Teaching Strategies-Part 2

As we have already established in previous installments of this blog, students living in poverty have many hurdles they must overcome in order to become successful readers and writers. As teachers and literacy leaders we believe it is our responsibility to advocate for this population of marginalized students. One way we can accomplish this includes sharing what we know about research based literacy strategies that have been found to be effective in improving literacy outcomes for students living in poverty. 

Increasing engagement is one way to improve literacy outcomes for students in this population. Providing students with autonomy support, using mixed ability reading groups, building self-efficacy, using explicit instruction, and peer learning have all been shown to increase student engagement (Kennedy, 2018). Below you will find  5 literacy strategies that incorporate one or more of these elements. 

Strategy #1

This strategy has been included because of its utilization of peer learning. It was taken from Rasinski’s 2017 journal article Readers Who Struggle: Why Many Struggle and a Modest Proposal for Improving Their Reading. The Fluency Development Lesson is a daily lesson where students are challenged to master a new, short (100-200 words) text each day. This strategy takes approximately 20 minutes and can be implemented with classroom groups, small groups, or individual students. The focus in this strategy is achieving a reading marked with appropriately fluent expression (Rasinksi, 2017). 

Title: Fluency Development Lesson

Targeted literacy component: Fluency 

Goal: To master a new text each lesson. Mastery in this case involves reading the text with both good comprehension and fluency (word recognition, automaticity, and expression). 

Steps for implementation:

1. Teacher selects texts (slightly above students' instructional reading level) and gives 2 copies to each student. Another larger copy of the text is used for the whole class. 

2. The teacher introduces the text and reads it to the students two or three times while students follow along silently. 

3. The teacher then leads the students in a brief discussion of the text.

4. Next, the teacher and students read the text chorally 2-3 times. 

5. Students are then divided into groups of two or three, given individual copies of the text, and are allowed to practice the text in their groups for about 5 minutes. One student reads the passage while his or her partner(s) follow along silently, provide help as needed, and give positive feedback. Each student is given the opportunity to practice in this manner.

6. students are then invited to “perform” their text for an audience (audience can be the rest of the class or visitors).

7. After the individual performances, the teacher and students select 5–10 words from the passage and complete a few quick word study activities (i.e finding other words that contain a selected rime or word family from the passage, word sorts, playing word games, etc.) 

8. Students then take their second copy of the passage home and are encouraged to read it to family members at home either four or five more times. 

9. The next day the class wraps up that FDL by celebrating their mastery of the previous days text. 

10. Another text is introduced for a new FDL. 

Assessment: In this strategy, the assessment is included in the activity itself. 

Materials needed: 

1. two class sets of a text that is just above instructional grade level

2. one class copy of same text messages

Expected outcome: Improve expressive fluent reading skills by mastering a short new text.

Strategy #2

This strategy has been included in the selection because of its use of explicit instruction. “Think-alouds assist students to

engage their own comprehension processes; ….and can [be] a valuable assessment tool in classrooms, after-school programs, and tutorial sessions” (Block & Israel, 2004, p. 195). This strategy involves using metacognitive techniques 

to verbalize ones thoughts aloud while reading a text out loud- strengthening the process of comprehension. This strategy encourages students to stop during reading to, reflect on the thinking they do to understand a text. 

Use of this strategy has been shown to “significantly increase students' scores on comprehension tests, adds to students' self-assessment of their comprehension, and enhances students' abilities to select thinking processes to overcome comprehension challenges” (Block & Israel, 2004, p.

154).

Title: Think Aloud 

Targeted literacy component: reading comprehension

Goal:

Steps for implementation:

1. After choosing which type of think aloud to models, teacher models his/her thought processes while choosing a text and activating their own prior knowledge for the chosen text. 

2. Overview the text

3. Identify important information 

4. Connect to authors main ideas

5. Activate relevant knowledge 

6. Putting yourself in the book

7. Revise prior knowledge and predict

8. Recognizing writing style

9. Determine word meanings

10. Ask questions. 

11. Recognize novelties 

13. Relate to self.

14. Anticipate use of knowledge 

Assessment:

Materials needed:

Expected outcome:

Strategy #3 (relating to shared experience) 

Title: Shared Book Reading

Targeted literacy component: Sight words and fluency 

Goal:

Steps for implementation:

1. Introduce the story by discussing the title, cover, and author/illustrator. Ask the students to make predictions regarding what they think the story might be about.

2. Read the story aloud to the students using appropriate inflection and tone. Pause and ask the students to make predictions. Ask brief questions to determine students' comprehension level.

3. Conclude the reading by reserving time for reactions and comments. Ask questions about the story and relate the story to the students' similar experiences. Ask the children to retell the story in their own words.

4. Re-read the story and/or allow time for independent reading.

5. Conduct follow-up activities such as making crafts related to the story.

Assessment:

Materials needed:

Expected outcome: 

Strategy #4

Title: Readers Theater 

Targeted literacy component: vocabulary/reading comprehension

Goal:

Steps for implementation:

Assessment:

Materials needed:

Expected outcome: 

Strategy #5 (peer learning) 

Title: Paragraph Shrinking 

Targeted literacy component: summarizing/reading comprehension

Goal:

Steps for implementation:

1. Choose a book or passage that works well for reading aloud as a group: Patterned or predictable (for beginning readers).

2. Provide each student a copy of the text so they may follow along. (Note: You may wish to use an overhead projector or place students at a computer monitor with the text on the screen)

3. Read the passage or story aloud and model fluent reading for the students.

4. Ask the students to use a marker or finger to follow along with the text as they read.

5. Reread the passage and have all students in the group read the story or passage aloud in unison.

Assessment: formative assessment- teacher walking around room

Materials needed: No specific text is needed- only material needed is a short text (fiction or nonfiction) that is patterned/predictable for beginning readers. Each student will need a copy and teacher will need one as well.

Expected outcome: 

References 

Block, C. C., & Israel, S. E. (2004). The ABCs of Performing Highly Effective Think-Alouds. The Reading Teacher, 58(2), 154–167. https://doi.org/10.1598/rt.58.2.4


Kennedy, E. (2018). Engaging children as readers and writers in high‐poverty contexts. Journal of Research in Reading, 41(4), 716–731. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9817.12261


Ming, K. M. (2018). Five Oral Reading Fluency Strategies for Supporting Struggling Adolescent Readers. National Youth at Risk Journal, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.20429/nyarj.2018.030103

Rasinski, T. V. (2017). Readers Who Struggle: Why Many Struggle and a Modest Proposal for Improving Their Reading. The Reading Teacher, 70(5), 519–524. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1533

Ridianto, R. (2018). TEACHING READING BY USING PARAGRAPH SHRINKING STRATEGY. Journal Educative : Journal of Educational Studies, 3(2), 174. https://doi.org/10.30983/educative.v3i2.546

Steiner, L. M. (2014). A Family Literacy Intervention to Support Parents in Children's Early Literacy Learning. Reading Psychology, 35(8), 703–735. https://doi.org/10.1080/02702711.2013.801215