Using picture books to build background knowledge

When first starting a new unit in a content area, consider layering students' background knowledge on the subject with short, powerful topic-related picture book on the topic. Nonfiction children's literature is booming!    read more...

Tracking with sticky notes

To get her students to engage in critical thinking while they read, Maureen Scane (Sunman Elementary) and her fourth grade class brainstormed for "ways to think" while reading.    read more...

Purpose-Driven Reading

When assigning classroom reading, consider using techniques that target the reluctant and/or struggling readers in your classroom. Here are a couple of strategies:    read more...

Setting a purpose for content-area reading

We know that comprehension increases when students have an authentic purpose for their content- area and textbook reading. Mary Hall (Sweetser Elementary, Sweetser, IN) helps her students identify their purpose by teaching them to turn traditional chapter subheadings into questions.    read more...

Coding text to “slow down” the reader

Students don’t always take content area reading and writing as “seriouslyâ€� 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.    read more...

Supporting reluctant readers

When assigning classroom reading, consider using techniques that target the reluctant and/or struggling readers in your classroom.    read more...

Pre-reading strategies that motivate

Teachers frequently ask for ways to motivate kids to want to read. After all, it's pretty hard to work on students' reading comprehension if they didn't do the reading. With that said, here are two of my favorite pre-reading strategies to motivate kids to dive into the passage.    read more...