$10 for the Reading Strategy Objectives document.

Strategy #1:  Detecting and Correcting Errors

Strategy #2: Problem-Solving New Words

Strategy #3:  Maintaining Fluency

Strategy #4:  Comprehension Strategies

• Predict
• Make Connections
• Infer
• Ask Questions
• Summarize
• Evaluate/Synthesize
• Subtext
• Visualize
• Retell
• Close Reading
• PLUS SKILLS…

Strategy #5:  Noticing Nonfiction Text Features

Strategy 1

Detecting and Correcting Errors / Monitoring for Understanding

GOAL: To know when you’re right, to know when you’re wrong, to know when you don’t know, and to know how to fix it.

WHY? To make sense of the reading.

Today I will:

• Use fix-up strategies to correct decoding errors – the BEST way is to sound the words out!
• Pause, reread, read on, and think about what I know.
• Ask myself – does it sound right? Does it look right? Does it make sense?
• Talk about where an error was and how I fixed it.

My teacher will say:  (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• Something wasn’t quite right. Can you find your error?  
• What do you know that might help?
• I noticed you looked at the picture to help you read that word. 
• You looked carefully at the word while you pointed to be sure your voice matched! Good for you!
• How did you know that word was_____?
• I liked how you solved that word!
• I noticed you stopped for a moment. Were you thinking about the story when you fixed that part?
• It might be that. . .  Could it be anything else?
• Try that again and think about what would make sense.
• You said ______. What’s wrong?
• When ______ didn’t sound right, you went back to fix it. Good for you!
• That looks like the word, but does that make sense?
• How did you figure it out?
• What information do you remember?
• Did the passage make sense?
• Did a word or phrase stump you?
• Reread that section and see if you remember more.
• Look for a character’s name, a specific place, etc., to find what to reread.
• Have you previewed the chapter?
• What do you already know about this topic, author, or genre?
• You checked that your reading made sense.
• You read the material aloud as if you understood it.
• You checked several ways to make sure you had the right word.
• When ______ didn’t sound right, you went back to fix it.
• You reread that part to check that word. Did it work?
• I noticed you were thinking about the story as you were reading. 
• Show me where you fixed that problem.
• How did you figure it out?
• Why did you do that?
• You said ______. Then you said ______. Why?
• How did you know what the word was?

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

• Unit of study – Monitoring for Meaning K-2.pdf
• Unit of study – Monitoring for Meaning Gr 3-5.pdf

Strategy 2

Problem-Solving New Words

GOAL: To use multiple sources of information to figure out new words; to be flexible in problem-solving.

WHY? To read for meaning.

Today I will:

• Use meaning and sentence structure to anticipate new words (context clues).
• Notice chunks, word parts (prefixes, suffixes, roots), and syllables.

My teacher will say:  (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• Is there another word that might work here?
• Look at the beginning. Look at the ending.
• What do you know that might help you?
• That was almost right. Try that again.
• What good reader strategy could you try here?
• Are there any little words in this word? (chunks)
• What parts of the word do you know?  
• Reread and get your mouth ready to say the word.
• What is another word that might fit/make sense here?
• Look at the root word/prefix/suffix.
• Read ahead to figure out the meaning of the word.

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

• decoding cards
• vocabulary cards

Strategy 3 

Maintaining Fluency

GOAL: To read a text accurately, at an appropriate rate, with expression and complete attention to meaning.

WHY? Reading is thinking. If we aren’t reading fluently, we are losing comprehension.

Today I will:

• Rapidly process the words and pictures.
• Read smoothly in meaningful phrases.
• Read with expression.
• Read with pacing that sounds like talking.

My teacher will say:  (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• Put the words together so it sounds like talking.
• Did that sound like the way we talk?
• Make your voice go down when you see the period.
• Make your voice go up when you see the question mark.
• Take a short breath when you see the comma.
• Show feelings/emotions when you see the exclamation point. Use emphasis.
• Make it sound like the characters are talking.

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

Comprehension Strategies

Strategy 4A

Expanding Meaning By Predicting

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY? To get our minds ready to read and give us a purpose to read.

