Memory Strategy: Triple Note Tote

Memory Strategy: Triple Note Tote

A Triple Note Tote is an easy, fast, and fun way to remember vocabulary for classes like English, Social Studies, Science, and Foreign Language. Once you're done, it can also serve as a practice test, study guide, and/or reference sheet when completing work.

Materials needed:

1. piece of paper, folded into 3 columns
2. something to write with
3. vocabulary you're trying to learn

To make a triple note tote, label the three columns like this:

Vocabulary word	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger

In the first column, you're simply going to write down the first vocab word you need to learn. 

In the second column, you'll paraphrase the definition, or put it into your own words. Not hard, right?

So far, your sheet should look like this:

Vocabulary word (Spanish)	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger
Mesa	table

Now comes the fun part, which might take a little longer but will really help you to learn and remember the words. Think about a visual trigger that associates the vocab word with its definition. For example, I might think of a very messy-looking table, because "mesa" reminds me of "mess." Then, I would draw a messy table in that third column of my paper, like this:

Vocabulary word (Spanish)	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger
Mesa	table

The reason you should have some sort of visual trigger, or image, associating the word with its definition is that images (pictures) and language (words) are stored in different areas of the brain. If the language portion of our brain is having a hard time recalling the meaning of "mesa" or the Spanish word for "table," the picture part of our brain still has a chance to kick-in to trigger that language part of our brain. This isn't the most scientific explanation of the process, I know, but it makes sense, right?

Here are a few more examples of how you could use a triple note tote to help you remember vocabulary for a foreign language (in this case, Spanish and Latin):

Vocabulary word (Spanish or Latin)	Definition  (in your own words)	Memory strategy or visual trigger
Correr (Spanish)	to run

The Terminator says "I will end you."

Terminare (Latin)                          To end, To finish                          
                                    

Following Directions

Many students only skim through, or skip over altogether, the directions for an assignment. 

This can obviously cause you some problems: you may do the work incorrectly and need to re-do it, you may do too much work and be wasting your time, or you may not do all of the work that is required. 

There are a few strategies, however, that you can use to make sure you're paying close attention to all parts of directions, and following them correctly. Those strategies include:

1. Reading the directions twice before starting. Then, re-read the directions when you think you're done, to make sure you followed them correctly.

2. Asking yourself, "How would I explain these directions to someone else, using my own words?" If you're not able to do that, it may mean you don't truly understand the directions. So, ask for help or try another strategy.

3. Highlighting or underlining key words in the directions.

• Pay close attention to words like: 
• (English/ History/ Science) Read, underline, circle, summarize, explain, provide details, write in complete sentences, brainstorm, analyze, compare, contrast, prove, describe, annotate, mark up, support...
• (Foreign Language) Translate, summarize, explain, write in complete sentences, describe...
• (Math) Find the product/ sum/ quotient/ remainder, simplify, show your work, diagram, demonstrate...

Sometimes, teachers will make bold, underline, or italicize the most important words in directions, so pay close attention to those signals too!

4. Highlighting, underlining, or circling signs and symbols (x, -, +, =,  ÷) in math problems. If you treat something like an addition problem when it's really a multiplication problem, you're obviously not going to get the correct answer. Color-coding signs for addition, multiplication, subtraction, and division, can be another cue to pay close attention to the signs.

5. If there is more than one step to the directions, you should identify each different step you should take. For example, in the following directions, you're being asked to do three things:

Identify three inventions of the industrial revolution, explain how each invention changed the way people lived, and summarize what life would be like today if these inventions did not exist. 

By highlighting or numbering each step, you're going to be more likely to follow each of the three sub-directions and produce a more complete answer.
Identify three inventions of the industrial revolution, explain how each invention changed the way people lived, and summarize what life would be like today if these inventions did not exist. 

Try out one or more of these strategies if you often hear from teachers that you need to pay close attention to the directions, or if you see that your errors are not really reflective of what you actually understand. 

If you have other ideas or strategies for following directions, please leave a comment to share!

Quick Tips for Creating a Space that's Conducive to Studying

It's important to have an organized space where you can consistently complete your homework and studying. Having fewer distractions and knowing where to find necessary materials will help you to complete your work more quickly, and allow you to have time to do the things you want to do! Taking a few minutes to read through these simple tips might just put you on the path to a shorter and more efficient homework time!

