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What is the strategy?

A 3-2-1 prompt asks students to describe three takeaways, two questions, and one thing they enjoyed after reading a text or engaging in a lesson. 3-2-1 helps teachers gauge student interest of a topic and to check for understanding. This strategy can help prompt class discussions or help students review material from a prior lesson.

How do you use the strategy?

1. Instruct students to answer the 3-2-1 prompt

- Three things that they have learned from this lesson or from this text.

- Two questions that they still have.

- One aspect of class or the text that they enjoyed.

*These questions have flexibility dependent on learning objective*

2. Use student responses to prompt class discussion or to review material

3. Evaluate students' responses to guide teaching decisions

How will it work in your content area?

I will use the 3-2-1 strategy as a review method for students after they complete a series of mini-lessons within science or social studies content areas. I will also use it to gauge student understanding of seemingly more complex texts.

References
3-2-1. Facing History and Ourselves. (n.d.). Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/teaching-strategies/3-2-1

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What is the strategy?

Save the Last Word for Me is a during and after reading strategy focused on comprehension.  It structures a text-based discussion therefore builds speaking and listening skills. Students read a text and highlight 5 of the most important sentences they then discuss why they selected their sentences in small groups.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Choose a text for students to read on their own

2) Tell students that as they read the selected text they must pick 5 statements that they would like to discuss.  Some guiding criteria for selecting statement:
-They agree or disagree with an idea
-It contradicts what they know
-There was a surprising turn of events
-An idea intrigues them and they want to think about it
-There is something they would like to try

3) Show students how you would like them to mark their statements. Options include:
-Highlighting the entire sentence
-Underlining it with a pencil
-Placing a post-in note next to it
-Place a checkmark next to the column

4) Give students 5 index cards (one for each statement). On one side they write the statement they selected. On the other side, they record personal thoughts to share/rationale for selecting it.

5.) Put students in small groups of 4

6.) First student shares one of their statements and where it was in the document.

7.) The rest of the group reacts. Shares their understanding and thoughts of the statement.

8.) Once everyone in the group has shared, the original person states their reasoning (back of the card).

9.) Everyone should share one of their statements.

How will it work in your content area?

I plan to use the Save the Last Word for Me strategy across ELA, SS and Science content areas. It is a strategy that will build student confidence because there is no wrong or right answer. Students have an opportunity to share without judgement.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

The possible sentences strategy helps students evaluate how an author uses academic vocabulary and encourages close reading of a content area text. Students must be taught the vocabulary terms before they read the content-area text. After students read the text, they must be given an opportunity to revisit their vocabulary learning. This strategy requires students to have some background knowledge about the topic therefore the possible sentences strategy should be used once students have learned some concepts/themes in the content area unit of study.

How do you use the strategy?

1.) Teacher: Select unfamiliar and familiar words

2.) Teacher and students: Practice word identification.

3.) Teacher and students: Generate student-friendly definitions

4.) Students: Compose Possible Sentences

5.) Students: Read text

6.) Students: Evaluate, discuss, revise sentences

How will it work in your content area?

I will use this writing-to-learn strategy with students during a unit of study within content areas once I am confident that they have enough background knowledge to do so. I think possible sentences would fit best within the social studies content area specifically within the study of Ancient Civilizations. The study of culture within Ancient Egypt comes to mind.

References
The IRIS Center. (2014). Secondary reading instruction (part 2): Deepening middle school content-area learning with vocabulary and comprehension strategies. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/sec-rdng2/

Possible sentences for - reading rockets. (n.d.). Retrieved July 31, 2022, from https://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/Possible_Sentences.pdf

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What is the strategy?

Semantic mapping shows the relationship between key concepts and related technical terms in a text passage. Concepts are organized in a graph that is organized into categories so students visually see how the ideas connect. Semantic maps can be used before reading, during reading or after reading.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Model how to use the strategy by selecting a topic recently studied and write the key theme/concept on the chart. Ask students to brainstorm and record words that relate to the key word. Ask students to explain their thinking and encourage them to make connections with prior knowledge

2) Create a web or map and write the theme/concept in the center circle and organize student generated brainstormed ideas into categories. Record them around the key word using spokes

3) When students understand the process of creating a Semantic Map, give them a concept they will learn next. Put students in small groups, ask them to brainstorm and record words which relate to the key word. Use Semantic Maps created by each small group to create a whole class Semantic Map of the key word

4) As the unit of study progresses, students can add, delete or add on to ideas written on their Semantic Map

How will it work in your content area?

