Reading for Intermediate and Advanced Learners, Spring, 2011

For my second strategy I showed mystudents how to inferential read. Inferencing is a large part of the NC EOG at grade 7 so I spend a lot of time in this area. This strategy helps connect the dots between what students already know and what they will learn in the lesson. The strategy is used with any teacher directed reading and modeled by the teacher so students have a full understanding. Using predictions is also built off of this strategy. Giving students time to make a prediction based on the information given to them goes a long way when they have to use inferencing to answer test based questions. Using predictions, prior knowledge, and inferencing student are able to build on knowledge for a deeper understanding.

My second strategy is Exit Slips. I wondered for a long time when I first started teaching if my students were leaving my room with the information presented in class. By using exit slips I get a general idea what they learned or what we may need to cover in more depth. The strategy is used by asking a question or two at the end of class. There are three basic catagories of exit slips: 1. prompts that document learning 2. prompts that emphasize the process of learning, and 3. effectiveness of learning. I use a lot of main idea questions when getting responces from my students. One of the downfalls of this strategy is stopping class early to use it. I do not like stopping right in the middle of a lesson and feeling like there is still information hanging in the balance. It is important to try and end on a positive note and allow students time to process the information. I generally use the strategy 2-3 times a week.