Inclusion-supported strategies for developing readers

One challenge in classrooms is to provide necessary supports for readers at different levels. How can we ensure that all readers have access to understandable and challenging information. A couple things to think about about broadscale accessibility to text. What supports are currently in place in your classroom? How can you build on those?

Close reading planning tool for social studies. You can use this while planning for the reading you want to use in class.

1. AVID critical reading strategies. These are detailed within schools and their AVID teachers/coordinators/reading support teachers. Strategies include:

• number the paragraphs
• chunk the text
• underline and circle with a specific purpose
• left margin...what is the author saying
• right margin...dig deeper

2. Supporting students in close reading texts. 

• (1) Select challenging and appropriate text
• (2) Analyze the text’s content and language ahead of time
• (3) Anticipate potential challenges the text may present for certain students (e.g., English Learners, students reading far above or below grade level)
• (4) Write text-dependent questions that engage students in interpretive tasks 
• (5) Lead rich and rigorous conversations (through the use of text-dependent questions) that keep students engaged with the text’s deeper meaning
• (6) Ensure reading activities stay closely connected to the text

These are teacher strategies detailed fully with checklists/rubrics can be found here.

3.  Check with students who may know how their own background knowledge is related to the reading. The National Center for Universal Design for Learning asks teachers to consider the following:

• Anchor instruction by linking to and activating relevant prior knowledge (e.g., using visual imagery, concept anchoring, or concept mastery routines)
• Use advanced organizers (e.g., KWL methods, concept maps)
• Pre-teach critical prerequisite concepts through demonstration or models
• Bridge concepts with relevant analogies and metaphors
• Make explicit cross-curricular connections (e.g., teaching literacy strategies in the social studies classroom)