vocabulary – it is appropriate for individual use, pairs,
small groups, or large groupings. This is a strategy that draws upon prior
knowledge and helps to build connections among new concepts by creating a
visual reference by which students learn to compare attributes and examples.
Steps:
1. Predetermine essential vocabulary from a reading selection or topic and
list on board, overhead, Interactive Whiteboard, etc.
2. Use one Graphic Organizer per essential vocabulary term or concept
3. Have students read the selection and carefully define the target concepts,
drawing on prior knowledge and using the cues provided within the text to
complete the graphic organizer
4. Facilitate a sharing-out discussion as students describe their conclusions
– this provides the opportunity to give corrective feedback and enables the
students to use their correct and completed graphic organizers as tools for
the lesson, unit, etc.
 Feel free to customize the 4 boxes of Frayer Model GO to fit the needs of
your students and curricular demands
See sample template
Vocabulary GO (Frayer Model)
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Definition
Example(s)
Facts/Characteristics
Non-example(s)
List-Group-Label
List-Group-Label is a vocabulary strategy that engages students in a 3-step
process to actively organize their understanding of content area vocabulary and
concepts. It assists students to recognize the relationships between words and
concepts using their prior knowledge about a topic and activates critical thinking
skills. This is an appropriate strategy for before and after reading.
Steps:
1. Choose a reading selection and predetermine the main concept of the
passage
2. Introduce the topic of the reading selection to the students
3. List –

Students brainstorm all the words that they think relate to the topic

Visually display the student responses

*it is important not to critique their responses at this point – while
some responses may not reflect the main concept, all responses
are validated during brainstorming
4. Group –

Divide the class into small groups – each group works to cluster the
class list of words into sub-categories. As groups of words
emerge, challenge students to explain their reasoning for placing
words together or discarding them
5. Label –

