Teachers Curriculum Institute Reading Toolkit 379

Reading Toolkit
To the Teacher
Reading skills are critical to students success in all areas of study. In social studies,
students will have great difficulty learning and understanding history if they strug-
gle with reading comprehension.
This Reading Toolkit provides basic tools for supporting students who need addi-
tional guidance and structure. It includes
a Prereading Guide that can be used before any chapter.
instructional pages on understanding organizational text patterns.
instructional pages that develop comprehension strategies.
instructional pages that focus on vocabulary development.
Make the following pages available to your students as an independent tutorial, for
class instruction, or for use with peer tutoring.
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Prereading Guide
What is the title of the chapter?
List the section heads and the key terms below.
Section Heads Key Terms
Quickly sketch or describe three images from the chapter. Write a one-sentence
caption that explains how you think the image relates to the chapter.
Based on the information above, what predictions can you make about the main
idea of the chapter?
Read the chapter summary. Write one sentence that explains what you think is the
main idea of the chapter.
Ask questions to help focus and guide your reading.
380 Reading Toolkit
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Organizational Text Patterns
Expository texts, such as chapters in textbooks, have different organizational
patterns. These patterns, or structures, can often be identified by signal words.
Text Pattern: Cause and Effect
What is it? Text organized to show cause and effect identifies the reasons that
events occur and their results.
How to do it. Signal words that help identify a cause and effect pattern include
the following:
as a result because consequently due to
effects of for for this reason hence
how if . . . then in order to is caused by
leads to may be due to so so that
thereby therefore thus when . . . then
Try it. Read the following passage. Then list causes and effects in a graphic
organizer like the one below.
As a result of the Civil War, many Americans began thinking of the United
States as one country, rather than as a collection of sovereign states. Slavery no
longer existed because of the war. There were terrible costs, though. Due to the
war, more than 620,000 soldiers lay dead. Croplands lay in ruins. It would take
generations for the South to recover.
Graphic Organizer: Cause and Effect
Reading Toolkit 381
Cause Effect
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Organizational Text Patterns
Expository texts, such as chapters in textbooks, have different organizational
patterns. These patterns, or structures, can often be identified by signal words.
Text Pattern: Compare and Contrast
What is it? Text with a compare and contrast organizational pattern tells about
the similarities and differences of two or more objects, places, events, or ideas.
How to do it. Signal words that help identify a compare and contrast pattern
include the following:
although as well as as opposed to both
but by contrast compared with different from
either . . . or even though however instead of
in comparison in the same way just as like
more . . . than on the other hand otherwise similar to
similarly still unlike yet
Try it. Read the following passage. Then list similarities and differences in a
graphic organizer like the one below.
Both the Union and the Confederacy had advantages and disadvantages
going into the Civil War. The North had a larger population and more fac-
tories and railroads than the South, but it lacked strong military leadership.
The South had serious economic problems, but it had capable generals and the
advantage of fighting a defensive war.
Graphic Organizer: Compare and Contrast
382 Reading Toolkit
Topic 1 Topic 2
Write characteristics
of Topic 1 here.
Write characteristics
of Topic 2 here.
Write characteristics
of both topics here.
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Organizational Text Patterns
Expository texts, such as chapters in textbooks, have different organizational
patterns. These patterns, or structures, can often be identified by signal words.
Text Pattern: Proposition and Support
What is it? Text with a proposition and support organizational pattern presents
an argument with supporting examples.
How to do it. Signal words that help identify a proposition and support pattern
include the following:
additionally because believe clearly
conclusively consider first for example
for instance furthermore generally however
if . . . then in fact it could be argued most convincing
never not only . . . but often this means
Try it. Read the following passage. Then list a proposition and supporting exam-
ples in a graphic organizer like the one below.
The Articles of Confederation did not establish an effective form of gov-
ernment because Congresss powers were limited. Not only was Congress not
allowed to impose taxes, but Congress had to ask the states for funds to do any-
thing. Too often, the states ignored the requests. Additionally, Congress could
not intervene to resolve disputes between individual states. It could be argued
that Shays Rebellion best shows the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
When a group of farmers seized the weapons at a national arsenal, Congress did
not have an army to stop them. The state militia had to restore order.
Graphic Organizer: Proposition and Support
Reading Toolkit 383
Proposition:
Support:
Support:
Support:
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Organizational Text Patterns
Expository texts, such as chapters in textbooks, have different organizational
patterns. These patterns, or structures, can often be identified by signal words.
Text Pattern: Sequencing
What is it? Text organized to show sequencing relates a series of events or steps
in a process in time order.
How to do it. Signal words that help identify the sequencing pattern include the
following:
after afterward before during earlier
finally first following initially last
later meanwhile next not long after now
previously second since soon then
third today until when
Try it. Read the following passage. Then show the sequence of events in a graphic
organizer like the one below.
Article V of the U.S. Constitution lays out several methods for amending the
Constitution. All but one of the Constitutions 27 amendments have followed
the same process. First, a bill to amend the Constitution is proposed in Congress.
Next, the amendment needs approval of a two-thirds majority of the House of
Representatives. If it does not receive a two-thirds majority, the amendment
process does not continue. After the House of Representatives has approved the
amendment, the Senate must approve the amendment by a two-thirds major-
ity. In some cases, amendments have passed the House of Representatives, but
have not received enough votes in the Senate. If successful in both the House and
the Senate, the amendment is then sent to the states for approval. At this point,
three-quarters of the state legislatures must ratify the amendment in order for it
to become law.
Graphic Organizer: Sequencing
384 Reading Toolkit
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Comprehension Strategy
Comprehension strategies help you better understand and remember what
you read.
KWL: Know/ Want / Learned
Follow these steps to fill in the graphic organizer:
Step 1: Brainstorm what you know about the topic of the chapter.
Step 2: Create questions that show what you want to find out when you read
this chapter.
Step 3: Read the chapter. Make a list of the important details that you learned.