Semantic Mapping can be used across any content area. I will use Semantic Maps in place of KWL charts because I think they will better support the struggling learners in my special education classroom. I plan to use this strategy as a pre-reading activity in which students will predict what they can learn from a unit of study. I will have students add, delete and elaborate on their ideas as they progress through the unit of study within social studies and/or science.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

Word Sorts are a pre-reading strategy that help students access and share their prior learning. This strategy encourages students to understand the relationship between concepts as they sort vocabulary words into similar categories. There are 2 types of Word Sorts: open sort or closed sort.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Teacher selects the concept students will study and the vocabulary words or phrases the students need to learn

2) Teacher prepares sets of word cards and gives them to pairs of students

3) Teacher models the "Open Sort" process:
-Show students the vocabulary words
-Ask them to brainstorm possible categories for the words to fit into
OR
Teacher models the "Closed Sort" process:
-Show students the vocabulary words
-Present students with the categories you selected to sort the words

5) Have students make a set of word cards and then have them put the words in categories that make sense

6) Have students share their sorted words with a peer/another group and have them explain their category rationale

How will it work in your content area?

I will use this strategy to introduce a unit of study in math, social studies or science as a pre-reading exercise to assess students' prior knowledge. I will also use it to teach critical thinking skills like classification and deduction.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

Act the Word is a strategy for learning and reviewing vocabulary. Students work in cooperative groups to 'act out' the meaning of a word. This strategy is a fun one and develops communication skills among students.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Determine words to be studied
2) Assign students to cooperative groups of 3 or 4
3) Assign each student a role of actor, director, and coach
- Actors: act out the words
- Director: Distributes words. decides the order of presentation, and directs the presentation
- Coach: keeps the group on task, encourages group members, and checks to see if each group member knows each word
4)The student director distributes the words to group members
5) Members learn the meaning of each word with the coach's assistance as needed
6) Group members brainstorm and decide how to best act out each vocabulary word
7) Group members teach their words to the class. The director instructs the rest of the class to act out the word, tell the meaning and to pronounce it out loud
8) The teacher instructs the class to stand in a circle and calls out a word for students to demonstrate the learned action (from the group who had the word), say the meaning and the word
9) Instruct students to explain their performances and how the demonstration increased their understanding of the word

How will it work in your content area?

I plan to use this strategy when I work with my 5th graders this year as a push in 15:1:1 special education teacher during science. Acting out science vocabulary words related to chemistry will be extremely helpful to students because the processes of a chemical reaction can be acted out easily.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

The Concept Definition Mapping Strategy helps students learn key vocabulary and make connections within the content. It is similar to a concept map because it portrays ideas linked together in the form of a graphic organizer.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Teacher determines the critical words that students must know in a unit of study

2) Teacher provides an example of a Concept Definition Map

3) Explain the meaning of the questions on the concept map:
-What is it?
-What is it not?
-What is it like?
-What are some examples?

4) Select a concept definition map and model how to use it with a vocabulary word familiar to students

5) With the same map, model a word from a current unit of study. Have students participate in its creation by providing information

6) Have students work with a partner to complete a CDM using a word from a current unit of study (they can use a glossary, dictionary or thesaurus but encourage students to use information from their own experiences

7) After students complete their concept definition maps, instruct them to write a new definition of the word using the information on the map

How will it work in your content area?

I plan to implement this strategy as I begin new material - new sections or units. This strategy would be helpful if I knew as a teacher that my students had some background knowledge on the word being studied so they can make connections. The CDM will be a helpful tool to start discussions around a topic and give me some clues about how much students already know before I start a new topic. It will also be a great tool to review or as a closure activity in science or social studies to make the end of a lesson meaningful in a visual way for students to refer back to.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

The Semantic Feature Analysis strategy helps students analyze features of a specific topic or its parts. It is a strategy that can be used in any content area. Students or small groups of students complete a worksheet that lists different parts of an overall topic and decide if specific features apply or do not apply. The Semantic Feature Analysis strategy gets students away from "just memorizing" facts about a topic and encourages them to gain higher-level understanding by considering and analyzing whether characteristics do or do not apply to parts of the content.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Model the Semantic Feature Analysis using a familiar category for all students. Display the grid matrix on large chart paper. First, students provide examples of the category and list them in the left column (example for category "vegetables" words listed could be: carrots, potatoes, lettuce, beets). Next, students provide different features of the category (for vegetables features could be: green/leafy, grown in ground, grown on vine, etc.) These features are written across the top horizontally. Teacher models how to mark the correct features for each category.

2)Allow students to work with a partner to practice the SFA strategy. Teacher selects a category from a unit of study and provide students with different terms or words from the category in the left column of the matrix.