I'm going to try to keep this post streamlined and organized, just like a study space should be...                                                                               

Workspace

• Have a set study space and storage space. 
• The storage space should ideally be in the study space, but it could also be a shelf or cabinet or bin in another room. 
• Keep your materials and textbooks in the same place all the time, when at home. Ideally, this place should be a specific location within your study space.

• If you split your time between two homes, or don't always have an opportunity to do your homework in the same place each day, create a "workspace bag/bin" that contains everything you'll need for a mobile workspace. 
• The bag or bin will keep everything together, and is easily portable. 
• Only take things out of the bag or bin when you're using them in that moment. Then, put the item back right away so you'll know where to find it when you need it next.



This is not so good...

• Keep this workspace bag/bin in one place (e.g. trunk of a car).

• Reduce clutter in your work area. 
• You should work on a clear, uncluttered surface. 
• After unpacking your bag, put one subject's materials on the surface at a time. Leave the other materials off the work surface, so you have reduced the "visual noise." 

• Adjust furniture to fit your needs.
• Sit in a comfortable chair (with armrests, if you're working at a computer), that allows you to maintain good posture: sitting up straight with your feet flat on the floor or on a footrest.
• When you're working on the computer, your eyes should be about 1.5 feet from the screen (about arms' length)
• The keyboard should be centered and on a stable surface
• The monitor should be about 5cm above eye level. 
• Zoom in on what you're looking at or working on, and adjust the settings so messages aren't popping up and you're not receiving notifications irrelevant to your task.

Routines

• Unpack everything from your backpack and file away old materials at a routine time. 



I'm pretty sure you don't want your work
area to end up looking like this.

• File old papers and tests. Don't throw away materials or past assessments unless your teacher says to; these materials may come in handy when you're preparing for mid-year or final exams.
• Use accordion folders, separate binders, or a giant binder with dividers to keep old work organized by subject and topic. Put these in your storage space so they're not cluttering up your work space, but they're still available for reference when needed.
• You could do this every day, at the end of every school week, or even on Sundays when you're preparing for another week at school. It doesn't really matter when; the important thing is that you do this at least 1-2 times per month, depending on how many papers you have in your binders or folders.  

• Set aside time at the beginning of each work session to review your planner and to check (using the classroom websites, if possible), that you know what you have to accomplish that night.
• Then, make a plan of approach: What will you start with? What will you do next? When, and for how long, will you take a break? Plan this out in writing, and stick to it.

Environment

• Reduce and/or remove distractors in your work area.



Look familiar? It does to me!

• Put your phone in a different room
• Keep the computer screen turned off unless you're using it for homework
• Pull down the shades/ blinds if you're facing a window
• Turn off the TV or music

• Make sure you have adequate lighting, so your eyes don't have to work as hard.

• Get some fresh air in the room if possible.

Good luck!

A Different Way to Take Notes

Visual Note-taking 

(aka Sketch Notes or Graphic Notes)

Bullet points, outlines, and summaries are not always the best way to take notes from assigned reading or from lectures and class discussions. The video below explains another method of note-taking called "sketch notes" that relies on the creation of visual images along with recording text, to record and reinforce essential information.

"Do things your way so everything makes more sense." In my opinion, this is one of the essential take-aways of that video. Everyone perceives things differently, and we all have unique learning styles.  If you find a method for taking notes that works well for you, and it is effective, then keep on using it! Most of us will have to try a bunch of different styles and strategies for note-taking before we find one that works. Many of us also have to use different styles of note-taking depending on the task or what we will be expected to use those notes for.

Below is a video I recorded when I was attempting to use this style of note-taking to keep track of events in a chapter from A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. Please be gentle when judging my sketches.

Thanks for not being a critic, but I'll admit it- I don't think that went that very well. It was difficult to not just draw the scene I was reading about. However, that was one of my very first attempts at this style of note-taking. So, I'm going to try it again... after watching this video done by someone way more versed in this style of note-taking.

A few important things I took away from this instructional video were that you don't have to try to get all of the details down in  your notes in the moment; instead, you can go back to fill in details like additional text, color, and more precise drawings. Also, the video pointed out the importance of thinking about the layout or format of the notes, prior to beginning. I think that for the notes I took from A Long Way from Chicago, it would have made more sense to have a storyboard setup, where I have frames showing the different scenes and important events in the chapter. Maybe even reading the whole chapter first, then going back to sketch out the most important elements like the conflict, rising action, climax, and resolution, would have made more sense.

