Strategy Notebook

STRATEGY
NOTEBOOK
TE-930
Courtney McCandless
|
Strategy Notebook Table of Contents

1. Answering Questions 26.Listen-Read-Discuss (LRD)
2. Anticipation Guide 27.Lit Circles
3. Brainstorming 28.Making Predictions
4. Carousel Brainstorming 29.Modeled Talk
5. Choral Reading 30.Paragraph Hamburger
6. Concept Sort 31.Paragraph Shrinking
7. Conversation Roundtable 32.Partner Reading
8. Dictation 33.RAFT
9. Direct Reading Thinking Activity 34.Readers Theatre
(DRTA) 35.Reading Guide
10.Double Entry Journal 36.Reciprocal Teaching
11.Echo Reading 37.Revision
12.Equity Sticks 38.Save the Last Word for Me
13.Exclusion Brainstorming 39.Story Maps
14.Exit Slips 40.Story Sequence
15.First Lines 41.Summarizing
16.Framed Paragraphs 42.Syllable Games
17.Four Corners 43.Take Five
18.Gallery Walk 44.Talking Chips
19.Give One, Get One 45.Think-Pair-Share
20.Graphic Organizers 46.Total Physical Response (TPR)
21.Inference Making 47.Visualization
22.Inquiry Chart 48.Word Hunt
23.Jigsaw 49.Word Maps
24.Knew-Knew Notes 50.Word Walls
25.KWL Chart

ANSWERING QUESTIONS

Responding to text-dependent questions to build understanding

Goal/Purpose: To build vocabulary and knowledge of text structure and becoming
familiar with author’s purpose and POV.

Example:
• Asking questions such as:
o Why did the brick house not blow away?

Modifications:
• Use sentence frames frontloading information
• Highlight key vocabulary

ANTICIPATION GUIDE

An anticipation guide is a comprehension strategy that is used before reading to
activate students' prior knowledge and build curiosity about a new topic. Before
reading, students listen to or read several statements about key concepts
presented in the text; they're often structured as a series of statements with which
the students can choose to agree or disagree. Anticipation guides stimulate
students' interest in a topic and set a purpose for reading.

Goal/Purpose:

• Anticipation guides stimulate students' interest in a topic and set a purpose for
reading.
• They teach students to make predictions, anticipate the text, and verify their
predictions.
• They connect new information to prior knowledge and build curiosity about a new
topic.
Instructions:

1. Construct the anticipation guide. Construction of the anticipation guide should be as simple as
possible for younger students. Write four to six statements about key ideas in the text; some
true and some false. Include columns following each statement, which can be left blank or can
be labeled Yes, or No (Maybe can also be used).
NOTE: Teachers may wish to create an additional column for revisiting the guide after the
material has been read.
2. Model the process. Introduce the text or reading material and share the guide with the students.
Model the process of responding to the statements and marking the columns.
3. Read each of the statements and ask the students if they agree or disagree with it. Provide the
opportunity for discussion. The emphasis is not on right answers but to share what they know
and to make predictions.
4. Read the text aloud or have students read the selection individually. If reading aloud, teachers
should read slowly and stop at places in the text that correspond to each of the statements.
5. Bring closure to the reading by revisiting each of the statements.

Name ________________________________________ Date __________________________
Title of story __________________________________ Author ________________________
Anticipation Guide
Use the following anticipation guide to preview a story before you read it. Before reading, mark whether or
not you agree or disagree with each statement. After reading the story, fill in the page number where you
found the answer to each statement, tell whether or not you were right, and reflect on what you found.
Agree/Disagree Page # Were you right? Reflect
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Copyright 2003 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved. ReadWriteThink

materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.

Anticipation Guide
Before After
Agree Disagree Statement and Evidence Agree Disagree
1.
Evidence:
2.
Evidence:
3.
Evidence:
4.
Evidence:
5.
Evidence:
6.
Evidence:
BRAINSTORMING:

Brainstorming is a common creativity-generating activity that is effective in a
variety of instructional and professional settings. This collaborative activity allows
students or group participants to generate a variety of ideas in a short period of
time without criticism or judgement. Brainstorming involves all participants, giving
each person an equal opportunity to respond to a prompt and generate new ideas
based on what they already know. Because there are no wrong answers with
brainstorming, the barriers to creativity are removed. More importantly,
brainstorming can be used for a variety of purposes and in a variety of settings, any
time the generation of a range of ideas is important or desired. Formal
brainstorming, in which participants adhere to a specific set of rules, is the most
effective format, particularly for students unfamiliar with the activity.

Goal/Purpose: to generate many ideas in a short period of time

Materials:
• Prompt
• chart paper
• markers
• post-it notes
Instructions:
1. Have students develop a set of ground rules for brainstorming, particularly if
they will be using this strategy frequently
2. Review the prompt with students ensuring that everyone understands it
3. Give students two minutes to jot their responses on Post-it notes or on a
sheet of paper. Encourage creativity
4. Going in a round-robin fashion, have each student contribute one idea at a
time. A student may pass, if he/she chooses.
5. Write each idea on the chart paper using brief phrases. Be sure to record the
idea accurately. Do not number the responses; simply create one continuous
list
6. Encourage students to “piggy back” or “hitchhike”, building on each other’s
ideas. Do not discuss or criticize ideas during brainstorming
7. Write large enough so that everyone in the class can read the list
8. Every time a word or phrase is duplicated use a check mark
9. Repeat the process until everyone has passed

CAROUSEL BRAINSTORMING

This variation of brainstorming works well when the ideas generated will be used
for a subsequent and more complex assignment. This strategy encourages
students to offer and react to ideas of their peers in a non-critical safe
environment. Carousel brainstorming lays the groundwork for a more thoughtful
discussion and can be the first step in a consensus-building exercise. In addition,
this activity allows students to discuss their ideas and to determine where they
want to focus an assignment. Although Carousel Brainstorming is primarily a
collaboration activity, learners will also use writing, organization and reading skills.

Goal/Purpose: to generate a variety of ideas or responses in a short period of time
with maximum participation

Materials:
• wall charts/poster paper (per group)
• prompt for each wall chart

Instructions:
1. Assign students to groups. Have each group to begin at a specific chart. It
may be helpful to assign a different color marker for each group.
2. Explain the procedure:
a. At the first signal, groups move to their assigned charts. They will
generate and record as many ideas as possible in response to the
prompt that is written at the top of each chart paper. The ideas do
not need to be written by one recorder. Rather, everyone can write
his/her ideas in a “graffiti-style” fashion.
b. At the second signal, the groups rotate clockwise to the next chart
and review what previous group wrote. They then may generate and
post additional ideas or combine similar ideas.
c. At the third signal, the groups again rotate clockwise to the next chart,
review what the previous groups wrote, and generate and post
additional ideas.
3. Continue until all groups have written on all charts
4. Ask students to take a “Gallery Walk” of all charts and be seated.
5. Debrief the activity

CHORAL READING

The students and teacher read a text aloud simultaneously.

Goal/Purpose: to practice reading aloud quickly, accurately, and expressively with
the teacher

Materials:
• Instructional level texts

Instructions:
1. Give students copies of the text
2. Model reading aloud the first part of the text. Set the pace and read with
proper phrasing, rate, and expression
3. Read the same part of the text again with students reading along with you

Modification:
• Use choral reading with whole class, small group, or individual students

CONCEPT SORT

A concept sort is a vocabulary and comprehension strategy used to familiarize
students with the vocabulary of a new topic or book. Teachers provide students
with a list of terms or concepts from reading material. Students place words into
different categories based on each word's meaning. Categories can be defined by
the teacher or by the students. When used before reading, concept sorts provide
an opportunity for a teacher to see what his or her students already know about
the given content. When used after reading, teachers can assess their students'
understanding of the concepts presented.

Goal/Purpose:

• It allows teachers to introduce the new vocabulary which students will see in the
assigned text.
• It provides teachers with information about how much the students already know
about a topic.
• It familiarizes students with the vocabulary of a new topic or book.

Instructions:

1. If your goal is to teach a concept such as rough/smooth, gather 10-15 objects or
pictures that have rough and smooth textures. Or, if your goal is to teach a concept
or vocabulary that is presented in a book, choose 10-15 relevant, important words
from the book.
2. Working individually, in small groups or as a class, have the students sort the cards
or objects into meaningful groups. The groups (or categories) can be pre-defined
by the teacher (often called a closed sort) or by the students (often called an open
sort).
3. Discuss the categories used within the different groups. Describe why certain cards
were placed within certain groups.

