Teaching Strategies

Teaching Strategies

Vocabulary /

Comprehension

Pre reading

/ Comprehension During reading /

Comprehension

Post reading

Concentration / Anticipation guide: / Linguistic Roulette / ABC book
Concept Map / Book Bits- / Mantle of Expert / Biopoem
Crossword /Word Search puzzles / Book Boxes/Jackdaws / Sketch to Stretch / Closed Word Sort
Finding Words / Contrast chart- / Story Map / Discussion Web
Knowledge Rating / KWL / Think Aloud / Double Entry Journal-
Them and Me
List Group Label / Open Word Sort / Think-Pair-Share / Herringbone
Odd Word Out / Possible Sentences / Character Walks / I Am poem
Readers Theater Script / PreP: / I learned / I wonder
Scattegories / Prevoke / QAR-
Semantic Feature Analysis / Tea Party / Poem-
Diamantes
Name (acrostic)
Semantic Word Web- / Semantic Features Analysis
Sketch to Stretch / Story Map
Twenty Questions / Story Portrait
Word Charades / Story Pyramid
WORDO / Summary: SWBST
Somebody, wanted, but, so, then
Word Riddle / Tableaux
Word Walls / The Most Important Thing
Word War

Vocabulary

v  Concentration- Make double sets of word cards (or put the word and its definition on separate cards). Put all face down on a table. Players take turns trying to make matches. The player with the most cards wins the game.

v  Concept Map-This is a visual representation of a words definition. Provide the students with a word to be defined. As a class or in smaller groups, students define the word by filling in the various elements of the map. (See attached map for example of categories).

v  Crossword Puzzles/Word Searches – Both are easy to make using puzzlemaker.com If you have Internet access in the classroom, ask students to develop these for others to use.

v  Finding Words- Ask students to be on the lookout for words to be learned in other contexts (either print or oral). Provide bulletin board space for students to list these “found” words and where they were found.

v  Knowledge Rating- Pick at least 5 important words that go with a concept that is going to be taught. Create a Knowledge Rating map. (See attached map for example). Students analyze what they know about the topic. This should be reviewed at the end of the unit also.

v  List Group Label- Provide a key concept. Ask students to brainstorm related words. Write these on the chalkboard or chart paper. Then ask small groups to work with the words by:

o  Listing related terms and providing labels for them.

o  Developing a graphic, such as a web, that shows how the words are related.

v  Odd Word Out- Give students 4 words, one word doesn’t belong. Students have to figure out which word doesn’t belong.

v  Reader’s theater script- Students are given a vocabulary word, especially from the content area, working in pairs/small groups, students create a readers theater script that shows the meaning or usage of the word.

v  Scattergories: Make a matrix with

o  Prefixes or suffixes along one dimension and roots along the other.

o  Vocabulary words along one dimension and some element of them (e.g., science word, social studies word; characters in a book to whom the words may apply; parts of speech) along the other.

Students can either check in the box if an aspect belongs with a word or write a word in the box that uses the two elements on the matrix.

v  Semantic Feature Analysis – A grid that helps students analyze similarities and differences among related concepts.

v  Semantic Word Web-Teacher provides text and small slips of paper. Individuals read text; circling words they consider important. They share these with a partner (or 2), develop a master list of their “important words,” put each word on a little slip of paper, and then organize them into categories, semantic maps, etc. Can use transparency to share with class. Students can pick important word from web to share. Students can turn web into a summary.

v  Sketch to Stretch- Provide words written on slips of paper. Distribute these to students. Ask them to sketch something that reveals the word meaning. Then they share these with others who try to guess what they have drawn.

v  Twenty Questions- Teacher or student selects a vocabulary word. Other students then ask questions to try and figure out which vocabulary is chosen.

v  Word Charades – Teacher makes slips of paper with words containing targeted word part. Students make teams. In turn, students select a word, act it out. Team members guess.

v  WORDO- Make 4 X 4 game cards. Select at least 15 vocabulary words. Play the game like bingo. Students can use dry beans or pennies or slips of paper as markers. Each player selects a “free” space and then writes the vocabulary words in other spaces. Teacher calls out definitions or other clues; students mark their cards with responses. Winner is first person to have a line of words (across, down, or diagonal).

v  Word Riddle- Give pairs of students a list of words being learned. Each pair’s job is to devise riddles for other students to solve.

v  Word Walls

o  The Chain- Choose a set of words from the word wall and pass out to students. Have students physically stand up and make chain/connections of the words chosen, discussing why they chose the order of the words.

o  Guess My Word- students get 20 questions to figure out the word wall word chosen.

o  Oops! - This is the game of Around the World, but played with word wall words. Make a stack of word wall cards including cards that say Oops!. One at a time the teacher shows a student a word. The student needs to say the word and give the definition. If the card is an Oops! card, the student looses all their cards.

v  Word War- Proved words written on cards. Play the card game “war” with them. Each player turns up a card. The person whose card a) comes first in alphabetical order, b) has more letter, or) has more syllables wins the round, as long as s/he can say both words and their meanings. If the words are similar, players draw again, and the same rules apply. The player who wins their “war” takes all the cards. A player who gets all his/her partner’s cards wins the game.

