Chapter 7 Constructive Meaning: During-Reading Strategies

While a student is reading they have to do more than just be reading.  Thinking about reading is just as important.  Often times when I am done reading something I can't remember what I just read, As an experienced reader I can only imagine what this would be like for someone without much experience.  I already know what I did wrong and how to fix the problem but for new readers like I'm sure a lot of my students will be this is a more difficult task.  That's where during-reading strategies come in.  All of these strategies are important to know and teach, but instead of just assigning one type I think students should be made aware of all of them and then be allowed to choose which one works best for them.  This helps them learned about what they are reading and about themselves as learning which is also very important.  That might be an information overload, but everyone has a different way of doing things and they need to know all the available options.  For me rereading is usually enough but for some its doesn't change no matter how many times they read it, so the think-aloud strategy might be better for them so they can actually hear what was going on.  No two students are alike and I think this chapter does a good job of offering alternative ways of thinking about what we are reading.