Before, during, and after reading strategies

Debbie Pollack: RED 4348

You have a fantastic new book in front of you! What important strategies can you do

before you begin reading?

Take a book walk!

Look at the cover, illustrations, maps, and graphs that may be inside. Does anything you see give you clues for what the story may be about? Write down any predictions you have. It will be exciting to see if your predictions you made were correct after reading the story!

Activate background knowledge

Now that you have completed your book walk, you probably have a general idea of what the story may be about. Now, it is time to think about what you already know about this topic. Activate your background knowledge! Write down anything about the topic that you already know, pair up with a classmate and share your information.

THINK, PAIR, SHARE!

You may learn something new even before reading the story!

What is your purpose for reading this text?

No matter what you are reading, always know what your purpose is for reading that particular story. Are you reading for pleasure? Are you reading to learn more about a topic? Write down your purpose. This will help you focus on the task before you!

Think to yourself…..why am I reading this material? What is my purpose?

Create a K-W-L chart

In the ‘K’ column, write down what you already know about the topic.In the ‘W’ column, write things you want to learn from reading the text.Leave the ‘L’ column blank. This will be filled in after you read the story. Here, you will write down all the new information you have learned!

Skim the text

Look for challenging words that you may need to find the meaning of to better understand the story. As a class, with a partner, or by using a dictionary or computer, discover the meanings of these words. By doing so, you will be able to focus on comprehending the story and not get stuck on difficult words! Be a word detective!

So what's next?You have completed all of the before reading strategies. Now its on to the main event…. Reading the story!There are many strategies you can do while you are reading in order to increase your comprehension and understanding.

Lets discuss some during reading strategies!

Find your comfortable reading speed

Remember: There is no need to rush! Slow down and absorb every word you are reading. Take the time to look at pictures, graphs, and maps. These elements can tell you a lot of useful information!

Post-it notesAs you read, write down your thoughts on post-it notes. Did you find a certain part to be especially interesting? Were you able to relate to something that the author said? Go ahead, write it down! Doing so will help you better connect to the story. Besides, post- it notes are so much fun!

Write down your thoughts!

Reread for understanding

Rereading sections of the story can clarify anything that may have been confusing to you the first time reading through. You may discover new, interesting information you missed the first time around! Maybe there is a word you did not understand. Reread and use your context clue skills to figure out its meaning. This will help the story make a whole lot more sense!

Good readers reread!

Take a pause!

After a few pages or at the end of each chapter, take a pause and summarize. What important information does the author want you to know? What was the section or chapter about? Do you understand what you are reading? Remember, it is ok to reread for understanding!

Press the pause button and summarize!

Make predictions

What do you think is going to happen next? By using your background knowledge on the subject you are reading about, you can make predictions on what you think is going to happen next. Making predictions will help you stay focused and engaged with the text. You will want to continue reading to see what happens next and if your predictions are correct!

Congratulations! You have finished reading the story….but learning is far from over!

Now that you have read the story, lets discuss strategies you can use after reading to enhance your comprehension of the story!

Lets summarize!

What was the story about? What important information do you think the author wanted you to discover? Summarize what the story was about.

Create a reading reflection journal

This is a place to write down a summary of the story, but also your thoughts about what you read. Did you enjoy the story? Did you find it easy to understand? Did you have a favorite part? Recording your reflections for each story that you read not only improves your comprehension, but you will have a record of everything that you have read!

Fill in your story map

Story maps are an excellent way to summarize what you have read. These maps include elements such as the setting, characters, plot, and main events that happened at the beginning, middle, and end of the story. What a great way to gather your thoughts and focus on all the new things you have learned!

Fill in the ‘L’ on your K-W-L chart

You have already recorded what you know and what you want to learn from reading the story. Now that you have read, it is time to fill in the ‘L’ on your chart: You guessed it, write down all the new information and knowledge you have gained! Did you answer any of the questions in your ‘W’ column? Write them down to complete your chart!

Draw a picture of your favorite part of the story!

Who doesn’t love to draw?! Drawing a picture of your favorite part of the story enhances your comprehension while also allowing you to express your creative side.

Go ahead, get out those crayons, markers, and colored pencils and DRAW!

References

Before Reading. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2015, from

http://www.scps.k12.fl.us/curriculum/AcademicCore/LanguageArtsandReading/SecondaryReading/BeforeReading.aspx

Strategies to Use During and After Reading. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2015, from

http://teacher.scholastic.com/lessonrepro/lessonplans/profbooks/strategies.htm

Understanding the Relationship Between Reading Comprehension Skills and Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2015,

from http://www.cde.state.co.us/sites/default/files/documents/coloradoliteracy/clf/downloads/understanding_the_relationship_between_reading_comprehension_skills_and_strategies.pdf