Reading and Learning Strategies

 Reading and Learning Strategies


I encourage students to read like Barbary pirates; looking for treasure in every

passage, adventure in every chapter, and Spanish doubloons in every vocabulary

word. Students must attack and pillage as they read, leaving nothing behind, taking

no prisoners. Dead questions tell no tales! Hold fast! Keeping the ship sailing in the

typhoon (the first few weeks of school), means each crew member must be

knowing the ropes, mate, to survive the storm. Pirate captains must inspire, point

the canons at their own hull, sinking the ship to put a fire in the bellies of their

reading buccaneers. Creating desire and passion comes from the captains’

example, but students must hunt for the deeper meaning of the literary journey

by attacking and attacking. Students discover that treasure found with great

effort is more precious than swag easily given over. Students who parley or

surrender when they read will be defeated and captured. Don’t let students

wait to be motivated by a book; shoot the cannons at the deck; hit them in the

head with great literature and forcethem to seek the treasure therein. Teach

students to use the questions devised by brilliant detectives like Holmes,

Watson and Drew: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? 'Why' takes

the most time to discern and the deepest understanding, but such questions

probe the highest levels of reading and writing. These qualities can easily be

explored in the greatest literature by the most enlightened authors. Teach students

to dive into every story, book, or poem with curiosity, anticipation, generosity,

and open-mindedness. Never decide in advance that a book is boring, or
student attention reading is a waste of time, or you will negate the possibility of
a wonderful and new experience. Books come in a million flavors. Students
will not like every story they read. Yet, they must be taught to be willing
to bring a curiosity and limitless desire to the actual learning. Encourage
students to let their minds actively anticipate in the wonderment, magic,
miracles, and beauty that authors create. Students 'hear,' but are they
truly 'listening.' Not listening is the most horrendous deficit most students
exhibit, and this deficit insures defeated readers. Students must learn how
to defeat this jabberwocky (unyielding intimidating dragon; Alice

in Wonderland) very quickly and learn self-monitoring. When

drifts, strays or fades, they must read and reread passages to gain meaning.

Reading thoroughly and rereading for enhanced, deeper understanding trains

the mind's focus. Students must read actively. This can't be stressed strongly

enough. If you skate through a museum you won't see the art. Creating active

listeners takes repeated practice through dictation and recitation. The fastest

and easiest way to teach active listening is to turn on a popular song and ask

the class to write down the lyrics to the song.

Creating Passion “Ganas” Reading Stratagies "Focus"