How to 10x INCREASE Student Engagement in ANY Reading Comprehension Lesson!

Are your students bored during a Reading Comprehension Lesson?

• You can 10x INCREASE Student Engagement during any READING lesson by using this Active Reading Strategy POWER UP!

• These handouts, worksheets, and strategies work with ANY TEXT.

• Improve reading comprehension by showing students HOW to use READING STRATEGIES to gain deeper meaning.

This 10x INCREASE Student Engagement resource works with ANY SUBJECT - not just reading! The "Say Something" handout and "Idea Volleyball" strategies work with Media Texts, Conversations, Videos, Textbooks, Novels, and pretty much anything that you need to think critically about! Check out the "Idea Volleyball" strategy in this FREE ChatGPT debate video lesson.

❤️ Like this resource? Check out the 10x Middle School Reading Comprehension & Intervention Bundle which includes this resource and more: 1047 slides, 205 pages of handouts and worksheets, 187 pages of lesson plans, and 149 pages of answers!

Want to see exactly what you get before you buy this product?

• Watch the PREVIEW VIDEO.

• Look at the PREVIEW PDF.
  (It is a watermarked version of the entire PDF resource.)

• Find out how to get this resource for LESS THAN $1.00

Does this teacher seem familiar: https://youtu.be/uhiCFdWeQfA

Don't worry. We've all been in that situation.

And the reality is that sometimes we have to "teach" that way "to get through the material" because there's too much to do and not enough time.

But, if you want to get more student engagement from your class so you're not the "Anyone, anyone" teacher from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, then this Active Reading Strategy POWER UP lesson is for you!

Can this resource really 10x Increase Student Engagement?

• Imagine you have a class of 20 students. (lol for some of us, I know)

• Instead of getting students to take turns reading the text out loud while the rest of the class "listens" and "thinks" about the text... (lol again for some of us.)

• ...Why not play "idea volleyball" and have students work in pairs to read the text out loud together and then actively engage with the text after each person reads a section.

SCENARIO A: ONE (1) group of twenty students

If you have the entire class of 20 students take turns reading the text one by one, then only ONE student is reading out loud (decoding the words) at a time.

• Some students enjoy reading out loud. (They can probably read / decode at grade level.)

• Some students can read at grade level, but they hate reading out loud in front of the class (because, you know, bullies.)

• Some students spend so much energy figuring out which section they'll have to read, that they're not listening to the rest of the text. (They're rehearsing their performance.)

• Some students can't read at grade level. So, rather than look bad in front of their classmates, it's easier to act out and get in trouble. (Hello, classroom management obstacles!)

• Some students are bored. This is easy and the whole class is working at the same level. So, they can goof around, and still manage to read their part when it's their turn. They're not actively engaging with the text either.

• Once the chapter or the section of the text is finished, the class has a discussion. The teacher asks a question

SCENARIO B: TEN (10) groups of two students

• Split your class into partners.

• Each student takes a turn reading out loud to their partner. After they read their paragraph, they have to "say something" about the text: Ask a Question, Make a Connection, Repair Comprehension, Evaluate, Find the Main Idea, etc. If they can't "say something", they have to go back and re-read that passage until they can say something.

• The two students now play "idea volleyball."

• The student who was listening to their partner read now has to "say something" about what their partner said. They have to build onto the idea or refine the idea in order to send the "idea volleyball" back to the other player.

• If the partner doesn't build on the idea and instead says something new, then the "idea volleyball" has dropped to the floor. The goal is to see how complex an idea you can develop.

• Students are accountable for learning by either recording their ideas down on the included "double-entry journal" worksheet.

• Or, the teacher can collect anecdotal observation data by floating around groups. (This can be a great accommodation because some students are great at reading comprehension but fail at writing their ideas down on paper.)

• In this scenario, there are 10 students reading out loud at the same time.

• Both partners are held accountable to be actively engaged with the text. The first partner reading the text has to come up with a "say something." The second partner has to "say something" to build on the first partner's idea. Because this conversation is out loud, the teacher can float around to hear what students are thinking.

Why do I say this resource can 10x Increase Student Engagement?

Here's the math:

• Scenario A has ONE student reading at a time.

• Scenario B (idea volleyball) has TEN students reading at a time.

• So, Scenario B has 10x student engagement as Scenario A.

• In fact, it's more than 10x because both partners in each of the 10 groups have to do a "say something" as one person reads. So, there's more engagement and accountability for learning all around.

Not sure how you're going to teach "Idea Volleyball" or how to do a "Say Something? That's where this resource helps out!

• The slideshow lesson explicitly explains to students how to do a "Say Something" and play "Idea Volleyball"

• The handout reminds students the rules of how to play "Idea Volleyball." It also gives pro tips on how to use reading strategies to do a "Say Something"

• The "double-entry journal" worksheet helps students document their conversation and learning. Accountability can help with active engagement.

The "Say Something" handout briefly goes over 6 reading strategies and includes sentence stems (what to say) and pro tips (what to do.)

• 1. Ask high-level thinking questions

• 2. Make deeper connections

• 3. Infer what the author is really saying.

• 4. Evaluate and form an opinion.

• 5. Find the Main Idea. (This is really about...)

• 6. Repairing Comprehension (Oh, I get it...)

