Studies have shown that reciprocal teaching greatly influences student comprehension skills. They also found that students became readers that are more independent, better summarizers, predictors, and critical thinkers. As an additional benefit, students who participated in reciprocal teaching groups displayed fewer behavior problems.

One of the best ways to use reciprocal teaching is to practice a questioning strategy in which the reader reads the text, processes the meaning, makes connections to prior knowledge, and finally generates a question about the text.

Learning Objectives of the Questioning Strategy

• Identify the different types of questions appropriate for the lesson
• Formulate different types of focused questions
• Work in cooperative groups to practice reading comprehension strategies
• Synthesize information in order to respond to a variety of questions
• Interpret text and demonstrate higher level thinking skills in creating various types of questions
• Enhance comprehension through questioning
• Apply questioning strategies in many curricular areas

Take a few minutes to click the link above and watch some of the great videos on this technique, and don’t forget to share your great ideas in the comments, below!

For more information on differentiation and Response to Intervention, see Susan Fitzell’s book, RTI Strategies for Secondary Teachers.

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Highlight Important Information

Highlighting important information tells the brain that it’s unique and significant, so it ‘stands out’ in our working memory. Use highlight tape to have students highlight information when they don’t own the book.

Record Summarizations

Have kids record, with or without a partner, summaries of their reading. When they get to the end of a page, have them stop and summarize what they just read. Now they’ve read the material and have had to think about it again right away. This repetition keeps what they just read in working memory longer and increases the likelihood they will remember it.

Ask Questions

Another effective strategy is to ask questions at the end of a reading. Have a template with questions like: Has anything like this ever happened to me? Did I ever feel this way? Does this happen in my neighborhood? At the end of each reading, have students answer a question in their journal or notebook, or answer a question to a partner. This strategy can also be used for homework by sending a list of questions home with a reading assignment.

Use Storyboards

To make a storyboard, have students fold a piece of paper into squares and draw about what they read. They might do this while they read a story for the first time, as a review with a partner, or for homework after a reading assignment. The process of turning verbal information into a visual format reinforces the learning and helps keep the information in working memory longer.

Teach Each Other

Research shows that teaching each other, or peer teaching, is one of the most powerful ways to learn. After teaching for seven to ten minutes, give students one to three minutes to share with each other. Talking it out with a partner lets students correct misconceptions and reinforces the material by keeping it in working memory long enough to make an impact.

CLICK HERE to discover a wealth of teaching strategies and resources for maximizing student success!.

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This month we’ll focus on guided reading and vocabulary, but expand these areas with an emphasis on integrating reading across the curriculum. This interdisciplinary approach is a worthy goal because we can’t afford to give students a message that reading only happens during ‘reading’ time. This means learning to be reading teachers 24/7 as students read to learn during reading and learn about reading during content areas. This is one of the ‘hot’ topics in literacy as we are beginning to better understand the power of reading instruction across all contexts. These reminders will help us as we work toward that end:

Take advantage of available resources

Grow a well-stocked school book room with an emphasis on informational texts Wright Group’s Wildcat series (grade 2-5) and Scholastic readers (K-3: a combination of narrative and expository) are outstanding. Subscription to periodicals like Time for Kids (K-1, 2-3, 4-7) and Around the World (2-3, 4-7) provide additional opportunities for small group reading.

Start small

Integrating the curriculum is a long-term goal… When I began to feel overwhelmed as I worked on my doctoral dissertation, a wise advisor reminded me: How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. You don’t have to climb the mountain overnight, but you do have to take that first step. Take advantage of your own learning opportunities by using informational texts during reading activities and referring to reading strategies students are learning during content area. Each moment of each day is a chance to reinforce reading strategies that lead to success across contexts.

Include “ear” reading

At least 50% of every activity should emphasize informational texts including read-aloud, even in the earliest grades. At least once a week (preferably more) use a factual picture book, newspaper, or news magazine as your read-aloud. Just as children develop concept of story for narrative texts, they also develop concept for expository. Waiting until students must read these on their own can have serious implications and is not warranted. The capacity for listening far exceeds that of reading almost without exception so this is an opportunity to set the stage for later reading demands.

