Secondary Literacy Strategies

Special thank you to Martin Winchester (RGV ’95) and

Caleb Swaringen (RGV ’06) for their insight and resources.

In this document you will find an array of strategies and tips you can use for your
secondary literacy classes. Highlighted in light purple are specific strategies that work
well for reluctant readers, along with additional explanations of each.

Pages 2–4: Pre-Reading Strategies

Their purpose is to “sell” the text to the students; to get them hooked
even before they opened the book. Spend 3-4 days (I know this seems
like a lot of time) to build background knowledge and interest, but it will
pay off as students are more invested in the reading and can make up time
later.

Pages 5-10: During Reading Strategies

The purpose of these strategies is to maintain student interest throughout

the text, to continue to push their thinking forward by having them make
connections, and to also check for understanding to see if they are
understanding what they’re reading.

Pages 11-12: Post Reading Strategies

Their purpose is to tie in everything that students have learned to show

their understanding/mastery of what they learned. Also, it’s a good way to
wrap up a text before moving into a new text.

Page 13: Additional Literacy Textbooks

This is a recommended reading list of books you can read to enhance your
knowledge of literacy strategies.

Pre-Reading Strategies

Strategy Description
Anticipation Guide Option A: On one wall, have the phrase “strongly agree” while
on the opposite wall have the phrase “strongly disagree.”
 Then ask a series of statements that correspond with the
novel/short story and have students place themselves where
they belong along the continuum.

Option B: You can also have these statements on a worksheet

where students respond to the questions before they read the
text and then go back to the statements after they’re finished
with the literary work to see how books have shaped their
minds.

Option C: You can have students answer general questions

that are related to the text’s theme and then lead a
discussion.

Option D: Preview the daily reading by telling your students

what’s going to happen, without giving too much away. Think
of it as a “movie trailer.”

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

1. Reluctant readers are already not invested in reading, not

because they don’t think it’s “cool” (although that’s what they
claim), but because they don’t know how to comprehend
what they’re reading. Unsuccessful experiences with reading
results in students not liking reading (I know, a nightmare for
literacy teachers!). Anticipation guides serve the same
purpose as “movie trailers” as you work to sell the reading to
your students. Even before they open page one, students are
already “hooked” in the reading and have made connections
from their lives to what they’re about to read. This is HUGE
as reluctant readers believe that they aren’t any books that
relate to their lives. If we would link anticipation guides to the
TAL rubric, they would fall under the “I can” and “I want”
rows, as the guides demonstrate to students that they “can”
read a book as the underlying theme connects to their lives,
which positively results in students “wanting to read the
text.”

Probable passage Students categorize a list of pre-selected words into setting,

characters, problem, resolution, unknown words AND then
make a prediction AND ask questions about what the text will
be about.

Tea Party Students each receive words/sentences pre-selected from the

text and spend time “mingling” around the room sharing with
each other their phrase. This gets them trying to make
connections between the phrases to predict what the text will
be about. After the “tea party” is over, they make predictions
in groups or individually. Advice: Pick out random but racy
statements.
Object Predictions Students make predictions based on random objects brought
in by the teacher. The objects all relate with either the text’s
setting, plot, or theme.

Storytelling Teacher tells personal story that correlates with the text.

Gallery Walks Students peruse objects, pictures, words, and sketches across
the room and make predictions based on these items.

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

1. Gallery walks can serve the same purpose as anticipation

guides. Reluctant readers do better with visuals, so by
connecting the text to images, you’re able to already set a
foundation of what the text will be about for students.
2. The pictures you choose should relate to the text’s setting,
plot, character development, theme, etc. – the basic
comprehension components of a text.
3. Also, by having students already make
predictions/inferences about what the text, you can positively
reinforce how smart they are by making such high-level
connections. Students, especially reluctant readers, will be
surprised to hear them being called “smart” in literacy
classes.

Music Students listen to a song and/or instrumental music that

correlates with the upcoming text…great for teaching mood!

KWLS Chart Students complete the K (what I already know) and W (what I
want to know) parts of the chart. Then they’ll complete the L
(what I learned) and S (what I still want to learn) sections as
they finish chapters and at the end of the book.

