Activating/
Summarizing Explanation Example
Strategy
Vocabulary Practice
Copy a sentence from a passage leaving one word out and only blank where the word should
EX: stations/person/conforming
Mystery Word Match be. Choose one word that sounds like the beginning of the mystery word, one that sounds like
Mystery Word: performance
the middle, and one that sounds like the end. Do 5 or less of these at a time.
Teacher prepares sentence that include blanks for vocabulary words. Students guess all
Wheel of Fortune letters without considering if they are consonants or vowels. Students must fill in all letters
before they can say the word. Students win paper clips instead of great prizes.
3 words that come to mind when student think of a particular topic. Students then get into
3 words pairs, trios, or groups of four to share and discuss their words. Finally each group selects
three words to share and explain to the entire class.
Cluster 3-4 words together. Students should try to figure out the commonality between the
How Did I Choose? cry, bottle, diaper, powder (baby)
words.
Used to introduce vocabulary. Prior to lesson choose important voc. words and create a
RIVET ____ _____ _____ _____ (KATE)
"Hang Man" type blank. Students take turns calling out letters and filling in the blanks.
Write or copy a paragraph related to unit of study. Select one word per sentence that begin
with a consonant and cover the whole word. Read the paragraph one sentence at a time.Ss
make guesses about the word before any letters are revealed. Guesses should make sense.
Guess the Covered Word Write down the guesses. Remove stickers that cover the beginning consonant. Eliminate any
guess that don't make sense. Discuss words and meanings. Continue this process until all
words are revealed. Reread the paragraph with all the words, making sure students
understand the meaning of the words.
Require students to create and discuss their own categories for words End of
Open Sort
unit: allow students to determine vocabulary and create their own categories
Closed Sort Ss sort words into predetermined categories
Chart with one letter in each box. As students read they should record words that fit into each
Alphaboxes
box. This can also be used for key words in a unit.
Choose a word in and place in a concept map. Define: a category for the word, attributes of
Concept Map
the word, examples of the word, and non examples of the word
List all the possible word students may see and words they may not see in their reading.
Students work in groups and decide what words they will not see in their reading. After the
Exclusion Brainstorming
lesson allow students to revisit the list and make corrections. Higher level: Why does these
words belong?
Assess Prior/Ending
Knowledge
This strategy is used prior to presenting new information. The teacher introduces the
Exclusion Brainstorming topic and students brainstorm everything they know about a topic. When students have
generated all of their ideas, they sort them into categories and label.
At the beginning of a unit or topic of study, ask students to jot down what they already
Picture Postcard know about a topic on an index card. On the first side of the postcard, students draw a
picture of the topic.
Students compose a friendly letter to their teacher announcing what they already know
Letter to the Teacher about a topic. In the letter, students inform the teacher what they hope will be covered
in the unit.
B- Background information from teacher presentation K- What do I think I know? W- What
B-K-W-L-Q
do I want to know? L- What did I learn? Q- What new questions do I have?
W-Y-N-W W- What we think we know Y-Yes, we were right! N-New information W- Wonderings!
Before we begin our study on
SS are given a specific topic and a specified time to complete the writing about the topic. (30 weather, take 30 seconds and tell
Quick Write
seconds - 1 minute) me what type of weather is
considered severe.
Nonfiction: An Anticipation Guide includes a list of 8-10 statements related to a topic of study.
Prior to introducing new information, engage students by having them write whether or not
they AGREE or DISAGREE (T or F) with the statements listed on the guide. After the new
Anticipation Guide content has been taught, have students react to the new information by responding again to
thestatements on the Anticipation/Reaction Guide. Discuss why their before and afteranswers
are different. Extension: after completing include where they found the answer beside each
question.
EX: Main heading: Vegetables-
potatoes, carrots, tomatoes,
A main grouping of words is decided and placed on the left side of a chart with a heading. To broccoli, squash, cabbage. Sub-
Semantic Feature Analysis
the right of the main heading are sub-categories. Students then place the word into the headings: Green, have peelings,
Grid
appropriate sub-heading. eat raw, seeds. Potatoes would go
under: have peelings (maybe eat
raw)
A collection of key terms or concepts taken from the content or topic of study. The
terms selected represent important ideas and vocabulary. Students make predictions and
Word Splash
generate statements about the topic. Finally, students correct information after formal
study of the material.
