Reading Across Disciplines
RAD TRAINER’S BLUEPRINT
UNIT:#3 Previewing a Textbook / MATERIALS NEEDED:
- RAD Handout: Previewing a Textbook
Preview
Submitted by: Pat Hughes, Luann Childress,
Ginny Coffey
Contact:
Outline Topics / Training Notes / Revision/ Addition notes
1 / Person or team
2 / Introduction / a) When you pick up a new book, how do
you decide to buy or of read it?
b) Text preview introduces text to you so
know what is available to you
3 / Theory / a)Studies show effective readers preview entire book before reading
b)Previewing helps students focus on reading material & know what is there (knowing the book helps students use it effectively – it is useless unless you know how to use it)
c)When add 2-3 new instructional strategies, you each another 47% of the students
d)Modeling and practicing encourages habits to form (doing is learning)
e)Students are eager to look at new texts so guide them through so they know what is available
f)Introduces vocabulary (contents, glossary, headings, etc.) as well as subject vocabulary
g)Encourages ownership of book
h)Provides continuity and sets up uniform language of instruction
i)Opportunities for students to compare and contrast (similarities and differences) content of texts and how they are arranged
j)Helps teacher get acquainted with student capabilities
k)Helps students become independent learners
4 / Introduction to Students: / a) Textbooks can be your best friend for the
course if you know how to use them
b) Studies have shown that previewing before
reading helps set the stage for the assignment
and get your mind ready
c) Engage in a scavenger hunt to identify the
valuable sections and content of the sections of
your text
5 / Guided Written Practice / a) Follow directions on handout “Previewing
a Textbook”
6 / Student Practice / a) Students complete chart in the handout (4
pages) working alone or in pairs
b) Set time limit (no more than a class period)
7 / Teacher Practice / a) Model by actually doing the activity yourself
b) Teachers should develop a schedule for
textbook review so they are not doing this in
every class at the same time
c) NEVER make textbook review a homework
assignment
8 / Motivation / a) Review introduction for reasons to do this
activity
b) Observation during the activity will give
opportunity to observe work habits of students
and their capabilities
c) Bottom line is that you want students to be
engaged with text want and this activity is way
to develop the habit of previewing all reading
materials
9 / Anecdotes / a) Use your personal experiences
10 / Examples / a) Teacher uses her preview chart and also those
of previous students
11 / Application to different disciplines / a) First meta-cognitive writing assignment
b) Every student can do it
c) Language of this instruction is universal
d) First step to research – a skill student will need
forever
12 / Evaluation (Are kids getting it? / a) Students should write a paragraph telling what
they learned by doing this assignment and tell
what part of text will be most helpful and why
b) After all texts have been previewed students
should do meta-cognitive writing assignment:
What did I learn about previewing? How will I
use this skill in the future?
13 / Instructional Sequence / a) Teachers determine sequence and schedule for
preview with no more than one text previewed
in a week
b) Don’t worry if all questions aren’t answered.
Students will repeat assignment each year
14 / Closing / a) Always ask students to identify most difficult
part of assignment
15 / Transition / a) This should be done at beginning of course by
all teachers using texts, but not all at the same
time
16 / Video or Props / a) Textbooks, handouts and possibly sample for
overhead
17 / Other Resources / a) May want to compare to previewing fiction
and suggest students develop this habit so they
can get into the reading more thoroughly
NOTES: