Strategic Teaching Strategic Teaching in the in the

Middle and High SchoolMiddle and High School

Strategic Teaching Defined…Strategic Teaching Defined…

Strategic teaching is the process of using a variety of Strategic teaching is the process of using a variety of literacy strategies.literacy strategies.

It maximizes the understanding and retention of It maximizes the understanding and retention of content material.content material.

It incorporates before, during, and after reading It incorporates before, during, and after reading strategies. strategies.

It incorporates a variety of vocabulary It incorporates a variety of vocabulary development and writing strategies.development and writing strategies.

The strategies a teacher chooses will depend on the purpose The strategies a teacher chooses will depend on the purpose of the lesson and the nature of the material being studied.of the lesson and the nature of the material being studied.

Why is Strategic Teaching Why is Strategic Teaching Necessary?Necessary?

The student performance drops off in the middle The student performance drops off in the middle

school and high school years school and high school years (International Reading Association and

National Middle School Association, 2002).

Research has shown that many children who read

at grade level in grade 3 will not automatically become

proficient comprehenders in later grades. Therefore,

teachers must teach comprehension explicitly, beginning

in the primary grades and continuing through high school (RAND Reading Study Group, 2002).

It benefits ALL of our students.It benefits ALL of our students.

Struggling Readers

Striving Readers

Expanding Readers

The Strategic TeacherThe Strategic Teacher

The The strategic teacher plans lessons with the outcomestrategic teacher plans lessons with the outcome in mind. The outcomes of strategic lessons move the in mind. The outcomes of strategic lessons move the students toward mastery of content standards.students toward mastery of content standards.

The The strategic teacher plans and facilitates engaging strategic teacher plans and facilitates engaging lessonslessons. Students in strategic classrooms have the . Students in strategic classrooms have the opportunity to talk, listen, read, write, and investigate opportunity to talk, listen, read, write, and investigate everyday while actively involved in the learning everyday while actively involved in the learning process.process.

The The strategic teacher builds assessment into every strategic teacher builds assessment into every lesson. lesson. The lesson contains elements that allow the The lesson contains elements that allow the teacher to know which students have and have not teacher to know which students have and have not met the stated outcome(s).met the stated outcome(s).

Connection to ComprehensionConnection to ComprehensionThe following six strategies appear to have a firm scientific basis The following six strategies appear to have a firm scientific basis for improving text comprehension. These findings are from for improving text comprehension. These findings are from Put Put Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children Reading First: The Research Building Blocks for Teaching Children to Read, 2001.to Read, 2001.

Monitoring comprehension Monitoring comprehension Using graphic and semantic organizersUsing graphic and semantic organizers Answering questions Answering questions Generating questionsGenerating questions Recognizing text structureRecognizing text structure Summarizing Summarizing

The following strategies have received some support from the The following strategies have received some support from the research.research.

Making use of prior knowledge Making use of prior knowledge Using mental imagery Using mental imagery

Before Reading StrategiesBefore Reading Strategies

activate background knowledgeactivate background knowledge establish a purpose for readingestablish a purpose for reading generate questionsgenerate questions make predictions about textmake predictions about text encounter new vocabularyencounter new vocabulary connect writing to readingconnect writing to reading

During Reading StrategiesDuring Reading Strategies

engage with the textengage with the text use cognitive processuse cognitive process verify and reformulate predictionsverify and reformulate predictions integrate new information with prior integrate new information with prior

knowledgeknowledge self-monitor comprehensionself-monitor comprehension construct graphic organizersconstruct graphic organizers summarize textsummarize text

After Reading StrategiesAfter Reading Strategies

reflect on what they readreflect on what they read evaluate predictionsevaluate predictions examine questions that guided examine questions that guided

readingreading respond to text through discussionrespond to text through discussion respond to text through writingrespond to text through writing retell or summarizeretell or summarize

Strategic Teaching InvolvesStrategic Teaching Involves Purposeful Planning- Purposeful Planning- Make before, during, and after Make before, during, and after

literacy connections by choosing strategies depending on literacy connections by choosing strategies depending on the purpose of the lesson, student’s needs, and the nature the purpose of the lesson, student’s needs, and the nature of the material being studied. of the material being studied.

Multiple Strategies Multiple Strategies - - Incorporate strategies that support Incorporate strategies that support various learning styles and preferences.various learning styles and preferences.

Connected Strategies Connected Strategies –– Incorporate before, during, and Incorporate before, during, and after reading strategies that include a variety of vocabulary after reading strategies that include a variety of vocabulary development and writing strategies.development and writing strategies.

Explicit Instruction Explicit Instruction –– Maximize the understanding and Maximize the understanding and retention of content material through direct explanation, retention of content material through direct explanation, modeling, guided practice, and independent application. (I modeling, guided practice, and independent application. (I do, we do, you do.)do, we do, you do.)

Strategic Teaching Should Strategic Teaching Should Include…Include…

The Five Literacies in Every LessonThe Five Literacies in Every Lesson

ReadingReading

WritingWriting

TalkingTalking

ListeningListening

InvestigatingInvestigating

Strategic Lesson ExampleStrategic Lesson ExampleTopic: SurvivalTopic: Survival Course of Study Course of Study

Objectives: N/AObjectives: N/ALesson Objectives: to Lesson Objectives: to use comprehension skillsuse comprehension skills

BeforeBefore ReadingReading

OutcomeOutcome:: activate prior activate prior knowledge and build knowledge and build vocabulary.vocabulary.