3) Have the students provide several features that each category shares

4)Students will then code each feature with a (+) if the word that feature, a (-) if the word does not have the feature. If the student does not know for sure a (?) may be put in the column

5)Students can add more features to their grid and mark what's different or similar for each word within the category

6) Once the matrix grid is complete, students should share and compare their examples with other students

How will it work in your content area?

I am excited to use this strategy to help students understand different aspects of geometric shapes. I would create a chart that would encourage students to consider the geometric features of different shapes. In the first column I could list shapes: rectangle, square, circle, triangle, etc. Across the row on top I could list qualities such as number of sides/angles.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

The Mind-Sketching strategy encourages the reader to picture the meaning of a vocabulary word. When students sketch what a word means, they think analytically and use ideas from their background knowledge.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Teacher selects vocabulary words that promote understanding of the overall topic being studied

2) Dependent on the number of words being studied, students can be split up into small groups and assigned a specific number of words

3) Small Group Activity:
-Share the word, meaning, and the sketch
-Study the sketch & discuss what it means
-Look up the definition of the word and share it with other group members
-Revise the sketch to clarify or enhance the meaning
-Write a short descriptive phrase which defines the word

4) Students work individually:
-Write the word and look it up in the dictionary/glossary
-Study the definition to gain an understanding of the meaning
-Sketch what the word means
-Share the meaning of each sketched word with other students assigned the same word and revise the sketch if needed

How will it work in your content area?

Students often find science concepts like energy confusing because they are a more abstract concept. Having students connect their own background knowledge and visual experiences to pictures they create themselves based on the text will increase retention and increase student motivation for learning. I plan to use the Mind-Sketching strategy anytime students are working with vocabulary that may be abstract in nature within content areas.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

The Frayer Model is a graphic organizer divided into 4 components to record information related to a concept. The 4 square organizer might include both essential and non-essential characteristics as well as examples and non-examples.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Teacher determines the concept or word being studied
2) Explain and model how the Frayer model works using a word that is very familiar to students
3) Have students work alone or with a partner to complete a Frayer Model Diagram using the word assigned
4) Once the diagram is complete, have students share their work with their peers. Diagrams on chart paper can be displayed around the classroom. Students should look at their diagrams as "working documents" and add to them as they acquire new learning

How will it work in your content area?

This strategy helps student learn vocabulary words in all content areas. I plan to use Frayer Model diagrams as an assessment tool to gauge student learning. Students will use their background knowledge and prior experiences to fill out their diagrams.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

This classic educational game allows students to convey the meaning of a term or concept through pictures. Having students draw their representation of a word allows for deeper understanding of the meaning of the word.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Create a list of review concepts/vocabulary on a specific learning topic
2) Write each one on a sticky note and put them all in a cup
3) Instruct students to take out their class notes or supporting learning materials
4)Have each student pick a sticky note (with a concept or vocabulary word on it) out of the cup
5) Give students a few minutes to think about their concept/vocabulary word
6) Students take turns drawing their concept/vocabulary word on the whiteboard
7) The student who guesses correctly, goes next
*This activity can also be done by breaking up students into small groups/teams*

How will it work in your content area?

This strategy is a great opener and a fun way to review content that has already been learned. I will use the pictionary strategy within the content areas:
-After a lesson where new vocabulary/concepts were introduced
-Periodically to review past vocabulary/concepts
-When reviewing for an assessment

References
https://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.phlp/tool/pictionary

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What is the strategy?

Opening webs is a strategy that helps students summarize and evaluate the most important information they learned in a prior learning session. Webs help students "narrow down" their learning and create overarching themes/main ideas in a visual way.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Have students work independently and list 4 of the most important things that they learned about in a prior learning session
2) Have students work in a group and discuss everyone's list
3) Students will work together to create a web, linking common themes and ideas that were discussed in their group
- All should be participating in the creation of the web
- One student should be prepared to present the group's web to the class
4) Have students present their webs to the class
5) Overall discussion as a whole group

How will it work in your content area?

I will use this strategy to help students summarize their prior learning before introducing more complex information on the same topic. I am planning on creating a designated notebook/binder for students to store their webs in so they have visuals they can look back at as they progress with their learning within their content areas.

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What is the strategy?