Students now suggest a title or label for the groups of words they
have formed – these labels should relate to their reasoning for the
grouping
Although this strategy may begin as a pre-reading activity, students should return
to it as they read through the selected text – they may find the need to add words
or re-label groups of words they created
See sample template
List-Group-Label
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
In the first column, please list all of the words you can think of that are
related to the topic. Once you have created your list, group the words
based on their similarities. Label each group when you are finished. Be
prepared to share!
List
Group and Label
Listen-Read-Discuss
Listen-Read-Discuss is a comprehension strategy that builds upon prior
knowledge before reading a selection. Students listen as the teacher presents
the content of their reading via a mini-lecture format, generally paired with a
visual representation, such as a graphic organizer.
The students read the text and compare what they learned during the minilecture to their understanding of reading the text independently. Finally, the
students discuss their understanding of the text with others in their small groups
or with the entire class.
Listen-Read-Discuss engages struggling readers through class discussion –
since the content is initially covered orally, students who cannot read the entire
text independently are able to gain at least a surface level of understanding
about the reading.
Students who lack prior knowledge about the content have an opportunity to gain
it during the listening phase, allowing them to more readily comprehend the text
as they read.
Steps:
1. Listen – teacher presents a mini-teach on the content of the reading
selection – include a graphic organizer of the information you discuss
2. Read – students independently read the selection, guided by the idea that
the reading may provide another understanding or interpretation of the
content
3. Discuss – facilitate a classroom discussion of the selection. Encourage
students to reflect on the differences between their reading of the content
and your presentation of the content via the mini-teach
Mnemonics
A mnemonic is an instructional strategy designed to assist students to improve
their memory of important information. This is a tried-and-true strategy
sometimes referred to as “mnemonic devices”. This technique connects new
learning to prior knowledge through the use of visual and/or auditory cues. The
basic types of mnemonic strategies rely on the use of acronyms/acrostics,
rhyming words, or key words. While many mnemonics are readily available,
teachers are encouraged to create their own and allow students to create their
own.
A variation on the concept of mnemonics is to pair the selected mnemonic to a
familiar tune for singing or to a rap – this can be an excellent vehicle for helping
students to remember processes or sequential skill steps.
Wherever possible, tie the mnemonic to a visual cue – this is a powerful method
to assist the students to recall the strategy when they see or picture the visual
Here are some examples – this should be a springboard for selecting/creating
ones that will benefit your students in the content areas:
o PEMDAS (Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally) – used to remember
the order of operations [Parentheses, Exponents, Multiply, Divide,
Add, Subtract] – PEMDAS has recently fallen out of favor with
many teachers who now use GEMS for the order of operations
(simplify within grouping symbols, simplify exponents, x & ÷ L  R,
- & + L  R)
o HOMES – used to remember the Great Lakes [Huron, Ontario,
Michigan, Erie, Superior]
o ROY G. BIV – used to remember to colors of the visible light
spectrum [Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, Violet]
o Kings Play Cards On Fat Green Stools – used to remember the
order of taxonomy in biology [Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order,
Family, Genus, Species]
o
MAIN causes of WWI – Militarism, Alliance system, Imperialism,
Nationalism
o SOHCAHTOA – used to remember the equations for sine, cosine,
and tangent [Sine = Opposite/Hypotenuse, Cosine =
Adjacent/Hypotenuse, Tangent = Opposite/Adjacent]
o Quid pro quo – set to a rap beat: “If I give something to you and
get something else back, that’s a quid pro quo, like we scratch each
other’s backs”
Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS)
PALS is a classwide peer tutoring strategy. Teachers carefully partner a student
with a classmate (a struggling reader with specific needs paired with a student
who has a skill set to assist the struggling reader) and the pair work on activities
that address the academic needs of both students. PALS does not replace
teacher-directed explicit instruction – this strategy is appropriate when used to
practice and extend skills. Students learn that pairs change over time and the
PALS strategy is suitable in all content areas.
The partner work in this strategy is excellent for tasks in which correct and
incorrect answers can be readily determined, and can also be used to build skills
with tasks that require student explanations (vocabulary development,
summarizing, main idea, using comprehension strategies, etc.).
The use of PALS enables teachers to circulate in the class, observe students
and offer specific and immediate remediation – this permits for differentiated
instruction by having partners work simultaneously on a variety of teacherdirected tasks.
Steps:
1. Determine the specific skills to be addressed before deciding on student
pairings, and then share the skills to be worked on during that session with
the students
2. Each member of the teacher-selected pair take turns being Coach and
Reader (or Player) – as the pairs change and a variety of skills are
improved, each students has the opportunity to be Coaches and Readers
(or Players)
*This strategy requires a significant amount of initial explicit instruction and
on-going modeling to train the students on the discreet roles of Coach and
Reader, including how to offer corrective feedback in a respectful and nonoffensive manner as well as how to receive corrective feedback in a
respectful and non-offensive manner…
3. As the Reader reads aloud, the Coach listens and provides corrective
feedback – this should be approximately a 25-30 minute activity and
implemented at least 3x a week for effectiveness. Students are awarded
points for their appropriate coaching and improvement in reading skills
Possible Sentences
Possible Sentences is a pre-reading vocabulary strategy that activates prior
knowledge regarding content area vocabulary and concepts. Before reading
selected text, students are provided with a short list of essential vocabulary terms
from the text, which they group and later use to create meaningful sentences.
After reading, students check to see if their “possible sentences” were accurate
or need revision.
Steps:
1. Select the text to be read and then determine the essential vocabulary
2. Prepare a visual display of the essential vocabulary
3. Before the students read the text, have them create their own definitions
of the terms and pair related words together – this can be an individual or
partner activity
4. Either individually or with their partners, have students write sentences
using their word pairs – remind students that their sentences should be
ones they expect to see in the text as they read
5. Have students read the text and compare their possible sentences with
the actual sentences contained in the text
6. If the students’ possible sentences are inaccurate, ask them to rewrite
their sentences to be accurate
7. Encourage students to share their sentences with the class
This can become a post-reading game: students share their sentences without
telling whether they are reading accurate or inaccurate sentences. Teams of
students can try to determine, based on their own reading of the text, which
sentences are accurate
See sample template
Possible Sentences
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Please look at the vocabulary words provided. Either individually or with a
partner, define the words. Decide which related words can be paired
together and write your word pairs on the lines below.
Using what you know about the subject area and the topic, write a sentence
that you think might appear in the text you are about to read for each of the
word pairs. Be prepared to share!
1. ___________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________
Think Alouds
Thinks Alouds are a metacognitive strategy designed to help students learn to
monitor their thinking as they read a selected passage. Students are directed by
a series of questions which they think about and answer aloud while reading.
This process reveals how much they understand the text. As students increase
their skill with this strategy, they learn to generate their own questions to selfguide their comprehension.
The teacher sets the stage by facilitating a discussion about what skilled readers
do to understand text as they read. The teacher then models the Think Aloud
technique, explaining that good readers often re-read a sentence, read ahead to
clarify, and look for context clues to make sense of what they read. Think
Alouds slow down the reading process to allow students to monitor their
comprehension of text.
Reading a selection aloud, the teacher models the strategy at points in the text
that may be confusing for students (new vocabulary, unusual sentence
construction, difficult concepts, etc.), as the students follow along silently. You
may consider having the students keep track of how many times you employed
the strategy during the modeling, then engage the class in a discussion about
each time you modeled the strategy as you read the selection.
Introduce the text selected for the students to read, and review the purpose of
using the Think Aloud strategy. As a large group, develop a set of guiding
questions to support thinking aloud, such as:
 What do I know about this topic?
 What do I think I will learn about this topic?
 Do I understand what I just read?
 Should I re-read a sentence for better understanding?
 Are there any context clues that I can use to understand what I just read?
 Do I have a clear picture in my head about this information?
 What more can I do to understand this?
 What were the most important points in this reading?
 What new information did I learn?
 How does this fit in with what I already know?
Students are given the opportunity to practice the strategy (individually, in pairs,
or in small groups) and are provided with structured feedback. Students can
chart their responses to their Think Alouds which then provides documentation
for their improvement with the strategy over time.