I'll have to keep working at this format of note-taking because I do think that it would work well for me in certain situations. I hope you will try this style of note-taking as well, in a few different situations, so you can see if it's something that may work for you!

Using your planner!!!

The key to effectively using a planner is consistency: use it well and use it always. If you only use your planner once in a while, or don't use it to write down homework in each and every class, it's probably not going to be helpful to you. But, if you do use it well and use it consistently, you will likely find that you are less stressed about schoolwork, you're getting better grades, and you're enjoying your classes more because you're prepared and more relaxed!

Backwards planning for long term projects, and upcoming tests and quizzes works like this:
1. Start by writing down when the assignment is due, or when the test/quiz is. Write this in on the day it's due/ being given.
2. Count back the days you have to work on it; that is, count backwards from the due date to today.
3. Think about the amount of material you have to produce, or review to prepare for the test or quiz. Divide it into chunks that make sense for whatever the assignment it. For example, if you have a math quiz on chapter 1, sections 1-3 four days from now, maybe you chunk down the material into sections (one per night), then use the fourth night to review all of the sections together. If you have a first draft of a five-paragraph essay due three days from now, maybe you work on brainstorming and outlining tonight, writing the three body paragraphs tomorrow, and then writing the intro and conclusion the next night.
4. Write down EXACTLY what you will work on each night, and how you will "work on" it. Writing "study" in your planner doesn't really remind you of what you should be DOING to study. Instead, write down "make flashcards and play mix-and-match game with flashcards" or "make and complete an active practice on section 1."

The idea behind backwards planning is to get larger assignments or tasks done by attacking it in smaller and more manageable pieces, in the days leading up to a due date or an assessment date. Practicing backwards planning can help you to see a large assignment as more manageable, and it can also help you to not procrastinate on the work! Above is a video that shows an example of backwards planning in practice.

Estimating the amount of time each nightly assignment will take, and writing down that estimation, can help in two ways: first, it can be a goal to then complete the assignment in that amount of time, which may lead you to be more efficient and focused; second, it can help you to get an idea of when you should work on each task. For example, if you think that reading a chapter for English will take you about 20 minutes, and writing a response for History will take you about 30 minutes, and you know that you have only 20 minutes left before having to eat dinner, you could complete English in that amount of time rather than feeling interrupted when working on history. Also, generally speaking, the longer something is going to take, the more brainpower it is going to require. So, it's often a good idea to complete longer assignments before working on shorter ones.

Plan out the order in which you'll complete your assignments, before beginning them. Simply numbering assignments or subjects 1, 2, 3, ... can help you to feel like you have a road map to your nightly homework. Again, for most people, it works best to start with the most difficult assignments first, because that's when they have the most brainpower or mental energy. However, other students report that starting with something they like, or something that's relatively easy, works well because they feel like it's motivating and it gets them on a roll with their work, and gives them confidence in their ability to complete the work (even when the later assignments are more difficult).

Learning a Foreign Language

Today's post is written by Mr. Richie Iskra, a Foreign Language teacher in the Middle School. Thank you, Mr. Iskra, for these fantastic tips for language-learning!

First, I would invite you to consider the truly relative word, “foreign.”  You should realize that each and every language is foreign to somebody, and that those people to whom it is not foreign had to work hard to learn it too.  We all have come into the world in the typical way, and we all were born totally ignorant of language: id est for some time at the beginning of our lives we did not know any language at all.  We communicated when we cried and when we laughed, but for some time we were not speaking a language.  After a while of absorbing the world with our senses and hearing our caregivers speak, we eventually began to comprehend specific sounds and even to replicate specific sounds.  Thus, already we all have learned at least one “foreign” language, and so we all have the ability to learn another one.  Here are some straightforward tips for approaching the acquisition of a new language.

1. Constantly compare and contrast your first language with your new language, for this practice will help you gain a more profound understanding of the two of them.  Your first language can help you more easily grasp both the similarities it shares with your new language and the differences between them.  Think about a plane and a car: the two look, sound and move differently, but they share the common purpose of transportation.  Your first language and your new language can look, sound and work differently, but they share a common purpose, communication.

