Strategy Sessions

There are many ways to involve families with their children’s strategy lessons. Home review and reinforcement help make strategy use more automatic for chil- dren and give them practice in applying their strategies across different settings. Specific ideas for home involvement include:

j _{Send a copy of the class Strategy Chart home with each child. Invite the}

children to explain the strategies to their parents/caregivers and encourage family members to use the chart as a reference when they read with the child.

j _{Encourage family members to talk about the strategies that they use}

when they read and write. Have the children report back to the class, and

then add new strategies the class Chart when appropriate.

j _{Over a one or two day period, invite the children to keep a tally of the}

strategies they use when they read aloud to their caregivers. Combine all

the children’s responses in a class tally.

j _{Have parents/caregivers and their children work together on making}

strategy bookmarks to use at home. Suggest they include new visual cues

on the bookmarks.

j _{Select a new strategy to try each night for a week. Have the children}

share those they found the most useful with their Strategy Circle.

j _{Ask children to tape record themselves reading a favorite story at home}

(without adult interruption). Then have the children and their caregivers listen to the tape and jot down the strategies used.

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To smooth transitions for Strategy Circle time, prepare Strategy Baskets with materials for each group. This organization helps in those situations where you can have an adult volunteer take over one of the Strategy Circles. Basket materials include:

◆_{Multiple copies of a book at that group’s instructional level.}

◆_{A pocket folder, with copies of lesson plans for that title from the teacher’s}

manual (when available).

Teaching Reading Strategies in the Primary Grades © Bergeron & Bradbury-Wolff, Scholastic Teaching Resources

◆_{Sight and/or Word Wall words that correspond to the text written on index cards.} ◆_{Laminated graphic organizers.}

◆_{Letter-sized copy of the classroom strategy chart.} ◆_{Individual cue cards for each of the strategies.} ◆_{Strategy-Circle Observation Forms.}

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There are many ways to schedule Strategy Circles into a strategies-based literacy classroom. It’s important to be flexible and to provide plenty of time for children to read texts at their instructional levels so they can practice the strategies they need most.

Strategy Circles can be part of: j _{Morning Work}

j _{Independent reading or writing} j _{Learning Centers (page 106)} j _{Shoebox activities (Chapter 5).}

j _{Or they may be planned periodically in place of:} j _{Whole-group directed instruction}

j _{Spelling or phonics lessons}

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There is no one prescription for using Strategy Circles. However, the following is a good format for early lessons, which will typically last about10 minutes.

1. Review the Strategies. Begin with a quick review of each of the strategies on

the chart and ask the children what strategies they use when they get stuck on a word or on the meaning of a story.

2. Reinforce the Strategies. As the children suggest strategies, show the individ-

ual strategy cue cards for further reinforcement. Also match the cue cards with the large, class chart and remind students to use this chart as a reference if they are having difficulty with reading and writing.

3. Introduce the Story. As each Strategy Circle group reads from texts that are at

an appropriate instructional level . . .

• Have the students look at the book’s title and cover illustration to predict what it will be about.

• Invite the group to take a picture walk through the book, checking the illustrations to make further predictions about the content.

Teaching Reading Strategies in the Primary Grades © Bergeron & Bradbury-Wolff, Scholastic Teaching Resources

• Review any potentially unfamiliar vocabulary essential to the story’s meaning. • Model the strategy of cross-checking as you match sight words in the text to

words on the Word Wall or on other classroom displays.

4. Read the Text. Have the children read the story aloud chorally or silently to

themselves.

• Then, have them take turns rereading portions of the story. Here’s a chance for you to hear how individual children are applying strategies.

• In other Circle sessions, ask students to read independently or with a partner; a variety of formats provides practice with different contexts.

5. Focus on One Strategy. After completing the story, ask the children which

strategies they used while reading the day’s text. They can refer to the small chart or cue cards. Then, select one strategy to focus on with the group.

Choose a strategy that is useful for reading that day’s text, or one that reinforces a lesson using a strategy you’ve recently introduced.

6. Recap. As time permits, introduce comprehension activities. For example,

you might have the children discuss their favorite character in the story, share new facts they learned, or compare this story with a similar one they have read before.

• As a reinforcement of the day’s instruction, send the book home for children to reread with a family member.