Customer Reviews

50 Reproducible Strategy Sheets That Build Comprehension During Independent Reading: Engaging Forms That Guide Students to Use Reading Strategies and ... Elements-and Help You Assess Comprehension

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The research is clear concerning the importance and value of independent reading. Whether it is referred to as DEAR (Drop Everything And Read) or SSR (Silent Sustained Reading, independent reading helps develop the reader's fluency, vocabulary, and background knowledge (or schema.)

There are many ways a teacher can approach independent reading. One year, for example, I devoted Fridays strictly to independent reading. No writing nor talking was allowed. We simply plopped on the floor, on pillows, or in chairs and read silently. I read along with my students. While we did share what we had read the last few minutes of class time, we did not engage in using dialogue or reading journals. Another year, my students kept reading logs as they read. Regardless of the approach, most of the students enjoyed "reading day." They would race into the room in order to have the first pick from the many books I had displayed for them around the room.

Last year I came across Robb's book in a local Barnes and Noble. Looking through all the "interactive strategy sheets," I wondered if I could incorporate them into my independent reading day. The answer, I found, was yes. The students did not balk at the idea of completing a graphic organizer while they read---something I had feared. They used the sheets to monitor their progress as well as to apply the reading strategies I had explicitly taught them during the week. The students appeared more engaged, and our time spent on independent reading seemed more purposeful. I did not grade the sheets per say, I simply put a gold star on them if the student completed it. In addition, I used the sheets as another means of assessment.

There are 50 sheets which can be used with various types of text---poetry, historical and realistic fiction, and newspapers. Included are forms for: making personal connections, questioning the reader, synthesizing information, paraphrasing, and more.

This is easy for special education students to use. They don't feel overwhelmed by the page. They are required to write but will not feel frustrated by the tasks. It has organizers for each part of the writing process, which will also help students retain information. Great for students with memory problems!

I have researched many reading books for my child. This book is outstanding. Everyone seems to know what reading is about. Many parents buy reading books without much thought. This book is about reading with "intention" and "strategy". It's a skill-building training with clear methodology and objectives. It will systematically develop your child's true ability many other books won't do. It benefited my child tremendously. After applying this book for only one month, I started to see the difference. Now, they are the top readers in their classes. They often rank high in the Beestar weekly reading program (an excellent web site http://www.beestar.org). This fine book is truly thoughtful and is so effective. I highly recommend it.

This book is great. There are 50 ideas for keeping kids from just staring at the page when they are doing sustained silent reading. A way to be accountable, without assigning one more book report. The forms themselves may be for elementary and middle age, but the ideas will translate beautifully to the high school kids who are still staring at the pages pretending to read.

This is a great resource for teachers who are working to improve their student's reading skills. It has many of the worksheets that I would like to have time to create for myself -- but don't have time to! I highly recommend this book!

This was just the kind of book I needed, but as it turned out, this particular one did not impress. The pages are not removable for easy copying, and there were some spelling mistakes that I came across in the few pages I actually wanted to use. Kind of surprising in a book written by a language arts teacher.

If you ask many English teachers, they implement a pedagogical strategy called "SSR" into their classroom Sustained, silent reading is where you have students sit and silently read for a certain period of time. Over the last four years of implementing this myself, I have seen a few problems with it. First of all, many students will just sit and stare at one page while daydreaming while others will struggle with what they are reading and end up finishing with no understanding.

This book is helpful because it forces the "daydreamers" to read. There are certain pages such as "storyboards" where students are asked to draw or describe what they have read. This keeps them accountable.

However, pages like these are also useful because it forces students who are having difficulty to analyze their understanding and perhaps implement strategies such as re-reading to help them understand. On the other hand, it is a great formative assessment for the teacher who can collect the sheets and see if what the students write or draw makes sense.

I do not think this is too young for the higher grades. I happen to be a seventh grade teacher and have used this for several years now.

I don't think this is a tool that is age-appropriate for the higher age groups (6th-8th) and really can't be (and no reason to be) modified for high school. There are several sheets to aid in illustrated stories, and effective worksheets to help with beginning to intermediate readers.