Active Reading Program

Objectives of the program:

• Increase vocabulary through whole brain learning techniques and etymology
• Improve Reading Comprehension through targeted use of active reading strategies
• Improve critical thinking and higher order skills such as making inferences based on evidence

Rationale and Intent:

• The program's intent is to supplement and enhance classroom literacy instruction, and is designed to reflect the best practices in literacy instruction.
• Students will be challenged to think critically about reading material and to create their own meaning from vocabulary words, reading strategies, and stories.
• Students will identify and become cognizant of strategies they use to access material. They will become aware of how they can effectively use various strategies to construct meaning and draw conclusions.

Components of the Program:

• Vocabulary Section
• Vocabulary map - uses whole brain learning strategies to interact with words and concepts
• Etymology - builds vocabulary through understanding of roots, affixes and suffixes
• Strategy Section
• 6 Active Reading Strategies with practice exercises: Questioning, Visualizing, Summarizing, Drawing Inferences, Making Connections, and Determining Importance.
• Reading Comprehension Section
• Activities tied to leveled stories that reflect a diversity of genre and subject.
• Each activity has a before, during, and after reading section. The activities emphasize the ability to implement strategies students have learned. The activities also emphasize interaction with text and meaning.