Research and Routines

Reader’s Toolkit is aligned with the statements, goals, and research requirements for reading comprehension as articulated by the Report of the National Reading Panel (NRP): Teaching Children to Read (2000). How does Reader’s Toolkit address these areas?

Vocabulary Instruction: Vocabulary is build into the Self-Questioning strategy.

Text Comprehension Instruction: Reader’s Toolkit guide questions and strategy sticky notes provide the students with the opportunity to stop and jot responses to their reading.

Teacher preparation and comprehension strategies instruction: Reader’s Toolkit Teacher’s Guide, Activity Book and Online Lesson Plans provide teacher’s with an explicit plan that involves the gradual release of responsibility.

The Reader’s Toolkit “Explicit Instructional Routine” is modeled from effective cognitive strategy instruction. The goal is to make the use of strategies habitual, flexible, and automatic. The Attention and Memory Information Processing Model provided in the Teacher’s Guide shows how the Reader’s Toolkit instructional routines organize, encode, rehearse, and retrieve information before, during, and after reading.

Interactive Read Aloud

• How do I know my students are paying attention during read aloud?
• How do I teach reading strategies during read aloud?
• How do I use sticky notes during read aloud?
• How do I use the students’ responses to drive instruction?

Reading aloud to children is the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for success in reading. Current research demonstrates that well planned and well thought-out interaction before, during and after read-aloud time helps students make meaning of text. Teacher read aloud provides a learning environment for the teacher to begin strategy instruction. In an interactive read-aloud the teacher reads aloud but stops periodically to ask a question or give a prompt; the students jot down a response on their sticky note, turn and talk to a partner or small group, or share thoughts with the whole class. The teacher models how to use the strategy and invites students to practice using the strategy and respond on the custom sticky notes. Responses are shared and posted on anchor charts. Authentic conversation is encouraged. Higher order questions are posed by the teacher to accommodate individual student needs and differentiate instruction.

Read Aloud Lesson Planner available in the Teacher’s Guide.

Strategy and Guided Reading Group

A strategy group is a small, flexible group of two to six students with similar instructional needs but not necessarily the same text. A guided reading group is also a small group with similar instructional needs; however, they share the same text. Small groups provide opportunities for direct teacher to student interactions. The teacher follows the explicit instructional plan outlined in the Teacher’s Guide. The students use their Reader’s Toolkit, sticky notes and anchor chart or graphic organizer provided in the Reader's Toolkit Activity Book or online lesson plan. The teacher uses the Reader Response Rubric provided in the Teacher’s Guide to informally assess student responses on strategy sticky notes.

Reader’s Toolkit strategy groups are formed based on:

Informal assessment of students’ responses on strategy sticky notes during initial read aloud strategy lesson.
Informal assessment of students’ responses on sticky notes during independent reading and conferring.
Direct observations during turn and talk
Reading assessment

Independent Reading with Conferring

Independent reading is a time for students to make their own book choices and read for extended blocks of time, apply reading strategies, confer with the teacher and set independent reading goals. During this time students are directed to apply and practice the strategy taught in the mini lesson and to continue applying the strategies previously taught. Strategies may be applied by jotting responses on a strategy sticky notes and posting it in their independent reading folders (model provided in Teacher’s Guide). This process assures students are held accountable for their thinking and reading during independent reading time.

Reader’s Toolkit and Conferring with Readers:

Teacher reads students sticky note responses.
Teacher compliments reader on correct use of strategy.
Teacher demonstrates the strategy again if need to clarify confusion.
Teacher provides an opportunity for the reader to practice the strategy.
Teacher reinforces effective use of strategy.

Literature Circle and Book Discussion Club

A literature circle is a student centered reading activity for a group of 4 – 6 students at any grade level that is flexible and fluid. The group chooses the same book to read based on their interest. Each member of a literature circle is assigned a role which helps guide the group in the book discussion. The Reader’s Toolkit Teacher’s Guide provides an easy to use job chart and job description to facilitate the group organization. The intent of literature circles is to encourage students to practice and develop their skills and strategies and share their personal and divergent interpretations of text.

Reader’s Toolkit and Literature Circles:

100% student engagement and participation.
Readers are assigned a Reader’s Toolkit strategy “job” for each circle meeting.
Readers use strategy sticky notes to guide both their reading and discussion.
On-going teacher observation to monitor their level of responses and discussion.
Collection of student responses on sticky notes for informal evaluation using the Reader Response Rubric provided in the Teacher’s Guide.