Describe the setting of the book. How does it compare or contrast to the world you know?

A book's
setting is one of its most vital components — particularly for a book like To Kill a Mockingbird, which is
set in the past. Does the author make you feel like you're a part of the setting? Can you picture the
book's setting if you close your eyes? As you write, try to pass on to your reader the sense of the setting
and place that the author has provided.

Describe the book's main characters. Does the writer make you believe in them as people? Why or why
not? Think about whether you like the characters and about how liking them or disliking them makes
you feel about the book. As you write about the characters, use examples of things they've said or done
to give a sense of their personalities.

Give your reader a taste of the plot, but don't give the surprises away. Readers want to know enough
about what happens in a book to know whether they'll find it interesting. But they never want to know
the ending! Summarize the plot in a way that will answer some questions about the book, but leave
other questions in the reader's mind. You may want to make a list of questions about the book before
you begin.

Collaborative Strategic Reading Learning Logs

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Background

Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) is a technique that teaches students to work cooperatively on a
reading assignment to promote better comprehension. CSR learning logs are used to help students keep
track of learning during the collaboration process. Students think about what they are reading and write
down questions/reflections about their learning. The completed logs then provide a guide for follow-up
activities and evaluation methods.

Benefits

CSR learning logs may be used across various units of study which offers teachers flexibility for
implementation. CSR learning logs provide written documentation of learning, encourage all students to
participate actively in their groups, and become excellent study guides. CSR learning logs also assist
teachers with recording IEP progress for special education students.
Create and use the strategy

Introduce students to the selected text and discuss the specific CSR assignment. Prior to reading,
students should be:

grouped according to varying reading levels

provided a set of guidelines for writing their logs (planned activities for logs might include impromptu
writing; note taking; or diagram drawing)

asked to write what they already know about the topic

As students read they should record information learned or questions about the text. Recordings may be
written in a notebook, handout, or class-made journals. Students then enter their reaction after reading
a text. Teachers should monitor entries, respond to questions, and clarify confusions.

Further reading

http://www.ims.issaquah.wednet.edu/CSR/CSR_Learning_Log.pdf*

http://searchlight.utexas.org

Concept Sorts

Background

A concept sort is a strategy used to introduce students to the vocabulary of a new topic or book.
Teachers provide students with a list of terms or concepts from reading material. Students place words
into different categories based on each word's meaning. Categories can be defined by the teacher or by
the students. When used before reading, concept sorts provide an opportunity for a teacher to see what
his or her students already know about the given content. When used after reading, teachers can assess
their students' understanding of the concepts presented.

Benefits

This technique is beneficial when there is a lot of specialized vocabulary to introduce. Concept sorts
enhance reading skills by providing the content to which students can attach new oral vocabulary. This
technique has been shown to be particularly beneficial for ELL students. Teachers can use this strategy
with the whole class, small groups, individually. Monitoring each student's sorting process provides
teachers with information about how much the students already know about the topic. This allows
teachers to tailor instruction accordingly.
Create and use the strategy

Introduce the book or topic to be read;

Choose relevant, important vocabulary terms;

Write or print out the terms on cards (one term per card), making several sets;

Create and label the categories OR assist students with creating their own categories as they sort the
cards.

Note: As with all strategy instruction, teachers should model the procedure to ensure that students
understand why and how to use the strategy.

Provide the students with the cards containing the selected terms. Have the students sort the cards and
then explain why they grouped the terms as they did. The students continue the activity by developing a
chart of their sort.

Note: A more structured way to use concept sorts with a new book is to create story categories (i.e.,
character, setting, problem, & solution) and have students determine where the selected terms go.
Teachers can then ask the students to write a short prediction of what the story will be about.

Sample Concept Sort

The following example introduces students to a book about trees.

Introduce and discuss the following pre-selected terms:

deciduous leaves water bark

evergreen forests branches mountains

sunlight soil roots rainforest

Then, ask students to sort the terms according to the following categories OR ask the students to sort
the cards in a way that is meaningful to them and follow up to check their understanding of the
concepts.

Parts of a tree
Types of trees

Where trees grow

What trees need to grow

Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy

Background

Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies (PALS) is a classwide peer tutoring program. Teachers carefully partner
a student with a classmate. The pair works on various activities that address the academic needs of both
students. Pairs change over time. PALS can be used across content areas.

