Checking In: What do students know about the reading strategy?When introducing or reviewing a strategy, begin by assessing students' knowledge of the strategy. Here are a few ways to assess students' prior knowledge.
- Before we can begin this strategy, assess students' language proficiency. We need to know how much language support to provide before asking them to engage in the strategy. This assessment should be very informal. Simply ask the students if they are able to read and write in their home language (or any other language) and have them demonstrate their understanding through written or verbal responses. You could ask them to rate their own language proficiency in their home language.
- Ask specific questions about the strategy like, "What do you know about 'Scan for Vocabulary'?" and "Why would readers do this?" Teachers could also ask, "How do you identify words in a text that you don't know?" and "What tools do you currently use to help you translate words you don't know into your home language?"
Assessing the Skill: What have students learned about the reading strategy?
When assessing students' knowledge of "Scan for Vocabulary," teachers could...
- walk around the room and observe the “unknown” words that students are writing in their “Vocabulary Tracker.”
- notice if students are not writing as many words as their peers, and ask questions like, "How would you define this word?" If they are unable to offer the correct definition, ask that they add it to their "Vocabulary Tracker."
- expect students to use the Tracker during reading. In the beginning, students may not see the connection between the "Vocabulary Tracker" and the reading process.
- ask, "How could you use this strategy with other content areas?" We should suggest that they do this on their own in classes where the teacher does not scaffold the reading process for English learners.
Assessing Content Knowledge: What do students know about the content?
If we are going to invest time teaching reading strategies, we should have some idea of how the reading strategy is improving students' comprehension of a text. When assessing students' knowledge of the content, teachers could...
- stop and ask “Think-Pair-Share” questions after each paragraph.
- stop and discuss the main ideas in each paragraph.
- write summary sentences for each paragraph.
- ask students to draw a visual representation of the text.
- ask students to create a short skit where students reenact main ideas from the text.
- have students discuss the ideas in the text in their home language then restate the ideas in English.
Developing a Reading PurposeWhen developing language support activities, think about what students should know and be able to do as a result of their work. For this strategy, we want to expose our students to the vocabulary in the text. We should have our students scan for words they don't understand. Students should scan all text features like titles, subtitles, captions, bold words, and other features that will help them prepare for the reading.We should read the texts we assign in order to learn what the texts have to offer. If we have a good idea of how a text is written, we can pre-determine which scaffolding techniques should be used in order to increase students' comprehension of the reading material.
Pacing and Supporting the Lesson
In secondary education, we are more concerned with bridging what students already know to the vocabulary we want them to learn than teaching every word as though it is a completely new concept. The purpose of “Scan for Vocabulary,” therefore, is to provide access to what they know about the vocabulary and what they still need to learn. Students will translate and connect words in English to their home language so that they will be able to read grade-level texts. Many teachers resort to lowering their expectations for English learners (and at times search for easier texts or avoid reading texts altogether) because they are unable to tap into their prior knowledge or prior skills due to the language barrier.
Teachers should ask students to scan for vocabulary in advance and give the strategy the necessary amount of time. Therefore, planning is crucial. The teacher should preview the text and estimate the number of unknown words. It is important for the teacher to expect students to scan all words, including the text features such as titles, subheadings captions, and questions in the margins. The assignment should not be considered complete unless the students identify the expected number of unknown words or more.
Learning the SkillWhen introducing “Scan for Vocabulary" consider the following approaches.
- Provide time in class for students to learn and practice the strategy. At first, all of the scanning for vocabulary should be conducted in class with the support of the teacher.
- Use the “Strategy Slides” to introduce the “Set-up” and the “Using Scan for Vocabulary” prereading strategies.
- Use a document camera or overhead projector to model how to set up the “Vocabulary Tracker” and how to find the unknown words. Show students on-line tools for translating and defining words.
- Students also need to see how to use the Tracker during the reading process.
- For beginning to early intermediate level English learners, the teacher should provide the part of speech and/ or a synonym or explanation of the word in English. For basic English words difficult to explain in easier terms, the teacher should provide a picture or visual representation of the word. Google Images is a great resource for pictures. It is better if the teacher has the words pre-identified and pictures ready to be shown. Otherwise, it could take valuable class time to find appropriate pictures.
- For intermediate to advanced level English learners, there could be some translations, but the bulk of the words will need a synonym in English. The teacher should allow students to find their own synonyms, but provide class time for students to share their synonyms with each other and to seek clarification from the teacher.
Developing the Skill
When deepening students understanding of the skill, consider the following approaches.
- Using a document camera, project the section of the text (one paragraph at a time) and underline the words you would assume that students would not know. Write a synonym or short explanation in English.
- Ask students to share their translations as a whole class or in pairs in order to check for accuracy. After comparing their translation to the teacher’s explanation of the word, discuss and decide whether or not they had the correct translation of if they need to change their translation.
- After the “Vocabulary Tracker” is complete, instruct the students to read in small groups using the “Vocabulary Tracker.” As they read, they need to stop when they see an unknown word and refer to the Tracker to translate the word. After they finish reading each paragraph, they should stop and discuss the paragraph for comprehension. This conversation should happen in any language. The students then demonstrate their understanding by writing a summary sentence for each paragraph with the support of a sentence starter provided by the teacher.
Mastering the Skill
Mastery of any skill takes time, a lot of practice, and a solid understanding of how to do it. Consider applying some of the following approaches when developing students' mastery of "Scan for Vocabulary."
- Once students learn this strategy, “Scan for Vocabulary” will become a homework assignment. Depending on the length of the text, teachers should give the students several days to complete the assignment.
- Students will be able to create and use the “Vocabulary Tracker” independently. They will help each other check for understanding and correct definitions.
- Ask students how they would use the skill in all their classes. For instance, what does prereading look like for math textbooks? What reading aids are available in science and social science textbooks?
- Teach students how to use the strategy in various reading situations like state and local exams.
Strategy Slides