StrategyStrategy: : Interview and Interview and responseresponse

TeacherTeacher ActivityActivity: :

Teacher will model the Teacher will model the interview and response interview and response strategy .strategy .

StudentStudent ActivityActivity: :

Students will interview three Students will interview three people with the question: people with the question: What does survival mean to What does survival mean to you? Write responses on you? Write responses on note card. Then turn note note card. Then turn note card over and write a card over and write a statement that includes statement that includes interviews as well as interviews as well as personal response. personal response.

DuringDuring ReadingReading

OutcomeOutcome: : Students focus Students focus on skills needed as one on skills needed as one reads.reads.

StrategyStrategy: : Grand Grand ConversationsConversations

TeacherTeacher ActivityActivity::

The teacher reads aloud The teacher reads aloud article (Hiker Resorts to article (Hiker Resorts to Self-Amputation) Self-Amputation) encouraging students to use encouraging students to use cards. cards.

Student ActivityActivity: :

Respond to the reading withRespond to the reading with

WonderWonder, , Notice, Prior Notice, Prior Knowledge, or Spark card.Knowledge, or Spark card.

AfterAfter ReadingReading

OutcomeOutcome: To reflect on : To reflect on article and respond to the article and respond to the reading through writing. reading through writing.

StrategyStrategy: : Reflection CircleReflection Circle

TeacherTeacher ActivityActivity::

Model the use of the Model the use of the reflection circle graphic reflection circle graphic organizer (Venn diagram)organizer (Venn diagram)

StudentStudent ActivityActivity: :

Respond to each phase of Respond to each phase of the circle about how this the circle about how this man’s survival affected him, man’s survival affected him, his family, his community, his family, his community, and other hikers. and other hikers.

WonderWonder, , Notice, Prior Knowledge, Notice, Prior Knowledge, or Spark cardor Spark card

Grand Conversations StrategyGrand Conversations Strategy

Grand conversations are discussions held by the entire Grand conversations are discussions held by the entire class community. This strategy allows for dialogue class community. This strategy allows for dialogue among students that is student directed and each one among students that is student directed and each one has the opportunity to critique, debate and extend upon has the opportunity to critique, debate and extend upon each other’s ideas.each other’s ideas.

ObjectivesObjectives -To provide a skillful strategy to students that -To provide a skillful strategy to students that helps them focus on comprehending and thinking as helps them focus on comprehending and thinking as they read they read -To develop deeper understanding. -To develop deeper understanding.

Procedure: Procedure:

1. Hand out the think aloud cards to 1. Hand out the think aloud cards to students and a reading passage such as an students and a reading passage such as an article, a text or a novel. article, a text or a novel.

2. The teacher or a fluent reader from the 2. The teacher or a fluent reader from the class reads aloud. As the reading takes class reads aloud. As the reading takes place, the students are directed to use the place, the students are directed to use the cards as follows:cards as follows:

WonderWonder, , Notice, Prior Knowledge, Notice, Prior Knowledge, or Spark cardor Spark card

W – “I Wonder” cardW – “I Wonder” card- use when you have a question - use when you have a question about what is being read or “wonder” about the about what is being read or “wonder” about the information.information.

N – “I Notice” card N – “I Notice” card – use when you notice something – use when you notice something interesting about the text or pictures, any connections interesting about the text or pictures, any connections or incongruence’s.or incongruence’s.

P – “Prior Knowledge” card P – “Prior Knowledge” card – use when you have any – use when you have any prior knowledge to share about the topic. prior knowledge to share about the topic.

S – “Spark” card S – “Spark” card – use when someone else says – use when someone else says something that makes you think of something else something that makes you think of something else related to the text. This can only be used during a related to the text. This can only be used during a discussion. discussion.

33. . As each student uses a card, the card is As each student uses a card, the card is turned over. All students must use turned over. All students must use their cards before starting over. their cards before starting over.

4. When all students have used their cards, 4. When all students have used their cards, turn them back to front and start turn them back to front and start the process over. the process over.

N S

WP

WonderWonder, , Notice, Prior Notice, Prior Knowledge, or Spark cardKnowledge, or Spark card

Venn DiagramVenn Diagram

Other Strategies Other Strategies Purposeful Planning- Purposeful Planning- Make before, during, and after Make before, during, and after

literacy connections by choosing strategies depending on literacy connections by choosing strategies depending on the purpose of the lesson, student’s needs, and the nature the purpose of the lesson, student’s needs, and the nature of the material being studied. of the material being studied.

Multiple Strategies Multiple Strategies - - Incorporate strategies that support Incorporate strategies that support various learning styles and preferences.various learning styles and preferences.

Connected Strategies Connected Strategies –– Incorporate before, during, and Incorporate before, during, and after reading strategies that include a variety of vocabulary after reading strategies that include a variety of vocabulary development and writing strategies.development and writing strategies.

Explicit Instruction Explicit Instruction –– Maximize the understanding and Maximize the understanding and retention of content material through direct explanation, retention of content material through direct explanation, modeling, guided practice, and independent application. (I modeling, guided practice, and independent application. (I do, we do, you do.)do, we do, you do.)