STRATEGY NOTEBOOK 1

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STRATEGY NOTEBOOK PAGE

Pre Reading
Possible Sentences…………………………………………………………………….. 2-3
Knowledge Rating Scale………...……………………………………………………. 4-5
Alphabet Brainstorming …………..………………………………………………….. 6-7
During Reading
Questioning the Author……………..……………………………………………….. 8-10
Inquiry Charts…………..……………………….…………………………………..10-11
Verbal Visual Word Association………..………….……………………………… 12-13
After Reading
Quick Write………………………………………………………………………… 13-15
Fact Pyramid…………………………………………..…………………………… 16-17
Word Map…………………………………………..……………………………… 18-19
Vocabulary
KIM…….…….…….…..…………………………………………………………… 20-21
Word Sort…………….…..………………………………………………………… 21-22
Word Family Tree………….……….……………………………………………… 23-24
English Language Learners
Student-Friendly Vocabulary Explanations…….…………….…………………… 25-27
Magnet Summaries………..…………….………………………………………… 27-29
Double Entry Diaries…….…………….……..…………………………………… 30-31
Special Populations
Think-Pair-Share…….……………………..……………………………………… 31-33
Read and Say Something…….……..…….………….…………………………… 33-35
KWL…….….………...…….……..……………………………………………… 36-37
STRATEGY NOTEBOOK 2

STRATEGY NOTEBOOK

Pre Reading

A.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Possible Sentences

3. Instructions

❏ Choose and display the vocabulary words.

❏ Ask students to define the words and pair related words together.

❏ Ask students to write sentences using their word pairs. Remind students

that their sentences should be ones they expect to see in the text as they

read.

❏ Have students read the text and compare their possible sentences with the

actual sentences within the text.

❏ If your students' possible sentences are inaccurate, ask them to rewrite

their sentences to be accurate.

4. Strengths

❏ It activates students' prior knowledge about content area vocabulary and

concepts, and can improve their reading comprehension.

❏ It sparks students' curiosity about their reading.

❏ It teaches students to guess how words may be used in the text and create

meaningful sentences.
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5. Example
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B.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Knowledge Rating Scale

3. Instructions

❏ Demonstrate the strategy to students, explaining that it will get them

thinking and prepare them for the new learning in the lesson. Explain the

rating scale (there are several variations).

❏ Provide students with a list of words and say each one out loud. In pairs

have students then rate each word according to how well they know it.

Additionally, students can be asked to write a definition for any words

they ticked in the ‘Know it well” column or draw a sketch of the word.

❏ Discuss with students the terms they are familiar with and those they are

not too sure about. Have students predict what they think unknown words

might mean. Provide explanations and examples of any unknown terms

before reading and draw attention to them when used throughout the

lesson.

❏ Students rating scales can be collected and used to explicitly teach key

vocabulary in the next lesson also.

4. Strengths

❏ evaluate students’ background knowledge of a topic or concept

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❏ look at and be aware of new vocabulary and also help activate prior

knowledge

❏ By identifying terms students do not know well the teacher will be better

able to prepare students for reading, viewing, listening and discussing the

new topic or text

5. Example
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C.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Alphabet Brainstorming

3. Instructions

❏ Provide each student with a blank Alphabet Brainstorming chart. (Students

can work in collaborative teams, though each individual student should fill

in a personal copy of the chart).

❏ Students work with partners or in groups to generate a related term or

meaningful association that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Ask

students to fill in as many boxes as possible within a designated time

period (about 7-8 minutes).

❏ Ask groups to explain their terms with the entire class and briefly justify

how each term fits with the topic.

❏ After reading and expanding their understandings, groups can return to

their alphabet charts and add new meaningful items related to the topic of

study in different color ink.

4. Strengths

❏ is an effective way to elicit students’ prior knowledge before learning

❏ Students prepare for the study of new material and the knowledge

demands of complex texts.

❏ Students are more motivated to read material that can be related to

something they already know.

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❏ Student share background knowledge with their peers so all students can

begin reading with some familiarity of the topic.

❏ Student misconceptions about the material that appear during

brainstorming are in then open to be corrected during instruction.

❏ Students assume the responsibility for raining questions, seeking

clarifications, and engaging in discussion about the topic.

❏ Students can revisit their lists after learning to add new information or to

eliminate information.

5. Example
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During Reading

A.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Questioning the Author

3. Instructions

❏ Select a passage that is both interesting and can start a good conversation.

❏ Decide appropriate stopping points where you think your students need to

obtain a greater understanding.

❏ Create questions for each stopping point.

i. What is the author trying to say?

ii. Why do you think the author used the following phrase?

iii. Does this make sense to you?

❏ Display a short passage to your students along with one or two questions

you have designed ahead of time.

❏ Model for your students how to think through the questions.

❏ Ask students to read and work through the questions you have prepared

for their readings.