Benefits

PALS does not require special reading materials and consequently enables teachers to use the reading
material of their choice. This offers teachers flexibility for incorporating PALS into various content areas.
More recently, this technique has been implemented as a strategy for ELL students with LD.

The strategy provides direct opportunities for a teacher to circulate in the class, observe students, and
offer individual remediation. PALS therefore allows for differentiated instruction via having partners
work simultaneously on various teacher-directed activities.

Create and use the strategy

Create pairs within the classroom by identifying which children require help on specific skills and who
the most appropriate children are to help other children learn those skills. Each member of the teacher-
assigned pair takes turns being Coach and Reader. These pairs are changed regularly, and over a period
of time as students work on a variety of skills. Thus, all students have the opportunity to be "coaches"
and "players."

Teachers train students to use the PALS procedures. As the reader reads aloud, the coach listens and
provides corrective feedback. The PALS technique is designed to be a 25 to 35 minute activity. It should
be implemented 2-4 times a week for effectiveness. Award students points for good reading and
coaching.

Inquiry Charts (I-Charts)

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Background

The Inquiry Chart (I-Chart) is a strategy that enables students to generate meaningful questions about a
topic and organize their writing. Students integrate prior knowledge or thoughts about the topic with
additional information found in several sources. The I-Chart procedure is organized into three phases:
(1) Planning, (2) Interacting, and (3) Integrating/Evaluating. Each phase consists of activities designed to
engage students in evaluating a topic.

Benefits

This instructional strategy fosters critical thinking and strengthens reading skills. I-Charts can be used
with the entire class, small groups, or individual work. Teachers can guide each student's chart
development which allows for differentiated instruction as well as targeting the zone of proximal
development. In addition, I-Charts can serve as an evaluation tool for how much a student has learned
about a topic.

Create and use the strategy

The teacher directs students as they begin with the planning phase of this activity. This phase includes:

identifying the topic,

forming questions,

constructing the I-Chart, and

collecting materials

The next step is to engage students in the interacting phase which involves:

exploring prior knowledge,

sharing of interesting facts, and

reading and rereading

Finally, teachers guide the students through the integrating and evaluation phase by:

summarizing

comparing

researching, and

reporting

The teacher provides each student with a blank I-chart* and assists with topic selection OR provides the
pre-selected topic. The students then engage in forming questions about the topic. These are placed at
the top of each individual column. The rows are for recording any information students already know
and the key ideas pulled from several different sources of information. The last row gives students the
opportunity to pull together the ideas into a general summary. Teachers may ask students to resolve
competing ideas found in the separate sources or develop new questions to explore based on any
conflicting or incomplete information.

Deborah Heiligman suggests an interesting activity to help kids develop good research methods. This
activity would work well with the inquiry-chart strategy.

Frame Routine

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Background

The Frame Routine is a strategy designed to assist students as they organize topics, main ideas and
details about reading assignments. This technique includes a basic hierarchic graphic organizer called a
"Frame" that can be used to help students think and talk about the key topic and essential related
information.
Benefits

Frames allow students to identify the main ideas and supporting details while reading texts. As they list
them on a Frame graphic, comprehension of the written material tends to increase. The Frame Routine
is flexible and can be used with all content areas. The Frame Routine can be particularly beneficial to
many students with learning disabilities because it depicts the organization of the concepts that
students are expected to learn.

Create and use the strategy

Introduce the assigned passage of text to the students. Discuss the Frame Routine technique and model
the procedure by co-constructing an initial Frame graphic. Simultaneously fill in information with
students on blank copies of the form. This provides teachers with the opportunity to monitor the
students' level of understanding and to adjust instruction as needed. After students have become
familiar with use of the Frame Routine, they can use the Frame graphics independently or in small
groups as they identify main ideas and essential details from pre-selected texts.

There are five basic steps for using the Frame Routine:

Select the topic

The teacher introduces the lesson topic and provides students with a blank Frame. Students note the
topic in the appropriate spaces on the graphic. This would most likely be the title of the reading
selection.

Determine the main ideas

Students record brief statements or words that summarize key ideas relating to the topic.

Discuss the details

The details that are important for students to learn and remember are written on the Frame graphic in
the essential details boxes. These essential details can later be ranked on the graphic according to level
of importance.

Develop the "Big Idea"

The teacher, small groups, or the whole class develop the Big Idea statement or the "So what?" idea.
This statement is designed to help students understand how the topic fits with the overall context.

