What follows is a list of the signposts and the way readers' should respond:
Contrast & Contradiction: Why is the character doing that?
Aha Moment: How might this change things?
Tough Questions: What does this question make me wonder about?
Words of the Wiser: What's the life lesson and how might it affect the character?
Again & Again: Why does this happen again and again?
Memory Moment: Why might this memory be important?
How you can help:
Check in with your child and his/her reading frequently. Ask about the signposts and how they helped deepen his/her thinking. Instead of asking about what happens in a book, ask about the author's message.
In an effort to find routines and approaches that work for the energy and personalities in our group, we have taken a few new approaches. When they arrive, students are writing about their books and reading in small notebooks. At least some of this writing is in response to questions I have written to them. My hope is to engage students in deeper and more reflective thinking.
We also used a TFK magazine in a new way. Students read an article, then completed question cards. Over time, students had the opportunity to go back to the article several times, trying to get more and more questions correct. My hope was to help them realize that a quick, cursory reading of an article does not produce solid understanding. They have already named several ways that they will approach the next article.