4. Strengths

❏ It engages students in the reading and helps to solidify their understanding

of a text.

❏ It teaches students to form questions to the author while reading.

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❏ It teaches students to critique the author's writing.

❏ Students do the work. They wrestle with ideas and consider ways

information connects to construct meaning.

❏ Text becomes an ally to students. Students refer back to the text to verify,

argue, and interpret.

❏ Students acquire a deeper understanding of major text ideas.

5. Example

QUESTIONS

● What's the author trying to say?

● What's the author's message?

● What's that all about?

● What's going on here?

● What do you think the author wants us to know from this?

● What's the big idea the author is trying to get across?

For Following Up:

● That's what the author says, but what does the author mean?

● How does that add to the ideas we're talking about?

● What do you think about X's comment?

● What did the author say to make X think of that?

● X is on to something--what's that all about?

● So, is that it?

● Is that all there is to it?

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● X said ... Did anyone else pick that up?

● Can anybody take that a little further?

● How does that strike you?

● What's X remembering?

● How does that help us here?

B.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Inquiry Charts

3. Instructions

❏ The teacher provides each student with a blank I-chart and assists with

topic selection OR provides the pre-selected topic.

❏ The students engage in forming questions about the topic. Those questions

are placed at the top of each individual column.

❏ The rows are for recording any information students already know and the

key ideas pulled from several different sources of information. The last

row gives students the opportunity to pull together the ideas into a general

summary.

❏ Teachers may ask students to resolve competing ideas found in the

separate sources or develop new questions to explore based on any

conflicting or incomplete information.

4. Strengths

❏ It fosters critical thinking and strengthens reading skills.

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❏ It teaches younger students to generate meaningful questions about a topic

and learn to organize their writing.

❏ Students build upon prior knowledge or thoughts about the topic by

sharing interesting facts.

❏ It can serve as an evaluation tool for how much a student has learned

about a topic.

5. Example
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C.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Verbal Visual Word Association

3. Instructions

❏ Select a vocabulary term(s) that would be appropriate for completing

Verbal Visual Word Association.

❏ Direct students to draw a rectangle divided into four sections for each

vocabulary term.

❏ In the upper-left box of the rectangle, students should write the vocabulary

word. In the box below, they should write the definition. (Instruct students

to write the definition in their own words instead of copying from a

“glossary.”)

❏ Next, students will need to draw a visual representation in the upper-right

box of the rectangle (next to the vocabulary word).

❏ For the final box (lower right), have students write their own personal

association, an example or characteristic that relates to the vocabulary

term.

4. Strengths

❏ This strategy helps students learn vocabulary words independently and

retain the new terminology through personal, visual associations.

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❏ provides a method for students to make personal and visual associations to

new words, increasing vocabulary retention

❏ engages prior knowledge on content and develops new knowledge

5. Example

After Reading

A.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Quick Write

3. Instructions

❏ Begin by sharing a topic or prompt with the class and recording it where

all the students can see it.

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❏ Tell the students they have thirty seconds to quickly jot down everything

they can think of that is related to the topic.

❏ Have the students share what they have recorded one at a time and record

those on chart paper.

❏ Have the students compare the collective list with their individual list to

self-assess and determine their own level of understanding of the material.

❏ Prepare the students for new learning by explaining that they may

continue to add to their lists as they read and engage in various learning

investigations.

❏ Have students revisit their lists periodically throughout the unit or have

them use the lists to write a summary of their learning.

4. Strengths

❏ Prepare students for reading new material, reviewing previously learned

material to better understand new information.

❏ Provides the teacher and students with important information about

students’ prior knowledge and understanding about a topic or identify

skills they have.

❏ Allows students to quickly collect data about what they know about a

given topic.

❏ The focus of Quick Writes is to help students access the information.

❏ It is an informal writing so grammar and spelling should not be

emphasized by the teachers.

❏ make predictions, inferences, hypotheses and encourage critical thinking

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5. Example
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B.
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1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Fact Pyramid

3. Instructions

❏ Select a document or text.

❏ As kids are reading they should be highlighting information that they

believe to important.

❏ You should do a read-aloud with kids through the first few bits of the text

to model how the process looks.

❏ When the student is finished with the reading, they have several parts of

the text highlighted.

❏ Taking out the Fact Pyramid Because Box graphic organizer, students

then must rank the top four pieces of information from most to least

important – filling in the Fact Pyramid portion of the organizer.

❏ Students then must explain in the Because Box why they placed those

pieces of information in that particular order.

❏ You could also ask students to then write a short summarizing paragraph

on the back of their organizer.

4. Strengths

❏ evaluate and rank information and then justify their decisions

❏ encourage close reading and summarizing of primary source documents,

textbook selections, fiction/non-fiction, and short articles.

