My Seven Selected Strategies for My Classroom Use
Description: Instructional Strategies
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1. Anticipation Guide
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/anticipation_guide/
This instructional strategy allows students to gain interest in a topic or study by requiring them to answer a series of teacher-made questions. Questions are carefully designed to entertain as well as to draw interest and desire to engage in the new activity.
Lesson Opportunity:
During an introduction to a reading lesson, compose a list of questions for students to answer. The questions should reflect prior knowledge, provide hints of what the story is about, and be formatted to address real life situations as they relate to the story. The purpose of this strategy is to help students become intrigued about the story and desire to learn more.
2. Three –Step interview
http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/edu/pdf/Mod36_coop_3-step_interview.pdf
Overview
This method requires students to engage in an interview process. The purpose of this strategy is to increase students’ comprehension using role playing. There are three participants in each group: the reporter, the note-taker, and the interviewee. The students use a selected story as if the events in the story represents a real-life situation.
Lesson Opportunity:
This strategy can be used to assess understanding and comprehension. A student could be selected by their peers to be one of the characters in the story. Then, another student is selected as the interviewer and develops questions as if the events had happened in real life. The third participant is designated as the recorder of the responses and writes a summary about the interview. After the completion of the activity, all groups will gather and share their interview summary.
3. Minute Paper:
http://www.oncourseworkshop.com/Awareness012.htm
One minute strategy requires students to respond in one minute of a given prompt composed by the instructor. The idea is to have students reflect on a particular skill or story and pull gained knowledge.
Lesson Opportunity:
A prompt will be written on the board or prompt cards placed on the pod tables. The students read the prompt and write for one minute. After the minute is up, the students read their writing to a partner. Students pass their writing to another pair to share their writing peace.
4. Somebody Wanted But So:
http://spedlit.k12.hi.us/Strategies/SWBS.htm
“Somebody Wanted but So” is a graphic organizer strategy that focuses on the following components: evaluate character (\"somebody\"), motivation (\"wanted\"), conflict (\"but\"), and resolution (\"so\"). Students narrow the content to the main idea using this strategy. Visit the site to see an example of a “Somebody Wants but So” template.
Lesson Opportunity:
This activity requires three participants per group. The team works together to complete a “Somebody Wanted but So,” graphic organizer about a story. The team would locate the information from the text and write the content on the appropriate section of the organizer. Students would collaborate to make sure that the graphic organizer was completed correctly.
5. Focus Imaging
http://olc.spsd.sk.ca/DE/PD/instr/strats/focusedimaging/index.html
Focus imaging allows students to visualize problem-based situations related to learning, and the ability to use their creativity to identify solutions. This exercise provides an opportunity for students to take the teacher’s image and ‘nurture” their creativity, develop visual methods to solve problems, and to develop an understanding of a lesson concept.
Lesson Opportunity:
During Drop Everything and Read, the teacher asks the students to close their eyes and relax. The teacher informs the students that they will hear a story about a particular problem. Students would be instructed to close their eyes to image the story and problem. After the story is completed, the teacher gives the students three minutes to visualize the problem and try to identify a solution with their eyes close. After the time is up, the students are placed in pairs to determine solutions to the problem.
6. Click or Clunk
http://www.jimwrightonline.com/pdfdocs/clickclunk.pdf
Students use a developed checklist to trouble-shoot or self check their comprehension and vocabulary. Student uses a “My Reading Checklist” that contains basic comprehension and vocabulary skills. The articles suggest reserving time to teach students how to use the Click or clunk method in order for the instructional strategy to be effective. Click on the link and scroll down to see an example of a reading checklist.
Lesson Opportunity:
The students will use the Click or Clunk check list to self assess their story retelling project. Students will show their results to their partner to help them check their essay for errors.
7. Power Notes:
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/strategy-guides/power-notes-30759.html
Power Notes is a method to help students differentiate between important details and “filler” details. Students use Power Notes to document relevant information that will lead to understanding the main idea, sequence, author’s purpose, context clues, and inferences skills.
Lesson Opportunity:
Students will be given a set of note cards when they begin the activity with their peers. Students will use the note cards to jot important information from the story they read. Students will use Anchor charts and other classroom resources to remind them of key facts to record. This includes main idea, inference, characters, problems, solutions. Vocabulary words, time-line, and author information.