Place name of a topic or concept vertically down the paper. Students generate a word or
Acrostic Poem
phrase that begins with each letter of the vertical word.
To set up the Walking Tour, choose passages, pictures, or statements for a topic. Place
one per chart. Number each chart and post the charts around the room. In small groups,
students spend 2-5 minutes at each chart, reading, discussing, interpreting, and reacting
Walking Tour
to the idea--orally or in writing. The groups move from chart to chart until they have
visited all of the charts. When the "tour groups" have finished, have the students discuss
and summarize the charts with the entire group.
During this activity, students will have individual time to think about a question related to
Think, Pair, Share the topic of study. They will then pair up with a partner to share their thoughts. Finally,
the pairs will select one major idea to share with the entire class.
Prior to the beginning of class, the teacher will prepare questions related to the topic of
study and write them on sticky notes. Four to five questions are usually enough. Sticky
notes are placed underneath student desks/chairs so that they are hidden from view.
In the Hot Seat At the start of the class, inform students that several of them are sitting on "Hot Seats"
and will be asked to answer questions related to the topic of study for the day. Students
who have questions on sticky notes will then take turns reading the question and
attempting to provide an answer.
Students respond to the following related to a particular topic: 3 things that interest me,
321
2 things I'd like to know more about, 1 idea
To conduct a Treasure Hunt, students are given a description of the "treasures" they
need to located at the beginning of a unit of study. These treasures are statements
Treasure Hunt
about experiences or knowledge related to a new topic. As they find each kind of
"treasure", they obtain a signature as verification.
With students make text-self, text-world, and text-text connections. As students make
Connection Chain connections to the text add a link to the chain. Once the chain reaches the desired point the
agreed upon reward is given. (paper clips, paper chain, links)
Using a blank piece of paper, students are asked to draw or diagram the outline and
Draw a picture
details of a topic.
T put up a passage from a previously read selection. Ss edit passage for the replacement of
Who Took Our Caps?
capital letters
Who Mixed Up Our Organization (Sequence) T should place sentences from the previously read selection.
Sentences? Sentences should be out of sequential order. Ss work to re-sequence the events.
Beach Ball Toss Toss a beach ball and ask questions to students.
T puts up a passage from a previously read selection leaving blanks in some places. Ss
What Missing?
decide what words would appropriate fit into the blanks.
Chart with columns. 1. Setting 2. Character 3. Plot 4. Problem 5. Solution Before reading a
story prepare sticky-notes that contain words from the story. Either as a whole group or as
Predict-O-Gram
small groups have students categorize the words into where they THINK they might belong.
Question why they picked that spot. After the story is read revisit and make corrections.
Teaching
Explanation
Strategy
Reading Groups
Partner struggling readers with good, solid readers but the best readers in your class. Look at
Partner Reading behaviors. Do not put two behavior problems together. Post partner lists in the room so
students know where to go quickly.
Choral Reading Can be done in partners, small groups, or whole class
Ring 1: students read alone (proficient readers), Ring 2: students read with a partner (on-level
3-Ring Circus
readers), Ring 3: students read with teacher (struggling readers)
Students reading on different text levels. Books are connected by common genre, theme, or
topic. Students preview and choose the book they want to read on their level. Groups meet
Book Club Groups
daily to read and discuss the book.Ss should decide on a reading format. T should have a
before and after reading activity to help with conversations.
Students choose a book on their level. Students read on their own and only meet in groups to
discuss what was read. Groups determine how much to read between meetings. Specific
Literature Circles
roles are assigned ( discussion detective, tone nailer, awesome author) to each student.
Books are chosen based on a genre, author, theme, or topic.
