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Strategy Notebook

Alexis Hoffman

Department of Education, Tarleton State University

READ3356: Content Area Reading

Dr. Chris Sloan

June 20, 2020

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Vocabulary Teaching Strategies

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APA Citation:

Schwartz, R. M., & Raphael, T. E. (1985). Concept of definition: A key to improving students’

vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 39, 198-205.

Name: Word Map

Steps:

1. The student will place the word in a box in the middle of the paper.

2. The students will create a box that labels and answers “What is it?”

3. The students will create another part of the map for “What is it like?”

4. The students will create another part of the map for “What are some examples?”

5. Then, the students will use create their own definition of the word based upon the

characteristics of the word.

Strengths:

This word map helps students identify what kind of information helps make up a definition. The

students are able to construct their own thought process instead of reading a definition out of a

dictionary.

Example:

What is it like?
What is it? Light, temperature, rainfall levels, dry or
A habitat that has unique features wet, sandy or grassy, salt water or fresh
water

Biome

My defintion:
What are some examples?
A biome is a habitat that has unique
Tundra, Grasslands, Forest, Aquatic,
characteristics that determine what kind
Desert
of life will inhabit it.
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APA Citation:

Fay, D., & Culter, A. (1977). Malapropisms and the structure of the mental lexicon. Linguist

Inquiry, 8(III), 505-520

Name: Vocabulary Jeopardy

Steps:

1. Create cards that contain definitions.

2. Create categories for the definitions.

3. Each category contains five cards with definitions. The cards will be assigned a point

value based upon the difficulty.

4. Create a jeopardy board.

5. Divide the class into teams.

6. Give students directions for playing jeopardy and play the game!

7. The team with the most points wins.

Strengths: The student is having to use higher order thinking skills. The game makes it more fun

than a traditional dictionary and paper.

Weaknesses: Competitive, students who need extra time to think about the question are at a

disadvantage, noisy, rushed

Example:

Biomes Animals Plants

1 point 1 point 1 point

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(definitions would be on the

other side of the card)

2 points 2 points 2 points

3 points 3 points 3 points

4 points 4 points 4 points

5 points 5 points 5 points

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APA Citation:

Jones, S. (1999). Multisensory vocabulary – guidelines and activities. [On-line]. Available:

http://www.resourceroom.net/myarticles/vocabulary.htm.

Mr. Rodz. (2019-01-13). Charades. https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-

powerpoints/grammar/discourse-markers/charades/113029

Name: Vocabulary Charades

Steps:

1. Put the words that describe visual concepts on cards.

2. Separate the class into four teams.

3. Ask a student on each team to draw a card and “act it out”

4. Set a time limit on how long the students must guess.

5. For each correct answer, the team gets a point.

Strengths:

Since it is a cooperative learning group strategy, students have more of an opportunity to act out

and guess more words than they would in a “whole-class” game.

Weaknesses: Not all vocabulary words have the ability to be acted out, shy students may have a

hard time acting out the words, can become competitive

Example: (Mr. Rodz, 2019).

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APA Citation:

Parrott, P., Henry, S., & Owens, T. (March 1998). Enhancing social studies instruction to

meet Virginia’s SOL. Presentation at the Virginia Council for Learning Disabilities

Spring Forum, Charlottesville, VA.

Name: I Have… Who Has?

Steps:

1. Create vocabulary word (answer) cards and definition (questions) cards. There must be

enough for every student in the class.

2. Give each student one definition card and one vocabulary card.

3. A student will begin by reading the question card. Another student who has the answer

card, will identify the correct term for the definition, and then read their question card.

4. The game will continue until everyone has taken a turn.

Strengths:

The students must actively listen to say their answer. The student is giving and receiving

information.

Weaknesses: Disadvantage to visual learners, kinesthetic learners, and students who are shy

Example: “Who has the powerhouse of the cell?” “I have mitochondria. Who has the DNA of the

cell?”
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APA Citation:

Fay, D., & Culter, A. (1977). Malapropisms and the structure of the mental lexicon. Linguist

Inquiry, 8(III), 505-520.

Name: Words Alive

Steps:

1. Have the students write the vocabulary word in the first box.

2. Have the students answer the five questions in the boxes below.

3. Ask the students to draw a picture that helps them have a visual connection to the word.

4. Have the students create a caption to their picture that uses the vocabulary word.

Strengths:

This format allows the student to activate background knowledge, create their own definition,

find the dictionary definition, find synonyms/antonyms, and create a visual representation of the

word.

Weaknesses: Students who learn kinesthetically may not receive much from this pencil and

paper strategy.

