Organizers
Videos:
What does the teacher have the
students do that deepened their
understanding of
what they were reading?
Video 1
Understanding Character
Video 3:
Private Captain
 Understanding
Characters
 She has them relate to
the characters (Maniac
McGee) and say if
they admire them or
not.
 Says what she is
reading and why she
admires that character.
Students had a group
discussion after they read,
which allowed them to dig
deeper within the novel. The
teacher observed the
student’s discussion and
would chime in when
needed.
How was the responsibility for
the learning released to the
students?
Reflections: What can you learn or takeaway from the video? Questions?
Comments?
The teacher talked about her
Modeling is an important aspect of
own book, and the character
reading education. I often forget to
she admired and why. She
do this with my students, since
told the students that was
they’re upper elementary. I will
what she wanted them to
hopefully start incorporating this
focus on while reading. The
withing our novels. Since we all
teacher did an overview for
read the same book and don’t do
the students, had some
reading workshops it may be easier
students talk about Manic
since it won’t be 18+ different books
McGee and then set them off
but only 1 book.
on their own.
The students were the leaders
Thinking, talking, and writing is
in the discussion on the book. important when teaching literature.
This made the students focus
This model seems like it will work
when they read because they
with my higher-level readers. I am
would need talking points to going to try and do small groups with
have a meaning discussion
our next novel, so hopefully I can
with the teacher.
start to incorporate this and have a
student lead discussion.
What did you like about the instruction you saw in the videos? What would you change?
I want to start incorporating the modeling aspect of video 1 for understanding characters. We’re starting a heavy book after winter break, so I
hope to use more modeling aspects so the students can really see Malala’s POV. Along the lines with modeling, I want to start small group
discussions with this book because it does have heavy topics and the students are about the same age as Malala was when she got shot for
advocating. I’m hoping the students will be able to see how their access to education a privilege and that advocating is important.
Chapter and Strategy
Description of Strategy and
Key ideas
Ways to teach the strategy in
your classroom
Your personal experiences,
questions, or comments about
the strategy
First Chapter: Monitoring
Comprehension (6)
Strategy: Knowing when you
know and knowing when you
don’t know. (Harvey and
Goudvis, 2007, pg. 81)
Purpose: to clarify
confusion/answer questions
about the text
- Sticky notes – jot down
questions when reading
- Coming back and
rereading text/questions
for clarification
-
Book: I am Malala
When starting our next book, I
will have the students write
down questions they have while
reading. This will help them
become aware of their inner
dialog. I hope eventually they
won’t need to stop to write
questions down and they can
realize that they are questioning
what they are reading.
Second Chapter: Connecting to
background knowledge (7)
Strategy: Building Background
Knowledge to teach specific
content. (Harvey and Goudvis,
2007, pg. 99)
Purpose: collecting knowledge
to build and store knowledge of
a specific area.
- Asking what students
already know
Book: I am Malala
For our next book, building
background knowledge is
important. When we start to
learn about Malala and her
background, I want my students
have a solid understanding of
differences between our
Countries and access to
education. For this, I plan to
show pictures of schools and
At my old school, last year, we
did “stop and jots” which I
didn’t love. The students would
read their independent books
and stop and jot when they had a
question. When I start Malala
with my current class, I plan to
have the students write down 2
or 3 questions down per chapter
as an exit ticket strategy. This
way, I can track the students
thinking and answer their
questions, this would also be
helpful students who don’t feel
comfortable talking in class. I
will be starting small groups
with this book as well, so I will
be able to model how to
generate questions when
reading.
I haven’t had the opportunity to
teach background knowledge
yet, so I not 100% sure on how
to do it. As of now I am going
to talk to the other 5th grade
ELA teacher to see how she has
done it in the past. I defiantly
want to have a discussion on
access to education and views
on women.
-
-
Show pictures and
classrooms compared to ours.
photographs and discuss Discuss views of women in
them
Pakistan.
Generate questions based
off pictures
Write about what you
know
2
Chapters in Strategies That Work:
Take aways:
1. Modeling reading/questioning of a novel is still an important even in upper elementary school.
2. Small group discussion will be beneficial for my 5th grade class.
3. Explicitly teaching the students to write questions done will be beneficial and serve them well when they get to middle
school.