Think Alouds are an excellent strategy for all content areas, and can also be
used for the writing process as it applies to content area subjects.
Think-Pair-Share (TPS)
Think-Pair-Share (TPS) is a collaborative strategy in which students work
together to solve a problem or answer a question about an assigned topic or
selected reading. This strategy requires students to think individually about the
topic or solution/answer and to share ideas with others. Discussing an answer
with a partner serves to maximize participation, focus attention, and engage
students in comprehending the material or topic.
TPS is a flexible and simple technique for reading comprehension which has the
added benefits of activating prior knowledge, strengthening oral communication
skills, and encouraging active participation.
Steps:
1. Pre-select the text to be read and develop the set of questions or prompts
that target key content concepts
2. Describe the purpose of the strategy and provide guidelines for the
discussions
3. Think – the teacher begins by asking a specific question about the text.
Students think about what they know or have previously learned about the
topic
4. Pair – each student is paired with another or with a small group
5. Share – students share their thinking with their partner or group and then
expand the sharing portion of the strategy with the entire large group
This strategy can be modified to include writing components by expanding it into
a Think-Write-Pair-Share
During
Reading
After
Reading
Concept Maps
Concept Maps assist students to visualize connections between words or
phrases and a main idea. There are a wide variety of concept maps available
for use, and teachers can certainly create their own tailored to the needs of their
students and content to be mastered. Most are comprised of words or phrases
surrounded by a circle, oval, or square that connect to one another and ultimately
connect back to the main idea. The discrete bits of information connected to the
main idea are a powerful support for students with deficient reading skills.
Concept Maps play to the visual strengths possessed by most learners, build
upon prior knowledge and require the students to reflect upon their
understanding while reading – the easy-to-create format and flexibility make
them efficient for use across all content areas.
Steps:
1. Decide upon the construct of the Concept Maps graphic organizer –
either custom designed for the content or a generic format
2. Model how you identify the major ideas presented in a reading as you
read
3. Organize your ideas into categories (if applicable) to the type of concept
map you chose – clarify with students that the organization may change
as they continue to read and add more information
4. Use lines (or arrows) to represent how ideas are connected to one
another, a particular category, and/or the main concept
Concept Maps can be used as a pre-reading strategy by encouraging students
to share what they already know about a particular concept – as they begin to
read the selection and add to the map, they can meld their prior knowledge with
the new information presented.
After reading and finishing the Concept Map, they can share them in pairs or
small groups – this permits the students to reflect on how they each interpreted
the connections between concepts and words. Completed Concept Maps are
useful for summarizing what they have read, organizing their information for a
writing assignment based upon the topic, and for use as a study guide.
Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)
Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) is a strategy to guide students in
asking questions about text, making predictions and then confirming or refuting
their predictions after reading. The DRTA process encourages students to be
active and thoughtful readers, which enhances comprehension.
DRTA is beneficial with individuals, small groups, or whole class – it can be
easily adapted for a variety of subjects and reading levels, and is particularly
useful with content-area textbooks. This strategy enhances critical thinking skills
and is metacognitive.
Steps:
1. Determine the text to be used and pre-select points for students to pause
during the reading process – the reading should be broken into small
sections so that the student shave time to think about and process
information. Adjust the amount of reading to fit the purpose and the
difficulty of the text
2. Introduce the text, the purpose of the DRTA, and provide examples of how
to make predictions. Be certain to provide questions, prompts, and
supports appropriate to the reading levels of the students – students
should be encouraged to take risks with predictions and not to feel
pressured to only state “correct” predictions
3. Direct – teacher directs and stimulates students’ thinking prior to reading a
selection by scanning the title, chapter headings, illustrations, and other
explanatory materials. The teacher uses open-ended questions to direct
students as they make predictions about the content or perspective of the
text (ex. – “Given the title, what do you think this passage will be about?”).
Students should be encouraged to activate their prior knowledge to build
connections and justify their responses
4. Reading – The students read up to the first pre-selected stopping point in
the text. The teacher prompts the students with questions about specific
information and asks them to evaluate their predictions and make
refinements, as necessary. This process continues until students have
read each section of the selected passage
5. Thinking – at the end of the reading, students go back through the text
and think about their predictions. Students verify or modify the accuracy
of their predictions by finding supporting statements in the text. Deepen
the thinking process with questions of this nature:
What do you think about your predictions now that you have read the text?
What did you find to prove your predictions?
What did you find that caused you to modify your predictions?
A writing component may be added to this strategy – have students write their
predictions in a learning log, then in small groups, they can discuss their
predictions and share their thinking processes. Students can then write
summary statements about how their predictions compared to the selected
passage.
Double-Entry Journal
The Double-Entry Journal strategy allows students to record their responses to
text as they read. Students write down phrases or sentences from their assigned
reading and then write their own reaction to that passage. The purpose of this
strategy is to provide students the opportunity to express their thoughts and
become actively involved with the material they read.
Double-Entry Journaling increases comprehension, vocabulary, and content
retention. This interactive strategy activates prior knowledge, stimulates present
feelings, and promotes collaborative learning. It fosters the connection between
reading and writing as students are able to “reply” to the author or speaker as
they journal their responses. This is a flexible strategy in that the teacher can
use any form of written text, read alouds, or listening tasks that are assigned in
class.
Steps:
1. Pre-select the passage to be read and introduce to the students. Discuss
and model the Double-Entry Journal strategy, including specific
guidelines for writing
2. Students read the selected text and make journal entries whenever a
natural pause in the reading occurs, so that the flow is not constantly
interrupted. Students then share their responses with the class
See sample template
Double-Entry Journal
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
As you read the text, please select a few phrases that you find meaningful
or interesting. Write each phrase in the first column below, then write your
reaction (comment, question, connection made, or analysis), then record
your thoughts in the second column. Please be prepared to share!
Page in
the text
Phrase from the text
My thoughts
Inferential Reading
The Inferential Reading strategy helps students learn how to read more
strategically – as skilled readers do. This technique is derived from the
teaching model that learners develop knowledge through the process of
interpreting new information in light of past experiences and rethinking past
knowledge based upon new information.
Inferences are the conclusions we draw based on what one already knows
and the judgments we make based on given information. This strategy helps
students to make connections between their personal experiences and their
comprehension of text. Rather than stopping students during the reading
process to comment on specific points, this strategy focuses on their thinking
and how the acquisition of new information reshapes prior knowledge.
Inferential reading can be taught using a variety of reading materials beyond
textbooks (cartoons, political cartoons, poetry, periodicals, etc.).
Inferential Reading is a valuable skill to add to a student’s reading “tool box”:
it helps to understand the intonation of characters’ words and relationships to
one another, provides explanations for ideas that are presented in the text,
offers details for events or the student’s own explanations of events, assists
the students to recognize the author’s view of the world (including author
biases), arrive at conclusions from facts presented in the text, and allows the
students to relate what is happening in the text to their own knowledge of the
world.
Inferential Reading is also useful to help with understanding new or difficult
vocabulary by figuring out the antecedents for pronouns, the meaning of
unknown words from context clues, and the grammatical function of an
unknown word.
Steps:
1. Determine the reading selection and identify 3 or 4 main ideas in the
passage to develop a series of pre-reading questions for the
assignment. The questions should elicit prior knowledge of the topic
(“What are your own attitudes and experiences about the topic?”) and
point beyond past knowledge and encourage students to make
predictions about the reading (“What do you think the passage will say
about the topic?”). This is modeled during a brief read-aloud.
2. Have students think about inferences they make every day in their
lives, and have them discuss both their prior knowledge of the subject
and their predictions about what they are about to read.
3. Have students jot down their predictions and speculations prior to
reading
4. Ask students to read the selection as a whole, without interruption
5. After reading, have the students review their written predictions about
the reading passage and ask how the new information changed or
reshaped their prior knowledge
Here are some helpful prompts to assist students to learn to make a variety of
inferences:

