Picture Books Part 5: Pre-Reading Strategies
There are so many great books and websites to help you design lessons to help kids interact with text. This blog post will go over a few tools of the trade and three pre-reading strategies you can use in your classroom. All of the sample anchor texts can be used to explore Orange Shirt Day/The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Tools of the Trade
All you really need is you, a class, and a book. The tools below are a few extra things I have used in the past to increase engagement. Most are readily available in classrooms or easy to make.
1. Paper: Paper that is lined or plain. Paper that is good on one side or both. Paper is versatile! It can be folded in many ways to create 2, 4, or 6 boxes very easily. We call the folds ‘hamburger’, ‘hotdog’, and ‘burrito’ in my classroom, but you can use whatever names you want. Folding paper can help quickly make columns or boxes to record ideas/doodles.
2. Whiteboard (large or small): I have large class whiteboards to help with group brainstorms/reflections. You can also use chart paper for this if you do not have a whiteboard…and sometimes I even write directly on tables with whiteboard markers (kids love this). It all depends on your comfort level! A large whiteboard in a classroom can also be used in powerful ways to collect ideas or for pre-reading strategies.
3. Sticky Notes: Magical small pieces of coloured paper that stick to things are my favourite. I use them to plan my interactions in texts. Sometimes I give kids sticky notes to share their ideas. Sticky notes are fun and are not as intimidating as a full-sized piece of paper for some kids.
4. Four Corners Statements: I have four statements hung around my room at all times. I use these for many reasons, but they come in handy for starting literacy discussions. I make a statement (Ham and Pineapple is the best pizza ever) and kids walk silently to their corner. They have about three minutes to share with people at their corner and then each corner gets a chance to share out to the class. The statements are:
I strongly agree
I somewhat agree
I strongly disagree
I somewhat disagree
Pre-Reading Strategies
Skipping a pre-reading activity is like forgetting to wash your hands before eating. These activities are important because they help kids get ready to engage with text. A good pre-reading strategy creates entry points into the text and engages all learners. The strategy does not have to be BIG or LONG-it could merely be a question or two to think about and share with a partner, but it is important. Here are three strategies I have used in my classroom effectively.
Strategy 1: Exploding the Sentence with The Orange Shirt Story
In Part 1 of this series, I mentioned a strategy called ‘Exploding the Sentence’. It was introduced to me in a workshop run by Faye Brownlie and it is deceptively simple.
Choose one sentence from the text and write it on the board. Have the kids help you ‘explode it’ by picking apart words they might not understand or connections they have. Encourage connections and digging deeper. Circle, underline, and add arrows to create a visual story from ONE sentence or idea.
The example here is based on a Social Studies Unit question from last year, but I have done this strategy with literature and science as well. We actually have used this in my class to ‘explode’ a boring poem. It is a versatile strategy. It can take five minutes or thirty-trust your class and you teacher instinct for when it is time to move on.
“She stared out the window, waiting to see the place where they were going”
You could use this statement above from the book The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad. You might tell your students it is a book about residential schools, or you could have them explode the sentence…then show them the cover/read the title and add to the explosion. For more information about this story please see The Orange Shirt Day website.
Strategy 2: Four Corners with When I was 8
When I was 8 is a powerful picture book version of the novella Fatty Legs, which chronicles a year for one student at a residential school. September 30th is now designated a National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. This story can be a great way to start talking about residential schools with kids.
It is very important that as settlers on this land (as so many of us are) that we take time to carefully learn and help our students explore hard topics. I have used this picture book with grades 4-7. I might suggest Shi-Shi-Etko for younger grades, but I would check with your teacher librarian and colleagues for their suggestions.
For this strategy, you need the four corner statements that I have suggested or put up YES, NO, and MAYBE in different areas in your room. Here are a few possible statements:
I like being at school
School is sometimes hard
School should have physical labour
Teachers never scare students
School has always been a safe place for all students in Canada
Choose the 2-5 statement you want to use and plan the order carefully. The idea is to start with less controversial statements and then dig deeper. After each statement you say/project, give kids time to think and then walk silently to their answer.
When in the corner, give kids time to talk about WHY they are in that particular corner. Ask someone from each corner can share. The sharing is not meant to be a debate, but more of a reason. You can even allow kids to move corners after each corner has shared if they feel their decision has changed.
When you are ready, show your kids the book cover and tell them the title. Ask them to walk back to their desks/tables silently and think about predictions/links to the statement. Get the kids to share within their groups and then ask each group to contribute and idea.
This can take 10-30 minutes.
Strategy 3: Image Prediction with Shi-Shi-Etko by Nicola I. Campbell
This book and the follow-up Shin Chi’s Canoe are both appropriate from gr.1-7. They have also both been adapted into short films that can be shared. These movies are subtitled, so should be shared with kids who can read. I would also recommend watching the films beforehand so you can judge if they are appropriate for your classroom. The books are much gentler than the movies.
The image prediction strategy is exactly what it sounds like. Choose 1-3 powerful images from the text to hold up or project. Give student time to look at the images and brainstorm at their table what the text might be about. You could even give each table group a photocopy of a different image. Each group could write/underline/highlight their ideas and then share with the class. When all groups have shared, your class can make group predictions about the text.
Diane Brebeck reminded after reading the post about Adrienne Gear’s OWI strategy that would work really well with image prediction. It helps organize thinking and dig deeper into images.
OWI: Observe-Wonder-Infer
Fold paper burrito style (3 columns)
Title the columns observe, wonder, and infer
For each image….
Observe what you see (big things/little things/details)
Wonder…What questions do you have about these observations?…What do you wonder about this image?
What inferences can you make about the story/characters from this image?
Thank you Diane for the reminder! This easy 3-column table creates powerful learning/engagement.
Shi-Shi-Etko clip
Full Shin-Chi’s Canoe. The post on the full film asks settlers who watch this video to contribute to the Indian Residential School Survivors Society
Recommended Resources
o Reading Power
o Nonfiction Reading Power
o Writing Power
o Nonfiction Writing Power
o Student Diversity by Faye Brownlie, Catherine Feniak, and Leyton Schnellert
Grand Conversations, Thoughtful Responses: A Unique Approach to Literature Circles by Faye Brownlie
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE…..did I mention I LOVE this book?