If your student struggles with reading comprehension or remembering important details from books for a test, here are some great strategies to help their reading stick!
1. Highlighting Fun: Read through all instructions and then put prompts on reading materials. For example, have your student draw a star at the starting point, arrows to indicate direction, and bullets and checkboxes to separate individual points. This is a strategy to teach students how to dissect and highlight an assignment so they remember all the parts. When reviewing a homework assignment, use colored markers to draw these prompts and the simple act of picking up different colors will help to keep the brain involved and attentive.
2. Post-It ® Note Heaven: As your student is reading, every time an important fact, item, cause-and-effect situation, etc. comes up, have them put a Post-It® note right in that spot and write the page number, the item, and a visual or detail. After the chapter is read, the novel is finished, or the text section is done, help them to take all the Post-It® notes and line them up sequentially on a sheet of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Place the paper in a sleeve protector and voila! They now have a self-made study guide that comes straight from the text!
3. Draw It so You’ll Know It: Suggest that your student draw pictures of what they are reading or illustrate their notes with drawings that represent what is in the notes. Use colors to make pictures more vivid and memorable, and help keep the brain actively involved in the assignment.