Reading Apprenticeship supports teachers and students to engage deeply in rigorous academic reading. The tools below have been designed to help create collaborative learning environments and support self-awareness and stamina. They are just a few of many that are available in our books and professional learning. In addition to the materials below, you can find more tools and information in our library of resources.
READING FOR UNDERSTANDING, CHAPTER 2
Chapters 2 and 3 of Reading for Understanding describe how our approach to teaching reading in subject area classes is grounded in a view of learning as a social-cognitive interactive process, and how positive social and personal interactions build the foundation for engaged academic learning. Download chapter 2 using the link below or read more about our approach for more information.
“FIX-UP STEPS” PROTOCOL
As students identify and describe their reading processes and problems, they will naturally include their problem-solving processes. For many students, the Fix-Up Steps Protocol is useful when they get stopped by a “roadblock” and need to clarify a point of confusion in a text. The last step, getting outside help, should become increasingly comfortable for students when the collaborative structure of the classroom begins to reveal their peers as valuable outside resources.
METACOGNITIVE BOOKMARKS
When teachers model metacognitive conversation with a Think Aloud, many give students a bookmark for keeping track of the common kinds of thinking processes the teacher will be demonstrating. Students can use this same bookmark as a scaffold for their own metacognitive conversations when practicing with a partner.
METACOGNITIVE READING LOG GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
When students keep metacognitive reading logs in a loose-leaf binder or electronically, the individual sheets or documents can easily be turned in for teacher assessment, as with this Metacognitive Reading Log Graphic Organizer. The log entries allow the teacher to see what students are understanding, curious about, or confused by—and respond accordingly.
DEBRIEFING SSR+ READING: DISCUSSION PROMPTS
These discussion prompts can be used for whole-class debriefing of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). Once they are familiar with the prompts, it can be helpful to give a copy to students for their use in debriefing with a partner.