Strategies for Before, During, and

After Reading for non-fiction

By: Marley White

Before Reading• Pictures: Students look at pictures/ text box/ sidebars and predict what the

text is about.– Example: The students can go through a non-fiction book about bats and look at the

pictures and captains to decide what the text is going to be about before starting to read the book.

• Word Splash: Students write a story using some familiar and unfamiliar words that are all found in the text. Some stories are shared aloud; any misunderstood or unknown words are then defined. A Word Splash activates prior knowledge about key vocabulary and concepts. – Example: Give students a non-fiction book about bats. Have them go through and find

some unfamiliar and familiar words. Then write a story about bats using those words.

• Do Now: Students write their thoughts on a topic or question that relates specifically to text that will be read by students. Do Now’s are typically done at the start of a class or lesson.– Example: Give students a non-fiction book. Have them flip through it and have them

write down any thoughts or questions they have in their interactive notebooks.

Before Reading• Fishbowl: Impromptu or scheduled, two to four students sit in middle of circle and talk about a

text. The class makes observations about the conversation then rotate into the circle.– Example: Give each group a non-fiction book on bats and have them talk about it.

Perhaps give each group a topic, like babies or echolocation, and then the group can share what they thought about.

• Surf the Net: Prior to, while, or after reading a book check out the Web and its offerings about the book, its author, or its subject.– Example: Give students a topic, like bats, and have them search the web about it before

reading the book so they have some background knowledge.

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SurferToday.com

During Reading• Picture this: Bring in art related to book's time or themes. Compare, describe, and

discuss.– Example: Have students bring in art that is related to bats and then when reading the non-

fiction book about bats refer to the pictures that they brought it.

• Questions anyone?: While reading have Students make a list of a certain number of questions they have about a particular aspect of the book; use these as the basis for class discussion.– Example: While reading a book about bats have each student make a list of questions that

they have.

• Post-Its: If they are using a school book in which they cannot make notes or marks, encourage them to keep a pack of Post-Its with them and make notes on these.– Example: While students are reading the book about bats have them write interesting things or

something they didn’t know of post-it notes and then have them turn in the books after they have finished reading them.

During Reading• Narrate your own reading: Show kids how you read a text by reading it aloud and

interrupting yourself to explain how you grapple with it as you go. Model your own thinking process; kids often don't know what it "looks like" to think.

– Example: While reading a book about bats model how to read the text. Show text features like pictures and headings.

• CliffsNotes: Have each student take a chapter and, using the CliffsNotes format, create their own.

– Example: Give each student a chapter or topic in the bat book and using the CliffsNotes format have them make their own chapter and then put them all together and you could have a class book.

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After Reading• Mapmaker: Draw a map of the book's setting.

– Example: After reading a book about bats have students draw a map for the regions that have the most and the least bats.

• Collage: Create an individual or class collage around themes or characters in the book.– Example: After reading a book about bats have students make a

collage using pictures of different spider to make one big spider.

http://

www.dmvflorida.org/

florida-map.shtml

Pinterst.com

After Reading• Timeline: Create a timeline that includes both the events in the novel and

historical information of the time. – Example: After reading a book about bats make a timeline of special events that happened.

Like when the first bat was discovered or when scientists found out that bats use echolocation.

• Brainstorming/Webbing: Put a word in the middle of a web. Have students brainstorm associations while you write them down, then have them make connections between ideas and discuss or write about them.– Example: After reading a book about bats put the word bat in the middle of a word web or

other type of graphic organizer and write as many things down as possible about bats.

• Business card book: Write as much of the information from the text that they can remember on a business card sized piece of paper. – Example: After reading a book about bats give each student a business cars sized piece of

paper and have them write as much as they can remember. This could be a good formative assessment.

References• All strategies come from: http://

www.readingrockets.org/article/103-things-do-beforeduringafter-reading