Coding Text to "Slow Down" the Reader
Students don’t always take content area reading and writing as “seriously” as that of language arts. However, to truly comprehend the subject matter, students need to apply strong reader and writer habits in content area reading, too. Here’s a strategy to slow them down.
Coding Text
When assigning the next reading section, give students three different colored highlighters or sticky flags. Assign a purpose for each color. For example:
- BLUE highlights or sticky flags identify important facts and information.
- PINK highlights or sticky flags identify key words.
- GREEN highlights or sticky flags indicate parts of the reading that were confusing for the student.
As students read, they are to code the text in these different colors. This forces them to be more thoughtful in their reading comprehension. It also aids in facilitating all-class discussions.
