1. Searching For and Using Information: Skip Intro Skip Intro Students in all academic arenas are required to find answers to various problems, big and small. The most effective way to accomplish these problem solving dilemmas are to search for and use information gather from various sources to make logical conclusion or presentations. Site Map Site Map

2. Students learn to interact with the texts they read for various reasons. These reason include: gathering information about an unknown topic (research), learn about a character in a selection (plot, character analysis), and to gain clarity which works to increase their comprehension (understand steps or processes). Main Menu Main Menu Searching For and Using Information: Skip Intro Skip Intro Site Map Site Map

3. Searching For and Using Information: Main Menu Main Menu “It is important that beginning readers learn… how to search for and use different kinds of information with the goal of using all sources of information together.” -Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C. Fountas Site Map Site Map

4. Main Menu Increasing Comprehension Increasing Comprehension Text Clues Reference sources Research Method Site Map Site Map

5. Increasing Comprehension Main Menu Main Menu Site Map Site Map “Readers search for the information they need to gather from a text. They know they must have enough information to expend their knowledge of the content.” This can be achieved by having the readers focus on word meanings, visual information which includes the sequence words, and using multiple sources to locate information to aide in increasing student comprehension.

6. Main Menu Main Menu Meaning Site Map Site Map Because each language has a collection of words specific to its culture, readers must be able to interpret the vocabulary used. Words can have several meaning making it difficult to comprehend the text. Teaching word origins and how to use context clues provides the reader with a starting point for decoding unfamiliar words

7. Main Menu Main Menu Visual Information Site Map Site Map Early readers interact with text through words that are part of the selection. This ability to gather information or create a story line can be achieved by looking for letter sequence, parts of a particular word, recognizing text features, accessing background knowledge or through the emotions and responses that make the characters meaningful.

8. Main Menu Main Menu Use Multiple Sources Site Map Site Map Searching for and using the kind of information that is needed to solve problems in the most effective ways to come up with a solution. This can be done by checking references and sources for accuracy, and by thinking simultaneously about how all sources fit together.

9. Text Features Main Menu Main Menu Textbooks and nonfiction books often contain special features which can be used to help the reading understand and organize the information being presented. Text featured makes it easier for the reader to locate needed information with ease. Headings Bold wording Headings Bold wording Graphics (pictures, graphs, charts) Graphics (pictures, graphs, charts) Index Glossary Index Glossary Site Map Site Map

10. Main Menu Main Menu Heading, subheading and Bold Text Heading: Used to help readers find out what the selection is going to be about. The heading can also help the reader figure out the main idea of a selection. Bold Text: These large dark print words leads the reader to important or new vocabulary words to aide in understanding the information being presented. Subheading: A small division of a chapter, essay, or article that provided more specific information about a topic. Site Map Site Map

11. Main Menu Main Menu Graphics These graphs, charts, diagrams, maps, photographs or tables are used to further explain the information that has be presented. This information provided a visual representation of the text included in the selection. Site Map Site Map

12. Main Menu Main Menu Index and Glossary The index of a nonfiction book is used to guide the reader to specific information by looking up keywords. The index is found in the back of the book. The glossary is also found in the back or at the end of a nonfiction text. The glossary is specific to the text being read. It provides the reader with the definitions of words important in comprehension of the text. Site Map Site Map

13. Reference Source Print and Online Main Menu Main Menu Reference sources are the print and electronic source used to gather information about a variety of topics in one location. Encyclopedia, dictionary, almanac, atlas, thesaurus are examples of reference sources commonly used to answer questions or learn more about a concept. Site Map Site Map

14. Main Menu Main Menu Encyclopedia A collection of articles or entries that summarize a larger body of information. These articles often include illustrations, diagrams, or photographs on the topic or person being discussed. This information can be general or specific based on the topic or content area. Site Map Site Map

15. Main Menu Main Menu Dictionary This word book is an alphabetical collection of words, their pronunciations, origin, and part of speech. The words may be specific to a particular populations’ language or a translation of languages. Site Map Site Map

16. Main Menu Main Menu Almanac This collection of list, forecast, moon phases, planting recommendation, and yearly highlights provided the reader with a wide variety of information based on their occurrence during the year. Site Map Site Map

17. Internet Based Resources Main Menu Main Menu Research Models Increase Comprehension Increase Comprehension Text Features Reference Sources Reference Sources Activities to increase reading comprehension Fluency Vocabulary Comprehension Choice Literacy Teaching comprehension Informational Text Text Feature PowerPoint Online Encyclopedia Online Dictionary Online Almanac Big6 Research Model Site Map Site Map

18. Site Map Main Menu Main Menu Searching for and Using Information Introduction Main Menu Introduction 2 Increasing Comprehension Reference Sources Research Models Text Features Word MeaningsMultiple Sources Visual Information Heading bold text GraphicsIndex/Glossary EncyclopediaDictionaryAlmanac