Literacy Professional Learning Resource

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VELS Level 3 – Reading

Strategies that can be used to develop student reading skills.

Reader’s Theatre

Reader’s Theatre is a joint dramatic reading from a text usually without props and costumes.

Readers Theatre supports students to:

    - comprehend texts
    - develop their speaking and listening skills
    - share their interpretation of the text
    - present text with an authentic purpose and audience
    - help less confident readers.

Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests. Suggestions include narrative texts and picture story books. Reader’s Theatre scripts are available on the web. For example, Aaron Shepherd's Readers Theatre gives scripts that can be used for students in years 3 to 9, which can be edited and printed for classroom use. There are also handy tips for teachers on this site.
  2. Begin by reading the text to the students by using the shared reading teaching approach. Involve the students in the reading.
  3. The students work in small groups to prepare and practice their reader’s theatre.
  4. The students present to an audience, or the presentation can be captured on audio tape or filmed.

See:

Aaron Shepard’s RT Page

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Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)

A text is revealed to students in small pieces. As each section is introduced, the students are asked to make predictions, reach conclusions, and consider the structures and features using supporting evidence from the text.

DRTA supports students to:

    - stimulate thinking about text
    - gain a better understanding of the reading process
    - use the context as an aid to prediction
    - draw conclusions and predict outcomes
    - locate information
    - identify supporting information
    - respond to texts through feelings or ideas
    - explore issues or ideas beyond the text
    - discuss the effects of linguistic structures and features
    - listen to their peer’s opinions about texts.

Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests. The teacher selects where in the text the students stop reading to predict and discuss.
  2. The students make predictions about the text using the title.
  3. The students read, view or listen to the first instalment of the text.
  4. The students discuss:
  • what they know
  • how they know
  • what they think will happen next.

   5. Read, view or listen to the next instalment. Ask the same types of questions, confirming and disproving predictions.
   6. Continue with this sequence asking students to explain and justify predictions.

Adapted from:

Department of Education, Tasmania, Teaching Ideas and Units - Teaching Strategies: Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA)

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Book raps

A book rap is a moderated book discussion conducted via electronic mail. Individual students or groups of students across Australia (or the world) join the rap to discuss a nominated book. Book rap guests can include authors, illustrators and publishers.

A ‘book rap’ supports students to:

    - comprehend a text
    - be involved in a shared reading process
    - experience a range of views about a text
    - write online with an authentic purpose.

For more information and to join a Book Rap see:

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Right angled thinking tool – comprehension

A ‘right angled thinking tool’ involves the students collecting two types of information -the facts and their associated ideas.

A right angled thinking tool supports students to:

    - read with a purpose
    - identify and list the facts from a text
    - organise information from the text
    - make connections from the text to their creative ideas.

Steps:

  1. Provide students with the Right Angled Thinking Sheet or the students sketch their own outline.
  2. Ask students to use the sheet to record information while reading a text.
  3. Students record information in two ways: facts and associated ideas.
  4. Provide students with extra time to complete the right angled thinking process so that they have the opportunity to note more facts and associated ideas.

Options:

  • Use the Think, Pair, Share teaching strategy for students to share the facts and their ideas.
  • Create a whole class list of facts and display or distribute to students for reference.
  • The students use the facts and ideas in their writing about the topic or text.

Download:

The Right Angled Thinking Sheet (Word - 25Kb).

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Character self portrait (reading comprehension)

Character self portraits involve the students examining, identifying and recording the features, actions or emotions about the character in the text.

Character self portraits support students to:

    - build an understanding of how characters help the story unfold
    - identify key facts
    - make inferences about the character
    - make judgements
    - consider the role of the character within the story.

Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests.
  2. As a class, brainstorm and list the details of the character that could be included in the self portrait. These could include:
  • name
  • appearance
  • location
  • diet
  • feelings
  • likes and dislikes
  • friends and family
  • relationships with other characters in the text
  • favourite pastimes or food
  • pastimes or activities

   3. The students read the text and record facts to include in the self portrait.
   4. In pairs, the students discuss the characters and review the information to include in the self portrait.
   5. The students publish the self portrait in a form to be shared with their class.
   6. Create a class gallery for the students to display, view, discuss and assess the portraits.

Options:

  • Create a classroom book with the self portraits.
  • The students could work in pairs to complete a Venn diagram about the character.
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Plot profile (reading comprehension)

Plot profiles involve the students examining, identifying and recording the main events from a text and then rating the excitement of each event on a grid.

Plot profiles support students to:

    - develop an understanding of the structure of the text
    - identify main events in sequence
    - make judgements about the text by rating the excitement. 

Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests. It is most supportive to begin with a well known text.
  2. The teacher and the students complete a plot profile together.
  3. Individually or in small groups the students list the main events from the story. The students number each event in order.
  4. Provide the students with a simple graph to use. On the horizontal axis the students use the number code to record the sequence of the main events. The vertical axis is labelled 1 -10. 10 is the rating for the event to be highly exciting.
  5. The students form a line graph to rate the excitement of each event.
  6. In pairs, the students discuss their plot profiles by identifying similarities and differences.

Options:

  • The plot profile could be used to write and publish a review of the book.
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Cause and effect thinking map (reading comprehension)

Cause and effect is a thinking map that can be used to show that events in a story are interrelated. On the right hand side, students write events (effects) that have taken place.

On the left hand side, they write the reasons (causes) that the events occurred. This enables the students to visualize more clearly cause and effect relationships.

Cause and effect may occur in fiction, non fiction, poetry, and plays.

Cause and Effect Diagram

Cause and effect thinking map supports students to:

    - develop an understanding of the structure of the text
    - identify main events
    - make judgements about the text by identifying the cause.

Steps:

A cause and effect thinking map can be completed by individuals and small groups.