An anticipation guide is a comprehension strategy that is used before reading to access students' prior knowledge and build curiosity about a new topic. The guide asks students their opinions (agree or disagree) and thoughts about a concept before reading. Once students read the text, they are to go back to the anticipation guide and assess their own thinking. The postreading discussion allows students to share what they have learned and encourages further exploration/learning.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Select the content students will study and decide which concepts within the text might support or challenge their thinking
2)Create 3-8 statements that might support or challenge (agree or disagree) students about the topic. (Statements might be main ideas, supporting details, possible misconceptions, controversial topics)
3) Create a worksheet listing the questions in order of how they emerge in the text
4) Give the anticipation guide to students and ask them to think about each statement, to create a written response, and to prepare to give support for their opinion
5) After students have formulated their responses to the anticipation guide's questions, have students share their thinking with each other
6) Have students read the text and look for information to support or refute their original claims
7) After reading, students complete the after reading column and either confirm their original opinion or revise them based on what they learned from the text. Students should include text evidence to support their answers for each question in the after reading column
8) Teacher conducts a class discussion about each statement

How will it work in your content area?

This strategy can be used to enhance comprehension within any content area. Questions about major concepts of a social studies or science topic are presented as questions and focus student learning on what's really important. This strategy will help me this fall as I start my journey as a 15:1:1 pull in/pull out special education teacher. I will primarily work with students with learning disabilities. This strategy will assure them that they already know something about what they will be reading. It formally activates prior knowledge. Having conversations about specific concepts being studied helps students focus and develop a purpose for reading. I plan on using this strategy at the beginning of every new topic of study and texts that may be very dense.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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What is the strategy?

The Question-Answer Relationship strategy helps students make connections between information in the selection and their prior knowledge. Readers are asked to think at different levels of cognitive processing resulting in increased comprehension. The strategy encourages readers to think about the text selection from four perspectives: entering the text, moving through the text. moving beyond the text, and carrying on a mental dialogue with the author.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Teacher explains that answering questions about a text requires the reader to use their own background knowledge and the information from the text

2) Provide an overview of the 4 types of question:

Text-Based Questions or "In the Book"
-Right there questions require a literal-level response because it is explicitly stated in the text.

-Think & Search questions require more inferential thinking because the reader must analyze or interpret information read and then organize their ideas from different parts of the text to answer the question.

Reader-Based Questions or "In My Head"
-On My Own questions ask students to hypothesize and apply the information to their own experiences. There is often no right or wrong answer.

-Author & You questions require students to interact with ideas presented by the author. They need to think about what they know about the topic, what the author is saying in the text, and how the two are related.

3) Explain to students that the first two types of questions are text-based because the answers are found in the text

How will it work in your content area?

Research highlights the positive effects that effective questioning has on students’ comprehension and retention of information. The true spirit of science lies in the art of asking good questions. It's an important skill to foster for budding scientists. The Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy encourages students to formulate their own questions from four perspectives. Creating lower-level, concrete questions as well as higher-level questions based on a text puts students in charge of their learning. Self-questioning is an important learning endeavor because students are taking ownership and searching for answers they want to know.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.

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Summary Wheel "Pizza (Piece of) Thinking"

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Summary Wheel "Pizza (Piece of) Thinking"

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What is the strategy?

The Summary Wheel Strategy helps students organize key terms or concepts into essential categories and then summarize what each category represents when they are engaging with content area texts.

How do you use the strategy?

1) Discuss the purpose and benefits of summarizing
2) Use movies or a current topic to create summaries with your students
3) Select a topic and passage for the students to read
4) Assign students to look for key terms or "big ideas" as they read the passage
5) Draw a large set of concentric circles on the board. Select the key terms and record them on the ring created by the circle (the crust)
6) Locate the center of the circles and draw radius lines to the edge separating the words (looks like a pizza)
7) Ask students to reread the passage a second time recording details for each "big idea" written around the circle
8) Elicit details from the students and record them in the appropriate section of the circle (pizza topping for each slice)
9) Review the rules for summarizing:
-Include only important information
-Combine ideas when writing a summary
-Add connective words for clarity and coherence
-Use category terms instead of a list of words (e.g., use furniture for chair, sofa, table)
10) Review what a summary does not contain:
-Your opinion
-Material directly copied or quotes from the selection
-What you think the author should have said
11) Model for the students how the information written on one section can be organized into a summary. The "big idea" (crust word) becomes the topic sentence. The details (topping words) become the supporting sentences in the summary.
12) Have students individually or in pairs select a section and create a summary. Check to see that each section is selected.
13) Illustrate summaries with a diagram or drawing. Students share their summary and illustration with the class

How will it work in your content area?

The ability to summarize is a difficult task for students when they are engaging in social studies and science texts. The Summary Wheel strategy will help students pick out important key terms and ideas and to identify main ideas with supporting details. Social Studies and Science texts can be very dense with information. This strategy helps students conceptualize large amounts of information and synthesize the ideas in their own words.

References
Billmeyer, R. (2003) Strategies to Engage the Mind of the Learner, Building Strategic Learners- Volume 2 (2nd Edition) Omaha, NE: Dayspring Printing.