Example:

Word: What do you think the word means?

What does the dictionary say the word Write a definition of the word using your own

means? words.
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What are some other words that mean the What are some other words that mean the

same thing as the word? opposite of the word?

Sketch of Word Picture Caption Using the Word

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Pre-Reading/Prior Knowledge Strategies

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APA Citation:

Before-during-after reading strategies. (n.d.) Retrieved on June 29, 2020, from

https://valrc.org/courses/reading/docs/BEFOREDURINGAFTERREADINGSTRATEGIES_a.pd

Name: Pre-write Questions

Steps:

1. The students will examine the text, illustrations, headings, title, and/or description.

2. The students will generate questions that they think will be answered during their

reading.

Strengths: This strategy sets a purpose for reading. It also allows the students to recall prior

knowledge by examining the book and looking for familiar words/illustrations.

Weaknesses: This strategy is not designed for kinesthetic learners.

Example:

*Student is given a book titled “Penguins in the Artic”

The student flips through the book looking at the table of contents, headings, and illustrations.

The student writes questions such as: Where do the penguins live? What do the penguins eat?

How do the penguins survive?

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APA Citation:

Classroom strategies. (n.d.) Retrieved June 29, 2020, from http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/.

Name: Quick Write

Steps:

1. Present a key term or idea to the students.

2. Give the students a notecard.

3. Allow the students 2-3 minutes to write down everything that comes to their mind when

they hear the key term or idea.

4. Allow the students to share their thoughts with classmates. Then, share your own

thoughts to build/activate correct background knowledge.

Strengths: Activates prior knowledge, builds background knowledge, allows for classroom

discussion, and allows the students to learn from one another.

Weaknesses: Not designed for students without background knowledge or English Language

Learners.

Example:

Thoughts that come to mind when I hear “4th of July”:

Fireworks

Independence Day

1776

13 colonies claimed independence from England

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APA Citation:

Classroom strategies. (n.d.) Retrieved June 29, 2020, from http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/.

Name: Talking Drawings

Steps:

1. Instruct the students to close their eyes and listen to your instructions and picture what

you are saying.

2. Present the topic that the students will be learning about. Use key words, new vocabulary,

and incredibly detailed details.

3. Ask the students to open their eyes and draw what they pictured in their minds.

4. After they have created their drawings, allow the students to read and learn about the

topic.

5. After readings, allow the students to create a new drawing that entails what they have

learned.

6. Allow the students to compare their drawings from before reading and after reading.

Strengths: This strategy allows students to activate their prior knowledge and generate questions

about the information they will be learning.

Weaknesses: This strategy is not beneficial to students who are not artistic.

Example:

Teacher presents a topic such as “Recycling to save Earth”

Students draw:
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APA Citation:

Classroom strategies. (n.d.) Retrieved June 29, 2020, from

http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/.

Name: Concept Sorts

Steps:

1. Introduce the main idea of the text.

2. Place the students in cooperative learning groups.

3. Give the students a list of key terms and new vocabulary.

4. Give the students multiple categories to place the words under.

Strengths: This strategy activates prior knowledge and builds background knowledge for those

who do not have it.

Weaknesses: This strategy would not be beneficial for students who are visually impaired.

Example:

Physical Change Chemical Change

Ice Melting Fire Burning

Shredding Paper Mixing Vinegar and Baking Soda

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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Alphabet Brainstorming

Steps:

1. Inform the students of the general concept that they will be reading about.

2. Provide the students with a blank Alphabet Brainstorming chart and instruct them to

write down either a name, place, or a person from their memory under the letters.

3. This strategy works best when students are allowed to work in cooperative learning

groups. Allow the students plenty of time to fill in as many boxes as possible.

4. Discuss the ideas that the students wrote down in their boxes.

Strengths: This strategy really pushes students to recall information that they already have. It

activates prior knowledge as well as builds prior knowledge for those who do not have it.

Weaknesses: This strategy could be very difficult for beginning and intermediate English

Language Learners.

Example:
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During Reading Strategies

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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Cause and Effect Interactive Reading Guide

Steps:

1. Provide the students with a sheet of paper.

2. Have the students fold the paper hot dog style.

3. Label the left side “cause” and the right side “effect”. Add an arrow in between the words

to help visual learners.

4. Instruct the students to identify the cause and effect relationships in the text, and write

them down as they read eliminating the excess wording in the text.

Strengths: This strategy is beneficial to visual learners because it allows them to see the direct

cause and effect relationship within the text they are reading. It also eliminates a lot of excess

information.

Weaknesses: This strategy may not be the best fit for a student who is at the beginning level of

learning English.