2. Constantly consider these four actions when you are studying language: listening, reading, speaking and writing.  You should dedicate time to all four.  Listening and reading require us to consume information and then to decide the meaning contained in the information, so these two actions are called interpretive.  Speaking and writing require us to decide what we mean and then to produce information, so these two actions are called presentational.  Spend the most time on the action with which you are least comfortable, but be sure to keep a good balance.  Here are some ways to practice multiple actions at the same time:

• When you are reading or writing, always read the words aloud.  By doing this, you will also practice your speaking and listening skills.

• When you are listening, write the words.  Doing this will enhance both your writing and reading skills.

• When you are speaking, record yourself.  This will allow you to listen to yourself and pick up on any changes you might need to make to your pronunciation.

3. Finally, be sure to use your new language with another person, id est, interpersonally.  Languages came about for the purpose of communication, so the best way to practice a new language is to use it with friends and family!

Resources for Online Learning

Resources for Online Learning

Need to brush up on some of your academic skills or understanding? Not thrilled with learning some of your classes' content from textbooks or other resources your teachers have provided? Want to continue learning about a subject once the class has moved on, or want to move ahead of the pace of the class? Check out some of these suggestions...

*Special thanks to the magazine All You, and author Jessie Van Amburg, for some of these resources and ideas.


Multi-purpose sites and apps
Quizlet.com allows you to use pre-made flashcards, or to make your own, to review content ranging from science vocabulary to math facts. If you have this app on your phone or tablet, it's a productive thing to use while you're in traffic (as a passenger!), waiting in line, or just have a few minutes of downtime.

The Hopscotch app allows you to practice coding your own games, art, and animation. Coding may not be taught at your school, but this app makes learning about and practicing it fun and easy.

StoryJumper.com allows you to create your own books by writing text and choosing from preloaded illustrations. If you choose, you can also get a hard copy version of the book printed and bound, and shipped to you for as little as $13. While StoryJumper is geared toward younger kids, there are other more mature options for older students. If you're into writing at all, starting your own blog on a free blogging platform like blogspot.com or EduBlogs.com can give you the opportunity to see your writing published online, and to have a real audience!

Audible.com has over 100,000 books and audio resources. If your eyes tire easily, or you're sick of listening to music in the car or while working out, an audio book is a fun (and sometimes free) thing to try. Podcasts (downloadable through the iTunes store) are also a great audio resource, and you can find podcasts on all sorts of topics and in various genres.

FactMonster.com has interactive games (including math facts practice with varying degrees of difficulty) and supplemental materials that could be applied to the content in many of your classes.

Grammar 

The Mad Libs app (free)is a digital version of the old favorite. Play with your friends or alone, plugging in nouns, adjective, verbs, and other parts of speech to create a zany story and to learn some new vocabulary.

Chompchomp.com is a favorite resource among some middle school English teachers, for their interactive and weird games that allow students to practice grammatical concepts independently and at their own pace.



Foreign Language
Watch a foreign language film on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, or Hulu. Choose to watch it with or without subtitles. Or, watch an English language film (maybe one you've seen before) that has been dubbed over in another language. Already knowing the plot of the film may allow you to focus more on listening to the vocabulary and pronunciation, because you don't have to be trying to figure out what's going on.

The DuoLingo app and website allow you to make learning and practicing any of ten foreign languages, into a game! You can compete with friends, family, or classmates, or you can play as an individual. There are varying levels of difficulty you can work through too, so you'll be able to track your own progress and move at your own pace.



Science 

YouTube has a bunch of channels that focus on science content. SciShow, MinutePhysics, and Khan Academy are some favorites. Khan Academy also has its own full site, with videos, tutorials, and exercises related to science, math, and other content.

Budding astronomers may like the SkyView app, which lets you chart the stars overhead simply by pointing your phone or tablet at the night sky.

iBirdLite is another free app that lets you explore your natural surroundings, specifically plants and animals.

Remembering What You've Read... Audiobooks and other reading strategies

Do you find it difficult to remember what you've read? Or do you find yourself "zoning out" while reading? Try listening to an audio book while you read and visualize, and you might find that you remember more and/or can pay attention better!

Listen to the audio of the book while you read along and take notes! Although this article emphasizes the benefit of audio books for students who have learning differences, studies find that most people benefit from multiple means of representation when trying to encode (learn) new information.

Online resources like Audible.com, iTunes, audiobooks.com, and your public or school library have online audio books or audio books on CDs (or even cassette tapes?!) that you can check out, so you can easily try this strategy to see if it works for you!


