Inking Our Thinking

I have challenged my students to be inking their thinking while they are reading. We practice using good strategies as we read because we are good readers. After we practice together, I ask students to take sticky notes and try to ink their thinking while they are reading at home.

Sometimes students read but miss some of the details or even some big ideas from what they are reading. Inking their thinking is supposed to help them slow down and really think about what they are reading by using the good strategies we have been talking about when we work together.

I'm excited to see what students were thinking about while they were reading at home. I love hearing what students are reading about and now I'll get to hear more specifically what they are thinking about as they read!

Here's an example of some of our inking your thinking notes after Jodie put them into her Team Read reader's journal. Who's going to be the next person to bring me the inking of their thinking!?! Great job Jodie!

We have been doing more great reading! Good readers use strategies and we have been talking a lot about these strategies and practicing them together. Here are some of the reading strategies that good readers use!

Reread

Visualize

Stop and Think

Infer

Identify Story Elements

Use Background Knowledge

Make Connections

Sometimes we do these and don't even realize we are doing them but other times we need to practice doing these as we read. All of these strategies help us think more about the text as we are reading so we can understand what we are reading. 

If you are using reading strategies while you are reading then you are being a good reader! It's hard to see what a good reader does because all this thinking while reading happens inside your head! A good reader can tell another person what is happening in the story and what they are thinking about as they read. Can you tell another person about the book you are reading? Can you tell him what you are wondering or predicting as you read?

Do you use these strategies? How have these strategies helped you as a reader? Is there a strategy that you think you need to work on more? Please share! 

Retelling and Rereading

My students and I are often talking about being good readers.  I expect them to be reading at home and to be bringing their book when they meet with me.  I love to hear about what they are reading...I usually write down all the new books I hear about from my students!  We have talked about how important it is to be a good reader when reading at home.  One thing students have to do when they are reading independently is to think about their understanding as they read.  It is important for them to stop and think about what they have read.  If they can retell what they have read and feel that they understand the story, then it's okay to go on reading.  If they can't retell what they have read and aren't sure they understand the story, then it's important to reread. 

Being able to retell is a great way to check to see if you understand what you have read.  When I ask students to retell for me, I ask them to include story elements from the book they read.  The story elements are the different parts of the story:

Character - who is in the story?

Setting - where is the character and when?

Plot - what is the characters problem 

and does he or she solve it?

Good readers are able to identify all of these parts of a story.  Usually, I ask students to retell by telling me about these parts of a story based on what they read the night before or the last chapter they read.

Here is an example!  I just started reading A Whole Nother Story by Dr. Cuthbert Soup and this is how I would retell what I have read so far:

Saffron, Barton, and Crandall live with their dad-Mr. Cheeseman-their dog, and Crandall's sock puppet Steve.  They are actually living in a house they like when their dad announces it's time to pack everything up and move.  Their dad and mom invented a very important machine before she died.  There are mean people who want the machine so Mr. Cheeseman and his family are always trying to escape from them.  This time, just as they are leaving the house, the bad guys are coming down the street.  Luckily, Mr. Cheeseman invented fancy headlights that freeze them in time so they can get a way.

Can you find where I talk about the characters, the setting, the problem, and the solution?  I haven't read the whole book, I'm just telling you what I have read so far.  I'm excited to read more about their adventure as they try and stay away from these bad guys!  Being able to retell is one of the first steps in being a good reader.  This is a way for you to make sure you understand what you are reading.  

What do to if you don't feel like you can retell the story?  Then it's time to reread.  Good readers reread when they are confused.  If you reread and still don't feel like you understand, then you might want to talk to a parent or a teacher about the book and check again if it's a just-right book for you.  

If you can come to school and tell me about the three story elements, then you will receive one sticker towards a reading reward! 

It's What Good Readers Do - Background Knowledge

Click below to see my first installment of "It's What Good Readers Do!" This week I'm talking all about background knowledge!