Content area reading strategies for sixth-grade students

¶ … graduate experience thus far has exceeded my expectations. I was prepared to do a considerable amount of reading and feared that I might find too much of it to be overly theoretical and dry. I was surprised and pleased to find that much of the reading will apply directly to my work in the field of teaching. The most enjoyable aspect of the graduate experience has been the discussion and collaboration with other students. People vary in age and with respect to personal and professional experience. Everyone brings a unique view to the course work and we are all in pursuit of a common goal. It has been helpful to see other perspectives besides my own.

The lesson planning activities have been rewarding, as well as a tremendous amount of work. I have gained greater insight into the process because of the detail with which we approached the task. I was forced to think of each lesson from my own perspective, as the teacher, but also from the point-of-view of the students. It is interesting to consider questions students might have, and it makes me think about more than one way to explain a concept to a student. This has really helped clarify my understanding that students respond to lessons in different ways. As a teacher, I will encounter different learning styles among my students. Some styles will be comfortable to me, while others will feel foreign. I realize that if I can at least understand the viewpoints of students with other learning styles, it will enhance my own understanding and thus help me be a more effective teacher.

Content Area Reading Strategies: Grade 6

The Importance of Implementing Reading Strategies through Content Material

In lower elementary school, students learn how to read. By sixth grade, the focus has shifted and students are expected to read to learn. "Literacy is an evolving concept" (Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz, 2011, p. 1). As students are expected to make meaning out of increasingly complex text, they still need direct instruction and support in reading strategies in order to be successful. Exposure to higher-level content does not automatically turn students into better readers; instruction and practice with appropriate strategies is necessary.

Strategy

Purpose

How It Works

Creating Story Impressions

(Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz, 2011, p. 173).

Facilitate creation of mental images while reading

The teacher reads a brief synopsis of an appropriate passage and invites students to close their eyes, imagining tastes, smells, feelings, sights and sounds. Students are asked to draw on prior experiences and share ideas with classmates. The teacher asks questions to prompt students to elaborate, then make predictions. Finally, students are asked to recall predictions during and after the reading. The teacher facilitates a discussion of whether the predictions came true and whether they made sense.

Using Think-Alouds to Model Comprehension Strategies

(Vacca, Vacca, and Mraz, 2011, p. 197).

Demonstrate, particularly for struggling readers, that there are specific strategies to aid in comprehension.

The teacher verbalizes his/her thoughts while reading orally.

Reference

Vacca, R.T., Vacca, J.L., and Mraz, M. (2011). Content area reading: Literacy and learning across the curriculum. 10th ed. Boston: Pearson.