Strategy Lesson Plan
Level of Book and Book Summary
Frida is suggested for ages 4 to 8, however, I found the writing to have complex themes so the book could possibly be used for older ages. The book is a simple and PG rated version of Frida Kahlo’s life. Frida is one of the most famous artists from Mexico, and arguably one of the best known female artists of the 20th century. The book begins by describing her hometown, her family, and her upbringing. The book explains that Frida was often lonely and had a very active imagination to cope with this loneliness. Frida is described as having a bad leg, later being involved in a bus accident that left her in great pain. Her later life is not gone into in great detail but rather her painting style and reasons for painting are explored, suggesting Frida used art to cope with the many difficulties she encountered.
Think-alouds are related to many other strategies, including The Prove-it strategy, the story grammar strategy, and the main idea strategy. Think-alouds can be used to help children increase their comprehension skills in addition to allowing the teacher to evaluate students’ strategies.
A Think-aloud is a strategy for reading while simultaneously thinking about the reading and the meaning of the text. The teacher explains that when you read, you have two voices inside your head. The first that of the reader following the text; the second, and equally important voice is that of the thinker, forming questions, asking, predicting, remembering similar situations, and monitoring how the text makes you feel. The goal is to teach students how to comprehend better, as well as how to monitor their own reading, assuring they understand the text and can follow what is happening.
The first step is to choose a book that really makes the reader think. If the book is too ordinary, the students may not have enough reason to pay attention and may read the text without having to think very much.
Next, decide how much of the text you would like to read aloud. Most teachers only read the first chapter or the first third of the book. Think-alouds could be used to coach individual students who are lagging behind, and the teacher may want to read more to that student so as to model how the reader should examine the text and pictures for meaning.
Then, look at the pictures and read the selection before you demonstrate it to the class. Get an overall feel for the book and try to notice why the authors chose the text they did, the illustrator the images he or she created, and the editor for why the book is organized how it is. You can write notes on yellow sticky notes and paste them on the pages to remind you of what you were thinking.
Before you think aloud to the students, inform them they are to be silent and pretend to be invisible. Explain that the teacher has two voices, one a reader and the other a thinker. The teacher can do various things to demonstrate the two voices. You can look at the book when you read, then look up when you think, or, you can literally use two different voices.
When you begin to perform the think-aloud, comment on the pictures first, beginning with the cover and dust jacket so as to demonstrate predicting. Make predictions or compare the pictures to other thoughts you might have. Only after you have noticed the pictures should you read the text, after which you should ask questions or make comments on the text. You can anticipate with questions like “I wonder if…” or “I think we will learn how…” You can summarize what has happened by saying “So far in our story…” and I know she must be feeling…” You can question what is happening, monitoring comprehension by stating “I don’t understand why…” or “I’m going to reread this…” You can encourage imagination by describing “I could hear the…” or “I can smell the…”
Once you have read the part of the book you chose, stop and ask the class what they think. You can either have a class discussion, or even better, you can divide the class into small groups and allow them to perform their own think-alouds together.
This process can be repeated to test a student’s comprehension by having a student choose a book that have never read before, having them read aloud and state their thoughts and questions as they go along. This strategy can be used to test who well they comprehend while they read.