CONVERSATION ROUNDTABLE

As students read, they take notes in the first quadrant of the graphic organizer.
After they read, students meet with three colleagues to discuss the reading and
take notes on their comments in each of the other quadrants. Finally, all students
write a summary answering the Read to Find Out Question (RTFOQ) on the back

Goal/Purpose: to help students visually and cognitively organize their notes and
collaborate with peers to discuss reading

Materials:
• Worksheet
• Pencil

CONVERSATION ROUNDTABLE (Burke, 2007)

Directions: As you read, take notes in the first quadrant of the graphic organizer. After you read, meet
with three colleagues to discuss the reading and take notes on their comments in each of the other
quadrants. Finally, write a summary answering the Read to Find Out Question (RTFOQ) on the back.

RTFOQ: What are the key components of the ___________________________?

__________________ __________________
__________________ __________________

RTFOQ: What are the key components of the ________________________?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

DICTATION

Dictation is the process of writing down what someone else has said. With young
children, dictation offers a way for a parent or a teacher to record a child's
thoughts or ideas when the writing demands surpass writing skills. Dictation
provides a chance for an adult to model many writing behaviors including
handwriting, matching sounds-to-letters to spell words, and sentence formation.

Goal/Purpose:

• It allows students to watch as an adult writes, using many conventions of writing,
such as letter formation, punctuation, spacing between words, and more.
• Teachers can model listening to a sound and writing the associated letter.
• It allows us to model that speech can be written down and read back.

Modifications:
• Teachers should vary their expectations for the length of dictation based on a
child's language and/or age.
• Strategies such as this enable children from other cultures to bring their different
experiences into the classroom to share. Sharing dictations through whatever
means will enrich the other students' experience.
• Dictations with the whole group in the form of a class story may serve to
familiarize students with the strategy.

DIRECT READING THINKING ACTIVITY (DRTA)

The Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) is a comprehension strategy that
guides students in asking questions about a text, making predictions, and then
reading to confirm or refute their predictions. The DRTA process encourages
students to be active and thoughtful readers, enhancing their comprehension.

Goal/Purpose:

• It encourages students to be active and
thoughtful readers.
• It activates students' prior knowledge.
• It teaches students to monitor their understanding of the text as they're reading.
• It helps strengthen reading and critical thinking skills.

Instructions:

1. Determine the text to be used and pre-select points for students to pause during the reading
process.
2. Introduce the text, the purpose of the DRTA, and provide examples of how to make predictions.
Note: Be aware of the reading levels of each student, and be prepared to provide appropriate questions, prompts,
and support as needed.
3. Use the following outline to guide the procedure:

D = DIRECT. Teachers direct and activate students' thinking prior to reading a passage by scanning the
title, chapter headings, illustrations, and other materials. Teachers should use open-ended questions to
direct students as they make predictions about the content or perspective of the text (e.g., "Given this
title, what do you think the passage will be about?").
R = READING. Students read up to the first pre-selected stopping point. The teacher then prompts the
students with questions about specific information and asks them to evaluate their predictions and refine
them if necessary. This process should be continued until students have read each section of the passage.
T = THINKING. At the end of each section, students go back through the text and think about their
predictions. Students should verify or modify their predictions by finding supporting statements in the
text. The teacher asks questions such as:
o What do you think about your predictions now?

o What did you find in the text to prove your predictions?
o What did you we read in the text that made you change your predictions?

DOUBLE ENTRY JOURNAL

The left side of the table must contain at least eight quotations from the reading with page
numbers noted. Should the student wish to refer to a particularly large selection, they may
paraphrase it.

The right side of the table must comment on each of these eight points. The right side can
respond to questions such as:
• What strikes you about this?
• What was your first thought when you read this? And then? And then?
• What does this passage/idea make you think of or remember?
• Do you want to challenge or qualify this author’s claim? In what ways do you agree with
it? Disagree?
• What else have you read/heard/experienced that connects with this author’s ideas?
• Does something confuse you or lead to further questions?
• How do you feel about this?

Goal/Purpose: This assignment is meant to help students analyze the text – similar to textual
annotation AND prepare students so that they are able to talk about your selected passages in
class; keep track of which passages you wrote about.

Materials:
• Worksheet
• Pencil

Double Entry Journal

Please read and follow the directions below to complete the double-entry journal assignment.

DIRECTIONS:
The left side of your table must contain at least eight quotations from the reading with page numbers
noted. Should you wish to refer to a particularly large selection, you may paraphrase it.

The right side of your table must comment on each of these eight points. Your right side can respond to
questions such as:
• What strikes you about this?
• What was your first thought when you read this? And then? And then?
• What does this passage/idea make you think of or remember?
• Do you want to challenge or qualify this author’s claim? In what ways do you agree with it?
Disagree?
• What else have you read/heard/experienced that connects with this author’s ideas?
• Does something confuse you or lead to further questions?
• How do you feel about this?

Name:
Date:

Author and Reading Covered:

Page Quotations Commentary/Analysis

ECHO READING

EQUITY STICKS

Equity sticks are a set of sticks (usually popsicle sticks) in which the names of
individual students in a class or group are written. The teacher pulls from the
equity sticks at random when choosing students to ensure an equal chance of
participation. Equity sticks reduce any intentional or unintentional bias a teacher
may have when checking for understanding during a lesson and asking for student
reflections or reactions. They can also be used when selecting students for special
tasks (e.g., classroom jobs), assigning student groups, and for many more
classroom choices.

Goal/Purpose:

Instructions:
1. Explain the reasoning behind the use of equity sticks to students before
using them in the classroom. Introduce them by explaining the definition of
equity, why it is important, and how using equity sticks will help achieve
fairness and equal participation in the classroom.

Modifications:
• Have different color sticks. When you pick a certain color, give the class a
heads up, and the students with that color stick will be prepared, just in case
their name is called.

EXCLUSION BRAINSTORMING

Exclusion brainstorming is a pre-reading strategy designed to guide students as
they think about what they already know about concept words related to a
particular topic. It also accommodates reluctant readers and those students who
may be unfamiliar with the topic.

Goal/Purpose: to guide students as they think about what they already know about
concept words related to a particular topic

Instructions:
1. Place the title of the selection or a topic on the board
2. Underneath the topic of title, list a mixture of words or phrases- five that are
related to the topic, give that are not related to the topic and five that are
ambiguous. List the words in random order
3. Ask students to eliminate those words and phrases that they think are not
related to the topic or would not be included in a selection about the topic.
Ask students to explain their decisions.
4. Next, ask students to choose the words and phrases that they think ae most
likely to appear in the selection and are related to the topic. Once again, be
sure to ask students to explain their decisions.
5. Have students choose those words and phrases that are somewhat
ambiguous
6. Assign the related reading selection and ask students to look for the
vocabulary words as they read. Direct students to make particular note of
the ambiguous words and phrases to see if they can determine how they are
used in the selection
7. After students have completed the reading assignment, discuss the
meanings of the ambiguous vocabulary words and how they relate to the
selection. For any words still unknown, ask students to determine their
meanings by using dictionaries and/or the context in which they are
presented.

EXIT SLIPS

Exit slips are written student responses to questions teachers pose at the end of a
class or lesson. These quick, informal assessments enable teachers to quickly
assess students' understanding of the material.

Goal/Purpose:
• They provide teachers with an informal measure of how well students have
understood a topic or lesson.
• They help students reflect on what they have learned.
• They allow students to express what or how they are thinking about new
information.
• They teach students to think critically.

Instructions:
1. At the end of your lesson ask students to — Example: Did you enjoy working in small
respond to a question or prompt. groups today?
Note: There are three categories of exit slips
(Fisher & Frey, 2004): o Other exit prompts include:
— I would like to learn more about…
o Prompts that document learning: — Please explain more about…
— Example: Write one thing you learned — The thing that surprised me the most
today. today was…
— Example: Discuss how today's lesson — I wish…
could be used in the real world.
2. You may state the prompt orally to your
students or project it visually on an
o Prompts that emphasize the process of overhead or blackboard.
learning:
— Example: I didn't understand… 3. You may want to distribute 3 x 5 cards for
— Example: Write one question you have students to write down their responses.
about today's lesson. 4. Review the exit slips to determine how you
may need to alter your instruction to better
o Prompts to evaluate the effectiveness of meet the needs of all your students.
instruction: 5. Collect the exit slips as a part of an
assessment portfolio for each student
FIRST LINES

First Lines is a pre-reading comprehension strategy in which students read the
beginning sentences from a book and then make predictions about that book. This
technique helps students focus their attention on what they can tell from the first
lines of a story, play, poem, or other text. As students read the text in its entirety
they discuss, revisit and/or revise their original predictions.

Goal/Purpose:

• It helps students learn to make predictions about the content of what they're
about to read or what is about to be read to them.
• It helps students focus their attention on what they can tell from the first lines of a
story, play, poem, or other text.

