Reading Strategies
Minilesson:
Objectives: Sixth Grade NC Standard Course of Study Curriculum Goal 5.01,
students will “increase fluency, comprehension, and insight through a
meaningful and comprehensive reading program by using effective reading
strategies to match type of text, (by) reading
self-selected literature and other materials of individual interest, (and by) reading literature and other materials
selected by the teacher.
NCTE standard 3, “Students apply a wide
range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts.
They draw on their prior experience, their interactions with other readers and
writers, their knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word
identification strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g.,
sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).”
«
Students will
understand what reading rituals are.
«
Students will
understand why readers have rituals and why they are useful.
«
Students will think
about their own reading rituals or rituals that they would like to create for
themselves.
Strategies: Students will learn, from the teacher, what reading
rituals are and why readers have them.
The teacher will provide examples of rituals and then will let the
students reflect on their own rituals.
For homework, the students will start reading rituals and begin to see
what works for them, or will continue the rituals that they already have.
Time Required: 15 Minutes.
Materials Needed: Students will need their writing journals or paper,
writing utensils.
Script, Teacher-lead
discussion/instruction, 10 minutes: Gather the class so that they are
sitting in a circle on the floor (the reasons for this are to create a
comfortable atmosphere and to get students up from their desks for a while). Begin, “Today we are going to learn about
reading rituals. This minilesson will
help you to form good reading habits for this class and for the rest of your
lives.” Then ask this question, “What is a ritual?” Your students will probably give you an
accurate answer, that rituals are routines, things that people do on a regular
basis. Then ask, “Why do people have
rituals?” You will probably get a pretty
accurate response here, too, that people have rituals to relieve anxiety, to
calm down, because rituals are comfortable and familiar. Give an example of a sports ritual. “For instance, tennis players have rituals
that they perform before every serve.
Some players might bounce the
ball three times . . . always three
times. Some players might count to five
. . . and they always do it. It calms them down and mentally prepares them
for the next point.”
“Readers have rituals, too.
For instance, I always brush my teeth before I sit down to read. I do this for two reasons. The first reason is because I know that I
will not be able to concentrate on reading if I’m too busy trying to get food
out of my braces with my tongue. The
second reason is just because . . . I always
do it so it helps me to clear my head.
While I brush my teeth, I sort through my thoughts and I resolve what
can be resolved at that moment. When I
am finished brushing, I write down any stray thoughts on a post-it or in my
planner. This way, I can devote all my
energy to my reading and I safely suspend any thoughts or plans that are
rushing around in my head, knowing that
they are recorded and that I can go back to them later. You see, this way I won’t forget anything. After I brush my teeth and write my stray
thoughts down, I have no reason to be distracted from my reading.”
“Do any of you have reading rituals?” Wait for answers, and hopefully there will be
many volunteers. If there aren’t,
however, move on and ask students to think about rituals they could create for
themselves that would help them read.
“What could some possible rituals be?”
Some answers could be:
«
Always reading in the
same spot, a spot that you can concentrate in.
«
Always reading in
complete silence.
«
Always reading with
the radio on, or a specific CD.
«
Always reading in your
pajamas, or in something comfortable.
«
Always using the same
bookmark.
«
Always reading before
bed.
«
Always putting your
hair in a ponytail before you read.
Explain that “the list can be endless; each person has
different rituals for different reasons.
I have a cousin who absolutely cannot study unless he has music blaring
and he is walking in circles around his mother’s dining room table. Everyone is different! I hope that you will discover a ritual that
works for you. Now we will brainstorm in
our journals about possible reading rituals, and tonight we will try them out!”
Guided Practice, 5 minutes: Now
have students find a place in the classroom where they can sit and brainstorm
in their journals about possible reading rituals that might work for them,
rituals that they can start at home tonight.
While student are doing this you may want to model for them and do the
same thing in your own journal. However,
stay close so you can answer any questions that may arise.
Independent
Practice: For homework, students are to
read for at least thirty minutes and are to start some reading rituals of their
own.
Conclusion/Debriefing: The next day, at the beginning of class, gather the class
together to talk for five minutes about their experiences with reading
rituals. Some questions to ask the class
would be: “Where reading rituals helpful last night?” “Will they be helpful in the future, once you
start a routine?” “What was distracting
you while you read?” “How can you get
rid of that distraction?” Try to get a
feel for how the homework assignment went, and offer suggestions where they are
needed. If your students have strong
rituals, it is more likely that they will complete your reading
assignments. These rituals are also good
for creating life-long readers.
Additional
Resources: I got the idea for this lesson
from reading chapter 6 in In the Middle
by Nancie Atwell. She includes a
plethora of good ideas for minilessons in this chapter.