Critical+Reading+Strategies

=**Critical Reading Strategies **= To utilize this strategy, teachers chunk or jigsaw reading with their students. Teachers also may have students read and score the entire text, one paragraph or one page at a time. The better the readers, the longer the sections can be. Students score their level of comprehension on a scale of 1 to 10 for each section, with 1 meaning they have little or no understanding and 10 meaning they thoroughly understand the text. Once students have scored the sections themselves, they can focus their attention on the passages that received the lowest scores. Teachers will have to determine how to gather the data on student scores (choral response, tally marks on a chart, etc.) Teachers may use this information for further study in class including rereading, vocabulary instruction, etc.
 *  Scoring Comprehension **

Here is an excellent strategy for the students to get students to revisit a chapter or passage that they find particularly challenging. Students are asked to come to class with one questions and one comment generated from their reading assignment. They can meet in small groups to share what they have come up with, but prefer this as a whole-class activity. During the class discussion, every student is required to share at least one question or one comment about the reading.
 * One Question and One Comment **

**Turn Headings or Titles into Questions Prior to Reading **

As a group, we scanned the article and transformed each heading/subheading into a question. The first observation we made was that before using this strategy in the classroom it would be vital to make sure that students understand what a heading/subheading is. The text-mapping strategy we learned early in this course would be helpful to do with your students prior to using this strategy. By text-mapping, we can make connections between headings and subheadings so students can focus their questions accurately. After students finished creating their questions, they are to read the article and see how many of their questions were on target and answered within the reading. We found it helpful to write our questions on post it notes and stick them near the heading/subheading. It provides room to answer the questions without writing all over their paper. This strategy would need to be modeled first so students a clear understanding of what they are expected to do.

Steps for successful completion of this strategy: 1) Text-map the article/novel with your students. 2) Model with students how to develop questions their questions. 3) Have students write their questions on post-it notes for each heading/subheading or chapter title. 4) Read the article/novel and answer the questions on the appropriate post-it note. 5) After all students have read the article/novel, discuss answers to questions and relate to the text as well as look at the questions that went unanswered and think about why?

To find out where students are having problems comprehending text or struggling with certain concepts, have them complete the following sentence starter: I don’t understand. . . If they are reading a particularly difficult passage or chapter, have them write at least three “I don’t understand…” statements. Arrange students in small groups or with a partner to share their statements and help each clear up confusion. Here are some other sentence starters that have proven useful in prompting students to focus on their reading: · **I noticed. . .** · **I wonder. . .** · **I was reminded of. . .** · **I think. . .** · **I’m surprised that. . .** · **I’d like to know. . .** · **I realized. . .** · **If I were. . .** · **The central issue(s) is (are). . .** · **One consequence of _ __could be. . .__** · **If ___, then. . .** · **I’m not sure. . .** · **Although it seems. . .** This strategy could be used at any point during the lesson. For example in Math, once a new concept has been shown, have the students stop and write a sentence starter. The students would then pair/share to help clear up confusion or make connections to other concepts learned.
 * Sentence Starters**


 * Word Scramble Prediction**

Before reading a chapter, you may want your students to predict what might happen. To help them a bit (and to pique their curiosity), you can give them a list of words they will find in the chapter. For example, prior to reading Chapter 28 of To Kill a Mockingbird, you could provide the following list of words:

dark afraid kitchen knife "Run!" useless kicking dying trembled reeling jerk backwards dead

...

•Students are provided a number of strips. (number may vary)•They flag the words or passages that give them the hardest time.•The slips provide conversation starters when they meet in groups later.•They ask each other for clarification on their study groups.
 * Trouble Slips**


 * Response Cards for Informational Text**

