Please review the strategies presented in this chapter and elaborate how do you move readers forward as strategic readers?
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Monday, April 7, 2008
Chapter 2 Strategies That Work
This chapter focuses on strategies that effective readers utilize. The text states that strategic readers are connecting, inferring, questioning, visualizing, and synthesizing as they read.
Please review the strategies presented in this chapter and elaborate how do you move readers forward as strategic readers?
Please click on the comments icon to publish your posting.
Please review the strategies presented in this chapter and elaborate how do you move readers forward as strategic readers?
Please click on the comments icon to publish your posting.
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5 comments:
How can I move readers forward as strategic readers is an interesting question for me. I hope that I am modeling the strategies in all the lessons I do, at least in some small way. My goal is to improve what I am doing. One thing that stood out from reading chapter 2 is that it is necessary to use the common language. I work in 3 schools at 4 different levels. Changing between levels in about 5 minutes time is a challenge to say the least and I often struggle to re-group and get on board with the new class. I must learn that common language. Working with the teachers and maybe more importantly the reading specialists/department chairs I can develop an understanding of the terms that are used in each school and in the district. Once I am confidently on the same page as the classroom teachers I can be more effective in my attempts to help move students forward as strategic readers.
Hi Renee,
Thank you for your post! You sure are a busy teacher working in three schools!
I do agree with you the importance of using common language across the board. I believe it is important because it provides common expectations for all students as well as giving them a comfort level from teacher to teacher.
I think there is a big challenge in getting students to know which strategy to use and when. This seems to be my biggest job in teaching comprehension.
I really think the idea of using Post-It notes for kids to put in the margins would be a huge hit any very effective. I'm going to try it.
We use a lot of questioning techniques in our literature classroom. It seems to just come naturally to everyone. We also talk about what we see in our heads when we read out loud as a class. I think I do a pretty good job at modeling and implementing these strategies.
One thing I would like to work on with my kids is distinguishing non-important details from the story to what is actually important to keep the plot in focus and meaningful. Sometimes I am amazed at what the kids see as important.
As teachers, we all model the strategies and provide opportunities for practice. I feel the real impact comes when we find the time work in small groups or to conference 1-1 with a student. In order to move forward as strategic readers, students need lots of opportunities to practice using materials at their instructional level. They also need feedback on what they are doing well, and individual coaching on the areas they struggle with. Every week, I focus on a different strategy. I model this strategy to the whole class. I also meet with small groups (3-4 students) for guided practice. Using another piece of literature which is at their level, we review the strategy and apply it to the new text. In the small group setting, it’s easy to see who understands the strategy, and to reteach the strategy if needed. Individual conferences also provide the opportunity to discuss what material the students are selecting and to evaluate the progress they are making.
In reading class I use a combination of trade books and a basal that our district wants us to use. I tend to use the trade books to work on questioning and reading comprehension. I try to get them to take what they read and then apply it to other ideas. I do this with the trade books because they tend to be at their level and most of the time they can find success. I also use the trade books for a lot of writing in the classroom.
As for teaching them to be strategic readers I focus on the strategies most while using the basal. A lot of times we talk about one of the strategies before we read. Then we read it together and I try to model the strategies as we go along.
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