Focus on Reading
Power Reading Site: A great resource for all teachers!
Teaching Reading vs. Using Reading to Deliver Content
We need to be explicit about how we want kids to read in our classes. This is Teaching Reading. There are ways that experts approach texts in our fields, and when we teach students these approaches, we are explicitly teaching kids how to read. Some of these approaches might include:
In the content area classes, however, most of the reading will be used to Deliver Content, not to teach reading in and of itself. When the purpose of the reading is to deliver content to students, then it is our responsibility to make sure they can access that content--and they should not be rewarded or penalized for their ability to do so. In other words, if we are not intending to assess reading ability, but rather intend to assess student knowledge and understanding of content from within a reading, then we have to find ways to help all students get the content.
The Reading 6-Pack: here are some steps that might help before assigning a reading that is intended to deliver content:
What to do for ALL students:
Template for Reading Plan
Teaching Reading vs. Using Reading to Deliver Content
We need to be explicit about how we want kids to read in our classes. This is Teaching Reading. There are ways that experts approach texts in our fields, and when we teach students these approaches, we are explicitly teaching kids how to read. Some of these approaches might include:
- skimming
- scanning
- using textual and structural clues
- note-taking strategies
- use of templates or structures
In the content area classes, however, most of the reading will be used to Deliver Content, not to teach reading in and of itself. When the purpose of the reading is to deliver content to students, then it is our responsibility to make sure they can access that content--and they should not be rewarded or penalized for their ability to do so. In other words, if we are not intending to assess reading ability, but rather intend to assess student knowledge and understanding of content from within a reading, then we have to find ways to help all students get the content.
The Reading 6-Pack: here are some steps that might help before assigning a reading that is intended to deliver content:
What to do for ALL students:
- Establish a Clear and Specific Purpose: what do you want students to get out of the reading? What should they Know and Understand at the end? What will they need to Do with the new knowledge and understandings? Once you know your purpose, let the students know--this will help them stay focused on what's most important and will improve their comprehension.
- Check the Format: does the format of the reading assignment support your purpose? What might get in the way? Consider font size, copy quality, margins, headings. Spending a few minutes reformatting can make a huge difference in efficiency for all students, and can help struggling readers stay focused on your purpose.
- Create Structures for All: are there templates, structures, or note-taking strategies you want ALL students to use in order to help meet your purpose? Often, taking just a few minutes to create a chart or other template to go along with the reading can make a huge difference in student understanding.
- Create Scaffolding: based on what you know about your students, what additional structures or templates might you need to help students access the content? Remember, scaffolds help students reach up to the complexity of the text, they don't "dumb down" the material. We have linked to a longer explanation of scaffolding with some examples.
- Make or Provide Adaptations: are there students who will not be able to access the content even with appropriate scaffolds? If so, how will you deliver the content to them? And remember that the purpose is content, so how they get it should not have an impact on their grade.
- Checking for Understanding: how will you know if students are understanding what you want them to? Will you know prior to the test or essay or graded assignment if they are off track? If you have a "Structure for All" this can be a good quick check of understanding, one that can allow you to reteach if necessary to part of the class.
Template for Reading Plan