2 selected partners forming a foursome. Students need to know what they should read and do
after reading. One member should be the leader. Teams may also need a recorder or a
Reading Teams
speaker. After completing the reading teams should do something with what they learned. Ex:
create a graphic organizer, QAR, discuss ERT
READING SKILL
Left side of the chart students write an entry from the text. On the right side, respond to the
T-Charts MAKING CONNECTIONS
text with their connection.
Fiction or Nonfiction text: Predictive statements are written about the text. These statements
are developed by students. Before reading students preview the cover, the title, headings,
PREDICTING
subheadings, table of contents, visuals… Students make predictions about what they think
Prove It! COMPREHENSION
they will read. While reading students identify the sections in the text that prove or disprove
SUMMARIZING
the statements. After reading as a whole class make all false statements true. Use these
statements to create a summary.
Give partners sticky notes. While they are reading students can place the notes where they
Self-stick notes applied the focused strategy in the reading or found something they though was important. COMPREHENSION
Partners must agree where the notes are to be placed.
M-I-W (most Important Students look for 3 important words while reading. Ss must tell why they choose these 3 COMPREHENSION
Word) words. T collects words and class creates a summary using these words. SUMMARIZING
Ss look for the 10 most important words. Ss share words with class and create a Talley chart
with all the words. The class then votes on the 10 M-I-W. Divide students into groups: Green:
find synonyms and antonyms for words, Red: create 3 good sentences that use the word in
Give Me 10 COMPREHENSION
different ways. Blue: Draw 2 pictures that illustrate the words. Orange: return to the selection
and find the words in their original sentences and create a picture that further explains the
word on a sticky-note. Pink: act out words. White: Concept map of words
Everyone reads the same selection. In 2-3 minutes, Ss make a sketch of the most important
ideas. Ss are put into groups of 3-4. In each group pick someone to show a sketch. The
Stretch to Sketch sketcher is quiet while others talk, one by one, about what they thought were the most COMPREHENSION
important ideas. After all the Ss have shared, the sketcher talks about the sketch and the
most important ideas he/she was trying to show.
Create a graphic organizer by having students fold paper. Students should number the cells
Sketching My Way
created by folding. Students read the text and stop periodically to sketch their understanding COMPREHENSION
Through a Text
of the text. They could record a keY word under the sketch as support.
1. After reading about a topic or person students locate key words form the WHOLE piece.
2. Cut or write down the phrases.
3. Arrange the phrases into something that makes sense.
Found Poetry 4. Look over your list and remove anything that is dull or boring, add words if necessary. COMPREHENSION
5. Add punctuation such as commas, periods, exclamation marks…
6. Add the text to your book and create colorful pictures that match the text.
1. What is the author trying to tell you? 2. Why is the author telling you that? 3. How might the
Question the Author COMPREHENSION
author have written it more clearly? 4. What would you have wanted to say instead?
Summary-fiction Make a chart with 4 columns. Label one column with each word: Somebody,
Wanted, But, So. Complete the chart by filling in answers. Students use their answers to
complete a summary. EXAMPLE: Somebody: May Wanted: To visit her grandma But: Not
Somebody Wanted But So SUMMARIZING
enough money So: May was mailed Summary: May wanted to visit her grandmother.
Unfortunately her family did not have enough money for her to ride the train. So, her parents
mailed her like she was livestock.
Summary-nonfiction: Options sentence by sentence, paragraph by paragraph, one word, two
word phrase, three word phrase, don't count prepositions, articles, or conjunctions. Read
Key Word/Words SUMMARIZING
aloud the whole article first. Then read paragraph and sentence by sentence to model
strategy.
Summary: nonfiction Power 1: Main Idea, Thesis, Topic (Big Idea) Power 2: Subtopic,
category or Power 1, detail of Power 1 Power 3: detail of a Power 2…Take topics and
make into first a verbal paragraph for several days then into a written paragraph. 1.
Unit title
2. Chapter title
3. Lesson title
4. Article title
Power Thinking SUMMARIZING
4. Jamestown Colony
5. VA. Company of London
6. Asked King James for a charter
6. Settled on peninsula along James River
7. Low and swampy
7. Mosquitoes
(everything should stay lined up.)