Instructions:
1. Choose the assigned reading and introduce the text to the students. Ask students
read only the first line of the assigned text, or if using your read aloud, read aloud
only the first line.
2. Ask students to make predictions for the reading based on the first sentence.
3. Engage the class in discussion about the predictions.
4. Encourage students to return to their original predictions after reading the text,
assessing their original predictions and building evidence to support those
predictions which are accurate. Students can create new predictions as well.

From our Classroom Strategy Library
First Lines
Name ____________________________________________________________________
Title ____________________________________________________________________
First line
Prediction
Explanation
Revision
FRAMED PARAGRAPHS

Framed paragraphs are pre-writing tools that help students write well-developed
paragraphs. They are skeleton formats containing information about the main
ideas and transition words that guide the organization and the development of
supportive details. Framed paragraphs offer a structure for students to use as they
begin to write paragraphs and essays.

Goal/Purpose:

• It provides a framework for writing strong paragraphs
• The frame guides students by providing the transitional phrases for sentences
• It can incorporate various sentence types: long and short, simple and complex.

Instructions:

1. Discuss how to write a framed paragraph by using:
o A topic sentence — a general statement or opinion
o Three to five examples that develop the topic or opinion
o Transitions when needed
o A summary sentence at the end
2. Provide students with a blank frame.
3. Ask students fill in the missing portions of the frame to write a complete
paragraph.
4. Encourage students to incorporate a variety of sentences: long and short, simple
and complex.

FOUR CORNERS

A Four Corners debate requires students to show their position on a specific
statement (strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree) by standing in a
particular corner of the room. This activity elicits the participation of all students
by requiring everyone to take a position. Use this as a warm-up activity by asking
students to respond to a statement about a topic they will be studying. It can also
be an effective follow-up activity by asking students to apply what they have
learned when framing their arguments, or you can use it as a pre-writing activity to
elicit arguments and evidence prior to essay writing.

Goal/Purpose:

• To get students to take a position and defend, provide evidence for, reflect
on, or justify their opinion

Instructions:
1. Prepare the Room
Label the four corners of the room with signs reading “Strongly Agree,” “Agree,”
“Disagree,” and “Strongly Disagree.” Generate a list of debatable statements related to
the material being studied. Statements that are most likely to encourage discussion
typically elicit nuanced arguments (e.g., “This might be a good idea some of the time, but
not all of the time”), represent respected values on both sides of the debate, and do not
have one correct or obvious answer.
2. Introduce Statements
Distribute statements and give students the opportunity to respond to them in writing.
Many teachers distribute a graphic organizer or worksheet that requires students to
mark their opinion (strongly agree, agree, disagree, strongly disagree) and then provide a
brief explanation. This exercise can be used in combination with the Anticipation Guide
strategy.
3. Four Corners Discussion
After students have considered their personal response to the statements, read one of
the statements aloud and ask students to move to the corner of the room that best
represents their opinion. Once students are in their places, ask for volunteers to justify
their position. When doing so, they should refer to evidence from history, especially from
material they learned in this unit, as well as other relevant information from their own
experiences. Encourage students to switch corners if someone presents an idea that
causes a change of mind. After a representative from each corner has defended his or
her position, you can allow students to question each other’s evidence and ideas. Before
beginning the discussion, remind students about norms for having a respectful, open
discussion of ideas.
GALLERY WALK

During a gallery walk, students explore multiple texts or images that are placed
around the room. You can use this strategy when you want to have students share
their work with peers, examine multiple historical documents, or respond to a
collection of quotations. Because this strategy requires students to physically move
around the room, it can be especially engaging to kinesthetic learners.

Goal/Purpose:
• To get students out of their chairs and into a mode of active engagement.

Instructions:
1. Select Texts
Select the texts (e.g., quotations, images, documents, and/or student work) you will be
using for the gallery work. You could also have the students themselves, working
individually or in small groups, select the texts.
2. Display Texts around the Classroom
Texts should be displayed “gallery style,” in a way that allows students to disperse
themselves around the room, with several students clustering around each particular
text. Texts can be hung on walls or placed on tables. The most important factor is that
the texts are spread far enough apart to reduce significant crowding.
3. Explore Texts
Viewing instructions will depend on your goals for the activity. If the purpose of the
gallery walk is to introduce students to new material, you might want them to take
informal notes as they walk around the room. If the purpose is for students to take away
particular information, you can create a graphic organizer for them to complete as they
view the “exhibit,” or compile a list of questions for them to answer based on the texts
on display. Sometimes teachers ask students to identify similarities and differences
among a collection of texts. Or teachers give students a few minutes to tour the room
and then, once seated, ask them to record impressions about what they saw. Students
can take a gallery walk on their own or with a partner. You can also have them travel in
small groups, announcing when groups should move to the next piece in the exhibit. One
direction that should be emphasized is that students are supposed to disperse around
the room. When too many students cluster around one text, it not only makes it difficult
for students to view the text but also increases the likelihood of off-task behavior.
4. Debrief the Gallery Walk
Once students have had a chance to view a sufficient number of the texts around the
room, debrief the activity as a class. Depending on the goals of the gallery walk, this
debrief can take a variety of forms. You might ask students to share the information they
collected, or you might ask students what conclusions they can draw about a larger
question from the evidence they examined.
GIVE ONE, GET ONE

Give One, Get One can be useful when students consider a variety of responses,
and thereby, recognize that what may appear to be simple is actually complete.
The purpose of this activity is to help students generate as many responses to a
prompt as possible and, more importantly, to assist with unraveling the many
complex aspects of a given situation, event, or concept.

Goal/Purpose: to discover and investigate the breadth and depth of a topic

Materials:
• Prompt
• Poster paper
Instructions:
1. Assign the prompt. This can be fairly simple, such as, “What does ‘civic duty’
entail?”
2. In a specific amount of time, ask students to generate a list of ideas related
to the prompt on a sheet of paper. After their final idea, have students draw
a line across the paper.
3. Ask students to stand with their list in hand. For 4-5 minutes, they talk, one-
on-one with as many other students as they can
4. While talking, students exchange ideas: instruct students to give each new
classmate one idea from their list. In turn, they will write down, below the
line they drew on the paper, one new idea from the list on each
conversation partner.
5. Next, students will compare their original list of responses (above the line)
with their secondary list (below the line)
6. Invite students to share their responses as a class; create a list that compiles
all the student responses and discuss the results with the class
7. Debrief the activity verbally or in writing, asking students to consider and
share (1) what they learned about the subject of the prompt and, (2) what
they learned about sharing responses with classmates

GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

Visual display that demonstrates relationships between facts, concepts, or ideas.

Goal/Purpose: Help students by simplifying information and by stimulating thinking
skills. Also helps with structuring writing assignments.

Examples:
• KWL Chart
• Venn Diagram
• T-Chart
• Main Idea Web

Modifications:
• Drawing ideas, providing examples, paired up students

INFERENCE MAKING

An idea or conclusion that's drawn from evidence and reasoning. An inference is
an educated guess. We learn about some things by experiencing them first-hand,
but we gain other knowledge by inference — the process of inferring things based
on what is already known.

Goal/Purpose:

• Inference is a "foundational skill" — a prerequisite for higher-order thinking and
21st century skills (Marzano, 2010)
• Inference skills are used across the curriculum, including English language arts,
science and social studies.
• Because inferring requires higher order thinking skills, it can be difficult for many
students. However, it can be taught through explicit instruction in inferential
strategies
Instructions:

One simplified model for teaching inference It's important for students to understand
includes the following assumptions: the various types of information they use to
• We need to find clues to get some answers. make inferences. This may include
information presented in the text, or it may
• We need to add those clues to what we
be background knowledge that a student
already know or have read.
brings to the learning setting.
• There can be more than one correct answer.
• How good was my thinking?
• We need to be able to support inferences. According to Marzano, once students have
identified the premises on which they've
Marzano (2010) suggests teachers pose four based their inferences, they can engage in
questions to students to facilitate a the most powerful part of the process —
discussion about inferences. examining the validity of their thinking.
• What is my inference? • Do I need to change my thinking?
This question helps students become aware The final step in the process is for students
that they may have just made an inference to consider possible changes in their
by filling in information that wasn't directly thinking. The point here is not to invalidate
presented. students' original inferences, but rather to
help them develop the habit of continually
• What information did I use to make this
updating their thinking as they gather new
inference?
information

INQUIRY CHART

The Inquiry Chart (I-chart) is a strategy that enables students to gather information
about a topic from several sources. Teachers design the I-chart around several
questions about a topic. Students read or listen to several sources on the topic and
record answers to the posed questions within the I-chart. Students generate a
summary in the final row. Different answers from various perspectives can be
explored as a class.