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests.
  2. The students read the text.
  3. The students list the main events (effect) from the text.
  4. The students then branch off on their map to record the reasons (causes) for the event to occur.
  5. When beginning to use this thinking map it may be supportive for the students to colour code the causes and effects. Sometimes one cause will have single or multiple effects. Other times, multiple causes lead to a single effect.
  6. In pairs, the students share and discuss their thinking map by identifying similarities and differences.

 Options:

  • The students can use their cause and effect thinking map as a writing plan.
  • The students can use a tree diagram or T chart to record the cases and effects.
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Story map (reading comprehension)

Story mapping is a way of visually representing the major parts of a story. It is a useful way to summarise information. The focus is on the three main elements of a story: the beginning, middle, and end. The students are directed to concentrate on the most important events of the three main elements.

Story maps support students to:

    - develop an understanding of the structure of the text
    - identify main events in sequence
    - identify characteristics of the main characters and the setting
    - retell the text.

Steps:

  1. The teacher reads the story to the class or has them read it silently. Begin with a familiar text.
  2. The students will require having story mapping modelled to them.
  3. The students map the events of the story by drawing a map showing the setting and the main characters and events in the story.
  4. The students can retell the story using their map in oral or written form.
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Question and Answer Relationships (QAR)

QAR is a questioning strategy that helps teach students to find the information they need in order to answer the question.

QAR will support students to:

    - develop their comprehension skills
    - locate information in the text
    - develop an understanding of the relationship between questions and responses.

Steps:

  1. The teacher introduces QAR and explains the four types of question/answer relationships (QAR's)

QAR descriptors

Right There - The answer is in the text and is usually easy to find. The information is found in one place.

Think & Search - The answer is in the selection, but you need to put together different pieces of information. Information comes from different places in the text.

Author & You - The answer is not explicitly stated in the story. You need to think about what you already know, what the author tells you in the text and how it fits together.

On My Own - The answer is not text-based. You can even answer the question without reading the selection. You need to use your own experience and background knowledge.

  1. The teacher models the QAR process by using a short story.
    • Read the story and questions to the students.
    • Identify which QARs are evidenced through the questions given.
    • Answer questions and discuss.
  2. The teacher provides opportunities for the students to use QAR during reading experiences.

Adapted from:

FCAT Express: Question/Answer Relationship 

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Pyramids (reading comprehension)

This strategy can be used to record and organise important information according to main headings, sub headings and supporting details. Pyramids build students’ comprehension skills.

Pyramids support students to:

    - make judgements about the text
    - draw conclusion about the text
    - understand the text.

Pyramids can be presented in many different forms. The following example is a suitable form for introducing the teaching strategy. To begin, complete a pyramid as a whole class.

Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests.
  2. Students read a story or have the story read to them.
  3. The students retell the facts and features of the story within the framework of the pyramid.

Story Pyramid

  1. write the name of the main character
  2. two words describing the main character
  3. three words describing the setting
  4. four words stating the story problem
  5. five words describing one event in the story
  6. six words describing a second event
  7. seven words describing a third event
  8. eight words describing the solution to the problem.

Further reading:

Education Department of Western Australia, First Steps Reading Resource Book, 1994.

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Flow Charts (reading comprehension)

A series of two dimensional boxes joined by arrows designed to show how events or aspects of a process relate to each other. Flowcharts have a beginning, middle and an end and sometimes more than one possible path to travel.  The chart can be a combination of words and pictures.

Flow charts support students to:

    - identify and record the main ideas from a text
    - draw conclusions and make judgements about what are the main ideas
    - represent the order of the main ideas.

Steps

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests.
  2. The students read the text. They may return to the text often during the creation of their flowchart.\
  3. The students record the main ideas from the text using pictures, words and sentences. Each idea is linked by an arrow.
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Venn diagram to compare characters, settings or plots

A Venn diagram is a graphic organiser that provides a framework for students to make comparison of two or more texts. The Venn diagram can be completed by individuals or with a partner.

Venn diagrams will support students to:

    - develop comprehension skills
    - identify the main ideas and features of texts
    - compare two texts
    - use book language.

Steps:

  1. The teachers select two texts or a topic in which there are contrasting and similar pieces of information. Suitable texts include:

     - two versions of a fairytale
     - newspaper articles about the same topic
     - two texts by the same author
     - non fiction and fiction text about the topic.

   2. The students draw their Venn diagram with two interlocking circles.
   3. The students read the text.
   4. The students (individually or with a partner) record the information onto appropriate sectors of the Venn diagram. They put:

  • things that are different (contrasts) on the outsides.
  • things that are the same in the overlapping area.

    5. The students compare and discuss their responses, judgements and conclusions.

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Character mind map

Character mind maps involve the students examining, identifying and recording the features and actions of, and emotions about, characters in the text.

Character mind maps support students to:

    - build an understanding of how characters help the story unfold
    - identify key facts about the character
    - make inferences about the character
    - make judgements
    - consider the role of the character within the story.

Steps:

  1. The teacher selects a text to match the students’ needs and interests.
  2. As a class, brainstorm and list the details of the character that could be included in the mind map. These could include:
    - build an understanding of how characters help the story unfold
    - identify key facts about the character
    - make inferences about the character
    - make judgements
    - consider the role of the character within the story.
  3. The students read the text and record facts to include on a mind map. The title of the text would be recorded in the middle of the map branching off to describe the primary and secondary characters.
  4. The teacher may model the process of mind mapping.
  5. The students could colour code the mind map, for example,
Mind Map in Colour
  1. In pairs, the students share their mind maps.
  2. As a class, collate lists of words to describe the characters from the text.

Options:

  • Publish the mind map using software.
  • Use the mind map for a writing plan.
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