Teaching Text 1. Label all the parts from the handout textbook page
Structures 2. Write an explanation of how they help the reader
understand the content
*(From the Secondary Literacy Toolkit, Pg. 12)

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

1. Reluctant readers don’t make the connections of how

graphics in textbooks connect with the text. This is an
essential skill to teach students because even if you don’t
teach from a textbooks, odds are that they are going to be
expected to read textbooks in other classes, and ultimately in
college.
2. Deconstruct the makeup of a textbook for your students so
that they can better understand the layout of the text; by
 deconstruct, I mean have students label the title page,
glossary, chapter titles, subheadings, etc.

During Reading Strategies

Strategy Description
Novel-ties www.learninglinks.com

Learning Links has everything teachers need for literature-

based reading programs — books, study guides, audios,
videos and more. As pioneers in publishing study guides for
novels and picture books, our signature product, Novel-Ties
 Study Guides, sets a standard for excellence. With over 600
Novel-Ties in print, teachers and educators have come to
expect, and always receive, serious, chapter-by-chapter
guides that "talk" to students, and save hours of teacher
preparation time.

Foldables http://www.dinah.com [or just Google foldables]

These are great as you can students into doing work as they
are not writing on the typical blank sheet of paper.

Caution tip: be sure to set a time limit when making the

foldables as it can take awhile. I recommend setting a timer
for 3 minutes to create a sense of urgency.

Graphic Google/ILT Kit to find examples.

Organizers
Purpose: Graphic organizers provide visual interpretations of
text.

Rationale: many students benefit from seeing text

represented in different ways

Method: form follows function; choose them strategically.

Tip A: Identify the pattern or organization of the content you

are teaching, then choose your graphic organizer accordingly

Tip B: Choose one that can be easily reproduced by students

on their own.

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

1. Graphic organizers help students organize their thoughts

and guide them to develop critical answers to answers. In
simpler terms, they guide students’ thinking as it breaks
down the thought process for them to come to the correct
conclusion. In addition, from a teacher’s perspective, you get
to see where your students’ breakdown occurs and know
what to prioritize instructing.

2. There are many graphic organizers to use and you can

develop some on your own. I’d suggest to use two kinds: (a)
the graphic organizers that appear on the summative
assessments and (b) graphic organizers that deconstruct the
thought process.

3. Specifically with the (a) type: this way your students are
accustomed to what they will see and don’t shut down by the
 “unexpected.” Many times, it’s not the content of the
graphic organizer that confuses students, but the graphic
organizer itself that confuses them. This way, they know
what the graphic organizer is asking them to do.

4. Specifically with the (b) type: these type of graphic

organizers are useful for higher-level questions, like
inferences and supporting textual evidence to responses.
Because these concepts are complex in nature, by breaking it
down into smaller chunks, you help students build both the
skill and confidence to infer and analyze text.

Stop-n-jots Teacher creates a series of standard-align questions that

students “stop” when the teacher indicates, to “jot” down
their answer.

Tip A: You can use this as a lesson assessment and mix up

the “stop” and “jot” questions with multiple choice questions
and open-ended questions.

Tip B: Some of the questions the teacher can ask can be basic
comprehension questions to assess if students comprehend
the basic elements of the text.

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

Simply stated: you can start with basic comprehension

questions to ensure that students are “getting it.” This can
help you take your students to the next question to start
inferring and making connections. You have complete control
over what type of questions you can use, and you can use
their answers as lesson assessments to see if students are
mastering what you’re teaching.

Cloze Reading Teacher reads the text and randomly calls on students to give
the next word. Students must be following along as they hear
you reading fluently.

Partner Reading/ Partner Reading: List your students in order by reading ability.
Independent If you have 20 students, partner student 1 with student 11;
Reading student 2 with student 12; student 3 with student 13. This
way students can help each other and you avoid having two
students with a big discrepancy in reading level.