Look for pronouns and figure out what to connect them to

Figure out explanations for these events

Think about the setting and see what details you can add

Think about something that you know about this topic and see how
that fits with what’s in the reading

After you read this, see if you can explain why the character acted
this way

Look at how the character said (specific quote). How would you
have interpreted what that character said if they had said (change
how it was said or stress different words)?

Look for words that you don’t know and see whether other words in
the sentence or surrounding sentences can give you an idea what
that unknown word means

As you read this, look for clues that would tell you how the author
might feel about…
Inquiry Chart (I-Chart)
The Inquiry Chart (I-Chart) is a visual strategy that helps a student to
generate meaningful questions about a topic and organize their writing.
Students integrate prior knowledge or thoughts about a topic with additional
information found in several sources. The I-Chart process is organized into 3
phases: Planning, Interacting, and Integrating/Evaluating. Each phase
consists of activities designed to engage the students in evaluating a topic.
This strategy fosters critical thinking and boosts reading skills. I-Charts can
be used with individuals, pairs, small groups, or large groups and in all
content areas. Teachers can guide each student’s chart development, which
provides for differentiated instruction as well as provide an evaluation tool to
examine how much a student has learned about a topic.
Steps:
1. Begin by providing each student with a blank I-chart and assist with
topic selection or provide an assigned topic. During the Planning
phase, the teacher directs the students as they begin to identify the
topic, form questions, construct the I-Chart, and collect materials.
2. During the Interacting phase, engage the students by exploring prior
knowledge, sharing interesting facts, and reading and re-reading
information
3. The final phase of Integrating/Evaluating consists of summarizing,
comparing, researching and reporting
See sample template
I-Chart
Name: __________________________
Class: ____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Question
1
What I
Know
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Summaries
Question
2
Question
3
Question
4
Other
Facts
New
Questions
Jigsaw
Jigsaw is a well-established method for encouraging group sharing and
learning of specific content while actively helping each other build
comprehension. This is a small group strategy where the teacher assigns
students to groups composed of varying reading skill levels, making it ideal for
students with disabilities within an integrated setting. Each group member is
responsible for becoming an “expert” on one section of the assigned material
and then “teaching” it to the other members of the group.
This strategy can be used as an instructional activity over several days and is
most useful when there is a large amount of content to teach. Jigsaw helps
students learn cooperation as group members share responsibility for each
other’s learning by using critical thinking and social skills to complete an
assignment. Improvement in listening, communication, and problem-solving
skills are excellent benefits of this strategy. An ancillary benefit – this is a “get
them up and moving” activity!
Monitoring each student’s participation within the groups provides the teacher
with information about how much the students already know about the topic
and allows the teacher to tailor instruction accordingly.
Set – Up:
1. Introduce the strategy and the topic to be studied and assign each
student to a “home group” of 3-5 students who reflect a range of reading
abilities. Pre-determine a set of reading selections related to the
chosen topic and assign one selection to each student.
2. Create “expert groups” that consist of students across “home groups”
who will read the same selection
3. Provide all students with a framework for managing their time on the
various parts of the jigsaw task
4. Give key questions to help the “expert groups” gather information in
their particular area -- provide materials and resources necessary for all
students to learn about their topics and become “experts”
5. Discuss and model the expectations for re-convening into “home
groups” and provide guidelines as each “expert” reports the information
learned
6. Prepare a summary chart or other graphic organizer for each “home
group” as a guide for organizing the experts’ information report
7. Remind students that “home group” members are responsible to learn
the content from one another
Note: it is vital that students have experience with small group learning skills
before participating in the jigsaw strategy, and that reading material assigned
is at appropriate instructional levels for diverse learners
Steps:
1. Once grouped, students are asked to read the selection of text assigned
to them. After the reading has been completed, the students meet for
about 20 minutes with others assigned to the same topic (“expert
groups”) – they discuss the material, identify the most important learning
points, and return to their “home groups” to instruct the others about
information in which they have become an “expert”. Each student takes
turns teaching what they have learned to the other “home group”
members
2. During this process, the teacher must circulate to ensure that groups
are on task and managing their work appropriately, ask groups to stop
and think about how they are checking for everyone’s understanding
and ensuring that every member’s voice is heard, and monitor
comprehension of the group members by asking questions and
rephrasing information until it is clear that all group members
understand the key points
3. Students complete a graphic organizer in the “home group” to gather all
the information presented by each “expert”. “Home groups” then
present results to the entire class, or they may participate in some
assessment activity. In addition to the individual grade earned by each
student, some teachers choose to assign a team grade as well based
upon cooperative performance
See sample template
Jigsaw
Name: __________________________
Class: _____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
As you read and discuss with your group, please write down important facts
about your topic. After you have become and EXPERT on your own topic,
you will share your learning with a group of classmates, and learn about
their topics as well.
Important Ideas
1.
2.
3.
Summary
Other Facts
Monitoring/Clarifying Strategy
The Monitoring/Clarifying strategy teaches students to recognize when they
don’t understand parts of text and to take the steps to restore meaning. This
technique is a component of the Reciprocal Teaching strategy (also contained
within this compendium) in which the teacher encourages students to think
about their own thought process during reading. Monitoring/Clarifying helps
students learn to be actively participatory and to monitor their comprehension
as they read.
This strategy helps students to focus on the fact that there may be reasons
why the text is difficult to understand, and assists them to ask questions, reread, restate, and visualize – all strategies to increase the comprehensibility of
text.
Steps:
1. Pre-select and introduce the text to be used based upon students’
reading levels.
2. Model the Monitoring/Clarifying strategy while providing the students
with ample time and opportunities to practice.
3. As students begin to read, they use the following guidelines as they
encounter difficulties:
 Stop and think about what you have already read
 Re-read
 Adjust your reading rate – slow down or speed up
 Connect the text to something that you already know or have
experienced or something that you have read somewhere else
 Visualize
 Think about what you have read
 Use print conventions (key words, bold print, italicized words,
punctuation)
 Look for patterns in the text structure
Paired Reading
Paired Reading is a collaborative peer teaching and learning strategy. Students
are divided into pairs and read along together or take turns reading aloud to each
other – pairs may have a similar level of reading ability or can be comprised of a
more skilled with a less skilled reader. Each student reads and provides feedback
about their own and their partner’s reading behaviors.
Paired Reading can be used with a variety of reading materials and in every
content area – use of this strategy frees up the teacher to observe paired reading
sessions and work with different students while other students continue reading
together. Reading with someone else encourages students to try reading
materials that may be just above their usual reading level. Paired Reading can
also be used to build oral skills so that reluctant readers can work toward reading
in front of a large group.
Steps:
1. Establish a routine for students to adopt so that they know the step-by-step
requirements for engaging in Paired Reading (Will they read out loud
simultaneously? Will they take turns – a paragraph, a page? Will one
person read while the other listens?)
2. Teach and model for students an error-correction procedure to ensure that
students are able to effectively use the strategy to support each other’s
reading (re-reading skipped or misread words, establishing signals for
difficulty)
3. Pair students either by similar reading ability or a more skilled with a less
skilled reader – if choosing the more skilled/less skilled pairings, you can
use this method to determine the partners:

List the students in order from the highest to lowest oral reading
fluency scores

Divide the list in half

Place the top student in the first list with the top student in the
second list – continue until all of the students have been
partnered

Have pairs begin reading and adjust reading speed if reading
simultaneously so they are able to stay together. Students
should offer corrective feedback and praise frequently for correct
reading. Monitor and support students as they work – this would
be an opportunity for the teacher to use a checklist or other
record-keeping to note progress
Paragraph Shrinking
Paragraph Shrinking is a stand-alone strategy developed as part of the PALS
strategy (previously discussed in this collection). This strategy allows each
student to take turns reading, pausing, and summarizing the main points of each
paragraph – students provide each other with corrective feedback as a way to
monitor their comprehension. Paragraph Shrinking does not require special
reading materials, which makes it ideally flexible. This strategy is appropriate for
all content areas and provides direct opportunities for the teacher to circulate,
observe students, and offer individualized support and differentiation of instruction.
The nature of this strategy makes it beneficial within an inclusive setting.
Steps:
1. Pre-determine the reading selection and introduce the text to the
class. Create pairs by identifying which students require help on
specific skills (Players) and who the most appropriate students are to
help others learn those skills (Coaches)
2. Model the strategy and ensure that each member of your assigned
pairs will be provided the opportunity to be both a Player and a
Coach – change pairs regularly as you repeat this strategy and
monitor and support the students as they work together
3. Each student reads aloud for 5 minutes without rereading the text.
After each paragraph, students stop to summarize the main points of
the reading – the who or what of the paragraph, the main idea of the
paragraph, and the most important thing about the who or the what
4. If a Player supplies an incorrect answer, the Coach asks the Player
to skim the paragraph again and answer the question a 2 nd time.
Students must state the main idea in 10 words or less, which
encourages them to monitor comprehension while taking turns
reading. The pair earns points when the goals (summarizing
questions) of the strategy are met
Partner Reading
Partner Reading is a cooperative learning strategy, designed to have students
work together to assist with comprehension and is often used as part of the PeerAssisted Learning Strategy (PALS) – previously discussed in this compilation.
Partner Reading allows students to take turns reading and providing each other
with corrective feedback. This is a very flexible strategy, appropriate for all
content areas, and is similar in construct to the Paragraph Shrinking strategy.
Steps:
1. Pre-determine the reading selection and introduce the strategy to the class.
Create student pairings based on partnering a more skilled reader with a
less skilled reader
2. Each member of the teacher-assigned pairs take turns being the Coach
and Player. These pairs are changed regularly, thus ensuring that all
students have the opportunity to learn as Coaches and Players
3. The more skilled reader begins this strategy acting as the Player and reads
aloud for 5 minutes. The Coach follows along and provides any corrective
feedback when necessary
4. The pair switches roles and the less skilled reader becomes the Player.
The Player rereads the same passage for the next 5 minutes and the
Coach provides any corrective feedback when necessary – some teachers
opt to make this a game by having students earn a point for each sentence
read correctly
Note: it is important for the teacher to monitor and support students as they work
together
After each partner has read the selection, teachers may wish to include the
following tasks:

Story Retelling – students work together to retell the story by
cooperatively providing input and correcting mistakes

