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Provide Context (Fiction)

Tags

ELA: Reading All Ages Strategy

Skills

Flexible Thinking Working Memory Verbal Reasoning Verbal Memory Abstract Reasoning Processing Speed

Provide Context (Fiction)

If your student struggles with reading comprehension or isn't interested in the book topic

Instruction And Practice

  1. Objective: Give students context and the opportunity to make predictions before they begin reading to increase initial engagement and improve comprehension.
  2. Preview Together: Provide an overview of the story, especially where students might have difficulty. Tell students what to look out for or how to handle challenging parts. For fiction books, encourage them to read the back cover.
  3. Discuss the Genre: Fiction has a theme, plot line and strong character development. Details are often less important than non-fiction. Contrast with non-fiction which will usually have more key details, including dates or sequence. This can help students know where to focus and how to adjust their reading speed.
  4. Use the Title: The title, particularly for elementary readers, can provide a good indication of what the student will be reading. Have students read the title and guess what they will be reading about and why.
  5. Note the Storyteller: Make students aware of who is telling the story. Show them words (we, I, they, she) that suggest the storyteller. What does this imply for point of view?
  6. Highlight Similarities and Differences: Explain to students why they are reading a particular text and how it will be similar or different from what they have read in the past.

Why It Works (the Science Of Learning)!

Instruction leads to more robust learning when it guides the learner's attention ("focuses") on the most important elements (Dunlap et al., 2011). If students begin reading without context, they could get confused or disengaged. Setting expectations in advance increases the chance for successful reading comprehension.

Best-suited for students with weaker: Long-Term Memory, Metacognition, Working Memory (Source: Digital Promise Learner Variability Project)