Comprehension- Pre reading

v  Anticipation guide- Students are given a list of statements where they agree or disagree. Statements are related to concepts, issues, attitudes or themes in the reading selection.

v  Book Bits- Similar to Book Boxes, but instead of sharing objects, sentences or phrases or a story are shared. Students then make predictions about he text based on them.

v  Book Boxes /Jackdaw – A collection of artifacts either tangible or a picture are collected around a story or theme. Students are shown these objects and are asked to make predictions about the selection they are about to read, or have read to them.

v  Contrast chart- Teacher identifies theme-related contrasting categories where students can list ideas. (This can be listing 3 good or 3 bad things about a topic).

v  KWL- The KWL chart (know, want to know, learned) should be used before and after reading. This works best with expository material.

v  Open Word Sort- Teacher selects 12 – 20 words/ phrases from material students will read. Small groups (2-3) of students organize these words/phrases into categories. Teacher asks volunteers to share groupings, and informal talk about the concepts ensues. Teacher often ends conversation by asking students to predict content based on words/phrases. After reading, students may want to re-sort words based on text.

v  Possible Sentences- This works best with expository material. Teacher selects 12 – 20 content words from a selection that students will read. Partners develop sentences from these that a) contain at least two of the words and b) might appear in a text that contains such words. These are shared before students read. Teacher might want to ask, “Do you know if this is true?” as students share the sentences. Then students read. After reading, they can revise their sentences based on the text.

v  PreP- This is a brainstorming activity around a text. The teacher should examine the text material for keywords or phrases. Then the teacher has the students “Tell anything that comes to mind when they hear… (the selected key word/phrase)”. Next students are asked “What made you thing of ….?” Finally students are asked, “Based on the discussions do they have any new ideas about…?”

v  Prevoke- Students sort words from a narrative into categories such as “plot,” “characters,” “theme,” etc. Sharing and predicting content may follow. After reading, students may want to revisit their work, making changes as indicated by their reading.

v  Tea Party- Teacher selects important quotations, enough for one for each student, from a book or text that is to be read. Distribute the quotes to each student. Students then “mingle” sharing with each other ONLY the quote they have been handed. After a few minutes, students return to their seats and write their predictions about the character or story.

Comprehension - During reading

v  Linguistic Roulette – Use with fiction or nonfiction. Form groups of 3-5. Ask students to read all or portions of a text. Individuals identify what they consider the most important (or interesting or surprising, etc.) sentence in the text/portion of the text. These are shared and discussed.

v  Mantle of Expert- Students read to a pivotal point in the book/text. As a class, have students brainstorm a list of “experts” who might have an opinion about the topic (or have the list prepared to save time). These could be Oprah, Jerry Springer, etc. Ask for volunteers to serve on the panel and pose a framing question about the pivotal moment for them to think about, while the audience jot down questions to ask the experts.

v  Sketch to Stretch- Use with fiction or nonfiction. Stop reading to students (or ask them to stop reading) several times. At each stop, give students 60-90 seconds to make a brief sketch. (Tell them not to use words.) Then in small groups, students share their sketches, telling what they drew and why. Cycle repeats.

v  Story Map- Use with fiction. Stop reading to students (or ask them to stop at predetermined points) several times. Ask students (in pairs) to make notes on story maps. As they read/listen to more of the story, they may want to revise some of their earlier notes. They can write summaries as a final step.

v  Think Aloud- This strategy is used to help students learn how to clarify their understanding of reading and their understanding of how to use strategies. Teachers read a story/text aloud to students, modeling thinking aloud. See worksheet for suggested strategies and cue words.

v  Think-Pair-Share-This provides the students with opportunities to talk about the story as they are reading it. Students are partnered up. Each student reads to the first stopping spot, where they pause and think about issues they found interesting or puzzling and make a brief note about it. When both students are ready, they discuss their notes. Finally, the larger group shares the discussions that occurred.

Comprehension- Post reading

v  ABC book – Using the format of an ABC book, students show what they learned, either making an entire book, or a specific letter. Each page can consist of detailed information around the assigned topic.

v  Biopoem- The biopoem follows a pattern that writers can synthesize what they have learned about a person, place, thing, concept or event.

v  Closed Word Sort-Teacher selects 12 – 20 words/phrases and also creates 2-3 categories. Pairs of students sort the words/phrases into the categories. Follow-up discussion focuses on decisions made, including rationale from text.

v  Discussion Web- Use with fiction or nonfiction. Prepare by writing a sentence that is related to but beyond the text. After reading, provide this sentence. Pairs of students brainstorm both sides of the issue represented by the sentence. Then pairs join to make groups of 4, who discuss brainstormed ideas and try to reach consensus on a conclusion.

v  Double Entry Journal/Them and Me – As students are reading their book/text they respond to the content by writing a quote on the left (Them) and their thoughts/ideas on the right (Me).

v  Herringbone- A useful graphic organizer, students organize information from their text on the “spines” of the fish, then using this information; they summarize what they have read. This form can also be used for Problem/Solution, Cause/Effect and Time Order Structures.

v  I Am poem – Students select a character from something they have read. They write “I” poems from that character’s perspective. They may select any of the lines on worksheet.

v  I learned/I wonder- While students read their texts/book they complete the chart. On the left students write details of what they learned. On the right, they respond to this information with new questions they may have.

v  QAR (Question-Answer Relationship)- This is a very effective strategy to teach students about the different kinds of questioning. (EXCELLENT for OAT practice). There are four types of questions: Right There, Think and Search, On My Own, Author and Me. Right There and Think and Search are found in the text. On My Own and Author and Me are answers in your head. Each type of question should be taught one at a time. (One per week). At the end of 5 weeks, students should be familiar with all four types of questions. These can be reviewed through various activities. Students can make up a question for each type from their reading, These can be collected then used to play a review game having teams not only answer the question but tell what KIND of question it is.