Summarization – students support each other in developing a summary
of the passage in 10 words or less

Writing – students write down the summary they developed and/or
responses to the following questions:
 The who or what of the paragraph
 The main idea
 The most important thing about who or what
Power Notes
Power Notes is a strategy that teaches students an efficient form of organizing
information from assigned text. This technique provides students a systematic
way to look for relationships within material they are reading, and visually displays
the differences between main ideas and supportive information in an outline
format. Main ideas or categories are assigned a Power 1 rating and Details and
Examples are assigned a Power 2 or 3 rating (you can add as many Power ratings
as necessary consistent with the needs of the content area/topic).
This strategy offers an easily followed activity for categorizing information. This
procedure helps students prioritize information and separate the main idea from
supporting details. Power Notes provides students an opportunity to organize
ideas and evaluate their writing and can be integrated into a number of activities to
help students perceive how information is related. While similar to outlining, this
strategy is generally easier for students to grasp because key features are
assigned numbers and it is not necessary that two be the same in order to create
an entry.
Steps:
1. The teacher begins by discussing the assigned topic or text, then
describing the purpose of the strategy and introducing the concept of
powers with a simple example which will be accessible to all students, such
as:
Power 1: Animals

Power 2: Dogs
 Power 3: German Shepard
 Power 3: Pug

Power 2: Cats
 Power 3: Persian
 Power 3: Siamese
2. Explain how the Powers relate to each other – Power 2’s offer example,
elaborations, or categories of Power 1, Power 3’s provide examples or
elaborations of Power 2’s, etc. Guided practice of the strategy with
detailed, specific feedback should be provided. Model using Power Notes
with assigned text and discuss how the Powers relate to each other
3. For the students to begin, the teacher provides the Power 1 category or
main idea
4. Students begin by reading the assigned text as they keep the Power 1
category in their mind. Students then categorize information and record
examples of the chosen category or topic as Power 2’s
5. Students further elaborate each point and expand their writing by adding
the Power 3 details, and so on. Students then discuss their completed
Power Notes with the class for review, and can be revised to expand their
learning
See sample template
Power Notes
Name: __________________________
Class: _____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Please complete the Power Notes outline started below. Begin with your
main idea as Power 1, and provide more detail about the topic with each
following Power level. Add a star * for each Power 2 and an arrow  for
each Power 3 level of information. Be prepared to share!
Power 1:______________________________________________________
*Power 2: ________________________________________
 Power 3: _______________________________________
Prediction Relay
Prediction Relay is a strategy that was developed as part of the PALS (discussed
previously in this collection) which assists students to make predictions about the
assigned text, check their predictions, and summarize main points. The additional
benefit is the promotion of collaboration.
Prediction Relay does not require specialized reading materials, and is highly
flexible and appropriate for all content areas and diverse learners.
Steps:
1. Pre-determine the selected text and introduce to the students. Create pairs
of students by matching less skilled readers with more skilled readers and
model the strategy
2. Each partner in the pairs reads for 5 minutes and takes turns being the
Coach and the Player – these pairs are frequently changed and over time
all students get the opportunity to be Coaches and Players
3. Note: It is important that the teacher monitors and supports the students as
they work in collaborative pairs
4. Before reading each page, the students make predictions about what will
be on the following page. After the Player reads half of a page aloud, the
Player stops to summarize the main points of the reading by responding
with the following information: the “who” or “what” of the reading, the most
important thing about the who or what, and the main idea
5. If a Player gives an incorrect response, the Coach asks the Player to skim
the reading again and provide answers a seconds time – the students work
together to correct any errors in predictions as a way of monitoring
comprehension. The teacher may choose to award points to the pair for
viable predictions and concise and accurate summaries
Reading Guides
Reading Guides help students to navigate reading material, particularly useful
with difficult textbook chapters or technical reading. Students respond to a
teacher-created written guide of prompts as they read assigned text – this strategy
assists with comprehension of the main points of the reading and understanding
the organizational structure of a text.
As Reading Guides are teacher-generated, they are completely adaptable to any
content area, topic, or student population. Reading Guides are ideally suited for
use when the student must understand text that is more difficult than they could
comprehend through independent reading alone. Reading Guides may be used
with the whole class, small groups, pairs, or individual students.
Steps:
1. The teacher pre-determines the major concepts from the selected text and
considers each student’s knowledge related to the concepts. The teacher
then writes items designed to guide readers through the major ideas and
supporting details of the text – these guide items may be phrased as
statements, questions, or a combination of both
2. The students review the Reading Guide before beginning to read to set the
stage for what information they are trying to glean from the text. The
Reading Guide is completed during the reading process, as the teacher
circulates, monitors, and supports students as they use the guide
Completed Reading Guides also serve as study tool for students
Reciprocal Teaching
Reciprocal Teaching is a strategy that requires students and teachers to share
the role of teacher by allowing both to lead a discussion related to a selected
passage. Reciprocal Teaching involves 4 strategies that guide the discussion:
predicting, question generating, clarifying, and summarizing.
The primary benefit of this strategy is that students learn how to determine
important ideas from a reading while discussing vocabulary, developing ideas and
questions, and summarizing information. Reciprocal Teaching works well with
textbooks and non-fiction text, and is ideal for all content areas.
Steps:
1. Break the class into mixed-ability small groups and designate one student
as the “teacher” within each small group. This student helps to keep the
small group on task and ensures they move through each of the 4 steps as
they read material that the teacher has already divided into smaller chunks
2. The teacher reads the first chunk to all of the small groups, modeling the 4
steps of Reciprocal Teaching:

Prediction – ask students to predict what they think the reading may
be about; encourage them to think about what is going to happen by
asking questions like a detective might do

Question Generating – remind students to generate questions ass
they listen and read, with a focus on the 3 levels of questions: literal
(the answer is right there in the text), inferential (you must be able to
“read between the lines”), and critical thought questions (require the
opinion of the students)

Clarifying – as students listen and read, remind them to ask
themselves what words and phrases are unclear to them – How do
you pronounce that? What does that word mean? I think the author
is saying…, I’m guessing that phrase means…, etc.