Goal/Purpose:
• It fosters critical thinking and strengthens reading skills.
• It teaches younger students to generate meaningful questions about a topic and

learn to organize their writing.
• Students build upon prior knowledge or thoughts about the topic by sharing
interesting facts.
• It can serve as an evaluation tool for how much a student has learned about a
topic.
Instructions:
The planning phase includes:
1. The teacher provides each student with a 1. identifying the topic
blank I-chart and assists with topic selection 2. forming questions
OR provides the pre-selected topic. 3. constructing the I-chart
4. collecting materials
2. The students engage in forming questions

about the topic. Those questions are placed
The next step is to engage students in the
at the top of each individual column.
interacting phase which involves:
3. The rows are for recording any information 1. exploring prior knowledge
students already know and the key ideas 2. sharing of interesting facts
pulled from several different sources of 3. reading and rereading
information. The last row gives students the
opportunity to pull together the ideas into a Finally, teachers guide the students through
general summary. the integrating and evaluation phase by:
1. summarizing
4. Teachers may ask students to resolve 2. comparing
competing ideas found in the separate 3. researching
sources or develop new questions to explore 4. reporting
based on any conflicting or incomplete
information.

ReadingQuest.org Making Sense in Social Studies
I N Q U I R Y C H A R T
Hoffman, 1992
TOPIC (FACT QUESTION) (CONCEPT QUESTION) (SKILL QUESTION)
What questions do I
have?
What do I (we) already
know?
TEXT SOURCE 1
TEXT SOURCE 2
PRIMARY SOURCES:
OTHER SOURCES
Summary
ReadingQuest.org http://www.readingquest.org
Permission Granted for Classroom Use Only. All Others Inquire at rjones@virginia.edu. Copyright ©Raymond C. Jones. All Rights Reserved.

I-Chart
TOPIC Question #1 Question #2 Question #3
What questions do
I have?
What do we (I)
already know?
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
Source 4
Other Sources
Keeping an “I” Out for the Answers ©2003 www.beaconlearningcenter.com Rev. 01.09.03
JIGSAW

In a jigsaw home group/expert group, each group of students becomes an “expert”
on a section of a text and then “teaches” that section to other classmates. This
strategy words well when discussing new information with limited time. Through
discussion and synthesis of ideas, it promotes deep reading and effective listening
skills as well as mastery of content. This version of the jigsaw can be used in any
discipline, but is particularly well-suited to the social sciences, natural sciences, and
humanities.

Goal: to analyze a selected portion of text and share ideas through discussion

Materials:
• Selected text divided into fairly equal sections and numbered

Instructions:
1. Divide students into small groups known as “home” groups. The number of
sections of the text determines the number of members in each group
2. Assign each member of the group a section of the text to read. Students
take notes and become the “expert” for that section
3. Allow an appropriate amount of time for reading and completing notes on
the text pieces. This work can be given as homework, prepared in advance
of the class
4. Students leave their “home” groups and form “expert” groups
corresponding to the sections of the text
5. Each “expert” group discusses their portion of the text, share notes, clarifies
questions, and summarizes the information
6. Students take the summarized information and return to the “home group”
as an “expert” on that section of the text
7. Each student teacher the material on which he or she has become the
“expert”
8. Debrief as a class and share thoughts and responses

KNEW-NEW NOTES

(Spin on KWL chart)
Place to take notes on information you know and new information you learned.
This allows students to reflect and build on prior knowledge.

Goal/Purpose: for students to reflect on information they already know and new
information they learned during the lesson

Materials:
• Worksheet
• Pencil
Knew-New Notes
Knew New
KWL CHART

Place to take notes on information you know, information you wonder, and new
information you learned. This allows students to reflect and build on prior
knowledge.

Goal/Purpose: for students to reflect on information they already know, prepare
for what they are going to learn and focus on new information they learned during
the lesson

Materials:
• worksheet
• pencil

LISTEN-READ-DISCUSS (LRD)

The listen-read-discuss strategy helps students comprehend text. Before reading,
students listen to a short lecture delivered by the teacher. The students then read
a text selection about the topic. After reading, there is a large group discussion or
students engage in small group discussions about the topic. During the discussion,
students compare and contrast the information from the lecture with the
information they read.

Goal/Purpose:

• It helps students comprehend material presented orally.
• It builds students' prior knowledge before they read a text.

• It engages struggling readers in classroom discussions.
• This simple, flexible strategy can be used across all curriculum areas with almost
any text.

Instructions:
1. Listen: Present information to students about the book they will be reading. This
can be in the form of a short lecture on the topic, using a graphic organizer to
guide the lecture.
2. Read: Ask students to read a text selection. The content should be similar to the
material presented during the "listen" portion of the lesson.
3. Discuss: Lead a classroom discussion of the material. Encourage students to reflect
on any differences between their reading of the content and your presentation.

LIT CIRCLES

Literature circles engage students in rich conversations about shared readings.
Students can express their opinions, predictions, and questions about a text in a
productive, structured way. The teacher may ask students to take on specific group
roles, such as summarizer or director, which are designed to develop reading,
speaking, and thinking abilities. As the students become more skilled in literature
circle conversations, they can move beyond specific role assignments.

Goal/Purpose: engage students in rich conversations about shared readings

Literature Circle Roles

The narrator and discussion director develops questions about the text's "big ideas." For
example, the director might ask, "How did you feel while you were reading this part of the
book?" or "What do you think the most important parts were?" Remember that a discussion
director should ask "open-ended" rather than simple "yes/no" questions.

The investigator and literary luminary locates sections in the text to read aloud. This helps the
group remember the most interesting, funny, powerful, or even puzzling parts of the text.

The summarizer writes a short précis of that day's reading. It should contain the main ideas
and/or the most important moments.

The connector helps the group connect what they're reading and the world outside by sharing
his or her own connections.

The wordsmith finds words that are puzzling, unfamiliar, or special, then looks up the definitions
and reports them to the group.

The illustrator draws something related to the reading -- a sketch, cartoon, diagram, flow chart,
or even a stick figure scene.

Though the literature circle process begins with assigning students specific roles to follow, most
of the students will internalize the roles after practice. Eventually, small groups can meet and
engage in literature discussions without the roles (though the teacher may still want to have the
groups follow some protocol, such as taking notes or keeping time in each session).

Connector
Name: ________________________________
Book: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Assignment: pages ______ to ______
Connector: Your job is to connect the contents of the book to current or past real
world events and experiences. You will also connect the reading to other forms of
literature, music, art and/or media.
Real World Connections: Relate current reading to real situations.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Experiences: Relate current reading to real experiences you or others have had.
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Literature and Media Connections: Relate current reading to other books, movies
art, television, music and other media.
___________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
Assignment for tomorrow: p ______ - p ______

Discussion Director
Name: ________________________________
Book: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group might
want to discuss about this part of the book and direct the discussion by asking each
member for their input based on their current role. Don't worry about the small details;
your task is to help people talk over the "big ideas" in the reading and share their
reactions. Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts,
feelings and concerns as you read, which you can list below, during or after your
reading.
Possible discussion questions or topics for today:
1. ___________________________________________________________________
2. ___________________________________________________________________
3. ___________________________________________________________________
4. ___________________________________________________________________
5. ___________________________________________________________________
Sample Questions:
What was going through your mind while you read this section?
What questions did you have when you finished this section?
Did anything in this section surprise you?
Can anyone predict what will happen next?
Connections: What did today's reading remind you of?