Other active reading strategies you can use while listening to an audio book (or not), to better remember what you've read, include:

• End-of-chapter summaries
• Sticky Note summaries
• 3-bullet summaries
• SWBS summaries

• Stop and paraphrase at the end of each page (Stop, Think, Paraphrase)
• Visualizing
• Connecting
• Margin Notes

I'll post more about these other active reading strategies later. Happy reading (and/or listening!)

Starting the New School Year

Ch-ch-ch-changes!

(link to Bowie song)

Welcome to a new school year!

No matter which grade you're starting this year, or whether you're new to the school or a returning student, you're probably adjusting to some new things about your school day- the teachers, the classrooms, your classmates, your advisee group, your schedule...

Changes and transitions like this can be difficult, but the good thing is that you're not alone! Changes can be difficult for everyone, your teachers and parents included. Below are some tips for students AND parent, for adjusting to the new school year.

For students:

Get to know your teachers and advisor, and let them get to know you. 

-Ask the adults at school questions, both in class and outside of class time. Your questions can be as simple as, "How was your weekend?" or it can be more focused on the content of the class.

- Tell your teachers what you like and don't like, what interests you, and what you're involved in outside of school. You may learn that you have some things in common!

-Tell your teachers what you're going to need from them in order to be successful. Tell them that you prefer to sit near the board, or that you sometimes have a difficult time listening, participating, and taking notes at the same time. Tell them if you do (or don't) like being asked to read aloud in class, or if you benefit from having all multi-step directions written down. Tell them what your learning preferences are, and if you think you are eligible for accommodations like extended time. Teachers want to help you, so they'll want to know this information about you!

Get started off on the right foot, organizationally.
-Take the time to label your books, notebooks, and binders. Put that loose leaf paper in each of your binders, and put the divider tabs in there too. Make sure you have enough pens and pencils in your pencil case. If you are missing any school materials, Mr. Lanagan's room in the Middle School is full of perfectly good donated/ recycled materials like binders, folders, paper, and notebooks!

-Set up a work space at home where you complete your homework every night. Make sure it has some extra school supplies like paper, writing utensils, and maybe your laptop charger. Doing homework in the same place each night can minimize the chances you'll forget something at home, or lose something that you need.

-As soon as you receive your planner, put your name on it and start to use it! (More on effectively using a planner later on)

-If you're a Middle School student, attend the September 22nd Snack and Study Session on Organizational Strategies! (Sign up outside of the MS HLC; space is limited to 15 students)

Ask questions when you have them!
-Your teachers, advisor, coaches, and other adults in the school building all want to help you figure out what's happening, what's expected of you, and how you can be successful. Just ask someone for some help if you need it!








For parents:

Get to know your child's teachers, and help them get to know your child.
- Learn the names of each of your child's teachers, and his or her advisor. Learn the best way to get in touch with them (i.e. email, phone call, written note).

- Encourage your child to talk with his or her teachers, and share what their home and life is like; do they split time between houses, or do their homework somewhere other than at home? Is there consistent internet access at home, or a printer? Are there outside activities or commitments your child has during the school week or on the weekends? Is there any medication your child is taking that may affect their behavior, performance, or attention in class? This is all helpful information for your child's teachers to know.

Be aware of teachers' expectations and how to access class resources.
- At the start of the year in Middle School, many students will come home with "expectations" sheets for their different classes. These handouts may need to be signed, or maybe they don't, but in either case it will be valuable for you to read through the papers with your student so that you're aware of the different expectations of different classes and teachers.

- Many, if not most, teachers will use a website to disseminate information such as homework assignments, due dates, assessment dates, etc. However, the website or platform used by each teacher could be slightly different. Ask your student to show you how to access each of their classes' websites; if your student can't show you where he or she can find homework assignments or handouts/PDFs, then prompt your child to meet with that teacher immediately in order to figure out how to navigate the online aspect of the class.

- Starting in Middle School, students should be mostly advocating for themselves. Teachers do not want to field inquiries from parents about what the homework is, or what's on a test. Students at this age need to be learning how to ask these questions themselves, and how to problem-solve independently. This is not to say you can't help to problem-solve, but most of the communication with a teacher should be going through the student himself or herself. Role-playing what communication can look like between your student and his or her teacher, and prompting your student to troubleshoot situations (e.g. forgetting to write down a homework assignment, leaving needed materials at school, etc.) to practice these self-direction skills, will help your child to become a more independent and effective problem-solver.