Chart with one letter in each box. As students read they should record words that fit into each
box. This can also be used for key words in a unit. After reading about the topic Ss share PREDICTION VOCABULARY
Alphaboxes
what other words they think should be added to the Alphabox. After completing the unit COMPREHENSION
students can use these words to help generate paragraphs.
Pose different types of questions to students. Types: Right there, Think and Search, Author
QAR questioning COMPREHENSION
and Me, On My Own
Teachers begin by teaching and modeling the four comprehension strategies; students then
practice them through dialogue among themselves. At first the teacher leads the dialogue, but
as students become more proficient with the four strategies, the teacher gradually fades out
of the dialogue and allows students to assume leadership. Teachers need to explicitly teach
and model the four basic strategies above: predicting, questioning, clarifying, and
summarizing. When I PREDICT, I: guess, assume, imagine, visualize, infer, speculare,
Reciprocal Teaching COMPREHENSION
suspect, believe, forecast, project, envision. When I CLARIFY, I: explain, solve, monitor,
refine, simplify, define, describe, illustrate, sharpen, remember. When I QUESTION, I: ask,
search, investigatem challenge, quarrel with. When I SUMMARIZE, I: sum up, judge, reread,
determine.
Visit:http://www.greece.k12.ny.us/instruction/ela/6-
12/reading/Reading%20Strategies/reciprocal%20teaching.htm
The goal of GIST is to have students convey the “gist” of what they read by summarizing the
text in 20 words or less. 1) Ask the students to read a short section of no more than three
paragraphs.2) Ask the class to remember important ideas from the passage and list them on
the board. 3) Work with the class to condense those ideas into 20 words. 4) Ask students to
GIST SUMMARIZING
read a second short section. Create a 20-word summary that incorporates information from
both the first and second sections. 5) If you feel ambitious, have the students repeat the
strategy with a third section.
Chunk texts into no more than 2 pages. Label sections A, B, C, etc. Students practice and
Pick a Page formulate questions to become the expert. After the practice students pull themselves in order COMPREHENSION FLUENCY
within their A, B, or C groups, Students read and ask their questions.
Write open ended questions on the panels. For fiction texts, the questions may be about story
Beach Ball Toss structure and for nonfiction they may be about information in the text. Partner can toss the COMPREHENSION
balls back and forth.
Write open ended questions on the panels. For fiction texts, the questions may be about story
Story Dice structure and for nonfiction they may be about information in the text. Partner can toss the COMPREHENSION
balls back and forth.
Use with narrative text. Materials: labeled chart paper, lined, unlined post-its. Label chart
paper with numbers 0-10 along the left side. Tell Ss they will be retelling the events of the
story. For each event retold one student should sketch the event on an unlined post-it and
another should write it on lined post-it. Written notes are lined up across the bottom of the
Excitement Map chart paper. After all events are on the chart question how exciting each event was. Ss should PLOT
tell the T on a scale of 1-10 how exciting the event was. T places the even beside the number
and direclty above the written event. The result should be a plot diagram. Allow students to
discover the parts of the plot diagram and the characterisctics of: climax, resolution, rising
action.
Guides whole class or small group. Ss with the teacher through text a page or two at a time. T
ERT (Everyone Read
uses statements like: Read to find out…Read to figure out… Ss should indicate what part of INFERRING
To…)
the story helped them figure out the answer.
Use poems, articles, or paragraphs from a text. Students will need two different hihghlighters.
Highlight phrases that are read differently. Where there are pauses or no pauses. Use echho
reading to guide the process of phrasing and inflection, the colors will guide the phrasing.
Phrase Fluency FLUENCY
EXAMPLE: (no pauses or breaths allowed until the end) -read all the way through- (One
day)-Mouse deer was out in the jungle- (when suddenly)-she fell down a large hole!- (The
sides were long and steep.)
With students make text-self, text-world, and text-text connections. As students make
Connection Chain connections to the text add a link to the chain. Once the chain reachers the desired point the MAKING CONNECTIONS
agreed upon reward is given. (paper clips, paper chain, links)