GET READING COMPREHENSION MARKS:

Students demonstrate their current understanding of the text in TWO WAYS so you can observe, assess, or evaluate.

• Oral Communication by playing Idea Volleyball.

• Written Communication by using the Double-Entry Journal handout.

IMPORTANT: Text NOT included.

• Use this Active Reading Strategy power up with whatever text you're currently studying in the classroom right now!

• This resource can be used to analyze any text (printed text): novels, articles, poems, etc.

• It can also be adapted to use with any media text: TED talks, songs, poetry, movies, podcasts, etc. (During the "Say Something", instead of reading the text, you simply watch a few minutes of the TED talk together.)

IMPORTANT: Rubric NOT included.

• This resource provides a framework for students to actively engage with the text and demonstrate their understanding.

• This means you can use whatever marking scheme you already have.

Here's what you get with this ACTIVE READING strategies power-up product:

• Slideshow Lesson,

• Video (coming soon)

• Handouts that work with any text

• Digital Learning format (Easel by TPT™)

OH NO! You missed out!

• This product was free for 24 hours to thank people who follow my store or subscribe to my email newsletter.

• On Tue Dec 20, 2022 this become a PAID PRODUCT and now costs $3.00

• I am currently recording a YouTube video that will you through the entire slideshow lesson.

• When this video is published, the price of this resource will increase.

This product includes:

• PDF handouts.

• Google Docs™ / Microsoft Word™ versions of the handouts to edit.

• Google Slides™ / Microsoft Powerpoint™ versions of the slideshow lesson.

• Easel by TpT™ digital version.
  (Learn more about the FREE Easel by TPT platform here.)

This product is SIMPLE AND STRAIGHTFORWARD to use!

• Look at the ACTIVE READING - PREVIEW PDF to see exactly what you get.

What do I do after I purchase this product?

Before you buy this product, there is a green button on the right side that says "ADD ONE TO CART"

After you buy this product, the green button will say "VIEW 2 FILES"

Click the "VIEW 2 FILES" button and a new window will pop up.

• Click the "Download the PDF" button.

• (optional) Click the "Preview and Assign" to customize the Easel by TpT™ digital version and assign it to your students using Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, or any other LMS.

What do I do after I download the PDF?

• Open the PDF.
  (It will look like the pages in this ACTIVE READING - PREVIEW PDF.)

• STEP 1: Click the link to the slideshow lesson (at the top of page 1.)

• STEP 2: Print the PDF. (It has all of the handouts.)

• STEP 3: Teach.

This product is ready for DIGITAL LEARNING (Easel by TpT.)

• If you're new to the FREE Easel by TpT platform, read this.

• The link to the Easel by TpT version will appear on the right side of the page once you buy this product. Click on "VIEW 2 FILES" and then click "PREVIEW AND ASSIGN" (The link is also available in the downloaded PDF on page 2)

• Delete the pages you don't need.

• Assign the Easel by TpT resource to your students.

• Students can use any device to type answers on the handout. (The text boxes automagically expand if you need more room. But they also hide long answers, so the page formatting does not get messed up!)

TEACHING IDEAS:

Use this video and slideshow lesson to help students engage more deeply when they are doing active reading.

The slideshow lesson is comprehensive, easy to use, and includes everything you need whether you are:

• DISTANCE LEARNING in Google Classroom™ / Microsoft Teams™ / LMS

• or TEACHING IN PERSON in your classroom

• or doing a hybrid model with technology.

In this package, you get...

✅ the slideshow lesson to walk your students through

• how to do a SAY SOMETHING and use 6 reading strategies.

• how to do "Idea Volleyball" with a partner to develop a deeper understanding of a text.

• how to fill out the "Double-Entry Journal" handout to use 1) Evidence from their text and 2) their OWN thinking.

✅ a generic ACTIVE READING STRATEGIES handout package 

• that can be used with any text.

• provides students a process to demonstrate higher-level thinking (analyze, evaluate, synthesize, repairing comprehension.)

▶️ BONUS VIDEO:

• Coming soon: I’m recording the slideshow as a YOUTUBE VIDEO so it’s easier to teach. (Virtual Support Teacher by Educircles.)

IMPORTANT NOTE: This product DOES NOT include a text for students to read! 

This resource is intended for teachers to use with a novel or text that they are studying in class. 

If you want this product with reading texts, please check out the SEL Stories bundle.

✅ SEL Stories Bundle

• Active Reading Strategies POWER UP (This lesson)
• SEL Story 001: Pilot Afraid of Flying (Making Connections)
• SEL Story 002: Change the Game (Making Connections)
• SEL Story 003: This App Can Help Close The Gap! (Inferring)
• SEL Story 004: Empowering Girls and STEM (Inferring)
• SEL Story 005: Born Here (Inferring)

✅ Reading Comprehension Strategies MEGA Bundle

Includes a full lesson and practice article (differentiated at 3 reading levels) for each reading strategy used in the "SAY SOMETHING" handout.

• Asking Questions
• Making Connections
• Inferring
• Repairing Comprehension
• Evaluating
• Finding the Main Idea

⭐ This is the TED talk that I will give one day. If you like this, then you will love my resources.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask below in the Question & Answer section or email me at Mike@educircles.org