Regarding the schema before, we can define reading strategy as the techniques that a person uses to facilitate
the understanding and comprehension of a text in a meaningful way in a motivating
and engaged form.
I would like to share with you a method to promote reading comprehension and
critical thinking. This method is based in make questions before, during
and after reading. Now I am going to explain you this method step by step:
- The teacher has to show the children the materials:
o A
questioning chart divided into three columns. The first one is for before
reading questions, the second one is for during reading questions and the last
one is for after reading questions.
Before reading
|
During reading
|
After reading
|
o Sticking
notes: Students have sticking notes of three different colours.
- The teacher has to explain them briefly the strategy
- The teacher has to explain what they are going to do:
o They
have to look the book at the beginning, at the middle and at the end and write
in the sticking notes what are they wondering and finally they have to stick
them in the chart.
- The teacher and the children have to put it in practice:
o First
they have to observe the covert of the book and write in a sticking note a
question about what do they expect to find. Finally children have to stick
their question in the “before reading” column.
o Second,
the teacher has to read the book and during it, she/he has to remind them to
write everything they wonder. Finally children have to stick their question in
the “during reading” column.
o
Then,
children have to write what are they wondering for the end of the story and
they have to stick it in the “after reading” column.
o When
the book is finished, the teacher and the children both together try to answer
the questions.
- The teacher have to explain children the results:
o
If
the question is answered then the information is important to understand
the main idea of the book.
o
If
it is not answered the information it is not so much important to
understand the text better.
During all this process the teacher is going to
scaffold students guiding them about what they have to look at or pay attention
to. It will make them confidents.
Now I am going to show you the application of
this method in a classroom with children through a video:
In conclusion, this method is working on reading comprehension through their
wonderings because if they have questions mean that they now what has
happened at the moment and they want to know more. And critical thinking through knowing about the
information that is meaningful for them to understand the main idea of
the story because at the end they answer the questions and if they have not answer
mean that is not important for the understanding of the story. But also it works reading motivation
creating expectation when they are writing their wonderings and they will be interested
in what is going to happen to answer these questions; and creativity to create questions from a picture or words. Therefore, in my
opinion it is a good reading strategy to be worked in the classroom.
I would like to know about your opinion:
Do you think it is a good reading strategy?
Do you see any disadvantage?
Would you like put it in practice in your future classroom?
Very good evening Clara!
ResponderEliminarFirst of all, congratulations! What a complete post! It has been really interesting reading you, really. When we did this task of the reading strategies I was not in charge of going in deep in the same strategy as you, so now I know much better what you meant in the oral presentation we did before.
Ah! I don’t want to miss the opportunity to tell I do love reading strategies! If you reflect a little bit on it, they are a magnificent tool for students! I mean, I don’t like to use them for reading literature for pleasure, but for us like teachers (as a resource) and student are amazing! Sometimes we have to read many documents and text, and if you are able to find your best reading strategy, you can gain much time.
Answering your questions, I have found this concrete reading strategy quite good. It is maybe not my favorite one, but through it you make a very complete analysis of the story. The main disadvantage I can find of it is, that, if they do not have the routine of using this technique it can become a difficult task for them and dislike literature. Students have to be very sure that, it is important the question, for sure, but they have to write down the first question popping into their heads because this is the good one. If they start thinking “I don’t know what to write” or thinks like that, they probably will lose the threat of the story.
Above all, I believe it is a good reading strategy, we have already seen in the video, and the most important thing: it works!
See you soon!