GUIDED IMAGERY
Students preview a selection looking for visuals that stimulate their imaginations. Read them excerpts that allow them to use their imaginations about a concept. This teaches students to comprehend text by seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling the words. (Buehl 90)
CHARACTER QUOTES
Students are given quotes from characters in a text, historical figures, etc. and are asked to work in groups to brainstorm as many words as they can that they think of to describe their impression of this person based on this quote. Then they share their traits and reasoning for those traits with the class. Students then make generalizations about the person based on the quotes.(Buehl 62, Lenski 34)
QUOTE AND COMMENT
The teacher chooses 5 to 8 pictures, sentences from the reading, diagrams, equations, famous quotes, or graphs to post around the room. The students walk around the room, responding with a comment, reaction, or question about each of the figures on the walls. Students then discuss their reactions/questions as a whole or small group. (Daly 5)
CONTENT STORY IMPRESSIONS
Students are introduced to important terms and concepts before they encounter them in a text/assignment. Students are given a list of key terms and with a partner, brainstorm possible connections to the chain of clues. Make predictions about the content of the text and the meaning of the words. Then they read the section and write a summary of the text using the key terms as well as new terms they learned that were not included in the first list. (Buehl 162, Lenski 15, Frank, Grossi, & Stanfield, 21)
CONTENT PREDICT O GRAM
Students are given 12-15 words and 4-5 categories to predict where the words go. Students then meet with partners/small groups and discuss their ideas. They read the text and fix their predict o grams with the correct categories. Students use the categories to write summaries about the content learned. (Lenski 33)
TEA PARTY
Teacher selects key sentences and phrases (about the plot) and writes them on notecards. Students work in groups to sort the notecards and predict what they think will happen. (Daly 5)
LIST, GROUP, LABEL
This is similar to LINK but, students LIST associations with the concept and share on the board. Then students GROUP the associations into categories and LABEL the categories. (Buehl 56)
LINK: LIST, INQUIRE, NOTE, and KNOW
This strategy helps student’s link new words to their prior knowledge.
- The teacher puts a “cue” word on the board and gives the students 3 min. to brainstorm everything that comes to mind about that word.
- Students put their associations around the word.
- Students then INQUIRE about the associations (What are you wondering about?) to each other not the teacher.
- After the discussion, cover the boards and have students write down what they have learned about the topic based on their PK and the inquiry discussion. (Buehl 55)
THAT WAS THEN… THIS IS NOW
Students fold a blank paper in half. On the 1st half they sketch some things that they know about the topic and then write a summary about what they already know. After they read a section on the topic, they sketch what they have learned and write a summary statement.
YOU OUGHT TO BE IN PICTURES
Display various photos that connect with the curriculum. Then give the students a prompt to record their observations and thoughts. Share their responses with a partner and volunteers read aloud to the class. (Buehl 84)
PICTURE NOTES TO PREDICT
Students are asked to sketch a picture or a series of pictures that depict something they are going to be learning about to see what they already know. (Project CRISS)
PICTURE BOOKS
Teachers use picture books to give students background knowledge on a topic they are learning. (Lenski 26)
PROBLEMATIC SITUATIONS
The teacher proposes a problem to the students which includes enough important info that they can ID key ideas in the passage they will be reading. The students work in groups to read the situation and create solutions. After reading, students can compare their possible solutions with the one decided in the text. (Buehl 129, Lenski 13)
K-W-L-+
Students are asked to tap prior knowledge, make connections, ask questions, and after reading step back, rethink, and reflect on what they learned and create a summary about they learned. (Daniels/Zemelman 106)
ANTICIPATION GUIDES / OPINIONAIRE
Teacher generates agree/disagree statements/ questions for students to activate prior knowledge and modify their own misconceptions as they read. Students can be asked to defend their opinions through written or oral communication. During and after reading, students revisit and revise their anticipation guided based on the reading and the class discussion. (Buehl 45, Daniels/Zemelman 108, Lenski 9, 23, Frank, Grossi, & Stanfield, 26)
CLUSTERING / BRAINSTORMING WEB / CONCEPT MAPS
Students brainstorm ideas, images, and feelings about a concept. (Daniels/Zemelman 104-105)
FIRST, THE QUESTIONS
Teacher provides the students with questions to think about before they read the section. Using their prior knowledge, they answer the questions and discuss responses as a class before they read. Students read to clarify or verify predictions, noting new information learned. After reading, students discuss any changes that occurred in their “before” and “after” responses. (Frank, Grossi, & Stanfield, 37)
TPRC: THINK, PREDICT, READ, CONNECT
This is a strategy used to develop their general knowledge before, during, and after reading:
- Divide class into groups
- Students “Think” about what they already know about the topic and list it on that part of the chart
- Teacher gives a simple summary about what they will be reading
- Students put a checkmark by what they predict will be in the text
- Students read the selection underlining/highlighting predicted ideas they find in the text
- Students also add their connections between the topic and their own knowledge (Lenski 165)
Sources: The strategies listed on this page were compiled by Literacy Coach Melissa Sethna in a document titled “Literacy Skills and Strategies for Content Area Teachers.” The source for each strategy is listed below. Beers, Kylene. When Kids Can’t Read: What Teacher’s Can Do.
- Blachowicz, Camille L. Z., and Peter Fisher. Teaching Vocabulary in All Classrooms.
- Buehl, Doug. Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning.
- Carleton, Lindsay, and Robert J. Marzano. Vocabulary Games for the Classroom.
- Daly, Lori. “Before Reading Strategies.”
- Daniels, Harvey, and Steven Zemelman. Subjects Matter: Every Teacher’s Guide to Content-area Reading.
- Flanders, Sandi, and Mart O’Connor. “Never Too Old for Picture Books.”
- Fleischman, Paul, and Eric Beddows. Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices.
- Frank, Cecilia B., Janice M. Grossi, and Dorothy J. Stanfield. Applications of Reading Strategies within the Classroom: Explanations, Models, and Teacher Templates for Content Areas in Grades 3-12.