Summarizing – students summarize verbally, within pairs, and then
share with their small group or record their summary and read it
aloud to their small group. Each small group could create a
semantic map with the major points of significance shared by each
group member

Once completed, the student “teachers” guide their groups through
the strategy while the teacher facilitates the process
Seed Discussions
A Seed Discussion is a 2-part strategy used to teach students how to
engage in discussions about reading assignments. Students read and
identify “seeds” or key concepts of a passage which may need additional
explanation, then work in small groups to present their seeds to one
another. Each see is thoroughly discussed before moving on to the next.
Seed Discussions can be developed for a variety of subjects and reading
levels. This strategy encourages in-depth discussions and relies upon the
use of higher order thinking as students identify and articulate the seeds.
This strategy also helps to build communication skills within their groups.
Steps:
1. Introduce students to the Seed Discussion strategy, including
criteria for what a high-quality seed might look like (presenting
examples and non-examples may be a succinct and visual approach
to establishing this criteria) and divide the class into small groups of
4 with varying skill levels. Each student has a discrete role to fulfill
within their group, and each group member is given a card with their
role on it:
 Leader – responsible for calling on each person to share their
discussion seeds
 Manager – ensures that everyone has all materials for the
discussion
 Checker – ensures that everyone has a chance to talk about
their seed and that each group member comments on each
seed before the next person presents a new seed for
discussion
 Communicator – the only person to leave the group – they
notify the teacher when the discussion is complete
2.
The teacher distributes the selected reading material and a set of
questions about the assigned reading – these questions guide
students as they target possible seeds for discussion (questions
such as, but not limited to: What new information does the reading
selection provide? What did you find interesting or surprising about
the selection? What did you not understand in the reading? How
are you able to connect what you have read with what you already
know about this topic?)
3.
The students are provided the opportunity to write and refine their
target seeds, then meet in their small groups and assume their
assigned roles. The students begin by presenting their seeds to one
another and each seed is discussed by all group members before
moving on to the next
Selective Highlighting
Selective Highlighting (or Selective Underlining) is a strategy used to assist
students in organizing what they have read by selecting what is important. This
teaches students to highlight only the key words, phrases, vocabulary, and ideas
that are central to understanding the text.
This is a flexible strategy that may be tailored to fit all content areas and diverse
learners. This can be used for essential vocabulary, main ideas, major events,
etc. As students read, Selective Highlighting helps them learn to pay attention
to the vital information within the text.
Steps:
1.
2.
Students read through the material once, then re-read and begin to
highlight the features selected by the teacher (essential vocabulary, main
idea, supporting details, etc.) – the students do not highlight entire
sentences, only the important, key facts
After highlighting, the students look at the highlighted material and
summarize what they have read into a journal, notebook, paragraph, chart,
etc.
☻Some teachers have students use pre-determined different colors of highlighter
for different information: orange for main idea, green for supporting details, pink
for vocabulary words, blue for main characters or key figures, etc.
Semantic Feature Analysis
The Semantic Feature Analysis strategy engages students in reading by asking
them to related selected vocabulary to key features of the text through the use of a
matrix to help students discover how one set of things is related to another. This
can also be used for key concepts.
Semantic Feature Analysis is used to understand the meaning of selected
vocabulary words and group vocabulary words into logical categories. Use of this
strategy supports student comprehension and content retention. This technique is
appropriate with individual students, small groups, or large group instruction, and
is valuable across all content areas, as it is highly adaptable.
Steps:
1. Pre-determine the passage to be read. Provide the students with a
matrix with the concepts or vocabulary words listed down the left
side and features or characteristics listed across the top of the matrix
2. As the students read, they complete the matrix. If the vocabulary or
concept is associated with the feature or characteristic, the students
record a (+) or a (Y) for “yes” in the grid where the column and row
intersect. If the word or concept is not associated with that feature
or characteristic, the students puts a (--) or (N) for “no” in the
corresponding square on the grid
3. Once this is completed, the students share their observations and
discuss their results. At this point they are free to revise their matrix
if their thinking changes based upon the discussion. Students can
then write a summary of what they have learned
See sample template
Semantic Feature Analysis Matrix
Name: __________________________
Class: _____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Please complete the matrix by placing a (+) where the column and row
intersect if the vocabulary word or concept on the left is associated with the
features or characteristics listed across the top. If not, please record a (--) in
the corresponding square on the grid. Be prepared to share!
Vocabulary
Terms/Concepts
Features/Characteristics
F/C 1
F/C 2
F/C 3
F/C 4
Story Maps
Story Maps are used for teaching students to work with story structure for
improved comprehension. This strategy uses visual representations to assist
students to organize important elements of a story. Students summarize main
ideas, characters, setting, and the plot of text.
Story Maps can be used with individuals, small groups, or large groups and for a
variety of content areas, with fiction and non-fiction text. If you are using this
strategy with text other than stories, you may wish to re-name the strategy to
something else (Chapter Map, etc.).This comprehension strategy is beneficial for
all learners, and is particularly valuable for students who require the additional
support of a graphic organizer.
Steps:

Determine the text to be read and the key elements that the students must
identify. Then choose or create a Story Map that is most appropriate for
the type of assigned reading

Introduce the text or story to be read and provide each student with a blank
Story Map. Students begin by recording the title of the assigned reading
on the Story Map and complete the other components of the map during
the reading process. Some of the elements may be: characters, setting,
plot, theme, genre, major events, contributing factors, etc.

Once the Story Maps are completed, the students discuss why each
element was recorded. If completed in small groups or if done with a large
group, this can be expanded onto a large version of the Story Map where
students are encouraged to add items to the categories or suggest new
categories
See sample template
Story Map
Name: __________________________
Class: _____________________
Title or Topic: _____________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Setting
Where?
When?
Main Characters
Problem
Event 1
Resolution
Event 2
Event 3
Structured Notes
Structured Notes is a strategy that uses graphic organizers specific to a
particular text and assists students in understanding the content of their reading.
Initially, the teacher creates the graphic organizer, but as students become more
facile with the strategy, they are able to construct their own, matching the structure
to the format of the text they must read.
Structured Notes are very useful when students are required to interpret complex
text structures and serves as a model for organizing their ideas as they read.
Since the graphic organizer is specific to the text to be read, it is modifiable to all
content areas and for the needs of all learners.
Steps:
1. The teacher reviews the text to be read and creates a graphic organizer
that matches the structure of the text – each student receives a copy of the
visual organizer before they begin to read, and the teacher reviews the
structure of the organizer and how it relates to the structure of the text
about to be read.
2. As the students read and complete the organizer, the teacher reminds them
to review their responses and to think about how the connections are being
made between concepts.
3. Students discuss their responses in small groups or whole groups, and
focus their discussion on any questions where students have different
answers
4. Facilitate a whole group discussion about how you designed the graphic
organizer and why you chose the structure for it – this is an opportunity to
review some of the common ways that information is organized:

