2. BEFORE READING
Before reading
strategies activate
student’s prior
knowledge about the
topic/theme.
Teachers can discuss
critical information
and vocabulary
needed for effective
reading of the text.
Strategies:
Anticipation Guide
Think-alouds
Pre-teach Vocabulary
Listen-Read-Discuss
Concept Sorts
3. ANTICIPATION GUIDE
Anticipation guides set a purpose to the reading
of a text by challenging students to think about
what they already know of the topic
Can be completed individually or in small groups
Whole class discussions regarding student
answers on the anticipation guide activate
critical thinking before reading
Students keep the guide to refer to during
reading to see if their thoughts were correct, or
how they have rethought their original answers
4. THINK-ALOUDS
Teachers show students what reading
comprehension looks like by describing their own
thought process when reading text
Teacher modeling improves student’s abilities to
use the same strategies while independently
reading
5. PRE-TEACH VOCABULARY
The teacher creates a list of important, useful,
and difficult vocabulary words found in the text
that students will need to know to understand
the text
Teachers should not introduce more than two
vocabulary words at a time
Students will be taught the meaning(s) of the
words through direct instruction and examples
6. LISTEN-READ-DISCUSS
Allows students to establish prior knowledge, and
gain a basic understanding prior to reading
Students listen to a presentation of the content of
the selected reading
Students read the text, comparing what they
learned during the lecture to what information
they read in the text
Students discuss their understanding based on
the prior lecture combined with the reading in a
small or whole group setting
7. CONCEPT SORTS
Vocabulary strategy where students sort words
from new written text into pre-determined
categories based on their meaning
Sorts allow teachers to see what words their
students already understand and know, as well
as how much background knowledge the students
may have about the new content of written text
After sorting, students explain why they sorted
the words the way they did to demonstrate their
comprehension and thinking
8. DURING READING
During reading
strategies ensure
students are
comprehending the
material while
interacting with it.
Allows time for fixing
comprehension issues
and applying
comprehension
strategies before
students become too
lost or confused.
Strategies:
Self-Questioning
Graphic organizers
Reciprocal Teaching
Paired Reading
Text Structure
9. SELF-QUESTIONING
Students independently reflect on what they are
reading by asking themselves questions
Teachers prompt students to ask questions at
points in the text through the use of question
words-who, what, where, when, why, how
Self-Questioning also aids in self-monitoring
through students recognizing what they do not
understand about a written text, and asking
themselves questions about what to do to
understand the text
10. GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS
Visual representations of information showing
the relationships between ideas, facts, and
vocabulary terms
Best suited for independent work
Organizers include tables, timelines, flowcharts,
diagrams
Can also be used after or before reading, though
student engagement is not as high during these
times
11. RECIPROCAL TEACHING
Teaches students to find the important ideas
from a written text
Use during reading to generate questions about
the text
Students can keep track of words and phrases
that confused them, or that they did not
understand
After reading, students share their questions and
thoughts within a small group setting, and create
a discussion and summary of the reading
12. PAIRED READING
Peer teaching and learning
Students work in pairs to read together, or take
turns reading out loud
Paired Reading helps students who may struggle
with reading, as they receive assistance and
encouragement throughout the reading from
their peer
Students interact with one another during the
reading, enabling the sharing of thoughts and
asking of questions to increase comprehension
13. TEXT STRUCTURE
Ways certain types of text are organized to form a
framework or pattern of information
Contain signal words to clue students in to type of
structure being used, and the information being provided
Expository text structures:
Descriptive-describes something or where something is
Procedural-how to do or make something; sequence of events
Cause/effect-why something happens, and what might happen
next
Problem/solution-states a problem and offers solutions to the
problem
Comparison/contrast-how two things are the same or different
Enumerative-a list of things related to the topic
14. AFTER READING
Strategies will
increase student
comprehension of
what has been read
Students can extend
their new knowledge
through applying it to
future ideas,
activities, and text
Strategies:
Summarizing
Exit Slips
Question-Answer-
Relationships
Question the Author
RAFT Writing
15. SUMMARIZING
A breakdown of the important ideas in a written
text
Students identify the main ideas and supporting
details of the text
Summarizing also allows students to evaluate
their understanding of the text, tell important
information, and recall what they have read
Students can use the graphic organizer strategy
as a prompt to aid in summarizing the story
16. EXIT SLIPS
Students reflect on what they have learned, and
state what they now think and believe after
taking in the new text
Teacher provides a prompt for students after the
reading to respond to using written responses
Prompts include:
Write one thing you learned today.
Write one question you have about today’s lesson.
I would like to learn more about…
17. QUESTION-ANSWER-
RELATIONSHIPS
Students think critically and creatively about the
written text, using information from the text as well
as their own knowledge and thoughts to answer
questions after reading
Four types:
Right There questions-the answer is directly written in the
text.
Think and Search questions-individual answers are found
by combining different parts of the text.
Author and You questions-the author provides information,
and the reader must use their own experience paired with
the text information to respond.
On My Own-students use background/prior knowledge to
respond to the question.
18. QUESTION THE AUTHOR
Students can question and critique the author to
enhance their comprehension of what they have read
Involves a student-led discussion with the questions
presented; teachers facilitate the discussion and
provide prompts to keep the students on track
The teacher prepares and models the strategy using
questions designed to encourage critical thinking
What is the author trying to say?
Does this make sense to you?
19. RAFT WRITING
Written projects and assignments that enhance
student comprehension of previously read texts
More imaginative, interpretive; allows for the
processing of the ideas and information in different
ways
Includes four dimensions:
Role-the person or people the student becomes (book
character, historical figure, personality)
Audience-the person or people who will read or view this
project (students, teachers, parents)
Format-genre or activity that students create (letter,
brochure, cartoon, journal, essay, etc.)
Topic-the subject of the project (issue related to the text, a
question, etc.)
20. REFERENCES
All about Adolescent Literacy-Classroom Strategies. (2014).
Retrieved from www.adlit.org/strategy_library/
Bursuck, W.D., Damer, M. (2011). Teaching Reading to Students
Who Are at Risk or Have Disabilities. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
Tompkins, G. (2010). Literacy for the 21st Century: a balanced
approach. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.