Curated OER
Introduce: Comprehension Monitoring using About Trees
As scholars begin reading more difficult text, they need to acquire an arsenal of comprehension strategies. Here are few helpful ones to guide new readers through the informational text About Trees, which is linked here for printing....
Curated OER
Comprehension: Answering Questions then Rereading the Text to Identify Details in Support of the Answers
Even first graders can be exposed to good reading strategies and comprehension skills. The teacher demonstrates how to read informational text, look at the questions, reread the text, locate answer, then locate supporting details to...
Curated OER
Gus and Grandpa and the Two Wheeled Bike: comprehension skills
What a fantastic idea! Give these bookmarks to your readers to help them conquer pages 206-222 of Gus and Grandpa and the Two Wheeled Bike. They make inferences, conduct close reads, search for cause and effects, and focus on Gus, the...
Curated OER
Learning About Phrases To Improve Fluency And Comprehension
Investigate the concept of phrases and how they are a crucial element for successful reading comprehension. High schoolers identify key phrases in reading selections. Afterward, they engage in writing exercises regarding what they have...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Fluency and Comprehension
Students increase fluency through repeated reading exercises. In groups, they practice reading sentences prior to reading the book, "Jane and Bob." Individually, students read parts to the teacher who notes expression, smoothness, and...
Curated OER
On Your Mark, Get Set, Read!
Are your beginning readers trying to build fluency? Use this activity to teach them how to monitor their reading fluency. First they get a sentence to practice with, reading it to their partner once and rereading it silently five times....
Curated OER
Maniac Magee
A 10-question interactive online quiz checks comprehension of Jerry Spinelli's lively novel. Several inference-based questions demand more than just fact recollection. Unlimited chances to try missed questions again encourage rereading....
Curated OER
House of the Spirits: Fun Trivia Quiz
This quiz about Isabel Allende's magic-realist novel, on the syllabus for many 10th graders, comes with well supported answers that could foster discussion, incite rereading, and enhance comprehension. If you have computer access in your...
EngageNY
Rereading and Close Reading: Communism, “The Vietnam Wars,” and “Last Respects” (Pages 85 and 86)
What might a papaya symbolize? Using the resource, scholars look for examples of symbolism in the novel Inside Out & Back Again. They also participate in a silent discussion called a Chalk Talk, writing their responses to a...
EngageNY
Inferring: Who was John Allen?
Help your learners work with difficult or archaic words. A continuation of lesson two of this module, the plan here focuses on deciphering the Inventory of John Allen, in particular the unfamiliar words that make up much of the list. Add...
EngageNY
Mid-Unit Assessment, Part 1 and Excerpt 4 Third Read
I hear you! Scholars work on the mid-unit assessment by listening to a story told orally rather than reading it themselves. After watching a video clip of Thelma Thomas performing Harriet Tubman, they answer questions about what they...
Curated OER
Ribbit, Ribbit: Leap into Speedy Reading
Students explore reading with fluency. They use repeated reading in order to improve their reading fluency. Students read "Frog and Toad are Friends." They discuss why it is important to read with fluency and explore what reading with...
Curated OER
Fly Away Into Reading
Students complete repeated readings of the same passage in order to increase their reading fluency and comprehension. They listen as the teacher reads both with and without fluency to hear the difference. Working in small groups, they...
Curated OER
Finding Self-Reliance
Fourth graders relate what is read to their own experiences and feelings and use active listening to respond to other students' comments. After a lecture/demo, 4th graders utilize an Active Listening Chart imbedded in this plan to gain...
Curated OER
"As You Like It" by William Shakespeare
Jacque's soliloquy from Act II, scene ii of As You Like It sets the stage for a close reading exercise that models how to approach difficult, dense text and enables readers to practice reading comprehension and analysis skills. Learners...
Student Achievement Partners
"The Glorious Whitewasher" from The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain with Mini-Assessment
It's the classic scene: Tom Sawyer is whitewashing a fence. Expose your learners to Mark Twain's humor while reinforcing reading comprehension. Eighth graders are encouraged to read and reread, achieving as much exposure to the text as...
Curated OER
Is That Movie OK?
Discuss movies and movie enjoyment with your middle school language arts class. They interpret movie review information, determine appropriate movies, and then write film reviews to share with the class. Focus on using context clues to...
Curated OER
Ella y Él
Take a trip to Costa Rica with th popular song "Ella y Él" by Ricardo Arjona. After listening to the song (and possibly reading the lyrics) the class discusses the general message of the song, the political nature, and other US bands...
Curated OER
Speedy Reading
Learners review the cover-up and crosscheck method of reading words before practicing rereading to become more fluent readers. They listen as the teacher reads both with and without fluency to determine which is easier to understand....
Curated OER
Ready, Set, Read! Growing Independence and Fluency
Second graders practice reading a selection a number of times in order to increase their reading fluency and comprehension. They listen to a teacher demonstration of both non-fluent and fluent reading to determine the difference. Working...
Curated OER
SSHHH¿¿Someone is Listening
Students, to be considered a fluent reader, must not only be able to read out loud but must also read silently. However, while reading silently, the student must still comprehend the reading. For this lesson, students will learn to read...
Great Books Foundation
Shared Inquiry Lesson Plan for “The New Colossus”
Two is better than one. Scholars use shared inquiry and discuss their ideas with one another to better interpret Emma Lazerus' poem "The New Colossus." They work through pre-reading, reading, questioning, and rereading activities before...
EngageNY
Analyzing the Central Ideas, Part 1: “The Border”
What is your strategy? Scholars read "The Border" and work with a partner to practice reading strategies to use while independent reading. They identify difficult parts where they practiced rereading by marking them with sticky notes,...
Curated OER
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass an American Slave, Written by Himself
The narrative works of Frederick Douglass engage learners in the topic of slavery. They will experience American history in a new way, a Douglass expresses his thoughts in his own words. Pupils then interpret this literary work.