Example:

CAUSE EFFECT

The light switch is turned off. The circuit closes and stops the flow of

electrical energy.
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APA Citation:

Schwartz, R. M., & Raphael, T. E. (1985). Concept of definition: A key to improving students’

vocabulary. The Reading Teacher, 39, 198-205.

Name: Vocabulary Interactive Reading Guide

Steps:

1. Provide the students with a reading guide that has several boxes with the following

questions: What is the new word? How is it used in the text? What do you think the word

means? Are there any context clues?

2. Instruct the students to use the guide throughout their reading and fill in unfamiliar words

that they are struggling with.

3. After they have completed the reading, check the students understanding of the word and

the understanding of the use of context clues.

Strengths: This strategy allows the reader to find the definition of a word using context clues. It

also promotes active learning because they have to pay attention to not only the word itself, but

the words around it as well.

Weaknesses: This strategy would not be suitable for a kinesthetic learner.

Example:

New Word: How is it used in the text?

What do you think the word means? Are there any context clues?
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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Double Entry Diaries

Steps:

1. Ask the students to fold a piece of paper vertically (hot-dog style).

2. Label one side “Direct Text and Page Number” and the other side “My Connection”.

3. As students are reading, ask them to write down the text that they connect with on the

left, and why they connected to it on the right.

4. Make sure that students include the page numbers of the text they copied down.

Strengths: This strategy allows students to actively engage with the material that is being read.

Weaknesses: This strategy is not designed for kinesthetic learners.

Example:

Direct Text and Page Number My Connection

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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Power Notes

Steps:

1. Model the stages of power notes for students.

2. Begin with a “power 1” such as “Animals”

3. For power 2, the students would write reptiles, mammals, amphibians.

4. For power 3, the students would list animals that fit under each category.

Strengths: This strategy allows students to organize information, find text structures, look for

relationships, and actively read information.

Weaknesses: This strategy might be challenging for kinesthetic learners because it only requires

pen-and-paper.

Example:

1. Animals

2. Amphibians

3. Frogs

2. Mammals

3. Elephants

2. Reptiles

3. Snakes
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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Hands-On Reading

Steps:

1. Provide students with a “Hands-On Reading Bookmark”.

2. Go over the steps that are included on the bookmark.

3. Model the steps during a read-aloud with the students.

4. Make it a point to think out loud while modeling the steps mentioned in the bookmark.

5. Instruct students to refer to the bookmark and the steps during their reading.

Strengths: This strategy allows students to build on routines while reading.

Weaknesses: This strategy may be difficult for English Language Learners because it is more of

an independent task.
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Example:
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After Reading
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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Magnet Summaries

Steps:

1. After students are done reading their informational text, explain to students that “magnets

attract to metal as words attract information.”

2. Allow the students to reread the text and pick out which words seem to be the main idea

and write them down.

3. Then, have the students write key details that are important to that particular word.

4. The students will then create a complete sentence that sums up the information that is

being presented in the text in their own words.

Strengths: This strategy allows students to prioritize information and identify the difference in

main ideas and supporting details.

Weaknesses: This strategy could be particularly difficult for English Language Learners who are

at the beginning levels.

Example:
Reading Strategies Reading strategies that are used
before, during, and after reading
-pre-reading
increase student’s comprehension.
-during reading

-after reading

-comprehension
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APA Citation:

Classroom strategies. (n.d.) Retrieved June 29, 2020, from

http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/.

Name: Exit Slip

Steps:

1. After reading, give the students a notebook card to answer a prompt on.

2. Give the students a question to answer such as “What stuck with you today?” or “What is

one thing you learned today?” or “What do you still have a question about?”

3. Instruct the students to write in complete sentences and restate the question at the

beginning of their sentence.

4. Review the exit slips to conduct an informal assessment.

Strengths: Students can tell the teacher what they think and know in regard to the lesson covered

for the day. The students also feel safe because they are speaking directly to the teacher.

Weaknesses: A student could leave the classroom without having a misconception corrected.

Example:

The thing that stuck with me today

was that reading strategies increase
students’ comprehension and
promote active learning.
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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Story Mapping

Steps:

1. Before reading, the students should have prior knowledge about the steps of a story

(rising action, climax, and resolution).

2. Have the students read a set of text and think about what is happening in the story.

3. After they have completed the reading, the students will be provided with a chart that is

in the shape of a mountain.

4. The students will reread the text and fill in key points that led to the climax, the climax,

and then the resolution.

Strengths: This strategy is very helpful when reading about history. It allows students to have a

visual framework of the information they are reading.

