Pre-Reading Strategies focusing on Probable Passages based on the work of Kylene Beers Teaching Demonstration Rene’ Montgomery MWP 2011

My family is a constant reminder that teaching is my profession and should not consume my whole life. There is importance in balance, and my family helps me find and keep that balance.

Cloquet High School Home of the Lumberjacks I currently teach at Cloquet High School, home of the Lumberjacks! I am the English Department chair, English Teacher, and Reading Teacher.

Before teaching in Cloquet, I taught English for a company called GEOS in Japan. I lived there for 2 ½ years.

Before Japan, I taught English and Reading at the North Branch Middle School, in Minnesota. Home of the Vikings.

My first teaching job was at Dawson County High School in Glendive, Montana.

I spent one year of College at the University of Birmingham England… I guess you can say I have been around a few blocks!

Now I find myself in the position of being a veteran teacher. However, I don’t always feel very wise or very much like a sage. However, I always try to work hard to…

Keep things Fresh…

Great books for teachers about teaching reading in all content areas

From Chapter 6: “Frontloading Meaning: Pre-Reading Strategies,” When Kids Can’t Read What Teachers Can Do, by Kyleen Beers (p. 73).

Pre-Reading Strategies most are familiar with: Anticipaton Guides K-W-L What Pre-Reading Strategies do and why we should use them: “Frontload” meaning. According to Beers, 68% of teachers surveyed begin a reading assignment simply by talking about the author’s background or telling students something about the text. Does not engage students to actively read. Pre-reading strategies should engage students with the text, even before they read. This eliminates passive reading and helps students to: Tap into and use prior knowledge Engage with the text Consider sequencing, cause and effect relationships, make comparisons, inferences, and predictions. Identify vocabulary needs Construct meaning, even before they read.

Teacher Modeling: Oranges by Gary Soto

Probable Passages Gets students to make predictions Activate prior knowledge Draw connections Examine causal relationships Make inferences And form images Even before they read the text. Probable passages Encourages strong and active reading habits

Your Turn!

Word List: 1. Aliens 2. Brethren 3. Discrimination 4. Dominating 5. Dubious 6. Forest 7. Freedom 8. Grandmother 9. Homeland 10. Memories 11. Revival 12. Strangers 13. Suffered 14. Tar paper shacks 15. Tavois

1.Chart and Gist statement 2.Sharing and comparing word placement 3.Sharing gist statements 4.Read Prologue 5.After/author perspective 6.Small group share and compare Kylene Beers ‘s Letter to George at the end of chapter 6: : “Frontloading Meaning: Pre-Reading Strategies,” When Kids Can’t Read What Teachers Can Do, by Kyleen Beers

Other conversation: How to adapt to nonfiction? Shorter Version: word splash Probable Sentences Tea Party (rename it!)