X MARKS THE SPOT

• Use X to mark important information; Mark ? if you don’t understand (You can change marks to meet your needs)
• If using a textbook, use Post-It Notes to record marks.

THINK ALOUD

• Read short passage; think about it; share thinking with a partner; record thinking
• Repeat above

CHUNK

• Read a short passage; discuss in small groups or whole class
• Repeat above

TALK TO THE TEXT

• Make notes, questions, and comments in the margin

HOT ROD [Hand over text; retell on demand]

• This strategy pairs students to read, talk, and listen during reading.
• One student orally reads a paragraph as the other student follows along silently.
• Then the students cover the text with their hands while the listener retells what the reader’s paragraph said.
• Students swap roles for the next paragraph and continue this pattern until all of the assigned passage has been read and retold.

SAY SOMETHING

• Choose a text for the students to read and have them work in pairs.
• Designate a stopping point for reading.
• Have students read to the stopping point and then “say something” about the text to their partner.
• Allow pairs to choose the next stopping point. Students repeat steps 3 and 4 until they finish reading the text.

CODING THE TEXT

• Using a read-aloud and thinking-aloud model for the students' examples of making connections.
• These may include text-self, text-text, or text-world connections.
• While reading aloud, demonstrate how to code a section of text that elicits a connection by using a sticky note, a code (T-S = text-self, T-T = text-text, T-W = text-world), and a few words to describe the connection.
• Have the students work in small groups to read a short text and code the text. Have them share their ideas with the class.
• Encourage the students to code the text using sticky notes to record their ideas and use these as a basis for small and large group discussions.

JOT CHART

• Divide students into groups.
• Have students quickly skim the text to locate main ideas (subheadings) and fill in the main idea column on the jot chart.
• Within each group, assign each student a main idea on which to collect supporting details.
• Groups complete their jot charts by filling in details provided by group members.
• 3-2-1
• List 3 details, 2 questions, 1 connection

MAGNET SUMMARY

• On the unlined side of the index card, the student writes 3 to 5 words that they are drawn to as they read the text.
• The student turns to the lined side of the card and writes a summary of the entire text using the words he has chosen in the summary. The student underlines his/her words as he/she uses them.

READ-TALK-WRITE

• Students read a chunk of material for a specified time.
• Pair up students. One student should tell his/her partner as much as can be remembered without looking at the text and must keep talking for one minute. If he/she runs out of things to say, information can be repeated. Call time at the end of one minute and reverse the process. The second student may state the same information, but should try to say it in a different way, if possible. The listening partner needs to focus attentively without interrupting until it is his or her turn to talk.
• Each student writes what he or she knows about this passage. After writing as much as possible, students may reread the passage to check the details.
• Repeat the process with the next chunk of text.

KEYWORDS

• Use a highlighter to mark important words in the passage
• If using a textbook, list keywords
• Turn and talk to another student about the words chosen

THINK-PAIR-SHARE

• The teacher provokes students' thinking with a question or prompt or observation. The students should take a few moments (probably not minutes) just to THINK about the question.
• Using designated partners, nearby neighbors, or a desk-mate, students PAIR up to talk about the answer each came up with. They compare their mental or written notes and identify the answers they think are best, most convincing, or most unique.
• After students talk in pairs for a few moments (again, usually not minutes), the teacher calls for pairs to SHARE their thinking with the rest of the class. She can do this by going around in a round-robin fashion, calling on each pair; or she can take answers as they are called out.