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Illustrator
Name: ________________________________
Book: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Illustrator: Your job is to draw some kind of picture related to the reading. It can be
a sketch, cartoon, diagram, flow chart or stick-figure scene. You can draw a picture of
something that's discussed specifically in your book, or something that the reading
reminded you of, or a picture that conveys any idea or feeling you got from the
reading. Any kind of drawing or graphic is okay - you can even label things with words
if that helps. Make your drawing on this paper. If you need more room, use
the back.
Presentation Plan: When the Discussion Director invites your participation, you may
show your picture without comment to the others in the group. One at a time, they get
to speculate what your picture means, to connect the drawing to their own ideas about
the reading. After everyone has had a say, you get the final word: tell them what your
picture means, where it came from, or what it represents to you.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Investigator
Name: ________________________________
Book: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Investigator: Your job is to dig up some background information on the book and
any topic related to it. Use whatever means you have at your disposal.
Suggested areas of research:

● The geography, weather, culture and history of the book’s setting.
● Information about the author, her/his life, and other works.
● Information about the period portrayed in the book.
● Pictures, objects, or materials that illustrate elements of the book.
● Music that reflects the book or the period.
This is NOT a formal research project. The idea is to find information that
interests you and helps the group to better understand the characters,
setting and plot of the book.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Summarizer
Name: ________________________________
Book: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Summarizer: Your job is to prepare a brief summary of today's reading. Your group
discussion will start with your 1-2 minute statement that covers the key points, main
highlights, general idea and essence of today's reading assignment.
Summary:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
Key Points:
1. ______________________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________________
4. ______________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

Wordsmith
Name: ________________________________
Book: ________________________________
Date: ________________________________
Wordsmith: Your job is to locate a few special sections of the text that you think your
group would like to read aloud. The idea is to help people remember some interesting,
powerful, funny, puzzling, or important sections of the text. You decide which
passages or paragraphs are worth hearing, and then jot plans for how they should be
shared. You can read the passages aloud yourself, or ask someone else to read them,
then discuss them as a group.
Location Reason for Picking Plan for Reading

Page _____ _______________________ _______________________
Paragraph _____ _______________________ _______________________
Page _____ _______________________ _______________________
Paragraph _____ _______________________ _______________________
Page _____ _______________________ _______________________
Paragraph _____ _______________________ _______________________
Page _____ _______________________ _______________________
Paragraph _____ _______________________ _______________________
Reasons for picking a passage: important funny controversial

surprising confusing informative
Powerful Vocabulary: List new words and their meaning.

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________

MAKING PREDICTIONS

Readers use information from a text and their own personal experiences to
anticipate what they are about to read.

Goal/Purpose: Help them learn to monitor their understanding of the text (thinking
ahead)

Examples: While reading…students stop and predict:
• what do you think will happen next?
• Problem?... what will be their solution?
• How will the story end?

Modifications:
• Pair up with proficient English language students
• Draw a picture of your prediction
• Multiple choice predictions (students choose from a variety of options)

MODELED TALK

PARAGRAPH HAMBURGER

The "paragraph hamburger" is a writing organizer that visually outlines the key
components of a paragraph. Topic sentence, detail sentences, and a closing
sentence are the main elements of a good paragraph, and each one forms a
different "piece" of the hamburger.

Goal/Purpose:

• It helps students organize their ideas into a cohesive paragraph.
• It helps show the organization or structure of concepts/idea.

• It demonstrates in a concrete way how information is related.

Instructions:

1. Discuss the three main components of a paragraph, or story.
a. The introduction (top bun)
b. The internal or supporting information (the filling)
c. The conclusion (bottom bun)
2. Ask students to write a topic sentence that clearly indicates what the whole
paragraph is going to be about.
3. Have students compose several supporting sentences that give more information
about the topic.
4. Instruct students on ways to write a concluding sentence that restates the topic
sentence.

Name _______________________________________________ Date ______________________
Sandwich Chart
Write your topic at the top. Add details to the middle layers. Add a concluding sentence
at the bottom.
Topic:
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved.

Detail:
Detail:
Detail:
Concluding
Sentence:
PARAGRAPH SHRINKING

Paragraph shrinking is an activity developed as part of the Peer-Assisted Learning
Strategies (PALS). The paragraph shrinking strategy allows each student to take
turns reading, pausing, and summarizing the main points of each paragraph.
Students provide each other with feedback as a way to monitor comprehension.

Goal/Purpose:

• It helps students develop their reading comprehension skills.
• It allows each student to take turns reading, pausing, and summarizing the main
points of each paragraph.
Instructions:
1. Choose the assigned reading and introduce the text to the students.
2. Create pairs within the classroom by identifying which children require help on
specific skills and who the most appropriate children are to help other children
learn those skills.
3. Model the procedure to ensure that students understand how to use the strategy.
4. Have each member of the teacher-assigned pair take turns being "Coach" and
"Player."
5. Ask each student to read aloud for 5 minutes without rereading a text. After each
paragraph, students should stop to summarize the main points of the reading. Ask
students to then summarize the following information:
o The who or what of the paragraph
o The most important thing about who or what
o The main idea
Note: If a "Player" ever gives a wrong answer, the "Coach" asks the "Player" to skim
the paragraph again and answer question a second time.
6. Ask students to state the main idea in 10 words or less which will encourage them
to monitor comprehension while taking turns reading.
7. Award each pair points when the above goals of the strategy are met.

PARTNER READING

Partner Reading is a cooperative learning strategy in which two students work
together to read an assigned text. This strategy is often used as part of the Peer-
Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS). PALS is a class-wide peer tutoring program in
which teachers carefully partner a student with a classmate. The Partner Reading
strategy allows students to take turns reading and provide each other with
feedback as a way to monitor comprehension.

Goal/Purpose:

• It allows students to take turns reading and provide each other with feedback as a
way to monitor comprehension.
• It provides a model of fluent reading and helps students learn decoding skills by
offering positive feedback.
• It provides direct opportunities for a teacher to circulate in the class, observe
students, and offer individual remediation.
Instructions:
1. Choose the assigned reading and introduce the text to the students.
2. Create pairs within the classroom by identifying which children require help on specific skills and
who the most appropriate children are to help other children learn those skills.
3. Model the procedure to ensure that students understand how to use the strategy.
4. Have each member of the teacher-assigned pair take turns being "Coach" and "Player." These
pairs are changed regularly, and over a period of time as students work. Thus, all students have
the opportunity to be "coaches" and "players."
Note: It is important for teachers to monitor and support students as they work together.
5. Ask the stronger reader to begin this activity as the "Player" and read orally for 5 minutes. Have
the "Coach" follow along and correct any mistakes when necessary.
6. Have the pair switch roles and ask the weaker reader to become the "Player." The "Player"
rereads the same passage for the next 5 minutes and the "Coach" provides corrective feedback.
One point is earned for each correct sentence read (optional).

Modifications:
• Pair high-performing readers with lower-performing readers

4TRA: Fluency and Progress Monitoring Handout 10 (1 of 2)
Partner Reading
• Partner reading involves pairing students to practice rereading texts.
• Partner reading increases the amount of time students read and enhances fluency.
• Pair high-performing readers with lower-performing readers for fluency practice.
• One procedure for pairing is to split the class in half.

The higher-performing (HP) half is paired with the lower-performing (LP) half. The top-
ranked HP student is paired with the top-ranked LP student. The same pairing is done for
the remaining students.
Higher Lower Pairs

Top-ranked HP Top-ranked LP Pair A
Second-ranked HP Second-ranked LP Pair B
Third-ranked HP Third-ranked LP Pair C
• Provide reading material at the lower-performing student’s instructional reading level.
One easy way to match books to students’ reading levels is to give the students a list of
words from the text. If students have difficulty with no more than approximately 1 in 10
words, the text is considered to be at their instructional level.
Independent-level text can also be used.
• Model and explain partner reading procedures before students begin the process of reading
together.
An Example of Partner Reading

1. Assign roles to student pairs:
a. Partner A (stronger reader)
b. Partner B (lower-performing reader)
(Do not explain to students why they are A or B.)
2. Give each student a copy of the reading text. The text matches the reading level of
Partner B.
3. Students take turns reading.

a. Partner A reads the text aloud (modeling fluent reading) for 1 minute. Partner B
follows along.
b. Partner B reads aloud the SAME text for 1 minute.
©2003 UT System/TEA
RAFT

RAFT is a writing strategy that helps students understand their roles as writers, the
audience they will address, the varied formats for writing, and the topic they'll be
writing about. By using this strategy, teachers encourage students to write
creatively, to consider a topic from a different perspective, and to gain practice
writing for different audiences.

Goal/Purpose:

• It includes writing from different Audience: To whom are you writing?
viewpoints. A friend? Your teacher? Readers of a
newspaper?
• It helps students learn important

writing skills such as audience, main
Format: In what format are you
idea, and organization.
writing? A letter? A poem? A speech?
• It teaches students to think creatively
about writing by responding to the Topic and strong verb: What are you
following prompts: writing about? Why? What's the
subject or the point?
Role of the Writer: Who or what are
• It can be used across various content
you as the writer? A pilgrim? A
areas
soldier? The President?

Instructions:

1. Display a completed RAFT example on the overhead.
2. Describe each of these using simple examples: role, audience, format, and topic. (It
may be helpful to write the elements on chart paper or a bulletin board for future
reference).
3. Model how to write responses to the prompts, and discuss the key elements as a
class. Teachers should keep this as simple and concise as possible for younger
students.
4. Have students practice responding to prompts individually, or in small groups. At
first, it may be best to have all students react to the same prompt so the class can
learn from varied responses.

