September 18, 2007

Literacy Strategies Survey

Think Aloud Strategy

Everyone has done it. You read a paragraph or more, stop, and realize you have no idea what you just read. Many students do it all the time. The Think Aloud Strategy (Beers, Reading Strategies Handbook) is a quick strategy to model. It helps you think about what you are reading: make a prediction,  identify a problem, fix a mistake, make a visual prcture, make a comparison, or just a comment.

When you think aloud you:

predict ("I think she is going to get in trouble in school.")

create a picture of the text

make comparisons ("Ron's character has changed." "If I said that to my mom I would be in so much trouble." "He was guilty last time and he got off, he'll get off this time.")

identify comprehension problems ("I don't get that. ""Who is talking?" "I don't understand what it is saying.")

fix problems ("Oh, that's the person talking." "I get it.")

make comments ("Roger is so funny." "I want to win the lottery too.")

Your tasks:

Model the Think-Aloud strategy in your classroom. As you model the strategy, have students complete the tally worksheet. Remember, what they tally isn't important, it is making them think.

Place students in pairs with a reading passage (any simple reading passage will do) and give each a tally sheet. One student reads using the Think Aloud while the partner completes the tally sheet. Then repeat changing roles. Collect the tally sheets for review.

Repeat this strategy with curricular material several times before our next Literacy Training and post comments and questions on the wiki.