Any content area in which informational text is used needs to also teach students how to read that text. That’s not a sentiment that makes me exactly popular in many teacher’s eyes, but we have to face the facts—if we want students to know, understand, and be able to create their own meaning with our content, we first must teach them how to read and comprehend our content. Isn’t reading one of the primary methods through which we expect students to acquire content knowledge? How many times do we as teachers assign reading for homework, and expect the students to not only have read it, but have made meaning from it? If we expect them to make meaning on their own, we have to teach them how to do that. (I used to work with someone who told his students, “The book is your teacher, not me.” If that’s the way you want to run your classroom, then fine—just teach them how to read your book first before you abandon them.)
Below is a list of the strategies that I have found most effective. Mind you, I use these primarily after students have read the assigned reading twice—once to develop background information and acquire new vocabulary, and again to pick out what’s important from the reading in order to be able to master the objectives. Then I have them read it again (Yes, three times! Students love this! Trust me!) while using one of the strategies listed below. The reason for so much re-reading is to teach students that, with difficult texts (and science texts often are), you must re-read in order to truly comprehend the material. I generally use a strategy three times before teaching a new one. After they have a few under their belts, I start giving them choices as to which one to use.
These strategies are ones that I feel, when used correctly and intentionally, can help students comprehend and make connections between concepts in informational text. Click on each of them for a template of each and a description of how to use it. All of the templates and instructions come from the book Applications of Reading Strategies within the Classroom: Explanations, Models, and Teacher Templates for Content Areas in Grades 3-12 by Franks, Grossi, and Stanfield (Pearson, 2006).
1) Frayer Model
2) Stop the Process
3) Magnet Summaries
4) Possible Sentences
5) RAFT
6) Concept Circles
7) GIST
8) Four-Step Summary
9) Reciprocal Teaching
10) List/Group/Label
This list is not all-inclusive; I use other strategies as well. Also, these might work for me in my classroom, and not work for your students. Part of teaching is finding what works for your students.
Have any other strategies you've tried that work well? Please share them in the comments below!