These statements can take the form of:

A short summary

A conclusion the student has drawn

A connection to a real-world application relevant to the student

Evaluate the information

The teacher facilitates evaluation of the new information when it is clearly organized. Several follow-up
activities can then be employed to extend students' understanding of important concepts. Such
activities might include the following:

Having in-depth discussions;

Debating various points;

Drawing conclusions;

Making connections to other ideas;

Forming predictions, or forecasts; and

Engaging in journal writing

RAFT Writing

Background

RAFT is a writing strategy that helps students understand their role as a writer, the audience they will
address, the varied formats for writing, and the topic they'll be writing about. By using this strategy,
teachers encourage students to write creatively, to consider a topic from a different perspective, and to
gain practice writing for different audiences. Students learn to respond to a writing prompt that requires
them to think about various perspectives (Santa & Havens, 1995):

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A pilgrim? A soldier? The President?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A political rally? A potential employer?

Format: In what format are you writing? A letter? An advertisement? A speech?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Benefits

Students must think creatively and critically in order to respond to prompts, making RAFT a unique way
for students to apply critical thinking skills about new information they are learning. RAFT writing is
applicable in every content area thereby providing a universal writing approach for content area
teachers.

Create the strategy

Explain to your students the various perspectives (mentioned above) writers must consider when
completing any writing assignment.

Display a RAFT writing prompt to your class and model on an overhead or Elmo how you would write in
response to the prompt.

Have students react to another writing prompt individually, or in small groups. It works best if all
students react to the same prompt so the class can learn from varied responses.

As students become comfortable in reacting to RAFT prompts, you can create more than one prompt for
students to respond to after a reading, lesson, or unit. Varied prompts allow students to compare and
contrast multiple perspectives, deepening their understanding of the content.

Sample RAFT prompts

Example 1:

R: Citizen

A: Congress

F: Letter

T: Taxation

Example 2:

R: Scout Finch

A: Community of Monroeville, Alabama

F: Eulogy for Atticus Finch

T: Social Inequality

Preparation

Make enough copies of these worksheets so that each student can have one.

Worksheet 1 48k

Worksheet 2 46k

Worksheet 3 44k

Peer evaluation 44k

Procedure

In order to get students thinking about business letters, ask how many reasons they can think of for
writing this type of letter. Give a couple of examples, then get students to brainstorm in pairs, before
feeding back to the class.

Give learners the inappropriately informal letter (Worksheet 1). Ask a few simple comprehension
questions.

Have they been in contact before?

What's it about?

What are the problems with the system?

Then ask what's wrong with the text. (Too informal, doesn't follow letter-writing conventions). Elicit
some of the kinds of things they will need to change to make it more formal (vocabulary, sentence
structure, layout, paragraphing, greeting and close).

In pairs, students re-write the letter to make it more appropriate as a formal letter. Don't help them too
much at this stage - the idea is that students write the best letter they are capable of using their existing
language resources. This creates a need for the conventional letter-writing language which may be
'missing' from their current knowledge.
Give students the model letter (Worksheet 2) and ask them to compare it with their letter. Emphasise
that the model is only one possible way of re-writing the letter - this can lead to a discussion on whether
any differences are equally correct. Ask the students to identify language from the model which they
could use to improve their letter. In this way, some of the conventional sentence frames which are so
common in business letters are 'fed in'.

At this stage you might also wish to draw attention to the conventional greetings and endings for formal
letters. (In British English, if the name of the person is used, e.g. Dear Mr. Jones, then the ending is Yours
sincerely. If you don't know the name of the person you are writing to, then the letter begins Dear Sir /
Madam, and ends Yours faithfully.) It may also be worth highlighting the punctuation used here, i.e. a
comma after the greeting, as this can vary between languages. In addition, some students are not
familiar with the form of address Ms, which refers to a woman without specifying her marital status.
Other issues which are problematic for your learners, such as paragraphing, over-long sentences etc.,
can also be dealt with here.

Students choose a situation from Worksheet 3, brainstorm in pairs, and select appropriate language
from their own letter and Worksheet 2. They then write the letter, working collaboratively. This stage
could also be done individually for homework if time is short. The letters can be collected in by the
teacher for assessment / correction purposes, or used for a peer-evaluation activity. (See the Peer
evaluation form for an example of how this can be done).