Emphasize meaningful reading

Of course, every reading encounter should result in a high level of meaning. Many teachers express concern that students are not reading with understanding. This is a serious concern since we can’t allow students to think that reading without meaning is sufficient because it doesn’t take long before this becomes a bad habit that takes years to undo. Informational texts, by their very nature, require slower and more focused reading. Real-life topics are also high interest, thus making them naturally engaging.

Less is more

For some reason, we think that more pages must mean more engaged reading as far too much time is spent focusing on longer selections (including lengthy basal stories). Powerful reading has little to do with the number of pages and everything to do with the intensity of the reading activity in that how much is less important than how deeply. If you want to get the most out of your reading lessons, select shorter stories and articles with opportunities to emphasize quality over quantity. The payback is great when students must place more concentrated effort on their reading.

Two steps back for three steps forward

As you are looking for a set of leveled readers, remember to move to an easier level when you are selecting informational texts over narrative. A slower pace with more focused attention is needed when reading expository texts so it will be entirely appropriate to give students reading at a 3.5 grade level a 2.5 text level when informational texts are the focus.

Make study skills a daily goal

Research has long confirmed that study skills begin in kindergarten, so make it a habit to create note-taking forms or charts and teach students how to use keywords, visuals, post-it notes, and other tools that aid understanding. I generally use some form of a note-taking in every lesson because this is a skill students will use long after they leave you. Some will always struggle with meaning and recall so these real-life strategies should be an ongoing part of your school day.

Make informational texts accessible on a daily basis

One worthy goal is to get a classroom library in place in every classroom. Don’t overuse chapter books and be sure that informational texts are represented, including factual books, news magazines, and newspapers. We want students exposed to everything, not just a single genre. Also include topics of interest to students such as sports figures, cars, horses, etc. The class library is not about the teacher but about students, meaning you have no say in what they choose to read other than to provide a solid sampling of everything and trust them to select what is of interest.

Make the home-school connection

Studies have shown that parents have more engaged conversations with informational reading than story books, often due to interest level revolving around topics we can all relate to. Offering ample resources means that students will develop strong interests in specific topics while this can significantly increase the chances of transferring to greater home use. In turn, conversations that parents have revolving around these selections are likely to be more meaningful. This makes it a worthy objective.

Explore even more tips, tools, and resources for collaboration at TheHowofCo-teaching.com!

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You know I’m excited about a “find” when my heart rate increases and I just want to jump up and down and shout it out to the world. What a boon for students with reading and organizational difficulties!

I use Evernote for my consulting notes. I love MS Onenote, but Evernote is more “multi-platform and multi-device.” I looked up how to archive notes and one thing led to another – you know how that goes – and I actually clicked on that little desk lamp icon in my browser – Evernote Clearly. Had it there forever, never bothered with it. I like the Elephant icon to clip anything from my browser into Evernote. Well, I’m BLOWN AWAY at Evernote Clearly! Talk about a MAJOR solution for students or (adults) with ADD, reading difficulties, or vision issues!

When I am on a web page and click on that little Evernote desk lamp icon (EN Clearly) it totally takes out ALL the peripheral distractions! All I have in front of me is my article.  And the best part?  This is one of those great tools that works on almost every platform!

Then I have MORE options with Evernote Clearly

1.  Clearly will READ IT TO ME!
2.  I can click on the little [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][Aa] icon and change the way the page looks including enlarging text and changing the page from black on white to white on black.
3.  I can highlight text.
4. I can save it to Evernote with my highlights.

I’m so excited about this find that my heart is racing! What a boon for people who need to process information differently!

Here’s an article and video on Evernote Clearly from Free Tech for Teachers.

I’d love to hear about your experience with Evernote Clearly.