RAFT Writing Template
Type name(s)
Role Audience
Format Topic
Writing Assignment

Reading
Quest Making Sense in Social Studies
RAFT PAPER
Nancy Vandervanter, in Adler, 1982
R ole of F ormat:
Writer:
A udience: T opic:
Copyright ©Raymond C. Jones. All Rights Reserved. ReadingQuest

Permission Granted for Classroom Use / All Others Inquire at rjones@virginia.edu http://www.readingquest.org
READERS THEATRE

4TRA: Fluency and Progress Monitoring Handout 14 (1 of 1)
Readers Theatre
Readers Theatre (or reading performances) can be a motivating fluency builder.
The advantages of Readers Theatre include:

• Promotes fluency, including expression or prosody
• Affords students the opportunity to choose, rehearse, and present short play-like scripts to
classmates and others without the stress of memorizing lines or using elaborate costumes
and props
• Provides opportunities for repeated reading as students practice before the performance
• Maximizes students’ engagement as every student in the group has a part
• Appears less daunting than other texts since a student reads one part rather than the
entire text alone
• Provides for a wide range of reading abilities with roles or parts of varying difficulty
Teachers:
• Select texts (not above instructional-level of students in group; can collaborate with
students)
• Prepare scripts (sources include commercially prepared scripts, web sites, and scripts
written by teacher or students); highlight specific parts on students’ scripts
• Model by reading text aloud
• Assign students to groups
• Provide feedback and monitor as small groups practice
Students:
• Read script silently or with a partner
• Reread in group with students taking turns reading different roles
• Negotiate and assign roles or parts
• Read and reread individually, focusing on assigned part or role (can practice outside of
school and at home)
• Practice rereading script with others in group
• Make labels or cards that students hold to identify their character
• Decide where students will be positioned during performance
• Perform with script in hand
Note: Readers Theatre is not a big production and students are not required to memorize lines
or wear costumes.
Adapted from Martinez, M., Roser, N. L., & Strecker, S. (1998). “I never thought I could be a star”: A Readers
Theatre ticket to fluency. The Reading Teacher, 52(4), 326–334; Tyler, B., & Chard, D. J. (2000). Using readers
theatre to foster fluency in struggling readers: A twist on the repeated reading strategy. Reading and Writing
Quarterly, 16, 163-168; Worthy, J., & Broaddus, K. (2001/2002). Fluency beyond the primary grades: From group
performance to silent, independent reading. The Reading Teacher, 55(4), 334-342.
©2003 UT System/TEA
READING GUIDE

Reading guides can assist with developing students' comprehension. They help
students navigate reading material, especially difficult chapters or nonfiction
reading. Students respond to a teacher-created written guide of prompts as they
read an assigned text. Reading Guides help students to comprehend the main
points of the reading and understand the organizational structure of a text.

Goal/Purpose:

• It can be developed for a variety of reading material and reading levels.
• It helps guide students through what they are about to read, and helps students
monitor their comprehension while reading.
• It helps students to follow the main points of the reading and understand the
organization of a text.
• It helps readers to think actively as they read and have a purpose for reading.
Instructions:

1. The teacher determines the major ideas from a book or an assigned reading and considers each
student's knowledge related to the concepts.
2. Teachers then write questions or statements designed to guide readers through the major ideas
and supporting details of the text. Guides may be phrased as statements or as questions.
3. Teachers begin the procedure by introducing the assigned book, discussing the main ideas, and
new vocabulary.
4. Teachers then discuss the statements or ask the questions on the Reading Guide.
5. Teachers may read the selection aloud or students read the assigned text as teachers monitor
reading.
6. Teachers and students work together to respond to statements or questions on the reading
guides during the reading process. Teachers should monitor and support students as they work.
Note: As students gain proficiency at completing reading guides, they may design their own
guides and provide support for one another.
RECIPROCAL TEACHING

Reciprocal teaching refers to an instructional activity in which students become the
teacher in small group reading sessions. Teachers model, then help students learn
to guide group discussions using four strategies: summarizing, question generating,
clarifying, and predicting. Once students have learned the strategies, they take
turns assuming the role of teacher in leading a dialogue about what has been read.

Goal/Purpose:

• It encourages students to think about their own thought process during reading.
• It helps students learn to be actively involved and monitor their comprehension as
they read.
• It teaches students to ask questions during reading and helps make the text more
comprehensible.

Instructions:
1. Make groups of 4
2. Assign roles (predict, question, clarify, and summarize)
3. Read
4. Have students teach each other in the context of their roles

Modifications:
• Teacher can assign roles based on ability of students

REVISION

Revising is a way to learn about the craft of writing. Phyllis Whitney famously
wrote, "Good stories are not written. They are rewritten." Learning to revise
teaches students about the characteristics of good writing, which will carry over
into their future writing. Revision skills complement reading skills; revision requires
that writers distance themselves from the writing and critically evaluate a text.

Goal/Purpose:

• It's an important part of the writing process.
• Revising gives students an opportunity to reflect on what they've written.

• Revising is a way to learn about the craft of writing.
• Revision is closely tied to critical reading; in order to revise a piece conceptually,
students must be able to reflect on whether their message matches their writing
goal.

Instructions:

1. Explain the revising process explicitly: words could you add to make the story
provide specific, meaningful goals for the more interesting?"
revision and/or clearly identify the audience.
2. Model the strategy with think-alouds. This
can be achieved by displaying one writing
One way to make the criteria very specific is sample on a chart or ELMO, and using that
to focus on genre. For example, when sample to model and discuss how to revise
teaching narratives, develop a simple the paper in a way that would improve it.
checklist that aligns with good narrative
writing. For example, ask students "Are all 3. Provide guided practice with feedback. This
the story elements included? Are the can be done through peer editing and
characters clearly described? Does your through meaningful teacher–student
story show how characters feel?" dialogue. These collaborative efforts
reinforce the understanding that writing is a
Another approach focuses not on genre, but social process in which a message is created
rather overall qualities such as clarity and for an audience.
detail. For example, "Is there anything that is
4. Gradually work toward independent
difficult to understand?" "What vocabulary
mastery by students.

Version II
COPS Editing Checklist
Use the following checklist as a guide when you edit your writing. Also, use it when you
are ready to proofread your final draft.
CAPITALIZATION
_____ Start all sentences with a capital letter

_____ Capitalize nouns that name specific people, places, and things
(proper nouns)
ORGANIZATION
_____ Sentences should be clear and complete (combine simple sentences

without creating a run-on sentence)
_____ Edit run-on sentences into 2 or more complete sentences
_____ Check that you have included a variety of sentence structures
(having different lengths, using various introductory
clauses/endings, effective use of transition words)
_____ Use powerful verbs, specific nouns, and colorful adjectives/
adverbs
PUNCTUATION
_____ Each sentence should end with an appropriate punctuation mark

( . ! ?)
_____ Use commas after introductory clauses and transition words
_____ Use commas in a series (Larry, Moe, and Curly)
_____ Use commas before connecting words (and, but, or) in compound
sentences
_____ Punctuate dialogue correctly (Mary said, “I did my homework!”)
SPELLING
_____ Did I check for spelling (use spell check)

_____ Check for homonyms and make sure you used the correct form
(too or to or two and your or you’re)
SAVE THE LAST WORD FOR ME

In this strategy, students choose their favorite sentence or quote of the reading
that they find important, interesting or provocative and writes in on a flash card.
Then, students gather in groups of 3-5 and share their passage and explain why
they chose it.

Goal/Purpose: to engage students in active reading (during); and to stimulate
discussion and processing after reading.

Materials:
SAVE THE LAST WORD FOR ME
• flash card
• reading material
• pencil
This strategy is used to engage students in active reading (during); and to stimulate
discussion and processing after reading.
Instructions:
1. Distribute the reading material.
2. Group participants in 3-4-5 member groups. (The larger the group, the longer the
activity takes.)
3. Distribute one card per participant.
4. Each participant reads the material and selects one sentence (or more) which they
find interesting, important or provocative.
5. The participants write the sentence from the text on the card.
6. On the reverse side of the card, the participants write why they selected that
particular information, Why did resonate with them?
7. One participant in each group shares by reading her/his sentence aloud; every
other participant in the small group comments about the sentence. The individual
with whom the sentence originated may NOT read their comment from the back
of their card until all other participants have made their remarks. Hence,“ Save
the last word for me.”
8. The process is repeated until each member of the group has contributed her/his
sentence.
Advantages:
1. Assists students in focusing and engaging in reading as they know they will have
to share with other group members.
2. Assists students in selecting main points.
3. Provides interchange of information and opinions.
4. Furnishes a small arena of discussion where students can confidently share their
opinions.
5. Clears up misunderstandings.
6. Assists students in processing information.
7. Extends information beyond the immediate understanding.
8. Helps students articulate their understanding of the material.

