Is Your Child a Strategic Reader?

As a component of my summer reading plan, I am exploring library literature as a means of improving my practice as a School Library Media Specialist.  The first book on my list is Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL, 2009). The second chapter, "Teaching for Learning," stresses means by which the school library media specialist can enhance not only a child's desire to read but his ability to read as well.  I think the following graphic is helpful for parents who want to understand what is expected of their children in terms of analytic reading skills.

Using Prior Knowledge:

Most of us come to what we read with some background knowledge. The key to using background knowledge effectively comes with the awareness of what we actually know about a subject prior to and during reading. Parents can help their children by asking them why they chose a particular book and asking them what they know about the subject.  Asking questions about their knowledge will help the child make new connections as he is reading.

Asking Questions about the Reading Selection:

Asking questions prior to reading a book will help the child become aware of his expectations. What do I expect to learn from this book?  Why did the author write this book?  As the child reads he can ask questions about his expectations and about the information he is receiving. What else would I like to know about this?  Is this book answering my information needs?  After the child finishes reading, his questions can be more more reflective.  What are my feelings about what I just read?  Where do I go from here?  Do I want more information on this subject or should I move on to something else?

Summarizing, Paraphrasing and Predicting Outcomes

Summarizing and paraphrasing make what the child read his own.  These may be some of the most important comprehension skills a child can develop. Being able to predict an outcome shows an understanding and internalization of whatever the child is reading.  By the way, if outcomes are too easy to predict, perhaps it's time for your child to move up to slightly more sophisticated novels.

Isolates important information

Children are surrounded by a plethora of information, which is only going to increase.  It is extremely important for them to be able to separate main ideas and important content from the bulk.  Asking questions of the reading selection, as well as summarizing and paraphrasing, are precursors to determining important content. After a child finishes a book, fiction or nonfiction, parents can ask him to list the three most important events in the book (fiction) or the three most important points (nonfiction).  Use his responses to gauge how well he is asking questions, summarizing and paraphrasing.  Perhaps he may need some practice using each of those skills.

Draws Inferences from the Text

Just as important as what the author said is what the author only eluded.  Being able to read between the lines often requires background knowledge a child does not have.  Parents can ask children what specific phrases in a book mean; if the child cannot explain the meaning, parents can help fill in the gaps.

Makes Connections with Real-Life Experiences and Prior Reading

Connections are where real learning occurs. In this step students take what they have read and associate it with their prior knowledge, including real life experiences.  Parents can help children make these connections by reminding them of what they knew before on the subject and the important information they have learned.  Children should be able to see the connections between the two and should be able to say if their prior knowledge was supported or refuted by their reading.  Finally,

Combines Information from Various Sources to Create New Knowledge

Children should become critics of the information they receive.  They should be able to state their opinions and back them up with information garnered from various sources and prior knowledge.  By doing this, they are creating and exhibiting new knowledge.  Parents can encourage children to express their opinions in various ways. They can write reviews and post them to the book's record in Destiny Quest or Brookhaven Reads; they can create posters or artwork that can be scanned into Brookhaven Reads or Edmodo.  One of my favorite ideas is having them videotape a review using a smartphone.

Caution

I would in no way advocate that parents should monitor every book their children read using the activities listed above.  There would be no surer way of burning them out.  However a few spot checks and good discussions about the books your child reads will give you both insights into his strategic reading ability.




Empowering Learners, Guidelines For School Library Media Programs. Chicago: American Association of School Librarians, 2009. Print.