Independent Reading: When you’re ready, have students to

independently finish the chapter answering “stop and jot”
questions or exit slip questions. For advance classes, if you
have 10 pages to read, read 3 together as a class and have
 them finish 7 on their own. For medium level classes, read 5
together and have them read 5 on their own. For low level
classes, read 6-7 and have them read 4-3 pages on their own.

Common 1. Make an Inference! I infer….I conclude…My textual

Language /Key evidence is…
Words 2. Make a Connection [to self, other text, the world]! This
reminds me of….I can connect this to…because…
3. Make a Prediction! I predict…
4. Make a Generalization! Most people feel, think, believe
that…
5. Ask a Question! I wonder…
6. Main Idea! This is mostly/mainly about how…
7. Mood! The text makes me feel…because…
8. Tone! The author’s attitude is….because…
9. Share an Opinion! My opinion is that….because…

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

* Refer down below to the “Fix It Strategies” for a deeper

explanation.

By building this consistency in the language you’re using

when reading/decoding texts, students’ brains are
“structured” to think a certain way. This way, students
position themselves to “think” about what they’re reading as
they’re making a connection between what the response and
what is asked of them to do; it serves as a trigger point.

Vocabulary Tip A: For word walls and weekly vocabulary words, choose
words that appear often in the texts; words that students will
see on their summative/unit assessments; and/or words that
can be applied to the text.

Tip B: For unknown words that students will come across,

show them (don’t tell them) how to find the meaning of the
word. How?
1. Teach them what the term context clue means and the
different types (definition; description; antonym; synonym)

Tip C: Choose a limited number of words and provide a direct,

student-friendly explanation of their meaning.

Tip D: Create meaningful interactions with the words in a

variety of formats and contexts.

Tip E: Ensure the students have multiple exposures to the

new words.

Tip F: Use graphic organizers to help students lay out the

 meaning of the words.
* semantic mapping
* word parts
* concept definition map
* Frayer model
* vocabulary tree

Tip G: Create a word wall and refer to it frequently

[build it gradually over time; words should be easily seen
from a distance; words should be classified in a recognizable
way; consider color-coding the words; include symbols or
pictures to reinforce concepts]

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

Vocabulary development is essential for all readers, despite

reading level. For reluctant readers, however, the key is to
pick words that will enhance their current word bank. For
example, have a “cemetery” with words they cannot use:
happy, sad, etc. and then build your word wall around
synonyms for these terms. This way, they can apply the
words to characters and the text they’re reading. When
choosing words, choose words that they can apply to
everyday life and not nitty-gritty words that aren’t applicable
to their everyday usage.

Coding text Purpose: to train students to become conscious of and to

record mental responses to their reading.

Method: Teach students to mark their text(s) with codes that

show interaction with the text
* = strikes you as important
? = Confuses you
?? = Makes you wonder
^ (or checkmark) = something you already know

Tip A: Introduce just one or two symbols at a time and model

for students how and when they might use them.

Tip B: Make up your own codes or have students make them

up. The key is to have students actively engaged with
reading from the text.

Tip C: Don’t overdo it and make it more confusing

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

Coding texts allows students to “think” while they’re reading.

These active reading strategies allow students to decode
what they’re reading in order to make sense of what they’re
 reading. By pausing to code the text, students read to get
meaning, rather than read to just finish the passage (typical
for reluctant readers). Start with basic coding first, like
having students visualize and make connections, before
moving on to coding sections they find interesting. In simpler
terms, scaffold the codes from basic level comprehension all
the way up to higher level comprehension.

Say Something Purpose: Talking over what they’ve read IN SMALL CHUNKS
helps students clear up confusion and engage with material.

Benefits: Allows your students to practice reading aloud

(fluency) and gives them an opportunity to talk to each other
about what they’re reading.

Method: In pairs, have students alternate reading aloud

(paragraphs work great), pausing to “say something” about
what was read:
– Make a prediction
– Ask a question
– Clarify a confusion
– Comment on what’s being said
– Connect the text to something they know

Tip A: Model, model, model

Tip B: Practice as a whole class, and go beyond just a cursory

word

Tip C: Move around the class to listen in and encourage

students to expand on their ideas.