Cause/effect

Proposition/support

Compare/contrast

Problem/solution

Concept/definition

Fact/opinion
Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review (SQ3R)
Survey-Question-Read-Recite-Review (SQ3R) is a tried-and-true
comprehension strategy designed to assist students to think about the text they
are reading while they are reading. Often thought of as a study strategy, applying
this technique during the reading process often helps students to derive meaning
the first time they read text by teaching them how to think and read like effective
readers.
This is beneficial for students who can “read” (are fluent) but do not comprehend
what they have read – SQ3R requires students to activate their thinking and
review their understanding as they read.
5 Step Process:
1. Survey –
 Think about the title – What do you know about it? What do you
need or want to know about it?
 Look at the headings and first sentences in the paragraphs
 Look over the illustrations and graphic aids
 Read the first paragraph, then read the last paragraph or summary
2. Question –
 Turn the title into a question
 Write down any questions that come to mind during the survey
 Turn headings into questions
 Turn subheadings, illustrations and graphic aids into questions
 Write down unfamiliar vocabulary words and determine their meaning
3. Read Actively –
 Read to search for answers to questions
 Answer questions and use context clues for unfamiliar words
 React to unclear passages, confusing terms, and statements you don’t
understand by creating additional questions
4. Recite –
 Look away from the answers and the book to recall what was read
 Recite answers to questions aloud or in writing
 Reread for unanswered questions
5. Review –
 Answer the major purpose question
 Look over answers and all parts of the chapter to organize information
 Summarize the information learned by drawing flow charts, writing a
summary, participating in a group discussion, or by studying for a test
The teacher must explain to students that skilled readers do many things while
they are reading – surveying, questioning, reading, reciting, reviewing. Once
you have thoroughly modeled each portion of the strategy and explained the
reason for each step, the students are given a reading assignment and you guide
them through the process. Then the students progress to an opportunity to
practice this strategy independently. Engage the students in a discussion about
how much more content they were able to remember using this strategy. Since
this is a time intensive technique, not all readings may be worth the time – help
the students understand when to use the strategy as well as how to use it
Text Structure
The Text Structure strategy refers to how the information within a text is
organized. Text Structure helps students to understand how a text may present
the main idea and supporting details, cause and effect, and/or different views of a
topic. Teaching students to recognize common text structures allows them to
monitor their comprehension.
This strategy is appropriate with whole class, small groups, or individually, and in
all content areas where there is a textbook. Students learn to identify and analyze
text structures as they navigate the material.
Steps:
1. Choose the selected reading and decide upon a graphic organizer and
introduce the text to the class
2. Introduce the concept that texts have organized patterns of presenting
information, and the more easily the student can use the structure of the
text, the more readily they are able to derive meaning from the content
3. Discuss the common text structures: description, sequence, problem and
solution, cause and effect, and compare and contrast – these should be
reproduced as a handout and posted in the room for continued reference
4. Introduce and model the strategy using a graphic organizer to chart the text
structure by showing examples of paragraphs that correspond to each text
structure, and examine topic sentences that clue the student to a specific
structure
5. Model writing a paragraph that uses a specific text structure
6. Guide the students through writing paragraphs that follow a specific text
structure
7. Have the students diagram these structures using a graphic organizer
Text Structure
Definition/Example
This type of text structure features a detailed explanation
of something to assist the reader in constructing a mental
picture
Description
Ex. – a passage that describes the aftermath of the Battle
of Gettysburg
A Concept Map is a good graphic organizer for this
type
This text structure provides the reader with a chronology
of events or a list of procedural steps
Sequence
Ex. – a text that provides a timeline of events leading to
US involvement in WWII or the steps to change the oil in
a vehicle
A Flow Chart is a good graphic organizer for this type
This type of text structure explains a problem or
problems, explains the solution(s), and discusses the
effect(s) of the solution(s)
Problem and
Solution
Ex. – a book that describes the bubonic plague, the
remedies/solutions rendered to affected populations, and
the social, economic, and political ramifications
A Flow Chart or a T-Chart is a good graphic organizer
for this type
This text structure highlights the causal relationship
between an event, idea, or concept and the event, idea,
or concept that follows
Cause and Effect
Ex. – a passage that describes weather patterns and how
that influences a tsunami
A Fishbone Chart is a good graphic organizer for this
type
This text structure examines the similarities and
differences between 2 or more people, events, concepts,
etc.
Compare and
Contrast
Ex. – A unit about cells explains the different cell domains
of Eukaryota, Eubacteria, and Archaea
A Ladder Map or Venn Diagram is a good graphic
organizer for this type
Word Hunts
Word Hunts are used to enhance the growth of vocabulary. Teachers ask
students to look for words in reading materials based upon selected features.
Word Hunts focus on the structure and meaning of words.
The opportunities for students to work with words are vital to enhancing their
vocabulary, as well as increasing comprehension as they develop automaticity.
The Word Hunt strategy is a simple, flexible, and motivational technique to
improve vocabulary and is appropriate for all content areas and can be used
individually, small group, or large group.
Steps:
1. Select or create the type of Word Hunt that you want to use (Find That
Word!, Vocabulary Chart, Word Dissection, etc.), the passage to be
read, and the words you want “hunted”
2. Introduce the text to be red and the type of Word Hunt you’ve chosen –
model the word hunt with the whole group, demonstrating how to locate
the words, use the categories, and record them
3. The students read and re-read the text to find the words selected, charting
the words as they find them – the teacher monitors to support students
4. Depending upon whether this is an individual, small group, or large group
application, the students discuss their findings, have the opportunity to
revise their charts, and a large-group record of the activity can be created
________________________________________________________________
Find That Word!
The student writes the word(s) that they must locate and write the sentence in
which they found the word – this may be in texts, online, magazines, worksheets,
newspaper, etc.
See sample templates for Vocabulary Chart and Word Dissection
Vocabulary Chart
Name: __________________________
Class: _____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Please complete the chart by checking the column with the statement that
most closely matches your understanding of the selected vocabulary words.
You will have the opportunity to write down the meaning of the word in the
last column. Be prepared to share!
Vocabulary
Word
I’m sure
I know
the
meaning
of this
word
I think I
I don’t
know
know
the
the
meaning meaning
of this
of this
word
word
the meaning of this word
Word Dissection
Name: __________________________
Class: _____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Directions:
Please complete the chart by writing down the vocabulary words you find in
the assigned reading, the words roots, prefixes, and suffixes. In the last
column write what you think to word means. Be prepared to share!
Word
Root
Prefix
Suffix
What I think
the word
means
After
Reading
Exit Slips
The Exit Slip strategy relies on having students write responses to questions you
pose at the end of class – a variation on the popular “Ticket Out the Door”
strategy. Exit Slips assist students to reflect on what they have learned and to
express what or how they are thinking about the new information. Exit Slips
easily incorporate writing in all content areas and require critical thinking.
Exit Slips are simple to create and provide the teacher with an informal measure
of how well the topic or lesson was understood (formative assessment). There
are 3 major categories of Exit Slips:

Prompts that document learning – write one thing that you learned
today, explain how the skill you learned today could be used in your
everyday life, the most important thing I learned today was…, the thing
that surprised me the most today was…

Prompts that emphasize the process of learning – I didn’t
understand…, write one question you have about today’s lesson, I
would like to learn more about…, I wish…, write 1 thing that you can do
to improve your understanding of today’s lesson, of the 2 strategies we
learned today, which one did you find the most useful and why?

