KTI PTK

 

PRE-READING

 

·  Anticipation Guides

An anticipation guide prepares students to interact in meaningful ways with the selection they will read. The following steps may be used to develop anticipation guides:

• Identify major concepts, themes, issues, or events in the reading selection.
• Write three to five statements related to selected concepts, themes, issues, or events that are likely to encourage thought and discussion.
• Present the statements to the students on an overhead projector or the chalkboard, or as a handout.
• Allow a few minutes for students to respond individually to each statement by indicating their agreement or disagreement.
• Engage students in a discussion about the statements and their reactions, asking them to give reasons for their responses.

An example of an anticipation guide follows.

Theme: Sport: Swimming

Sample Anticipation Guide

Please indicate whether you agree or disagree, and provide a reason for your response.

Agree	Disagree	Statement
X		Swimming is good for our health. Reason:.
		Swimming is expensive. Reason:
		Swimming is only relevant for boys. Reason:

 

 

 

·  Opinionnaires

Opinionnaires provide opportunities for students to examine their own thoughts about issues or topics they will encounter in the reading selection. An example of an opinionnaire follows.

Sample Opinionnaire

Following is a list of human characteristics, some of which you might consider strengths, others you might consider weaknesses. Put an "S" for the characteristics you consider strengths; put a "W" for the characteristics you consider weaknesses; put "SW" for those you consider to be both strengths and weaknesses. Leave blank any items you consider neither strengths or weaknesses. State reasons for your choices.

Characteristic	Reason
___ curious
___ stubborn
___ independent
___ cautious
___ selfish
___ honest
___ emotional
___ inexperienced

 

·  Graphic Organizers

As a means of helping students build a schema before reading, have them generate lists of ideas and words related to the key concept. Then organize these ideas graphically to provide a visual construct of ideas. These graphic organizers provide structured overviews which activate and build knowledge prior to reading, and help students make connections among ideas. Some kinds of graphic organizers are semantic maps and Venn diagrams.

Semantic Maps: These categorize ideas and concepts, and visually illustrate the relationships between the ideas and concepts. Semantic mapping may involve the entire class, small groups, or individual students. The following steps may be used to develop semantic maps:

• Identify a key term or concept in the reading selection that students are required to examine in greater depth.
• Write the key term or concept on the chalkboard or an overhead transparency, or on a handout.
• Discuss the term or concept briefly or use pictures and other experiences related to the word to generate discussion.
• Ask students to suggest or record words, phrases, and ideas that relate to the term.
• Have students share their word associations and guide the categorizing and mapping of the ideas by recording them on the chalkboard or overhead projector.
• Discuss the semantic map and encourage students to add to it during and after reading.

Through the mapping and the discussion, the students become aware of what they know. The process of constructing the map is as valuable as the completed map.

An example of a semantic map activity follows.

Sample Semantic Map

Create a semantic map that identifies things related to swimming and list some specific words in each category.

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Venn Diagrams: These present a visual display of similarities between two topics or ideas, and allow students to see the differences. The section of the diagram that overlaps represents the ways in which the two are alike.

Constructing Venn diagrams can be a whole class or small group activity. The following steps may be used to develop a Venn diagram:

• Identify the key terms or concepts to be compared in the selection.
• Write the terms in the appropriate sections of the Venn diagram on the chalkboard or an overhead transparency and discuss.
• Record student-suggested words, phrases, and ideas in the appropriate sections with commonalities listed in the area of overlap.
• Discuss students' ideas and understandings; then have students read the selection or read it aloud to them.
• Encourage students to add ideas to the diagram during and after reading.

Through the Venn diagram, students activate prior knowledge and build schemas that will enhance their understanding of the reading selection.

 

During Reading Activities

The following are examples of activities that can support students' reading experiences. Teachers should use and adapt these according to students' needs and interests.

·  Character Map/Sociogram

Character maps, sometimes referred to as sociograms, help students identify traits of particular characters in a selection and recognize the relationship between those characters. An example of a character map follows. The following steps may be used to develop character maps:

·  after reading a portion of the selection, identify at least two main characters for analysis

·  list personality beneath each character's name, enclosing these in a box or circle

·  draw arrows from one character to another, writing phrases above and below the arrows to describe the characters' relationship to each other.

An example of a character map is shown below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sample Character Map/Sociogram
 

 

 

her Uncle Chad? She doesn't seem to like him. I wonder how her uncle will like Zilla? I don't think he will because he seems to want things to be perfect and Zilla is not.
Your Partner

·  Feelings Analysis Chart

Analyzing story characters' feelings assists students in relating to a selection on a social and personal level. The following steps may be used to develop a feelings analysis chart:

·  Have students stop reading briefly and write about what is happening in the story.

·  Ask students to decide: How does the character feel at the end? How do I feel?

·  Repeat the procedure for other events in the story.

 

·  Prediction Points

As students internalize the events of a story, they can begin to make predictions about what will happen next. Asking students to stop at various points during reading to make predictions about upcoming events and issues encourages them to become intuitive readers. The following steps may be used to encourage students to make predictions:

·  Have students stop reading at critical points and predict what may happen next to a certain character, or what may happen as the result of a certain turn of events. As students internalize the process, the teacher can have students choose their own prediction stopping points.

·  Ask students to explain briefly their predictions.

·  Have students provide story clues (e.g., direct quotes) and page numbers to support their predictions.

Post-Reading

Paper Bag Book Talk

A procedure for Paper Bag Book Talks follows.

• Students decorate a paper bag with representations of ideas and topics from the book to be discussed.
• Inside the bag, the students place the book and a variety of objects that reflect the ideas in the book and their understanding of and responses to the ideas.
• During the Book Talk students first explain the ideas reflected by the decorated bag.
• Following that, they select one item at a time out of the bag and talk about it in relation to the story, making clear how it represents their responses to the book.
• Teachers can model this technique for students prior to asking them to do one. Remind students not to give away everything about the book; leave some things for other readers to discover.

·  Partner (Dialogue) Journals

Partner journals provide for student interaction. Students respond to a reading selection at various points during their reading and share these responses with a partner, keeping up a written dialogue. This activity encourages reflection, extends thinking about the reading selection, and promotes student interaction. Students may be reading the same or different selections. The following steps may be used for partner journals:

·  Have students record reactions to a particular reading selection or passage (the teacher may prompt students when to stop reading or allow students to choose their own stopping points).

·  Ask students to exchange journals with a reading partner for a response to their ideas and reactions.

An example of a partner journal follows.

Sample Partner Journal

Dear Journal Partner,

I've just finished reading about “Cinderella”.  I think it's very interesting story.  Cinderella is a very lucky girl.

Your Partner

Dear Partner,

Yes, I think it's interesting too, and I like the way Cinderella treats her stepmother and her stepsisters.  Although they were cruel to them, she forgave them and asked them to live in the palace with her. with