Teaching reading strategies through intensive questioning not only develops meta-cognition, it grows students faster than traditional worksheets and low-level question/answer types of discussions.
Teachers at all grade levels know that they should be using comprehensive, evidence-based Tier 1 reading lessons with their students. Even if you work with 5 year olds, we ought to be instructing your students how to make meaning of a text during an interactive read aloud.
As our students begin to read independently, we need to actively listening for more than just the correct pronunciation of words.
We need to actively observe behaviors that show a deep understanding of the text and prepare lessons that meet literacy behaviors that are not demonstrated. These lessons typically happen in a guided reading group.
One of the most effective ways to instruct a reading group is by using a series of scaffolded questions that are designed to show students how to read with a purpose. This is Guided Reading.
These are called “Before, During and After Reading Questions.” and they are aligned with best practices for teaching reading comprehension.
Before Reading
- Take a Book Walk to find:
- Title, chapters, heading, subheadings
- Pictures, graphs captions, maps, diagrams
- Bold vocabulary (use to pre-teach 4-5 vocabulary words)
- Prologue, preface, last chapter conclusion
- Highlighted or boxed information
- Activate Prior Knowledge
- What do you already know about…?
- What experiences have you already had about…?
- Make a prediction
- Create a Purpose for Reading
- Choose one strategy you will use during reading
- Why do you think the author wrote this book?
- What is your personal reading goal?
During Reading
- Read Slowly for Metacognition
- Mark text with Post-It Notes (teach the students to use the symbols below as a quick formative assessment):
- Use Graphic Organizers
- Venn Diagram
- Thematic Web
- Notetaker
- StoryBoard
- Cornell Note Taker
- Dialectical Journal
Use Think Alouds to model thoughts during and about reading
Develop questions to ask during reading
Make a Simple Salad
Clarify vocabulary
Analyze diagrams, charts and graphs
Incorporate a phonics activity that focuses on a particular skill or pattern
After Reading
- Pause and Reflect
- √ Do I understand the main idea or topics?
- √ Can I explain this in my own words?
- √ How did the graphics, diagrams or pictures help me understand the text?
- √ Were my predictions correct?
- √ Is there another connection to my life, other texts or the world?
- Re-Read
- Skim the text to look for specific information (Look for headings, bold text and sub-headings)
- Slow down to get the details
- Find support for your ideas from the text
- Decide what you like or dislike about the:
- Genre
- Author’s style
- Theme