Comprehension of Informational Text Strategies for Third Grade
1. K-W-L:
Description: A K-W-L actively involves the student in the reading process by encouraging the student to think about what they would like to learn.
Purpose: An aid to help students become active readers of expository text. This is a helpful strategy to use with a struggling reader because it permits a teacher to determine the student's background knowledge.
Directions: To make a K-W-L chart, divide a piece of paper into three columns. Label the first column K, which stands for What I Know About The Topic. Label the second column W, which stands for What I Want To Learn. Label the third column L, which stands for What I Learned. Once you've created the K-W-L chart, write the topic across the top of the chart and ask the students to say everything they know about the topic. Ask the students are sharing the information they know about the topic, write down the information they are sharing under the K column in the K-W-L chart. Once the students are done sharing information they know about the topic, move onto the second column. Ask the students to share to you everything they want to learn about the topic. As the students are sharing what they want to learn about the topic, write it down in the column labeled W. Once the first two columns are filled in on the K-W-L, have the students read the passage and then ask the students to share with you any information they learned from reading the passage. While the students are sharing the information they've learned from the passage, write down the information they are sharing in the L column. Once you've written down all of the information they've learned, go back to the first column and see if the background knowledge is accurate. Then refer to the second column to see if the student learned everything they wanted to, if not you can instruct the student to seek another source on the same topic.
Description: A K-W-L actively involves the student in the reading process by encouraging the student to think about what they would like to learn.
Purpose: An aid to help students become active readers of expository text. This is a helpful strategy to use with a struggling reader because it permits a teacher to determine the student's background knowledge.
Directions: To make a K-W-L chart, divide a piece of paper into three columns. Label the first column K, which stands for What I Know About The Topic. Label the second column W, which stands for What I Want To Learn. Label the third column L, which stands for What I Learned. Once you've created the K-W-L chart, write the topic across the top of the chart and ask the students to say everything they know about the topic. Ask the students are sharing the information they know about the topic, write down the information they are sharing under the K column in the K-W-L chart. Once the students are done sharing information they know about the topic, move onto the second column. Ask the students to share to you everything they want to learn about the topic. As the students are sharing what they want to learn about the topic, write it down in the column labeled W. Once the first two columns are filled in on the K-W-L, have the students read the passage and then ask the students to share with you any information they learned from reading the passage. While the students are sharing the information they've learned from the passage, write down the information they are sharing in the L column. Once you've written down all of the information they've learned, go back to the first column and see if the background knowledge is accurate. Then refer to the second column to see if the student learned everything they wanted to, if not you can instruct the student to seek another source on the same topic.
K-W-L Chart
Here is an example of what a K-W-L chart looks like.
2. Guided Reading Strategy:
Description: A reading strategy that was developed for struggling readers.
Purpose: Uses text features and includes steps to encourage a struggling reader to remember the topics that were discussed.
Directions: Together with the student read chapter titles, subheadings, and vocabulary lists found at the beginning or end of the chapter as well as graphs, maps, picture captions, and chapter questions. Then close the book and have the reader say everything they remember to you while you record what they say. Then have the student open the text to check if the information is correct and what is missing, then update the list. Discuss the information with the student. Then together, organize the information into a graphic organizer. Once the graphic organizer is organized, have the student silently read the entire passage. Give the student a 10 item quiz on the material. One week later, give the student another 10 item pop quiz. After they've completed the pop quiz, discuss the results of the quizzes with the student.
Description: A reading strategy that was developed for struggling readers.
Purpose: Uses text features and includes steps to encourage a struggling reader to remember the topics that were discussed.
Directions: Together with the student read chapter titles, subheadings, and vocabulary lists found at the beginning or end of the chapter as well as graphs, maps, picture captions, and chapter questions. Then close the book and have the reader say everything they remember to you while you record what they say. Then have the student open the text to check if the information is correct and what is missing, then update the list. Discuss the information with the student. Then together, organize the information into a graphic organizer. Once the graphic organizer is organized, have the student silently read the entire passage. Give the student a 10 item quiz on the material. One week later, give the student another 10 item pop quiz. After they've completed the pop quiz, discuss the results of the quizzes with the student.