Today I will:

• Think about the title and illustrations and make an initial prediction. (If it’s nonfiction, I will consider what I will learn using the table of contents and scanning through the nonfiction text features.)
• Think about the title, illustrations, and what I’ve read so far. Has my prediction been confirmed? Will I change my prediction?
• I will provide evidence to support my prediction.

My teacher will say: (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• What made you come up with that prediction?  
• How have your ideas changed?  
• What evidence either confirmed your prediction or made you change your prediction?
• What do you think might happen next?
• What information from the text did you use to predict?
• Can you make your predictions in a more specific way?
• I like the way you used specific details for evidence.

Ticket to Leave:

How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

Strategy 4B

Expanding Meaning By Making Connections

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY? Using what we already know can help us better understand.

Today I will:

• Think about how this text is related to what I already know, whether it’s my own life, another text, something on the news, or another book by the same author. 
• Think about details and the sequence of events. I will list details and events  I will make connections between the events.
• Notice differences and similarities between characters using a Venn diagram.
• Write down my personal feelings as the character goes through events.

My teacher will say: (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• How does the story make you feel?  
• Have you ever had similar experiences?  
• Does the book remind you of another book, or does a character remind you of someone in your life?
• How are the characters, setting, and problems connected to your life or other stories you’ve read?  
• What does the story make you wonder?  
• What surprised you?
• How are you like one of the characters?
• How is the family similar to your family?
• Have you read another book by this author?
• I liked the way you connected your life to the story.

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

Strategy 4C

Expanding Meaning By Inferring

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY? Authors show ~ they don’t tell. We must infer to answer the questions not explicitly stated in the text.

Today I will:

• Think about what is implied or not directly stated.
• Use my own experiences (prior knowledge) to understand a character fully.
• Infer the meaning of unfamiliar words, settings, explanations for events, feelings, pronouns, the author’s message, or the lesson in the text.
• Fill in these blanks: Maybe. . .  I think. . .  It could be. . . It’s because. . .  Perhaps. . .  It means that. . . I’m guessing. . .

My teacher will say: (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• What is the author’s message?  
• What is the story really about?  
• Do you think the title is appropriate for the story?  
• What does the story mean to you?  
• Why did the author write the story?   
• When the character said “__________,” what is really meant?
• What did you learn from the character’s words on this page?
• What do your inner thoughts show you about the character?
• Can you infer what the character might do based on this event?
• Think of 3 decisions a character made and explain what the decisions taught you about the character.
• What specific adjectives or phrases describe the character’s behavior?
• How are these characters alike? Different?
• What effect resulted from that event? Decision? Conflict?

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

Fun Inferring Practice! Read these sentences and discuss the character and setting. Then, draw conclusions, and make predictions!

• Sue blew out the candles and got presents.
• Mary plays her flute for two hours every day.
• The boat drifted in the middle of the lake.
• John ran into the street without looking.
• Meg was the star pitcher, but she had a broken finger.
• We bought tickets and some popcorn.
• I forgot to set my alarm clock last night.
• When I woke up, there were branches and leaves all over the yard.
• Yesterday, we cleaned out our desks and took everything home.
• Everyone stopped when the referee blew the whistle.

• inference cards
• drawing conclusions cards
• Unit of Study – Making Inferences.pdf

Strategy 4D

Expanding Meaning By Asking Questions Of Self Before, During, and After Reading

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY? We ask questions to clarify, stay involved, read with a purpose, and deepen comprehension.

Today I will:

• Ask myself who/what each paragraph was about as I read.
• Ask questions that can be answered as I read or after reading.
• Ask questions about the title, setting, characters, problem, resolution, and message.
• Search for information in my text.
• Adjust my reading rate to locate information by rereading confusing areas, skimming and scanning to locate and verify answers.
• If the text allows, underline proof of answers.

My teacher will say: (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• Where did you find the answer to that question?  
• Were all your questions answered in the text, or do you still have unanswered questions?  
• How will you get the answers?
• What do you already know that might help you?
• What will happen next?
• How will the character solve their problem?
• What have you learned that will help you understand a character? Decision? Conflict?
• What did you learn from the picture? Diagram? Chart?
• Did you read the caption?
• I liked how you raised a question and then read on to explore the answer.
• Here are the answers. What questions can you create?

