PreReading, Active Silent reading, PostReading Strategies
These are common literacy strategies, some you may have already used in other classes. Remember, these are guides/suggestions, so, feel free to modify and adapt them to your needs.
I. Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA)
Individual Activity: a form of guided problem solving
II. Predict, Locate, Add, Note (PLAN)
Individual Activity: used before, during and after reading
III. K-W-L Plus
Individual Activity: like DR-TA, stressing summarizing. It utilizes columns of “known,” “want to know,” and “learned.” Then you constructs a concept map.
IV. SQ3R
Individual Activity
V. Listen Read Discuss (LRD)
Group Activity: an initial interactive method for students and other students
What did you understand most?
What did you understand least?
What questions or ideas did this cause you to think of?
VI. Group Reading Activity (GRA)
Group Activity: combines DR-TA and cooperative learning
VII. Cooperative DR-TA
Group Activity: combination of parts of many other strategies
Connection
Brainstorming
Concept Mapping
Guided Independent Reading
Questions generated are answered
Outline made
Paraphrase all information
Follow-up
Summarize collectively
Test created by each group
Remap information into a new concept organizer
Individual Activity: a form of guided problem solving
- Preparation for reading: preview material, noting bold faced vocabulary, and determine the purposes for reading by writing questions based on the headings/subheadings, graphs, and figures/diagrams
- Read silently
- Develop comprehension: answer the purpose questions aloud. If you can answer the question aloud without looking to the book or the question for guidance, you probably grasped the key points of the concept. If not, clarify any vocabulary and concepts by rereading the text. You may also need to redefine your “purposes” for reading by rewriting/clarifying your questions.
- Reread (silent or oral)
- Follow up: find a secondary reading source to extend your understanding. Be sure to filter the new information in the context of what you now know (there’s a lot of BAD information out there!)
II. Predict, Locate, Add, Note (PLAN)
Individual Activity: used before, during and after reading
- Predict: create a graphic organizer using title, subtitles, and highlighted words. (If you do not know what a graphic organizer is, do an Internet search.)
- Locate: place question marks beside unfamiliar information in organizer
- Add: while reading, you will add to your map; clarifying, adding words, defining concepts, etc.
- Note: reorganize the information into a new organizer and then into paragraphs
III. K-W-L Plus
Individual Activity: like DR-TA, stressing summarizing. It utilizes columns of “known,” “want to know,” and “learned.” Then you constructs a concept map.
- Know: brainstorming session on what you know about the topic; place the ideas into the known column
- Want to know: construct questions about what is not known; place these in the want to know column
- Learned: during reading, you answer your questions; add more questions and their answers; utilize talking aloud to review material
- Plus: place the information into a graphic organizer
IV. SQ3R
Individual Activity
- Survey: scan chapter, reading headings, subheadings, figures/charts, and summary
- Questions: create questions based on headings, subheadings, and on what you think you will be reading about
- Read: answer questions created during the survey/question; compose new questions and answers; read all boldfaced or italicized words or phrases
- Recite: orally summarize and make notes on what was just read
- Review: go over material again periodically to ensure understanding. Repeat this periodically
V. Listen Read Discuss (LRD)
Group Activity: an initial interactive method for students and other students
- select a portion of text to read
- present the information from that portion of the text orally in a brief, organized summary (depending upon the portion of text, this could take up to 2 minutes)
- have the other students read the text version of the same material.
- Discuss the material students have heard and read
What did you understand most?
What did you understand least?
What questions or ideas did this cause you to think of?
VI. Group Reading Activity (GRA)
Group Activity: combines DR-TA and cooperative learning
- Pose a question about the reading. Again base it off the headings/subheadings, etc.*
- Divide and assign parts of the text to individuals (The section of text chosen and how you assign this text is up to you. You may choose a couple of pages and divide by the subheadings. Or you can choose a Subheading and divide by paragraph. Figure out what works for your group.)
- Read text silently, with each person writing their answer to the overall question
- Write a statement of the main idea(s), paraphrasing from the text.
- Do not rewrite what is written in the textbook!
- The group should begin to share information with each other to create a single group rendition on another sheet.
- Have a parent, sibling, anyone outside of the group come in as an Editor. The Editor should understand the group’s answer and the concept explained.
- If your Editor either did not understand the concept and/or asked a good question as an extension of the original question, the group reworks its answer
- Individuals in group reread entire section
VII. Cooperative DR-TA
Group Activity: combination of parts of many other strategies
Connection
Brainstorming
Concept Mapping
Guided Independent Reading
Questions generated are answered
Outline made
Paraphrase all information
Follow-up
Summarize collectively
Test created by each group
Remap information into a new concept organizer