Give it time!
- Everyone is a little nervous when starting a new school year, or when beginning at a new school- yes, teachers too. If there are some bumps in the road during the first few weeks of a new school year, that's normal. If you're trying to figure out how much independence and help to give your student with school work and other responsibilities, you're not alone. Kids, as well as teachers' expectations, change from year to year (and sometimes from day-to-day and class-to-class!), so we all need to be patient with one another, and give it time. I think we'll see that most kids will be able to handle increasing responsibility and independence, if we give them some room and some time to figure it all out.

During-Reading Strategies

During-reading Strategies

While completing your summer reading, you should consistently check in with yourself to ensure you're reading actively, instead of simply looking at a bunch of words on a page (or a screen). There are lots of things you can do to be an active reader, and you're likely already doing some of those things. Below are some strategies you may already use without thinking about it, or may want to consider using, as you read.

1. Visualize
2. Make Connections
3. Make Predictions
4. Take Margin Notes

Visualizing means to "make a mental picture" of what's happening in the story, as you read. Because a book will likely be action-oriented, and the characters will be doing and saying things, this "picture" is really more like a movie. The more detail you're able to add to your mental movie, the more likely you are to understand what is happening in the story. Just make sure that the details you add to your mental movie (accents, background/setting, characters' facial expressions, etc.) are based on the information that the author has provided. If you find that you're unable to make a mental movie while reading, or if that mental picture is vague and not very detailed, that may be a sign that you're not really thinking about what you're reading, or that you're not understanding what's happening in the story.

Making Connections, as discussed in a previous post, is a great strategy to use in order to stay interested in what you're reading and to remember more of what you're reading. You can connect what you're reading to other things you've read in the past, movies you've seen, things that you have personally experienced, or what you know about the world around you. Making connections can also help you to visualize more clearly, and it can help you to make more logical predictions.

Making Predictions is basically just thinking about what will happen next, based on what has happened so far in a story and based on background knowledge and previous experience. Oftentimes, we have to modify predictions about what will happen, as we read and gain more information. Making predictions can keep us interested in what we're reading, and it can also give us a purpose or focus while reading; we'll keep reading to figure out whether or not our predictions are accurate!

The topic of taking Margin Notes deserves a lot more discussion and time than I'll give it right now, but in short, taking margin notes while reading is a great way to ensure that you're being active (and not just looking at the words on the page), and to show off your thought process or what's happening in your mind, as you read. I always suggest that people have something in their hand to write with, while reading. This is so you can jot down those connections and predictions you're making, as well as questions or other ideas you have, while you're reading. It is also helpful to have something to write with in your hand so you can easily underline or star important parts of the story, note down in the margins when a new character appears or when the setting changes, or when you think the author might be emphasizing a certain point over and over again. It can be a good idea to use symbols and abbreviations when taking margin notes, to save yourself some time and to make certain things pop out at you when you go back to review what you've read. For example, a star can be used to denote something you think is important; "Ch." can be written in the margin when a new character appears; you can jot down a question mark in a margin when you're confused, or an exclamation point when something surprising happens; "Set." can be written in the margin when there's a description of the setting (time and place) of the story; and, you can make up other symbols and abbreviations to show what you're thinking and what sorts of connections you're making as you read. The margins of a book, if large enough, can also be a good place to sketch out some of what you're visualizing as you read, if you think it's an important scene or page.

Happy Reading!

Pre-Reading Strategies

Pre-reading Strategies

Before beginning your summer reading, take a look at these tips and the rationale behind using each.

Pre-reading is an important step in the reading process, especially when you're being asked to read something challenging or when the topic of the text is something you don't find inherently interesting.    Using a few of the pre-reading strategies below can very likely help you to understand the text better when you do read, and it can also increase your interest in the topic and increase your motivation to read something that's required. 

Below are 5 strategies you should try BEFORE reading a book:

1. Build Background Knowledge and/or Activate Background Knowledge
2. Skim and Survey
3. Question the Text
4. Make Predictions
5. Make Connections

1. Build Background Knowledge and/or Activate Background Knowledge
Activating background knowledge or Building Background Knowledge prior to reading can help you to be better able to visualize, connect to, and generally comprehend what you're reading. Activating background knowledge basically primes our brains to retain incoming information, because the part of our memory that stores similar information will already be alert and ready to receive more. Clearly there's a better scientific explanation, but I like to think of our brains as velcro and the new information contained in a text as a tennis ball. If the velcro's "sticky" side is facing out because it's been activated, the tennis ball is more likely to stick. If the velcro's sticky side is not facing out because there is not any background information or it hasn't been activated, the tennis ball will likely just bounce off and not stick.