Weaknesses: This strategy is not as useful in subjects such as math and science.

Example:
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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Written Conversations

Steps:

1. Model the steps for a written conversation after reading.

2. Reiterate to students that all conversations will be written and not spoken.

3. After reading, the students will get a partner and write notes back and forth about the

information they just read.

4. They will include things such as

a. I made a connection to…

b. I know the feeling…

c. I love the way…

d. I don’t really understand…

5. After the students discuss the material through their written conversations, they will be

asked to share one thing they learned through their time writing with their partner.

Strengths: This strategy promotes writing and reading skills, and it allows students to question

and summarize the information they are learning.

Weaknesses: This strategy could be hard for

Person 1: I do not really understand
who invented the assembly line.
students who are at the beginning level of
Person 2: Henry Ford created the
English proficiency. assembly line. I love the way we
learned about a time before cars and
Example: how much technology has progressed
since then.
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APA Citation:
Classroom strategies. (n.d.) Retrieved June 29, 2020, from
http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/.

Name: RAFT Writing

Steps:

1. Explain what “RAFT” stands for.

a. Role of the Author

b. Audience

c. Format

d. Topic

2. Introduce posing questions that will lead students to the correct answers.

a. Who are you as a writer?

b. Who are you writing to?

c. What is the format? A letter? A speech? An informative passage?

d. What are you writing about?

3. After reading, provide the students with a new perspective to look at the information and

have them respond with their new knowledge.

Strengths: This strategy allows students to critically think about new information and apply it to

their personal understanding.

Weaknesses: This strategy is only useful on subjects that have different perspectives. Although it

can be integrated into all subjects, it will only work on certain information.
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Example:

R: Educator

A: Students of an Education Program

F: Informational

T: Reading Strategies
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English Language Learners

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APA Citation:

Breiseth, L. (n.d.). Reading comprehension strategies for English language learners. Retrieved

on June 30, 2020, from https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/reading-

comprehension-strategies-english-language-learners

Name: Book Tour

Steps:

1. Allow the students to examine the book. Use either a big book or a projector to model

what the different parts of the book are.

2. Point out different things such as the tile, heading, table of contents, index, appendix,

glossary, and etc.

3. Explain how these different parts of the book can be helpful when one is searching for an

answer, a specific part of the topic, or a definition.

4. Have the students write down what each part of the book means as you go over it.

Strengths: This strategy is beneficial to English Language Learners because it allows them to

understand the different dynamic of a book. It also promotes their awareness about how to find

answers in a book before asking for help.

Weaknesses: The students may not understand right away, but repetition and putting the strategy

to use will promote their learning.

Example:

Glossary I can find definitions to words I do not know

in the glossary.
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Table of Contents The table of contents tells me where I can find

a specific part of the topic.

APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Readers Theatre

Steps:

1. After reading a passage, allow the students to create a script about what they just read.

2. After they have created a script, allow the students time to practice it.

3. After the students have practiced their script, allow them to present it to the class.

Strengths: This strategy promotes the use of reading, writing, memory recall, and recreating

information.

Weaknesses: This strategy could make a beginner feel uncomfortable and they could find it more

harmful then helpful.

Example:

The students would read a passage about different ways people use services at the bank.

Different groups could create skits about depositing money, making withdrawals, applying for a

loan, and/or creating a savings account.

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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Vocabulary Interview

Steps:

1. Select a relevant concept and pose questions that will lead towards identifying a key

term.

2. Provide the students with a word bank.

3. Write the questions down so that students can hear and read the questions being asked.

4. Allow the students time to discuss and answer the questions that allow them to think

about the words being used.

Strengths: This allows students to develop meaningful connections and have fun while doing it.

Weaknesses: This strategy may be too complex for the beginning level of English proficiency.

Example:

Word: Bank

Where do you go when you need to retrieve the money you put away?

What place do we entrust to keep our money safe?

Where can you borrow money from?

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APA Citation:

Breiseth, L. (n.d.). Reading comprehension strategies for English language learners. Retrieved

on June 30, 2020, from https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/reading-

comprehension-strategies-english-language-learners

Name: Picture Walk

Steps:

1. Present the students with a book.

2. Allow the students to look at the illustrations and graphic organizers used within the text.

3. Allow the students to make predictions based upon what they see in the illustrations.

Strengths: This allows students to have a visual aid to activate and/or build background

knowledge before reading the text.

Weaknesses: Students without background knowledge may not understand what the picture is,

but through classroom discussion background knowledge can be built.

Example:

The student is provided with a book about the water cycle.

The student identifies the ocean, a mountain, the clouds, rain, and a river.