Reading Toolkit 385

What I Know
What I Want
to Find Out

What I Learned
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Comprehension Strategy
Comprehension strategies help you better understand and remember what
you read.
REAP: Read / Encode / Annotate / Ponder
Follow these steps to complete the graphic organizer below as you read
the chapter:
Step 1: Read (R) the text. Write the title of the chapter.
Step 2: Encode (E) the text. Use your own words to describe the main idea
of the chapter.
Step 3: Annotate (A) the text. Summarize at least three important points
from the chapter.
Step 4: Ponder (P) the text. Write down at least one question that you now
have after reading this chapter.
386 Reading Toolkit
R E
A P
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Comprehension Strategy
Comprehension strategies help you better understand and remember what
you read.
SQ3R: Survey / Question / Read / Recite / Review
Follow these steps to read the chapter:
Step 1: Survey the chapter by looking at the title, subheads, captions, and
illustrations. Read the introduction.
Step 2: Question. Turn the title and subheads into questions to focus your
reading. Look up the meaning of any new vocabulary.
Step 3: Read. Search for answers to your questions.
Step 4: Recite. Recite the answers to your questions aloud or in writing.
Reread if you have any unanswered questions.
Step 5: Review. Look over the chapter and summarize what you have learned.
Reading Toolkit 387
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Vocabulary Development
Illustrated Dictionary Chapter ______
Follow these steps to create an Illustrated Dictionary for your Key Content Terms.
Step 1: Choose a Key Content Term.
Step 2: Draw a diagram, word map, or other graphic organizer that shows how
the term relates to something you already know or to another key term
in this chapter or in a previous chapter. Write the term in bigger or darker
letters than you use for any other words.
Step 3: Find the definition of each term and summarize its meaning in your
own words.
Step 4: Write a sentence that uses the term.
Step 5: Repeat for all the other Key Content Terms.
388 Reading Toolkit
Sketch/Diagram In Your Own Words In a Sentence
Teachers Curriculum Institute Reading Toolkit 389
Vocabulary Development
Rate Your Knowledge Chapter ______
Follow these steps to rate your knowledge of the Key Content Terms.
Step 1: Use one spectrum for each Key Content Term. Rate your knowledge
of each term by marking the appropriate place on the spectrum.
Below the spectrum, write anything you know about the term.
Step 2: Find out what others know about each term by asking another person
(for example, a classmate, friend, parent, or teacher). Write down what
you learn on the back of this sheet or on a separate sheet of paper.
Step 3: Find the definition of each term. Then, on the back of this sheet or on
a separate sheet of paper, write a sentence that uses each term.
Term:
Term:
Term:
Term:
Unfamiliar Very familiar
1 2 3 4 5
Unfamiliar Very familiar
1 2 3 4 5
Unfamiliar Very familiar
1 2 3 4 5
Unfamiliar Very familiar
1 2 3 4 5
Teachers Curriculum Institute 390 Reading Toolkit
1. Key Content Term 2. In Your Own Words
3. Related Words/Ideas 4. Contrasting Words/Ideas
1. Key Content Term 2. In Your Own Words
3. Related Words/Ideas 4. Contrasting Words/Ideas
Vocabulary Development
Word Grids Chapter ______
Follow these guidelines to create a Word Grid for each of your Key Content Terms.
Box 1: List a Key Content Term from the chapter.
Box 2: Find the definition of the term and summarize its meaning in your own
words.
Box 3: Add related information, such as examples, facts, synonyms, sayings,
or a category to which the word belongs.
Box 4: Add contrasting information, such as antonyms, or words with opposite
meanings.
Teachers Curriculum Institute
Vocabulary Development
Word Pyramid Chapter ______
Follow these guidelines to create a Word Pyramid for each of your Key Content
Terms.
Row 1: List a Key Content Term from the chapter.
Row 2: Describe the term in your own words.
Row 3: Compare the term to one thing it is similar to and contrast the term with
one thing it is different from.
Row 4: Draw or list things that the word brings to mind. That is, associate
the word with things you already know.
Reading Toolkit 391
Word
Describe
Associate
Compare/Contrast
Word
Describe
Associate
Compare/Contrast
Word
Describe
Associate
Compare/Contrast
Word
Describe
Associate
Compare/Contrast