Building background information can be done in any number of ways: watching a movie on the topic that is discussed in the book, or that is set during the same time period as a story; visiting museum exhibits, monuments, or locations discussed in a book; looking up pictures or videos online that relate to the story or topic; or, simply having a conversation with someone who is knowledgeable about the topic or the plot of the book. Having some background information prior to reading can help you to become more interested in what you're reading too, can help you to better visualize what's happening, and it can also help you with coming up with questions, making predictions, and making connections (which will all be discussed below).

2. Skim and Survey
Skimming and surveying a book only takes a few minutes at most. Basically, you'll want to look at and read the front and back covers or inside of any book jackets, then flip through the book to notice text features like the chapter titles or subheadings, and pictures or graphics. It's also helpful to note the length of individual chapters, the font size, and how many pages the book is overall, for planning and time management purposes. Skimming and surveying a book can help in that it can prompt you to activate background knowledge, and also because it will help you to come up with questions about the text, make predictions, and make connections.

3. Question the Text
Don't expect the text to answer you back out loud, but you'll certainly find many answers to your own thoughtful questions once you start to read. While skimming or surveying the book, come up with some questions you'd like to find the answers to while reading. You can turn chapter titles into questions. For example, if a chapter was titled "The Wicked Witch of the West," I might ask myself, Why is she wicked? What does she do that's wicked? What's her name? Is she from the west coast of the United States, or the western part of some other region?
Also, for example, if you skim Seedfolks, you will see a number of pictures and chapter titles that are names of people. So, you might ask a question like,  Is the title of the chapter the person's name whose picture is also on the page? Or, Why does this chapter have a picture of a packet of seeds, while that other page has a picture of a shovel? Or, Is there only one narrator for the whole story, or does it switch each chapter?

Questions can also be general, like the following:

• How does the picture on the cover relate to the story? 
• When and where is this book set?
• Who is the protagonist, and what is his or her problem?
• What is the main character going to learn over the course of the story?
• Why does the font change at different points of the book?

General or specific, asking questions is an important pre-reading strategy because it gives you a focus and purpose for reading- you're reading in order to answer those questions. It can also help you to enjoy the book more, and keep you reading, because you'll want to find out the answers to your questions. Not all of your questions will be answered, and you'll likely change some of your questions and come up with new ones while reading.

4. Make Predictions

Making predictions can get and keep you interested in the book you're reading. Make predictions about what sort of problem a main character may have, why the title of the book is what it is, and how the setting of the book might influence the action. It helps to have some background knowledge, and to have skimmed the book, before making predictions. Making predictions, like questioning the text, is another During-Reading strategy you should use.

5. Make Connections

Activating background knowledge is a form of making connections between what you already know, and what you anticipate reading. Many of the connections you can make to a book before you even read it, will fall into one of three categories: 

• connections to our own life or experiences
• connections to other texts we've read
• connections to what we know about the world around us

Making connections to the book based on its topic, title, pictures, chapter titles, or other features we see by skimming the book, can help us to be engaged in what we're reading, because we can relate to the story or topic in some way. It can also help is to better remember what we're reading, because the new information gets linked to what we already know (whether it's a fact or a personal memory). 

Welcome!

Welcome to Tips from Teachers!

This is the inaugural post, so I'd like to start by giving you an overview of what is to come in future posts.

The purpose of this website is to provide tips to students (and parents of those students) that will help students to achieve to their fullest potential in school. Every week (approximately), I will post a new strategy or tip related to schoolwork, homework, class participation, communication with teachers...basically anything related to helping students find success in school. Specific topics may include managing stress, creating and following effective homework routines, and figuring out the best ways to work with different teachers. I will also hopefully have a wide range of guest bloggers- that is, other teachers - who can provide content-specific tips or strategies for their areas of expertise.

The content on this website will include audio clips, videos, graphics, hyperlinks to other websites, and text; we all learn differently, so this is an example of presenting information in multiple modalities in order to reach a wider audience (which is a best practice FOR teachers)!

If you have any questions or would like more information about a specific strategy, please come to see me in Thayer's Middle School Hale Learning Center, email me at ekeenan@thayer.org, or give me a call at 781-664-2322.

Happy learning,

Ms. Keenan