❏ Increases reading comprehension and promotes critical thinking

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5. Example
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C.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Word Map

3. Instructions

❏ Introduce the vocabulary word and the map to the students.

❏ Teach them how to use the map by putting the target word in the central

box.

❏ Ask students to suggest words or phrases to put in the other boxes which

answer the following questions: "What is it?" "What is it like?" and "What

are some examples?"

❏ Encourage students to use synonyms, antonyms, and a picture to help

illustrate the new target word or concept.

❏ Model how to write a definition using the information on the word map.

4. Strengths

❏ promotes vocabulary development

❏ students think about terms or concepts in several ways

❏ Most word map organizers engage students in developing a definition,

synonyms, antonyms, and a picture for a given vocabulary word or

concept.

❏ Enhancing students' vocabulary is important to developing their reading

comprehension.
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5. Example
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Vocabulary

A.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. KIM

3. Instructions

❏ To help introduce students to a unit, assign them a series of vocabulary

words to fill out in the KIM graphic organizer.

❏ Identify the key terms that students need to use for the worksheet. Those

words go in the left hand (K) columns.

❏ Have students read about the term in their book. Then have them read the

definition. Their information should be written in their own words (I) that

goes along with it in the center column.

❏ Lastly, have students create their memory clue to go in the third column

(M) or the right column.

❏ Once students complete their graphic organizers, have students share their

sheets with each other and review each other by stating the information on

their sheet.

4. Strengths

❏ Students interpret and apply new information as well as prior knowledge.

❏ Can be used at any age level

❏ Helps to build new and develop existing vocabulary

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5. Example

B.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Word Sort

3. Instructions

❏ Prepare enough small sets of the vocabulary word flash cards for each pair

of students (or have students prepare them).

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❏ Partners sort the words into the defined categories (Closed Word Sort), or

into any categories they want (Open Word Sort).

❏ When they have finished, have each pair of students report to the class

about their categories as you list them on the board.

4. Strengths

❏ Interactive learning tool that promotes higher level thinking skills

❏ a simple individual or small group activity.

❏ provides oral language development opportunities that build on students'

prior knowledge

5. Example
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C.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Word Family Tree

3. Instructions

❏ Select a group of target words for students to investigate. These could be

pivotal words in a short story, key terms in a unit of study, or general high

utility vocabulary words.

❏ Introduce the Word Family Tree graphic organizer as a means of

vocabulary study.

❏ Next, have students work with partners or in cooperative groups to

complete Family Word Trees for the target words. They may use any

appropriate resource, including their textbooks, a thesaurus, dictionary, or

other vocabulary‐rich sources.

❏ Allow time for students to share their Word Family Trees. They will

discover that other students were able to identify related words that they

may have overlooked, additional possible synonyms, and other useful

contexts where the word might make an appearance.

4. Strengths

❏ Develop a thorough understanding of important vocab.

❏ Develop understanding of word origins and changes over time

❏ Identify word roots and make connections to others with similar origins
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❏ More likely to remember new words and more engaged with new

vocabulary

5. Example
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English Language Learners

A.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Student-Friendly Vocabulary Explanations

3. Instructions

❏ Determine which words are most worthy of instructional time. Remember,

all words highlighted in texts are not always the most important ones to

spend time looking at.

❏ Select "high utility words" such as

i.Tier 1: Basic words that are spoken on a daily basis

iii.Tier 2: Words that are sophisticated and found in written texts

iii.Tier 3: Words crucial to building knowledge and conceptual

understanding within a variety of academic content areas and

which are important to instruction of the content.

❏ Model for students how to explain a word

❏ Describe words in everyday language, as opposed to "dictionary speak"

❏ Explain the words in connected, flowing sentences, instead of single

words or short phrases.

❏ Include "you," "someone," or "something" in the explanations to help

students make connections to the word

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❏ Ask the students to provide their own examples of the word in action by

asking "Who would use this word?"

❏ Have students keep record of the words you want them to know and

understand with a Word Study Guide

4. Strengths

❏ Students are helped in the process of understanding new words and

relating them to existing background knowledge.

❏ Students learn many aspects about new words, instead of getting hung up

on a single definition.

❏ Students will have the opportunity to practice new vocabulary through

their speaking and writing rather than through memorization.

❏ Students will be able to build upon their academic vocabulary.

❏ The strategy can be used with students across all levels in any content

area.
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5. Example

B.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Magnet Summaries

3. Instructions
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❏ Explain the concept of “magnet words” to students (words that other

details and bits of information are attracted to like a magnet, typically

found in headings and titles or bold face print).

❏ Have students read portion of reading assignment and then generate

possible magnet words for that section of the text.

❏ Provide students with 3x5 cards to write magnet word on. Have students

provide details pertaining to magnet word. Write these on the board and

have students write them on their cards.

❏ Have students read the rest of the assigned text, recording magnet words

as they find them.

