22 Highlight Reading
Noelle Hale
Strategy Overview
Vocabulary is a student’s “internal dictionary” (Lesaux & Carr, n.d., p. 3). When a student has a large bank of vocabulary words to pull from students will be able to utilize them for background knowledge and in writing activities.
- As a small group, students will read a text together, this can be independent reading or aloud. Students will highlight new vocabulary words while they are reading. Then after reading the whole group will review these words and then reread after each new vocabulary word has been defined. This works best with a text with intentional, new vocabulary words.
- Students can learn multiple vocabulary words which increases their comprehension and background knowledge.
- This activity is best in a small group so that a discussion about each new vocabulary word can be fostered without too much input.
Strategy in Action
As the teacher I would create a text about planets that would coincide with a science unit about solar systems and space. The text does not have to connect with another subject but it is a good idea for vocabulary incorporation across subjects. I would read the text aloud all the way through. Before reading I would give each student a highlighter and tell them to listen to my reading, follow along, and highlight words that they are unfamiliar with. Then after the reading we would as a group go through the text, students will discuss the words they have highlighted, I will define them, and then students will create a small image that connects to the definition for the word. Students can also use each word in their own way in a sentence to demonstrate understanding of each new word. Then we will reread the text after with the new vocabulary knowledge.
Related Resources
References
Lesaux, N. K. & Carr, K. C. (n.d.) Science of reading: what is it? New York State Education Department.