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

• question cards
• Unit of Study – Asking Questions.pdf

Strategy 4E

Expanding Meaning By Summarizing

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY? To check for understanding.

Today I will:

• Organize information by stating the main ideas or the most important parts of the story in my own words.
• Determine what is important, omitting extra details!
• Keep it brief.

My teacher will say: (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• Does your summary include only the main ideas and most important parts?
• Tell me about what you’ve read.
• What is the main idea?
• Can you provide some details?
• Did that make sense?
• Are you retelling or summarizing?
• Choose 2 or 3 key events to summarize.
• Explain the main events in your own words.
• What is the purpose of the chapter?
• What can you find in the text to help you set a purpose?
• Can you separate the facts from the conclusions you made in your summary?
• Give several effects of the event.
• Can you show how these 2 summaries are alike and different?

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

• somebody wanted but so then
• stop think paraphrase
• vip cards

Strategy 4F

Expanding Meaning By Evaluating/Synthesizing

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY?  As a reader, I can judge and react to a text.

TodaI will ask myself:

• How do I feel about what I just read?
• Do I agree or disagree with it?
• Am I learning what I wanted to know?
• How good of a job has the author done?
• What do I think about the author’s style?

My teacher will say: 

• What made you think this way?  
• Does anyone have anything to add to that idea?

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

• Synthesis Unit.doc

Strategy 4G

Expanding Meaning By Subtexting

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY? We can better relate to a character by becoming them.

Today I will:

• Put myself in a character’s shoes.
• Become the character by expressing what the character truly feels.

My teacher will say: 

• What made you think this way?  
• Does anyone have anything to add to that idea?

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

Strategy 4H

Expanding Meaning By Visualizing

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY?  Visualizing helps keep us interested, makes texts personal and memorable, and helps us recall details after reading.

Today I will: 

• Create a movie in my mind about what is truly happening in the text.
• Pay extra attention to the adjectives and adverbs used.
• Use my senses and emotions as I picture the characters, setting, and events.

My teacher will say: (Pick a few to write on board and focus on.)

• What did you visualize or picture?  
• Did you get a clearer picture in your mind?
• How could the pictures help you?
• Tell me what you saw when you read this part.
• How did the character walk? Dress? Describe their appearance.
• Can you find parts in the story that help you see what a place or character is like?
• What story details helped you create a mental image?
• Where did you have trouble making mental pictures?
• Create a graphic organizer of seeing, hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling.

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

• Unit of Study – Sensory Images.pdf

Teachers can do a modified version of Nancibell’s Visualizing/Verbalizing by teaching the student to form mental pictures as they read – starting with word-by-word, to whole sentence, to whole paragraph, and then to whole page. Start with the noun in the first sentence – for example – dog. The dog ran. Have the student thoroughly describe what they visualize for the dog. Ask the student questions about the dog’s size, color, shape, mood, background, time of day, and sound. Tell the student, “Your words make me picture… Now tell me what the running looks like…” When the student becomes proficient in word-by-word visualization, move on to larger chunks – sentence visualization, paragraph visualization, page visualization. The student must be very descriptive. Ask about what they visualize, size, color, shape, mood, number, background, time of day, sound, perspective.   

Strategy 4I

Expanding Meaning By Retelling

GOAL: To deepen understanding using comprehension strategies.

WHY? To create a detailed mental image. Retelling helps us to become better writers.

Today I will:

• Retell the entire story in detail and in order.
• Include the characters, setting, details about the events, the problem, and the ending.
• If I listen to a retelling, I will judge if enough information was given.

My teacher will say: 

• Is that enough information?

Ticket to Leave:  How will what you learned today help you to read other things?

• 5-finger-retelling
• retelling-scaffold-2
• Unit of study – Retelling – K.pdf
• Unit of study – Retelling Gr 1-3.pdf

Strategy 4J

Expanding Meaning By Close Reading

GOAL: To deepen understanding of complex texts by using comprehension strategies.

WHY? To comprehend complex texts by marking up the pages. Close reading helps us to determine the main ideas and details.

Today I will:

• Read the text 3 times: 1st-time ~ to get the gist of it, 2nd time ~ to annotate using these symbols: