Reading As Thinking The ‘Focused Read’ Strategy (Continued)

“Focused Read Review” A “focused read” strategy will help you think while you read. You will be able to compare and contrast your current knowledge with the information you read in new material. It is an excellent strategy for both in-class and homework reading assignments.

Sometimes you may wish to record your thoughts on paper or in the margin of the hand out sheet Other times when you are reading a text book,etc., ‘Post it notes’ (stickies) may help you label the text as you read.

Review Here are the first 3 codes we have learned in the ‘Focused Read’ strategy

! – This is really important or interesting √ - I get it (when you know and understand this, for example, a paragraph that you understand) ! – This is really important or interesting ? - I am confused! I don’t understand this or this does not make sense (a word, phrase, concept (idea), paragraph)

Coding the text helps you: Hold your thinking Think about the author’s message Remember what you’ve read Determine what is important Be able to support your written assignments and class discussions

Our Next Steps – the Sticky While reading use a post-it note (sticky) to record a question about the text or an opinion about the text Place the sticky on the line where the opinion or question was made Write your opinion or question on the sticky You may have more than one connection or question

An example….. Read the following text. On your copy you must code as you read (?!√) Plus write down a question or opinion you may have concerning the text.

Juice makers getting squeezed Consumer prices rising as firms battle shortage of oranges By TRAVIS REED The Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. — Orange juice prices, already at historic highs, are expected to climb further as production in Florida’s hurricane-ravaged groves bottoms out. But it’s not just consumers who will be affected: Juice makers like PepsiCo’s Tropicana Products and The Coca-Cola Company’s Minute Maid, which get the greatest majority of their juice from Florida, are facing a profit squeeze from rising domestic prices and imports from Brazil that come with margin-killing tariffs (taxes). The U.S. Department of Agriculture this week predicted Florida would produce 135 million 40- Kilogram boxes of oranges, down about 40 per cent from production levels before the 2004 hurricane season. It would be the third year in a row of subpar (below average) production, and the worst orange harvest since freezes crippled crops in 1990.

Possible Questions/Opinions Question examples: Will orange juice prices go up? Will this have an effect on pop prices, too? Will many people lose their jobs? Opinion example: Prices just go up any way so I don’t need to worry The U.S. should not tax the orange juice from Brazil – this could help lower prices and the orange juice workers may not lose their jobs

We will always use coding when we read in school. Use it in all subjects and in fiction or non-fiction reading Coding is especially useful in hard to read text books!

Reading Is Thinking! It is not just the repeating of one word after another. You need to be focused to keep your in-head tv on!

Assignment for next reading day Read the article provided Code as you read and, using the sticky provided write at least one (minimum) question or opinion Hand the sheet in next day If you finish before class is over you may read