Support Student Learning

5 Ways to Support Student Learning

1. Target Overall Comprehension of Language

Before tackling a text, I would provide students with important vocabulary and meaning. I would also start with shorter texts, and practice reading comprehension to see if students are developing thinking skills to pick up on the main ideas. Additionally, providing real-life examples and have students compare/contrast to what was read.

2. Teach Vocabulary

I would introduce students to new vocabulary words they will encounter in their readings. Using the Frayer's vocabulary model, students can write the definition, synonyms, antonyms, and picture that represents the word. Also, learning how to dissect words into their prefix, root, and suffix parts, and learning their separate meanings. This can be a multisensory activity where each student has a different prefix/suffix/root part and roam around the room to connect with peers to create different words. Another game could be charades, pictionary or taboo. Then, teaching students how to use context clues, and often the definition is given in the reading with examples or antonyms/synonyms.

3. Teach Thinking Strategies

I will continue to use KWL Charts to determine what students already know, what they want to know, and what they learned. I usually accompany this with think alouds such as 'Turn-and-Talks', 'Think-Pair-Share', 'Inside/Outside Circles' and other cooperative learning strategies. I am interested in applying SQ3R (survey, question, read, recite, review) as a means for students to track their thoughts/ideas throughout, while learning how to use text features. SQ3R is a great method for students to practice annotating/summarizing, developing questions, answering questions, making connections, organizing thoughts in a visual/diagram, highlight keywords, and frequently make references to the text. This can be combined with a Socratic seminar as the whole group shares their insights.  

4. Reciprocal Thinking

Assigning each student a role as questioner, summarizer, clarifier, and predictor, this can be used to review specific chapters or sections of text. Then, students can switch roles after discussing a chapter/section to strengthen each of their questioning, summarizing, clarifying and predicting skills. Meanwhile, noting important events, symbols, characters and backing up their explanations with evidence.

5. Directly Teach Comprehension Skills

Creating anchor charts with the different types of comprehension skills for students to reference. Modeling for students with an example text, practicing with a different text together, and letting students practice independently with another text. This can also be an opportunity to use expressive activities. For instance, students can create drawings for figurative language, students create pictures of a story and a peer has to organize them in sequence, or creating a timeline of events and identifying how the story structure fits. 

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4C's in Reading (Critical Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Creativity)

Example 1: In teams, students organize a plan to bring awareness to human impacts on the environment. Students can examine case studies of other areas negatively influenced by human activity students. Or students can research and survey residents to learn about the environmental history of their own community, find the effects of these changes, what were people's responses to these changes, and what can be a possible solution. Additionally, students can develop campaign videos, posters, and presentations informing families and the communities about environmental issues. As well as, getting community and political leaders involved to find ways to improve their environment.

Example 2: Students break into teams with a culture/country/state they would like to learn more about. Students become 'experts' of these regions history,language, foods, art, beliefs/values, etc. Students can find information online or interviewing relatives, residents, or leaders from those communities. Students work together to create a representation of their findings by creating a photocollage, food recipe, learning a dance/song/poem, role play, etc. In the end, all teams can present at a multicultural night.