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Comprehension Lessons

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[Reading]

Teach Readers to Discern Text Structure

MAR. 11, 2014

[Reading]

Scaffold Mini-Lesson Concepts to Teach Main Idea

MAY 2, 2014

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Ask Smekens: Where do I start when teaching theme?

Where do I start when teaching theme?

How do I support students' summary writing?

How do I support students’ summary writing?

Should I slow down the roll-out of the original eLessons?

Should I slow down the roll-out of the original eLessons?

How do you model the “distracting” voice?

How do you model the “distracting” voice?

Where can I find the texts and resources used within the free Literacy eLessons?

Where can I find the texts and resources used within the free Literacy eLessons?

How do you explain main idea versus topic?

How do you explain main idea versus topic?

Track Individual Ideas to Analyze Their Influences

Track Individual Ideas to Analyze Their Influences

Differentiate Between Themes and Topics

Differentiate Between Themes and Topics

Teach Readers How to Skim Long Texts

Teach Readers How to Skim Long Texts

Recognize Cursor Symbols to Improve On-Screen Reading

Recognize Cursor Symbols to Improve On-Screen Reading

Parallel Summary Writing with ESPN SportsCenter

Parallel Summary Writing with ESPN SportsCenter

Support Summary Writing with Frames Based on a Text’s Structure

Support Summary Writing with Frames Based on a Text’s Structure

Use Apps & Websites to Retell/Summarize Texts

Use Apps & Websites to Retell/Summarize Texts

Support Main Idea with Textual Evidence

Support Main Idea with Textual Evidence

Capture Ideas with Emojis

Capture Ideas with Emojis

Evaluate Text Features for Their Added Value

Evaluate Text Features for Their Added Value

Write Through the Lens of a Character

Write Through the Lens of a Character

Identify and Evaluate an Author's Ideas

Identify and Evaluate an Author’s Ideas

Teach Visualization Using Music

Teach Visualization Using Music

Clarify <I>Purpose</I> versus <I>Point of View</I> versus <I>Perspective</I>

Clarify Purpose versus Point of View versus Perspective

Boost Background Knowledge to Understand Author Allusions

Boost Background Knowledge to Understand Author Allusions

Scaffold Mini-Lesson Concepts to Teach Main Idea

Scaffold Mini-Lesson Concepts to Teach Main Idea

Teach Readers to Discern Text Structure

Teach Readers to Discern Text Structure

Summarize Texts by Creating Found Poems

Summarize Texts by Creating Found Poems

Assess Comprehension with Retelling Labels

Assess Comprehension with Retelling Labels

Scaffold Summarization Skills

Scaffold Summarization Skills

Walk Through the Features of Informational Text

Walk Through the Features of Informational Text

Comprehending Cause & Effect

Comprehending Cause & Effect

Teach Main Idea with Titles

Teach Main Idea with Titles

Defining Differences Between Perspective & Point of View

Defining Differences Between Perspective & Point of View

Get Creative with Crafty Creamer Characters

Get Creative with Crafty Creamer Characters

Create an Anticipation Guide to Use Before & After Reading

Create an Anticipation Guide to Use Before & After Reading

Depict Personality & Motivations with Character Collages

Depict Personality & Motivations with Character Collages

Organize Details in a Story Retelling

Organize Details in a Story Retelling

Use the Retelling Glove for Summarizing Stories

Use the Retelling Glove for Summarizing Stories

Assess Overall Understanding with a Cloze Activity

Assess Overall Understanding with a Cloze Activity

Infer Beyond the Text with Character Cubing

Infer Beyond the Text with Character Cubing

Find Figurative Language in Pop Songs

Find Figurative Language in Popular Song Lyrics

Develop Visualization Skills with Sound Effects

Develop Visualization Skills with Sound Effects

Distinguishing Main Idea from Theme

Distinguishing Main Idea from Theme

Help Students Identify the Main Idea of Any Text

Helping Students Identify the Main Idea of Any Text

Write Simple Summaries and Determine Main Idea

Write Simple Summaries and Determining Main Idea

Creative Literature Responses

Creative Literature Responses

Introducing Text Features & Conducting a Scavenger Hunt

Introducing Text Features & Conducting a Scavenger Hunt

Use Audio Books to Reinforce Visualization

Using Audio Books to Reinforce Visualization

Determining the Important Information

Determining the Important Information

Create a Character Life Map

Create a Character Life Map

Use Songs to Target Main Idea

Use Songs to Target Main Idea

Note the Author Words That Led to a Visualization

Note the Author’s Words That Led to a Visualization

Use Pictures to Jumpstart Summary Writing

Use Pictures to Jumpstart Summary Writing