The student begins to think about how these things are connected.

The student knows that the book will be about how the water cycle works.
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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Analogy Charting

Steps:

1. Determine what the student already knows.

2. Introduce the analogy chart.

3. Allow the students to identify the “new concept” and “familiar concept”.

4. After reading, allow the students time to find the differences and the similarities between

the two.

5. Finally, allow the students to find the relationship category that will link the old

information to the new information.

Strengths: This strategy will help the learners link prior knowledge to new knowledge and make

a meaningful connection. This could even be used with words from their native language and the

English language.

Weaknesses: The students may have a hard time finding differences if it is about the native and

new language.

Example:

New Concept: Cooperative Learning

Familiar Concept: Group Work

Similarities: More than one person working on an assignment, work is made to be done together,

promotes discussion, promotes teamwork.

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Differences: Cooperative learning relies on positive interdependence, independent roles,

engagement, and simultaneous interaction. Group work does not assign roles. Cooperative

learning groups instill skills needed for the 21st century.

Relationship: Dependent/independent
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Special Populations
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APA Citation:

Parrott, P., Henry, S., & Owens, T. (March 1998). Enhancing social studies instruction to

meet Virginia’s SOL. Presentation at the Virginia Council for Learning Disabilities Spring

Forum, Charlottesville, VA.

Name: Selective Highlighting

Steps:

1. Present the students with a workbook/copied book that the student can write on.

2. As you read the information out loud, instruct the students to highlight the main ideas

with one color, and the supporting details with another color.

3. Have the students re-read the information to one another.

Strengths: This strategy allows the students to see the difference between a main idea and

supporting details.

Weaknesses: This strategy would not be beneficial for a student who is color blind. However,

they could underline and circle main ideas and supporting details instead.

Example:

The water cycle consists of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation.

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APA Citation:

Parrott, P., Henry, S., & Owens, T. (March 1998). Enhancing social studies instruction to

meet Virginia’s SOL. Presentation at the Virginia Council for Learning Disabilities Spring

Forum, Charlottesville, VA.

Name: One Sentence Summary

Steps:

1. After reading a short passage, have the students pull out the main ideas.

2. With those main ideas, have the students create a one sentence summary that enables

them to remember the information that is being taught.

3. Then, have the student write the sentence down twice, once to add it into their interactive

journals and the second time to refer to when discussing the topic with the student again.

Strengths: This allows the teacher and the student to understand information from two different

perspectives. This will also allow the teacher to discuss the information with the student in their

own words.

Weaknesses: This may not work for students who are verbally impaired.

Example:

“The parts of the water cycle are important because each part is required for the cycle to be

complete and start over again.”

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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Think-Pair-Share

Steps:

1. Introduce a topic

2. Allow the students time to think about what ideas that stem from that topic

3. Have the students pair up with a different student in the class

4. Each student will share their ideas with one another

Strengths: This strategy allows students to activate and build background knowledge.

Weaknesses: This strategy may not work for students who have a hard time communicating with

others.

Example:

The teacher introduces the term “World War I”

The teacher allows the students to think about what comes to mind when they hear those words

The students share what ideas they had with one another

The class shares ideas from groups so that the discussion will build background information for

everyone in the class.

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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: B/D/A Questioning Charts

Steps:

1. Provide students with a B/D/A chart.

2. Before reading, have the students write down questions that they have over the topic as a

whole.

3. During reading, the students will write down questions that they have as they read.

4. After reading, the students will ask questions that they want to know the answer to, but

did not find within the text.

5. Finally, the students will create one sentence that explains what they learned from the

reading.

Strengths: This strategy activates background knowledge, ensures active reading, and then

allows students to question the concept more after reading.

Weaknesses: This strategy might be difficult for students who are not verbal.

Example:

What questions helped you work your understanding?

Before Reading During Reading After Reading

Create one sentence that sums up what you learned from reading the passage.
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APA Citation:

Buehl, D. (2017). Classroom strategies for interactive learning. Stenhouse Publishers.

Name: Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! Chart

Steps:

1. Have the students write down their thoughts about a topic before reading.

2. As the students read, the must circle either a thumbs up or thumbs down to confirm or

deny their original thoughts.

3. If they chose a thumbs down, then the student must correct their original thought with the

correct information.

Strengths: This strategy allows students to correct conceptual misunderstandings and visually see

that it was not correct.

Weaknesses: A student who is visually impaired would not benefit from this strategy.

Example:

The Earth is flat. The Earth is round.

The moon is a piece of cheese. The moon is made of rock.

The moon orbits around the Earth.