Apps, Websites, and Other Cutting-Edge Tools to Strengthen Instruction with Technology

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Valuable tips for finding, downloading and using the latest and best apps to compliment your curriculum!

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Using iPads and Other Cutting Edge Technology to Strengthen Your Instruction

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Positive Teacher Coaching – Take Learning Up a Level

I’m a firm believer that teachers need to know the reading level of the materials they use in the classroom. So often, the materials we use in our classrooms are much higher than the grade level we are teaching and, more importantly, higher than the reading level of our students.

Huge Discrepancies In Reading Levels

Recently, I’ve found huge discrepancies between Lexile scores, DRA’s (Developmental Reading Assessment) and Readablity formulas such as SMOG and FRY. When I asked a reading specialist to explain the difference at a conference recently, she evaded the question by telling me (and the audience) to simply pick one and stick to that one. I disagree.

Awareness of Reading Levels is Important

If there are “years” differences between a Lexile score, a DRA and the Flesch/Flesch–Kincaid Readability formula, it is my opinion that we should be aware of all of them and question why there is a discrepancy. Why? Because they measure different things and consequently give clues to student reading ease or difficulty.

Choosing Appropriate Materials Using Reading Level as One Indicator

The varied formulas measure different aspects of reading, so therefore, they can’t be compared. It’s like comparing apples to oranges. Also, knowing the reading level of the materials we use with our students guides us in using text that is ability appropriate. Without this awareness, how can we choose appropriate texts for our students and meet their individual reading needs?

Online Resources:

Comparison Chart for Reading Levels

An Examination of Current Text Difficulty Indices with Early Reading Texts

How to Find Reading Levels and Readability Measures

Tests Document Readability: Readability Calculator

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For more information on differentiation strategies to reach ALL learners, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Special Needs in the General Classroom, Strategies That Make It Work. Available in both print and electronic versions!

We also offer a Professional Development Kit, for all teachers, with a Graduate Credit Option!

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Test questions that require students to read a passage and answer questions are often more difficult than multiple choice questions because the student is being tested on their understanding of new material.

Math questions, too, are often difficult for many students, especially when written in a word problem format.

By using a few simple strategies, however, students can easily maneuver through both math and reading portions of state and classroom tests.

How to Handle Reading Passages on Tests:

• Find the main idea: Each passage has a main idea. Read for the main idea and skim the details.
• Read quickly, answer slowly: Most students do the opposite; they read slowly and answer quickly. Read for the main idea and you’ll read quickly.
• Mark as you read: After reading each paragraph, make a brief note of two or three words in the margin. Indicate what went on in the paragraph. Circle important details.

How to Handle Math Questions on Tests:

• Look for shortcuts: A student might know that an odd number multiplied by an odd number gives an odd number for an answer. If only one of the choices is an odd number, it has to be correct.
• Work in consistent units: If one side of a rectangle is given in inches and another in feet, convert them both to feet or inches before multiplying or adding.
• Don’t do all the computations in your head: Use the margins and white space to work difficult or detailed computations.

For more information about study strategies for your student, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Please Help Me With My Homework. Available in both print and electronic versions!

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Test questions that require students to read a passage and answer questions are often more difficult than multiple choice questions because the student is being tested on their understanding of new material.

Math questions, too, are often difficult for many students, especially when written in a word problem format.

By learning a few simple test taking skills, students can easily maneuver through both math and reading portions of state and classroom tests.<>

How to Handle Reading Passages on Tests:

• Find the main idea: Each passage has a main idea. Read for the main idea and skim the details.
• Read quickly, answer slowly: Most students do the opposite; they read slowly and answer quickly. Read for the main idea and you’ll read quickly.
• Mark as you read: After reading each paragraph, make a brief note of two or three words in the margin. Indicate what went on in the paragraph. Circle important details.

How to Handle Math Questions on Tests:

• Look for shortcuts: A student might know that an odd number multiplied by an odd number gives an odd number for an answer. If only one of the choices is an odd number, it has to be correct.
• Work in consistent units: If one side of a rectangle is given in inches and another in feet, convert them both to feet or inches before multiplying or adding.
• Don’t do all the computations in your head: Use the margins and white space to work difficult or detailed computations.

