Reading Strategies

Didactics for Reading

What is reading
• A first definition: learning to read
means learning to pronounce words.

• Second definition, learning to read

means learning to identify words and
get their meaning.
• Third definition, learning to read
means learning to bring meaning to a
text in order to get meaning from it.
Teaching Strategies Comprehension
 Learning Walls
Generate a list of essential words,
concepts, formulas, etc. and begin a
word wall.
Create charts and place them in a
prominent place.
Use color and patters to enhance
learners.
Students connect new info with the
learning walls.
Teaching Strategies Comprehension
 Learning Walls
Location: Where the kids can see it
Content: Pictures, phrases, 4x6 index
cards, color code words that share
same concept
 Did you know black
Teaching Strategies Comprehension
text on yellow paper
stimulates learning?

 Learning Word Walls Critical (Cunningham, 1990)

Elements:
 Include essential words
 Add no more than 5 words per week
 Put words where everyone can see
them
 Practice words daily (chanting, writing,
and moving), make sure words are
spelled correctly.
 Each clue narrows
Word Walls the possible
answer.
 Guess the Word – Students number
papers 1-5. Give 5 clues focusing on
one word.
 1st clue: It is a word on the Word Wall.
 After each clue have students guess the
word from the word wall.
 By the 5th clue students should be able
to guess the word.
Guess the Word Game – Number our
paper 1-5.

1. It is a word from the Word

Wall.
2. It has ________ syllables.
3. It’s used only when ______
4. It’s part of ____________
5. It completes this sentence:
_______________
 Visual Reading Guides (Stein, 1978)
Skimming.
• How is the visual related to the text?
• Why did the author include the visual?
• What does the visual show me?
• How can I use the information from the visual to help
me understand the text?
• Why is the information from the visual important?
 General tips.
• A new strategy must be taught, modeled,
and supervised in order for students to
incorporate the strategy.
Teaching Listening Skills
Standard Format
1. Pre-listening
2. Listening
3. Post-listening
#1 Pre-listening
• Do NOT pre-teach ALL
important new vocabulary in the
passage
• Instead set the context and create
motivation
• Do this by activating students’
prior knowledge through a
cooperative learning activity
#2 Listening
• Extensive listening - students
listen for the main idea then
answer the general questions to
establish the context
• Intensive listening - students
listen again to answer detailed
comprehension questions
• This is too simple and perhaps
dull
#2 Listening
• Starting with extensive listening is
a good technique, but add focus to
the attitude of the speaker
• Instead of detailed comprehension
questions for intensive listening,
involve students in a listening task
• Upon completion of the listening
task have students check each
other’s answers
Listening Tasks
• Listing
• Ordering and sorting
• Comparing
• Problem solving
• Sharing personal experiences
• Creative tasks
#3 Post-listening
• Do NOT analyze the linguistic
elements through discussing
grammar and repetition
exercises.
• Instead examine the functional
language and infer the meaning
of vocabulary.
• Allow students to negotiate the
meaning rather than telling them
the correct interpretation.