STORY MAPS

A story map is a strategy that uses a graphic organizer to help students learn the
elements of a book or story. By identifying story characters, plot, setting, problem
and solution, students read carefully to learn the details. There are many different
types of story map graphic organizers. The most basic focus on the beginning,
middle, and end of the story. More advanced organizers focus more on plot or
character traits.

Goal/Purpose:

• They improve students' comprehension
• They provide students with a framework for identifying the elements of a story.
• They help students of varying abilities organize information and ideas efficiently.

Instructions:
1. Discuss the main components of a story (e.g., characters, setting, plot and theme
OR beginning, middle, end).
2. Provide each student with a blank story map organizer and model how to complete
it.
3. As students read, have them complete the story map. After reading, they should
fill in any missing parts.

Name _______________________________________________ Date ______________________
Story Map 3
Write notes in each section.
Beginning
Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Middle
End

Name
Fiction Stories
using ordinal words
First
next
then
last
©"JD’s"Rockin’"Readers"

STORY SEQUENCE

Sequencing is one of many skills that contributes to students' ability to
comprehend what they read. Sequencing refers to the identification of the
components of a story — the beginning, middle, and end — and also to the ability
to retell the events within a given text in the order in which they occurred. The
ability to sequence events in a text is a key comprehension strategy, especially for
narrative texts. Sequencing is also an important component of problem-solving
across subjects.

Goal/Purpose:

• It assists with comprehension, especially for narrative texts.
• Sequence structures help students of varying abilities organize information and

ideas efficiently.
• Sequencing is also an important component of problem-solving across the
curriculum, including science and social studies.

Modifications:
• Students can draw pictures instead of words

SUMMARIZING

Summarizing teaches students how to discern the most important ideas in a text,
how to ignore irrelevant information, and how to integrate the central ideas in a
meaningful way. Teaching students to summarize improves their memory for what
is read. Summarization strategies can be used in almost every content area.

Goal/Purpose:

• It helps students learn to determine essential ideas and consolidate important
details that support them.
• It enables students to focus on key words and phrases of an assigned text that are
worth noting and remembering.
• It teaches students how to take a large selection of text and reduce it to the main
points for more concise understanding.

Instructions:

1. Begin by reading OR have students listen to the text selection.
2. Ask students the following framework questions:
1. What are the main ideas?
2. What are the crucial details necessary for supporting the ideas?
3. What information is irrelevant or unnecessary?
3. Have them use key words or phrases to identify the main points from the text.

Reading
Sum It Up
NAME DATE
TITLE of READING SELECTION
1. Read the selection and underline the key words and main ideas. Write these in the blank area below where it says “Main
Idea Words.”
2. At the bottom of this sheet, write a one-sentence summary of the article, using as many main idea words as you can.
Imagine you only have $2.00, and each word you use will cost you 10 cents. See if you can “sum it up” in twenty words!
Main Idea Words:
“Sum It Up” for $2.00

____________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________
____________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________
____________ __________ __________ __________ __________ __________
Adapted from Pat Widdowson
Surry County (NC) Schools


Reading
Sum It Up Instructions
Get a “Sum It Up” sheet.
Read the entire selection (chapter,

article, handout, primary source,
etc.) and, as you read, list the
main idea words on the “Sum It
Up” sheet.
Write a summary of the selection

using as many of the main idea
words as possible. Put one word
in each blank. Imagine you have
only $2.00 and that each word you
use is worth ten cents.
You’ll “sum it up” in 20 words!
Adapted from Pat Widdowson

Surry County [NC] Schools

SYLLABLE GAMES

As students progress in their literacy understanding, they move from reading and
writing single syllable words (often with consonant-vowel-consonant
constructions) to reading and writing multisyllabic words. Instruction focused on
teaching students about syllables often focuses on teaching different types of
syllables (open and closed) and what occurs when syllables join together within a
word.

Goal/Purpose:

• Dividing words into parts, or "chunks" helps speed the process of decoding.
• Knowing the rules for syllable division can students read words more accurately
and fluently.
• Understanding syllables can also help students learn to spell words correctly.
Examples:

Marker activity
The marker activity often used for word Clapping games
counting can be adapted for use in counting Associating syllables with a beat can help
syllables. Teachers can provide each child students to better learn the concept of
with tokens and two or three horizontally syllables within words. Clapping games can
connected boxes drawn on a sheet of paper. help students understand about dividing
The children place a token in each box from words into syllables.
left to right as they hear each syllable in a
word.
Multisyllabic manipulation Jumping syllables

This example includes several activities and This activity teaches students to separate
a chart of multisyllabic words. One specific words into syllables. Students move syllables
activity is the Multisyllabic Words around to create new "silly" words which
Manipulation Game. Teachers can divide gives them practice manipulating different
words from reading selections into syllables, sounds.
write each syllable on a note card and
display the syllables in jumbled order. Have
students arrange the syllables to form the
words.

TAKE FIVE

Take five is an effective way to assess the needs and understanding of groups or
class while gathering information for problem-solving. This activity can also be
used to gain consensus in decision-making.

Goal/Purpose: to assess student understanding, to gather information for problem
solving, and to facilitate consensus building

Materials:
• prompt
• poster paper

Instructions:

1. Divide the class into groups of 4 or 5 students
2. Share the prompt
3. Provide time for each student to complete a three to five-minute quick write
in response to the prompt
4. Ask the members of each group to do the following:
a. share quick writes
b. look for similarities in their quick writes in order to work toward
consensus in their group response
c. chart their top responses or major discoveries
d. share the group’s chart with the entire class
5. As a class, record common themes and priorities
6. Debrief the activity

TALKING CHIPS

The purpose of the Talking Chips strategy is to ensure that all students have an
opportunity to participate in an established discussion group. This strategy helps
students become comfortable with listening to others without interrupting, as well
as with identifying when they are ready to make a contribution. It also helps
students gain respect for dialogue and discussion and thereby learn to appreciate
the contributions of others. Talking chips works well when students are new to
active learning method.

Goal/Purpose: to reorganize opportunities for listening and speaking in a
discussion

Materials:
• Index cards or other material for talking chips (Objects such as pennies or
poker chips work well)
• A subject for discussion or a prompt

Instructions:
1. Have each student create three name cards or take three objects; these will
be their talking chips
2. Ask students to form small discussion groups and take out their talking chips
3. Introduce the class to the prompt; give them a cue statement or question to
begin the discussion
4. When a student is ready to contribute to the class discussion, he/she must
place one of their chips in the center of the table. When this action takes
place, all other students at the table listen attentively to the speaking
student
5. When students have used all their talking chips, they will wait for others to
use theirs up before contributing to the discussion again
6. Once all chips are in the center of the table, the chips can be redistributed
and participants will resume the discussion

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

This activity provides opportunities for students to share work with another
student, to articulate their own ideas while identifying similarities and differences
with their partner’s ideas, to provide rationale for their ideas, and to build
consensus by listening to understand. Think-Pair-Share can be adapted to a variety
of situations to broaden students’ understanding or to achieve consensus. This is
an excellent activity to use before reading a text to identify and uncover prior
knowledge.

Goal/Purpose: to examine a question or prompt and craft a response, to support
one’s response through articulating it to a partner or group, and to consider
similarities and differences in responses and build consensus

Materials:
• Prompt
• Paper and pen
Instructions:

1. Share a question or prompt with the class and review the activity
2. Instruct students to quick write a response (including a rationale) for 3-5
minutes
3. Ask students to find a partner
4. One partner shares his/her response to the question and the rationale that
supports it. The other partner listens. The instructor will set time limits
appropriate to the question/prompt
5. At a signal, the partners change roles, share/listen, and work toward
consensus on at least one point
6. When the specified amount of time has passed, the partners share their
responses with the class

TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR)

Total Physical Response (TPR) is a method of teaching language or vocabulary
concepts by using physical movement to react to verbal input. The process mimics
the way that infants learn their first language, and it reduces student inhibitions
and lowers stress. The purpose of TPR is to create a brain link between speech and
action to boost language and vocabulary learning.

Goal/Purpose:

• To help students better learn language through movement

Instructions:

1. Prepare
Select the vocabulary that you are going to teach. Gather any equipment, props or
pictures you will need to illustrate the meaning of the words.
2. Teacher Modeling
Say the new vocabulary word for the students. As you do this, use gestures, facial
expressions, props or body movement to illustrate the meaning of the word.
3. Student Modeling
Have student volunteers mimic the same gestures, facial expressions, use of props
or body movement modeled as you say the word.
4. Student Participation
Have all students mimic the same gestures, facial expressions, use of props or body
movement modeled by the teacher and student volunteers. Ask them to say the
word as they are making the movement. Vary this activity by then doing the action
and while students say the word.
5. Writing
Write the word or phrase where all students can see it so that students can make
the connection between oral and written words.
6. Repetition and Practice
Teach the next word or phrase using the same method. Review and practice words
with students multiple times to ensure learning. Recycle words regularly to make
sure that students do not forget old words.