Prompts to evaluate the effectiveness of instruction – did you enjoy
working in small groups today?, tell one thing you learned about
yourself during the partner activity, please explain more about…, I
would like to do more work (individually, in pairs, in small groups, whole
class), Rate your understanding of today’s lesson on a scale of 1-4 with
1 being “I didn’t understand it at all” and 4 being “I definitely understood
everything well enough that I could teach it”
Steps:
1. A few minutes before the end of class, ask the students to respond to the
prompt you pose to the class (you might consider creating a large collection
of Exit Slip prompts – there are 15 above to get you started…, and printing
on large colored paper which you laminate – then you will have a “go to”
stock of Exit Slip prompts)
2. Students are given Post-It notes, slips of paper, index cards, etc. to write
their name on the slip and their response to the prompt and they hand it to
you, drop it in a box, place on the laminated prompt sheet, etc. as they
leave
3. The teacher reviews the Exit Slips to determine how you may decide to
alter your instruction to better meet the needs of the students – some
teachers retain the slips as part of an assessment portfolio for each student
Frame Routine
The Frame Routine is a strategy designed to aid students in the organization of
topics, main ideas, and details pertaining to text. This technique includes a basic
hierarchic graphic organizer (Frame) that can be used to help students think and
discuss the key topic and essential related information.
Frames allow students to list main ideas and supporting details while they read
text. As they list them on the Frame graphic, there is an increase in
comprehension. The Frame Routine is flexible and useful in all content areas,
and works well individually, in pairs, and in small groups.
Steps:
1. Select the passage to be read and discuss the Frame Routine strategy
while modeling the process as you create a Frame with the class by filling
in information on a large version of the Frame as the students complete the
same information on their Frame handout – this allows the teacher the
opportunity to monitor their level of understanding and to adjust instruction
2. The students complete the topic, main ideas, details, and Big Idea, then
write the conclusion that they have drawn, a connection to a real-world
application relevant to the student, or brief summary and discuss as a large
group
See sample template
Frame Routine
Name: __________________________
Class: _____________________
Topic: __________________________
Date: _____________________
________________________________________________________________
Key Topic
is about…
Main Idea ___
Main Idea ___
Main Idea ___
Essential Detail
Essential Detail
Essential Detail
Essential Detail
Essential Detail
Essential Detail
Big Idea
Question the Author
Question the Author is a comprehension strategy that requires students to pose
questions while reading text to challenge their understanding and solidify their
knowledge. Generally used with non-fiction text, Question the Author lets
students critique the author’s writing and in so doing engage with the text to
realize deeper meaning.
Question the Author encourages student interaction and discussion, and
involves individual reading paired with partnering, small group, or large group
discussion. This strategy is adaptable for all content areas.
Steps:

Select a reading passage that is appropriate for student discussion, and
determine stopping points where you think the students will need to delve
deeper and gain a greater understanding

Create questions to encourage critical thinking for each stopping point (Ex.
– What is the author trying to say?, Why do you think the author used that
phrase?, Does this make sense to you?, What is another way that the
author could have phrased this?, etc.)

To introduce the strategy, display a short passage with 1 or 2 questions you
have developed. Model how you think through the questions and invite
students to share how they think about the questions

The students are given the reading selection and time to read and work
through the questions you have prepared, then pair up or join small groups
to discuss their responses – during this time the teacher plays the role of
facilitator, not discussion leader. When students ask questions that go
unanswered, restate the questions and encourage the students to work
together to determine the answer. The whole class can then come together
to discuss the responses and the thought processes behind the responses
Question-Answer Relationship (QAR)
The Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy teaches students how to
determine the types of questions they are being asked and where to find the
answers to them. 4 types of questions are examined as part of this strategy:
 Right There: literal questions whose answers can be found in the text –
often the words used in the question are the same words found in the text
 Think and Search: Answers are gathered from several parts of the text
and put together to make meaning
 Author and You: These questions are based on information provided in
the text but the student is required to relate it to their own experience –
although the answer does not lie directly in the text, the student must have
read it in order to answer the question
 On My Own: these questions do not require the student to have read the
passage, but they must use their prior knowledge to answer the question
QAR empowers students to think about the text they are reading and requires
both literal and creative thinking. QAR is useful individually, in pairs, or in small
groups and in all content areas.
Steps:
1. Depending upon the sophistication of your students, you may choose to
teach each type of question individually or as the group of all 4 types.
Explain the 4 types of questions they will encounter as they read, define
each type and give an example.
2. Read a short passage aloud to the students and have pre-determined
questions that you will ask after you stop reading. After reading, read the
questions aloud to the students and model how you decide which type of
question you have been asked
3. Show the students how to find the information to answer the question (in
the text, from your own experience, etc.)
4. The students now read another passage, and determine the type of
questions you have supplied and how to find the answers with a partner,
and then answer the questions
5. This is then expanded to a small or large group discussion of the types of
questions asked, the thought process regarding how to find the answers,
and the answers selected
RAFT Writing
RAFT is a mnemonic writing strategy that asks students to write in order to learn.
Students learn to respond to a writing prompt that requires them to think about a
variety of perspectives:
Role of the Writer – Who are you as the writer? (student, President, Hamlet, etc.)
Audience – To whom are you writing? (an employer, company, friend, etc.)
Format – in what format are you writing? (letter, speech, persuasive essay, etc.)
Topic – what are you writing about?
Students are required to think creatively and critically to respond to the prompts of
the strategy, making RAFT a unique way to apply thinking skills to information
they are learning. This is a universal strategy that can be tailored to the written
expression demands of all content areas, as well as easily differentiated by
provided less-skilled writers with an alternative assignment, but using the same
strategy
Steps:
1. Facilitate a discussion with the students regarding the 4 perspectives
writers must consider when completing a writing assignment (Role,
Audience, Format, and Topic) as you display the RAFT writing prompt.
Model a sample for the class with a pre-selected “assignment”, using the
Think-Aloud technique to describe how you are reacting to each of the 4
perspectives of RAFT
2. Students are now ready to practice this strategy with another assignment
based on their reading. Refer to RAFT as you provide corrective feedback
during your monitoring in class as well as in the comments you attach to
the completed assignment the students turn in
Example: We have finished reading “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare.
Assume the role of either Romeo or Juliet and write a letter to your parents
explaining why you chose to take the action that you did at the end of the play
R – Romeo or Juliet
A – The Montagues or the Capulets
F – Letter
T – Explanation for my final decision
Summarizing
Summarizing teaches students how to take a large selection of text and reduce it
to the main points for more concise understanding. Students are able to
determine essential ideas and consolidate important details that support them.
The Summarizing strategy enhances the focus on key words and phrases of the
text that are worth noting and remembering.
Summarizing builds comprehension by helping to reduce confusion – students
are trained to process the information they read with the goal of breaking down
content into smaller chunks, just as skilled readers do. This strategy is applicable
to individual students, pairs, small groups, and the whole class. Summarizing
text by using writing activities builds on prior knowledge, improves writing, and
strengthens vocabulary skills.
Steps:
1. Pre-determine the text to be used and decide if students will use the
strategy with one section, page, or an entire selection.
2. Model the process by reading the passage aloud as the students follow
along and talk about how you sift out the extra words and extraneous
information/examples in the passage. Repeat with a few passages and
monitor the students as they practice
3. The students read the text selection then write a summary of the text based
on the following framework questions:

What are the main ideas?

What are the important details necessary to support the main
ideas?

What information is irrelevant or unnecessary?
4. Guide the students through the writing process as they use key words or
phrases to identify the main points from the text – over time, students are
encouraged to write shorter summaries, constantly refining their written
summaries until they are able to record the most essential and relevant
information