Tip D: Works best with thought-provoking material (opinions,

controversial issues)

Signal words/cue Purpose: Teach students how to identify ways nonfiction is

words organized

Rationale: The more students understand a text’s

organization, the easier it is for them to understand the
content. Standardized tests are full of cue words, and
students need to know them.

MODEL THE STRATEGY BY:

1. Having students IDENTIFY words by highlighting them
2. Having students define or rephrase the signal word
3. Showing students how the signal words give clues to
 organization by EXPLAINING their connection
4. Having students use a graphic organizer to keep track of
information and represent the flow of ideas

Tip A: Reinforce and remind students of the cue words

frequently.

Tip B: SHOW them how these words help organize

information

Tip C: Provide a visual aid in the classroom for reference

Fix-It Strategies • Make a connection between the text and your life, your
knowledge of the world, or another text
• Make a prediction
• Stop and think about what you’ve read
• Visualize
• Use print conventions
• Retell what you’ve read
• Reread
• Notice patterns in text structure
• Adjust your reading rate: slow down or speed up

Tip A: Model, model, model

Tip B: Show your students that even proficient readers like

yourself use these strategies

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

These strategies, otherwise known as “thinking strategies”,

help enhance student comprehension. When we read, good
readers naturally do this. Reluctant readers, however, have
the tendency to read just to finish; they aren’t making
meaning of what they’re reading. By teaching readers how to
think while they’re reading, their levels of comprehension
increases as they’re understanding what they’re reading.
Post Reading Strategies

Strategy Description
Projects My Space Character Profiles, Context Clues Pie, Write
Different Endings to the text, Book Reviews, Movie Posters.

Revisit This is a good way to see if students’ opinions have changed

anticipation since reading the book. Also, it shows to students that
guides experiences can add new perspective to the way we view the
world.

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

 Revisiting the anticipation guides is extremely powerful with
reluctant readers as it shows that they (1) they read a book;
(2) they understood what they read; and (3) the book may
have helped shape the way they now view the world. Doing
this will help invest them in continuing to read as they now
view reading as something relevant and fun.

Book-Reports Have students complete a traditional book report (Google for

ideas) on books that they are reading on their own and/or for
class novels.

Tip A: If for class novels, have students complete

questions/tasks that are aligned to the standards you taught
with the specific novel.

Save the Last Have students read an article, specific chapter, poem, etc.
Word For Me and then have students put a check mark by what they
ALREADY knew and star by what they didn’t know. When
students are finished, have students decide which new
information was most interesting to them and share why
(s)he chose it with a partner.

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

Similar to revisiting anticipation guides, this is helpful for

students’ opinions to be heard about what they’re reading.
This activity is something new for reluctant readers because
many times they don’t have any opinions about what they’re
reading other than, “it was boring.” Structuring this with
sentence starters produces greater results as you can guide
their thinking in a more advance way of forming opinions.

Text 1. It requires students to rearrange or “reformulate” one

Reformulation type of text into a more familiar type
2. Stories into diaries, letters, or interviews
3. Textbooks into newspaper articles, television
newsmagazine scripts, or game shows
4. Expository into narrative
5. Concepts into poems or raps or commercials
6. The possibilities are endless

Tip A: Cooperative groups often work best because it allows

students to pool their comprehension and creativity

Tip B: Allowing students choice increases motivation and

investment

Why do these work well with reluctant readers?

 Students get to recreate what they’re reading in a new media
form, which allows them to synthesize what they read.
Having them recreate the reading by making it applicable to
their lives, also allows students to make the connection that
despite when the text was written, the underlying theme
applies to them.

Additional Literacy Textbooks:

Expand your professional development by
spending some time during the weekend to read:

• Professional Development Resources

o Reading Don't Fix No Chevys: Literacy in the Lives of Young Men by
Michael Smith and Jeffrey Wilhelm
o I Read It But I Don't Get It: Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent
Readers by Cris Tovani
o When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers 6-
12 by Kylene Beers
o It's Never Too Late: Leading Adolescents to Lifelong Literacy by Janet
Allen