Strategies

Reading Comprehension Strategies

There are seven reading comprehension strategies that are research based and have been
proven to work with children.  These strategies are used with both fiction and non-fiction text.
The third grade team has been trained on these strategies.

*Making Connections – Using your background knowledge before, during, and after
reading in order to make Text to Self, Text to Text,  and Text to World connections.

*Questioning – Asking questions of themselves, the authors, and the texts 
that they are reading.

*Determining Importance – Determining the most important ideas and themes in a
text.

*Visualization – Creating a visual and other sensory images from the text 
during and after reading.  

*Fix Up – Utilizing a variety of fix-up strategies to repair comprehension 
when it breaks down.

*Inferring – Using prior knowledge and textual information to draw 
conclusions, make predictions, critical judgments, and form unique 
interpretations from text.  Finding the deeper meaning of a text.

*Synthesizing – To monitor for overall meaning, important concepts, and 
themes in a text, to be aware of how text elements fit together, and to 
extend the literal meaning of a text to the inferential level. 

ACES

ACES is a strategy to help students when answering questions about reading.  
They should support their answer with evidence from the text and extend their 
answer by:
*Backing up information from the text with their personal experience or prior 
knowledge that they have about the topic
                         AND/OR
*Explaining why this information is important or significant:  "This means... 
In other words...I know this because..."

ACES STRATEGY
A - Answer the question
C - Cite evidence from the text to support your answer
      Connections (text-to-text, text-to-self, and text-to-world)
E - Explain your answer
      Extend your answer
S - Summarized final statement

F - TAP

F-TAP is a strategy that is used for writing.  Students must consider the 
FORM, TOPIC, AUDIENCE, and PURPOSE  of each piece of writing they do.  
Students should identify the F-TAP as they read or hear each writing 
assignment/prompt, and make note of it before they begin writing.

F - FORM -->  What form should my writing take?  
              Should it be a paragraph?
              Should it be a business letter?
              Should it be a friendly letter?
              Should it be a multi-paragraph essay?
              Should it be a list?

T - TOPIC --> What did I write about?
              What am I being asked to write about?
              Did I fully explain the topic?

A - AUDIENCE --> Who is the designated reader?
                 According to the prompt, to whom am I writing?
                 Did I write for the designated audience?
                 Did I adjust my content, style, tone, and expression?

P - PURPOSE -->  What is my assigned purpose in writing?
                 To express personal thoughts or feelings
                 To tell a story                 
                 To inform
                 To persuade
                 Did I accomplish my purpose? 

TTQA

TTQA stands for Turn The Question Around

Students are expected to rephrase the question in any answer that they write.

For example:  What character traits could be used to describe Patti?
                        The character traits that could be used to describe Patti are...

CUCC

CUCC is a strategy for following directions.  This strategy should be used by 
students whenever they are required to respond to Limited Writing Prompts and 
to all content questions.
C = Circle
U = Underline
C = Count
C = Check Off when Completed

Students will:
1.  CIRCLE directions words.
2.  UNDERLINE all important information after each direction word.
3.  COUNT the actual number of direction words and number them.
4.  CHECK off each item as they COMPLETE it.