VISUALIZATION

Good readers construct mental images as they read a text. By using prior
knowledge and background experiences, readers connect the author's writing with
a personal picture. Through guided visualization, students learn how to create
mental pictures as they read.

Goal/Purpose:

• Generating an image while reading requires that the reader be actively engaged with the text.
• Creating mental images while reading can improve comprehension.

Instructions:
1. Follow these few simple steps to doing this, you are providing your
provide practice developing child with practice with this new skill.
students' mental images:
6. Are your images identical? Probably
2. Begin reading. Pause after a few
not! This is a great time to talk about
sentences or paragraphs that contain
why your images might be different.
good descriptive information.
Perhaps your child went on a school
3. Share the image you've created in field trip or had a school assembly
your mind, and talk about which that changed the way they created
words from the book helped you the picture in their mind. Perhaps
"draw" your picture. Your picture can experiences you've had as an adult
relate to the setting, the characters, influenced what you "drew." These
or the actions. By doing this, you are differences are important to
modeling the kind of picture making understand and respect.
you want your child to do.
7. Read a longer portion of text and
4. Talk about how these pictures help continue the sharing process.
you understand what's happening in
8. Once this is a familiar skill,
the story.
encourage your child to use mental
5. Continue reading. Pause again and imagery when she is reading by
share the new image you created. herself. You can feel confident that
Then ask your child to share what he these mental pictures will help your
sees, hears, tastes, smells and feels. child understand the story in an
Ask what words helped him create important way.
the mental image and emotions. By
Modifications:
• Describe specific sensations for the • Peers share their visualizations
student to build off of
WORD HUNT

Word hunts are one way to focus spelling study on patterns within words. Typically
used within word study, word hunt activities engage students with texts they have
previously read. Students hunt for other words that follow the same spelling
features studied during their word or picture sort. Word hunt activities help
students make the connection between spelling words and reading words.

Goal/Purpose:

• It helps to enhance students' vocabulary growth.
• It teaches students to focus on spelling patterns and root words.

• It helps students learn how words are used in different contexts.

Instructions:

1. Introduce the book or topic to be read and provide students with written material
(i.e., newspapers, magazines, dictionaries, books, and/or news articles on the
Internet).
2. Model word hunting by using a portion of text copied onto chart paper, overhead
transparencies, or a familiar book
3. Ask the students to read and reread a text to find words that fit a particular
pattern.

WORD MAPS

A word map is a visual organizer that promotes vocabulary development. Using a
graphic organizer, students think about terms or concepts in several ways. Most
word map organizers engage students in developing a definition, synonyms,
antonyms, and a picture for a given vocabulary word or concept. Enhancing
students' vocabulary is important to developing their reading comprehension.

Goal/Purpose:
• They're useful for helping students develop their understanding of a word.
• They help students think about new terms or concepts in several ways by asking
the following questions:
o "What is it?"
o "What is it like?"
o "What are some examples?"
• They help student build upon prior knowledge and visually represent new
information.
Instructions:
1. Introduce the vocabulary word and the map to the students.
2. Teach them how to use the map by putting the target word in the central box.
3. Ask students to suggest words or phrases to put in the other boxes which answer
the following questions: "What is it?" "What is it like?" and "What are some
examples?"
4. Encourage students to use synonyms, antonyms, and a picture to help illustrate
the new target word or concept.
5. Model how to write a definition using the information on the word map.

ReadingQuest.org Making Sense in Social Studies
VOCABULARY WORD MAP

Definition in Your Own Words Synonyms

VOCABULARY WORD
Use It Meaningfully in a Sentence Draw a Picture of It

Thanks to Debbie Petzrick for design idea.
ReadingQuest.org http://www.readingquest.org
Permission Granted for Classroom Use Only. All Others Inquire at rjones@virginia.edu. Copyright ©Raymond C. Jones. All Rights Reserved.
Name
Word Map Date
4 5
(synonym) (antonym or “nonexample”)
3 6
(Vocabulary Word)
(the matching
dictionary definition) Page Number (other forms of the word)
_____
(sentence or phrase from the text)
(my very own sentence)
(my association, example, or sketch)
Copyright 2004 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved.

ReadWriteThink materials may be reproduced for educational purposes.

WORD WALLS

A word wall is a collection of words which are displayed in large visible letters on a
wall, bulletin board, or other display surface in a classroom. The word wall is
designed to be an interactive tool for students and contains an array of words that
can be used during writing and reading.

Goal/Purpose:

• They provide a permanent model for high frequency words
• They help students see patterns and relationship in words, thus building phonics
and spelling skills
• They provide reference support for children during reading and writing activities.

Instructions:

• Make words accessible by putting them where every student can see them. They should
be written in large black letters using a variety of background colors to distinguish easily
confused words.
• Teachers and students should work together to determine which words should go on the
word wall. Try to include words that children use most commonly in their writing. Words
should be added gradually — a general guideline is five words per week.
• Use the word wall daily to practice words, incorporating a variety of activities such as
chanting, snapping, cheering, clapping, tracing, word guessing games as well as writing
them.
• Provide enough practice so that words are read and spelled automatically and make sure
that words from the wall are always spelled correctly in the children's daily writing.
• New information should be added on a regular basis.
• Use content-area material from the curriculum rather than randomly selected words.
• Word walls should be referred to often so students come to understand and see their
relevance.

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STRATEGY

Name ________________________________________ Date __________________________

Title of story __________________________________ Author ________________________

Copyright 2003 IRA/NCTE. All rights reserved. ReadWriteThink

CONVERSATION ROUNDTABLE (Burke, 2007)

RTFOQ: What are the key components of the ________________________?

DIRECT READING THINKING ACTIVITY (DRTA)

3. Use the following outline to guide the procedure:

o What do you think about your predictions now?

DOUBLE ENTRY JOURNAL

Double Entry Journal

From our Classroom Strategy Library

• It teaches younger students to generate meaningful questions about a topic and

ReadingQuest.org Making Sense in Social Studies

• It builds students' prior knowledge before they read a text.

Real World Connections: Relate current reading to real situations.

Assignment for tomorrow: p ______ - p ______

Possible discussion questions or topics for today:

Connections: What did today's reading remind you of?

Assignment for tomorrow: p ______ - p ______

Connections: What did today's reading remind you of?

Suggested areas of research:

Connections: What did today's reading remind you of?

Assignment for tomorrow: p ______ - p ______

Connections: What did today's reading remind you of?

Assignment for tomorrow: p ______ - p ______

Location Reason for Picking Plan for Reading

Reasons for picking a passage: important funny controversial

Powerful Vocabulary: List new words and their meaning.

Connections: What did today's reading remind you of?

Assignment for tomorrow: p ______ - p ______

• It helps show the organization or structure of concepts/idea.

Name _______________________________________________ Date ______________________

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All Rights Reserved.

4TRA: Fluency and Progress Monitoring Handout 10 (1 of 2)

• Partner reading involves pairing students to practice rereading texts.

• Pair high-performing readers with lower-performing readers for fluency practice.

• One procedure for pairing is to split the class in half.

Higher Lower Pairs

• Provide reading material at the lower-performing student’s instructional reading level.

Independent-level text can also be used.

An Example of Partner Reading

3. Students take turns reading.

Copyright ©Raymond C. Jones. All Rights Reserved. ReadingQuest

4TRA: Fluency and Progress Monitoring Handout 14 (1 of 1)

The advantages of Readers Theatre include:

• Revising gives students an opportunity to reflect on what they've written.

_____ Start all sentences with a capital letter

_____ Sentences should be clear and complete (combine simple sentences

_____ Each sentence should end with an appropriate punctuation mark

_____ Did I check for spelling (use spell check)

SAVE THE LAST WORD FOR ME

Name _______________________________________________ Date ______________________

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

• Sequence structures help students of varying abilities organize information and

TITLE of READING SELECTION

Main Idea Words:

“Sum It Up” for $2.00

Copyright ©Raymond C. Jones. All Rights Reserved. ReadingQuest

Get a “Sum It Up” sheet.

Read the entire selection (chapter,

Write a summary of the selection

You’ll “sum it up” in 20 words!

Name ______________ Date

Title of story __________ Author

Assignment for tomorrow: p - p

Assignment for tomorrow: p - p

Assignment for tomorrow: p - p

Assignment for tomorrow: p - p

Assignment for tomorrow: p - p

Name _________________________ Date

Name _________________________ Date