Modeling is a great way to show students what kinds of things they should be thinking about as they read a text. The 25 teachers in this study modeled thier own thinking in shared reading. They did not ask students specific questions. Students did particiapte though by talking with a partner, writing a reflection, indicating agreement with certain statements or asking questions. I especially liked the section on vocabulary and the three strategies students can use to figure out a word they don’t know instead of asking the teacher. The first one is inside-the-word strategies which means looking at word parts such as prefixes and suffixes and thinking about what they mean. The second is outside-the-word strategies including looking at context clues or other parts of the sentence to deduce the meaning. And finally there are outside resoures such as peers, the dictionary or the internet. I also found it useful to realize that you need to figure out a purpose for the piece of reading you are modeling whether it be focusing on comprehension, vocabulary, text structures, or text features. It may include a combination and sticky notes can be useful here.
Kristen,
I found this reading informative as well. I agree with you that it is important for teachers to have a purpose for the reading that they are modeling. By having a purpose then it is easier to focus on that during the reading and guide the students in understanding what you are focusing on. I had never used sticky notes when reading until Dr. Trathen’s class and now I find it very helpful to remind me of what I’m wanting students to get out of what we are reading. I think it’s a great strategy.