Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Challenging Minds

So many times after reading a story in our basal, the comprehension questions are very basic and only require simple recall. Even the workbooks that the district provides just focus on the story's vocabulary and phonics skill. So, for my students, I created a reading journal prompt template and thought-provoking questions.

After reading a story from our basal, I pull out my folder of journal templates and pre-cut prompts that I keep in an envelope.

Reading Journal Templates and Prompts Folder 
Based on the story, I choose appropriate prompts. I sometimes cater the difficulty to each child's ability. These prompts touch on making personal connections, identifying important elements, expressing feelings about the story, and noticing the author's craft. Students glue their prompt to the top of their journal template page. They complete these activities independently. At a later time, I call a small group back together and I use their responses to facilitate discussion.

Today, one of my groups read a non-fiction story about a veterinarian who was overworked at an animal shelter. Here are some of my students' insightful thoughts regarding the story. :)

"Puffy was a shame."


Hire "another vet to watch the lost pets."
Even at such a young age, students are so insightful and practical when given that extra push. Click on this {link} to download my template and prompts for FREE!

1 comments:

jennifer said...

Great job on these!!

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