Questions Addressed
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- How can I help my students read difficult texts?
- How do I help them remember what they read?
- How can I motivate them to read with purpose?
Why It Works
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- Students build reading competence and confidence as they read a variety of challenging but comprehensible texts in each content area.
- Students are able to make sense of more challenging text with teacher scaffolding, frequent processing, and peer support.
- A research-based pre-reading ritual prepares students to integrate new information, and the gradual release model provides scaffolding before students are released to read independently.
Suggested Strategies
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- Scaffolding
- Selecting Appropriate Texts
- Frontloading
- Text-to-Speech Software
- Text Structure
- Text Features
- Pre-Reading Ritual
- Incidental Vocabulary
- Chunking Text*
- Partner Reading
- Read and Say Something
- Gradual Release of Responsibility (I Do - We Do - You Do)
* = PSD effective practices
How to Implement This Routine
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Select texts carefully.
When choosing text/s, consider text complexity, text features, and student interest in and familiarity with the topic. Consider supplementing complex text with additional high-interest texts, adapted texts, or native language texts.
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Read text closely
As you prepare for your lesson, read the text with your students in mind, asking yourself, “What is critical? Interesting? Confusing? Difficult? Unnecessary?” Jot down key ideas related to the learning standard. Note the overall structure of the text. Pre-plan stropping points with appropriate questions to check for understanding or spark conversation. Determine how much frontloading and scaffolding is necessary based on the text difficulty and student readiness. For students who need more support, consider providing text-to-speech software, or pulling them into a small group (see the Huddle literacy routine for more suggestions).
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Lead a pre-reading ritual.
This suite of pre-reading strategies can be adjusted and re-ordered depending on the text.
- Skim and Predict. Ask students to read the title and quickly skim the text and graphic features then predict what they will learn as a result of reading.
- Focus. Set a purpose for the reading related to the learning standard. Present a guiding question. Explain what students will do with what they learn.
- Activate Background Knowledge. Use a strategy such as Think-Pair-Share, free write, KWL, Anticipation Guide, outline, or concept map. As needed, build additional context.
- Connect. Help students make personal and real-world connections.
- Preview Vocabulary. Quickly go through the text, calling students’ attention to difficult incidental vocabulary. Pronounce and provide a synonym.
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Gradually release reading to students.
A gradual release of responsibility in reading could look like this:
- I Do – Read aloud the first chunk of text, engaging students and checking for understanding.
- We Do – Pair students for partner reading (in unison or alternating).
- You Do – Students read chunks of text independently.
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Guide students to process each chunk.
Have students process each chunk orally or in writing. For instance, students can Read and Say Something or summarize using a graphic organizer. (See Let’s Talk and Pen/cil to Paper routines.)
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Re-focus and reconnect after reading.
Have students apply what they have learned with an engaging, open-ended task, ideally one which allows them to think critically about new content (i.e., higher levels of Bloom’s taxonomy).