❏ Place students in groups and have them choose best magnet words and

important details related to each magnet word. Have students write each

magnet word and their important details on 3x5 cards. Students should

now have four or five cards with magnet words and details on them.

❏ Show how information on cards can form a sentence. Have students

construct one sentence for each magnet word, writing the sentence on the

back of the magnet word’s card.

❏ Have students arrange sentences into the order they want for their

summaries. Have them check to be sure that all important information is

included and all excess information is removed.

❏ Have students test their summaries by reading them aloud.

4. Strengths

❏ it gives students practice in expressing key concepts in their own words

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❏ provides a logical and simple procedure for helping students determine

relevant and irrelevant details as they synthesize the information

❏ Students are helped in the process of understanding new words and

relating them to existing background knowledge.

❏ Students will be able to build upon their academic vocabulary.

❏ The strategy can be used with students across all levels in any content

area.

5. Example
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C.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Double Entry Diaries

3. Instructions

❏ Introduce the desired text passage to the students.

❏ Distribute a blank Double-Entry Journal sheet to the students or have them

create one in their notebooks.

❏ Have students read the passage and make journal entries along the way.

❏ Students should write a phrase or sentence from the text that they want to

better understand or expand upon, along with the page number.

❏ Students should use the right column to analyze or relate to the phrase or

sentence they wrote in the left column.

❏ Hold a discussion for students to share their findings and responses to the

text with the class.

4. Strengths

❏ improves students' comprehension, vocabulary, and content retention

❏ This interactive strategy activates prior knowledge and present feelings,

and promotes collaborative learning.

❏ It fosters the connection between reading and writing as students are able

to "reply" to the author or speaker as they write their responses.

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5. Example

Special Populations

A.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Think-Pair-Share

3. Instructions

❏ Decide upon the text to be read and develop the set of questions or

prompts that target key content concepts.

❏ Describe the purpose of the strategy and provide guidelines for

discussions.
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❏ Model the procedure to ensure that students understand how to use the

strategy.

❏ Monitor and support students as they work through the following:

❏ T : (Think) Teachers begin by asking a specific question about the text.

Students "think" about what they know or have learned about the topic.

❏ P : (Pair) Each student should be paired with another student or a small

group.

❏ S : (Share) Students share their thinking with their partner. Teachers

expand the "share" into a whole-class discussion.

4. Strengths

❏ It helps students to think individually about a topic or answer to a

question.

❏ It teaches students to share ideas with classmates and builds oral

communication skills.

❏ It helps focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading

material.

❏ is a collaborative learning strategy where students work together to solve a

problem or answer a question about an assigned reading

❏ enhances students' oral communication skills as they discuss their ideas

with one another

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5. Example

B.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. Read and Say Something

3. Instructions

❏ First, model the strategy. If you can find a colleague to model the strategy

with you, conduct a Say Something on a short piece of text, showing a

STRATEGY NOTEBOOK 35

responses—specific questions, connections, predictions, etc. If you must

model the strategy alone, type out the dialogue instead and put it on the

board so all can see it.

❏ Explain the procedure to students.

i.Go over the “rules” of the Say Something with students (a poster

or handouts with the strategy are a must until students master the

technique).

ii.Tell students to stop and say something after every three or four

paragraphs.

iii.They should be:

1-making a prediction,

2-asking a question,

3-clarifying a misunderstanding,

4-making a comment, or

5-making a connection.

(Providing students with sentence starters can help more dependent

readers be able to say something.)

iv.Once the “say something” has been shared, partners are to offer

a response to what was said. In particular, partners should try to

answer any questions that are brought up. If questions can’t be

answered, they should be written down and brought up

❏ Have students practice on short text.

❏ Model frequently for best results.

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4. Strengths

❏ It teaches students to share ideas with classmates and builds oral

communication skills.

❏ It helps focus attention and engage students in comprehending the reading

material as it’s being read to increase comprehension of the text.

❏ improves students' comprehension, vocabulary, and content retention

5. Example
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C.

1. Buehl, D. (2014). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (4th ed). Newark,

DE: International Reading Association.

2. KWL

3. Instructions

❏ Give each student a KWL Chart or have them draw one on a piece of

paper. Initiate discussion with the students about what they already know

about a new topic of study. Have them write what they know in the K

column.

❏ Discuss with the students what they want to learn, or have students talk in

pairs. Then, ask students to write down the specific questions they have

about the topic in the W column.

❏ At the end of the lesson, ask students if they found out the answer to any

of their questions in the W column. Share out any “a-ha’s” with the whole

group and have students record a summary of what they learned in the L

column.

4. Strengths

❏ Elicits students’ prior knowledge of the topic of the text.

❏ Sets a purpose for reading.

❏ Helps students to monitor their comprehension and become more aware of

the content they are learning.

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5. Example