Reading Activities, Games, and Strategies
This section is broken down into four categories: 1) Vocabulary/Word Knowledge, 2) Fluency, 3) Comprehension of Narrative Text, and 4) Comprehension of Expository Text. Each section provides activities with a synopsis, materials, and directions so students can do both in the classroom and at home with siblings, parents and guardians. Below is information about each of the four categories along with a button to directly take you to those activities.
Developing Vocabulary/Word Knowledge
There are three tiers of vocabulary words: Tier 1 Basic Words, Tier 2 Academic Words, and Tier 3 Specialized Words. Basic words are common words that are used socially, in informal conversation at home and on the playground. Academic Words have wide application in school contexts and are used more frequently in written than oral language. Specialized Words are content specific and often abstract. In Reading units students will be given vocabulary words. These vocabulary words must be developed and mastered for the student to fully comprehend what the text is saying. By providing activities, students are building vocabulary skills.
There are three tiers of vocabulary words: Tier 1 Basic Words, Tier 2 Academic Words, and Tier 3 Specialized Words. Basic words are common words that are used socially, in informal conversation at home and on the playground. Academic Words have wide application in school contexts and are used more frequently in written than oral language. Specialized Words are content specific and often abstract. In Reading units students will be given vocabulary words. These vocabulary words must be developed and mastered for the student to fully comprehend what the text is saying. By providing activities, students are building vocabulary skills.
Developing Fluency
Fluency is reading smoothly, quickly, and with expression. The best way to develop fluency and prosody [the ability to read sentences expressively with appropriate phrasing and intonation (expression, phrasing, volume, smoothness, and pacing)] is to give students repetitive practice with reading appropriate reading level books and as a teacher, or guardian, modeling reading.
Fluency is reading smoothly, quickly, and with expression. The best way to develop fluency and prosody [the ability to read sentences expressively with appropriate phrasing and intonation (expression, phrasing, volume, smoothness, and pacing)] is to give students repetitive practice with reading appropriate reading level books and as a teacher, or guardian, modeling reading.
Developing Comprehension
The end goal of reading is comprehension. Comprehension is the process of constructing meaning using both the author’s text and the reader’s background knowledge for specific purpose. Comprehension skills can be broken down based on the two types of text: narrative and expository. Narrative text is the main point of the text is to tell a story; it has a beginning, middle, and end; characters; plot and conflict; and setting from the author’s imagination (fiction). Expository text is text to inform or describe; information text (non-fiction). Fiction and non-fiction texts cover different ideas; therefore, there are different types of strategies to help student fully comprehend what is happening in each text.
The end goal of reading is comprehension. Comprehension is the process of constructing meaning using both the author’s text and the reader’s background knowledge for specific purpose. Comprehension skills can be broken down based on the two types of text: narrative and expository. Narrative text is the main point of the text is to tell a story; it has a beginning, middle, and end; characters; plot and conflict; and setting from the author’s imagination (fiction). Expository text is text to inform or describe; information text (non-fiction). Fiction and non-fiction texts cover different ideas; therefore, there are different types of strategies to help student fully comprehend what is happening in each text.