For more information about study strategies for your student, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Ummm, Studying? What’s That?. Available in both print and electronic versions!

Bring Susan to your campus or parent organization!

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The post Test Taking Skills – Ace Those Reading and Math Test Questions! appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Test questions that require students to read a passage and answer questions are often more difficult than multiple choice questions because the student is being tested on their understanding of new material. Math questions, too, are often difficult for many students, especially when written in a word problem format. By using a few simple strategies, however, students can easily maneuver through both the math and reading portions of state and classroom tests.

How to handle reading passages on tests:

• Find the main idea: Each passage has a main idea. Read for the main idea and skim the details.
• Read quickly, answer slowly: Most students do the opposite; they read slowly and answer quickly. Read for the main idea and you’ll read quickly.
• Mark as you read: After reading each paragraph, make a brief note of two or three words in the margin or on separate paper. Indicate what went on in the paragraph. Circle important details.

How to handle math questions on tests:

• Look for shortcuts: A student might know that an odd number multiplied by an odd number gives an odd number for an answer. If only one of the choices is an odd number, it has to be correct.
• Work in consistent units: If one side of a rectangle is given in inches and another in feet, convert them both to feet or inches before multiplying or adding.
• Don’t do all the computations in your head: Use the margins and white space to work difficult or detailed computations.

From Memorization and Test-Taking Strategies

The post Excelling with Reading and Math Questions on Tests appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Fairy tales, cultural fables, and legends are good choices to practice this technique because of their familiarity to students. Most youth can relate to these stories and connect the issues, conflicts, and personalities presented in them to their personal lives. These connections support reading comprehension and enhance long-term recall.

In addition, the brevity of this genre allows for repetition and frequency, which is ideal for initial instruction as well as an intervention. Time constraints pose significant challenges to the secondary teacher, especially at the high school level. Utilizing short texts supports the learning objective without requiring significant class time.

Research Background

Reading comprehension is a complex intellectual process that involves two main abilities: understanding word meanings and reasoning with verbal concepts.  Without these abilities, students cannot comprehend and in turn do not internalize what they read. Comprehension happens within a reader’s mind, which means it cannot be measured in a tangible fashion. Comprehension can only be measured by inferring from a reader’s overt behavior. The use of strategies helps teachers infer a student’s comprehension of material read. Summarizing, recall, and inferential reading are all methods of instruction to determine a student’s comprehension of text.

When assessing comprehension within expository text, students must discern main ideas and concepts from text, contrary to literature where students must identify key elements to summarize a story completely. Summarizing materials allows students to connect to material in a personal manner as they have the opportunity to make a connection from personal experiences to the text. A summary allows students to synthesize, analyze, and evaluate material, which develops higher order thinking skills. However, most students lack the ability to write a summary in a concise manner. When summarizing, students need to identify what happened in the story and state the main details of the expository of literary text. Most students tend to rewrite the story and tell their teacher everything that happened to demonstrate that they read the passage. This is not a summary. A summary will summarize what the story was about in a concise and explicit manner. Using graphic organizers and the Somebody-Wanted-But-So (SWBS) strategy encourages students to develop concise summaries of literature.

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Quoting Peter Johnston, Franki Sibberson said, “If nothing else, children should leave school with the belief that if they act strategically, they can achieve their goals.” Sibberson revealed several questions that can guide teachers and librarians when assessing students’ ability to make their own reading choices and help them:How does the child choose books? How can we support his/her book choices? What patterns do we notice?

Debbie Miller discussed students need opportunities to choose their own books, read widely, and explore a range of texts like songs, poetry, leveled texts, nonfiction, and stories, so they can develop preferences. Addressing the connection between reading and writing, Ann Marie Corgill shared her beliefs that a reader is a writer’s apprentice. Through reading, children discover writing craft.

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