From “I don’t get it.” to “Ah ha!” Content Strategies for 4th and 5th Grade Paula Caten, Literacy Coach, Grimes Elementary Deborah Goff, Literacy Coach, Reagan and Old Wire Elementary Schools

Why teach content reading? Textbooks are often written above the reading level of students. Textbooks are often information dense. Textbooks feature a high volume of new vocabulary. To improve students’ comprehension, we need to go beyond questions at the end of each chapter and encourage higher level thinking skills.

Before Reading Strategies “The more we frontload students’ knowledge of text and help them become actively involved in constructing meaning prior to reading, the more engaged they are likely to be as they read the text.” Kyleen Beers

Anticipation Guides Anticipation guides are an effective way to activate background knowledge about a topic before reading a selection. Students respond to several statements based on their own thoughts and experiences. They must agree or disagree with each statement, and should be able to defend their position to a partner or group.

Anticipation Guide: Crazy Horse Memorial pages 288-289, 4th Grade Social Studies South Dakota  Workers have been carving a huge sculpture into a mountain in South Dakota’s Black Hills to create a memorial to Crazy Horse. Crazy Horse was a Lakota Sioux warrior and leader.   Some Native Americans agree with creating the memorial, some do not think it is a good idea.

Anticipation Guide Example: What do you think Anticipation Guide Example: What do you think? Agree or disagree with the following statements. Agree Disagree   _____ ______ 1. It is good to make a monument to a person who is important to others. _____ ______ 2. It is okay to destroy parts of nature to create an important monument to someone who loved nature. _____ ______ 3. Even if you promise to give someone something, it is okay not to keep your promise if other people will benefit. _____ ______ 4. A hero needs to receive some kind of honor.

Probable Passage Struggling readers frequently neglect to predict what a selection might be about before they approach the text. These readers tend to be more focused on their frustration with reading an assigned text, than on predicting what they might expect to learn from the material. The probable passage strategy encourages students to make predictions, access background knowledge, see relationships between ideas, make inferences, and form pictures about what might occur in a reading.

Probable Passages Choose 10 – 20 key words or phrases. The words should reflect the main ideas and concepts to be presented in the reading. Create categories for students. (You might label one category “unknown” for words that are completely unfamiliar to students.) Ask cooperative learning groups to place the key words and phrases in the categories you have provided. Based on the key words and categories, ask students to write a summary that explains what they think they will learn as they read the material.

Probable Passages (cont.) After students have read the selection, ask students if they need to adjust the words in the categories. Ask students to create a new summary statement to reflect what they have actually learned.

Admit Tickets Give students a copy of an illustration from the textbook, a short excerpt from an article you will be reading, or a typed list of the title, headings, and subheadings in the book you will be using in class. Students write three questions they think will be answered from this day’s reading, or list three pieces of information they believe they will learn from this reading. Students can discuss their predictions and questions in small groups, compile everything into a class list, and group according to commonalities. Then decide on three to five important questions as a group that they will learn in the day’s reading.

During Reading Strategies “It is more important that students talk about the text during the reading experience than after it.” Kylene Beers

Concept of Definition Map Concept of Definition Map is used to expand understandings of new words and topics and build personal meanings by connecting new information with prior knowledge. This can be used whole group, small group, or individually by each student.

Concept of Definition Map: Procedure 1.    Select, or have students select, a word/topic to be explored and place the word/topic in the center of the map. 2.    Ask students to determine a broad category that best describes the word/topic and write it in the “What is it?” section. 3.    Have students provide some words that describe the focus word/topic in the “What is it like?” section. 4.    Have students provide some specific examples of the word/topic in the “What are some examples?” section. 5.    Have students determine a comparison (or a contrast) in the “A comparison” section. 6. Discuss the Concept of Definition Map.

Concept of Definition Map: Example

GET THE GIST Who or what is the paragraph about? Tell the most important thing about the “who” or “what”. Tell the main idea in 10 words or less. (The GIST statement) Use GIST Log or GIST Card.

Read-Talk-Write Read-Draw-Talk-Revise Help students learn to put information into their own words. Reinforce learning by having students restate ideas out loud and on paper. Increase listening and speaking skills. Engage students more deeply in the text.

Read, Cover, Remember, Retell READ only as much as your hand can cover COVER the words with your hand. REMEMBER what you have just read. RETELL what you just read either inside your head or to a partner.

Predicting Long-Term Effects The student divides his paper in half. On the left side, the student records “What Happened” and on the right, “What Could Happen Because of This”.

Reflective Journal In a reflective journal entry the student identifies the activity, then reflects on the material learned by filling in the columns: “What happened?” “How do I feel about it?” “What did I learn?”

After Reading Strategies “Questions send readers on quests. They cause readers to seek, pursue, and search for answers or deeper understanding.” Susan Zimmerman (7 Keys to Comprehension)

Magnet Summaries Identify a key concept – word or phrases – from reading. Write this word or phrase in the middle of an index card. Write four details - one in each corner – that have the most “attraction” to the key word or phrase. Combine the key word or phrase and the details into a one-sentence summary.

“Somebody Wanted But So” (SWBS) This strategy requires students to identify key concepts in history, geography, or science. Students follow an established format that assists them in creating a final SWBS statement.

Discussion Webs Student can use Discussion Webs to understand opposing sides of a controversial issue. Students can use Discussion Webs to rethink a topic, challenge viewpoints, and see the validity of opposing arguments. Discussion Webs can be used whole group or small group.

Discussion Web Example

Frayer Model The Frayer Model is a visual organizer with three or four sections. Four sections: essential characteristics, non-essential characteristics, examples, non-examples Three sections: does not include the “non-essential characteristics” section. The Frayer Model can be used in a variety of ways. Whole class review of unit concepts. Assessment tool for important concepts. Study guide for students. Pre-writing tool.

Exit Ticket Use exit tickets when students have encountered new content, learned a new reading or writing strategy, or seemed to have difficulty with the content of the class. This gives you feedback at the end of the day or lesson. Exit Tickets can be used the following day to review new learning before moving on to another lesson.