Think+Alouds

 =//#4 Think Aloud Reading Strategy - Constructing - During Reading Strategy //= · Rationale: I intend to use this strategy when reading the personal narrative “Roughing It” by Mark Twain on page 794 in McDougall Littell Langage of Literature 8th grade Basals. This is the perfect strategy for this story. It will offer more clear reading comprehension for students, especially with some of Twain’s more complicated language and semantics. I’ll give students a chance to answer some of the questions, but I’ll help them get through the passages through scaffolding with the Think-Aloud Strategy.  · Courses in which it could be implemented: This strategy is very applicable to any course where teachers want to scaffold students’ learning. · Diverse learners: All learning styles benefit from Think Aloud strategies. It scaffolds the readers and allows them to bring in their prior knowledge without having to worry about figuring out meanings alone. Difficult texts are enhanced with this strategy because the teacher scaffolds/helps the reader understand as they read. · Procedure: Passage, Page 795, “I had gone into the world to shift for myself, at the age of 13……” My Think-Aloud thoughts = Does this mean to move around as in “shift” or move………..but it might also go on to mean to take care of myself as I moved from location to location.  Passage, Page 795, “…….(for my father had indorsed for friends, and although he left us a sumptuous legacy of pride in his fine Virginia stock and its national distinction, I presently found that I could not live on that alone without occasional bread to wash it down with).  My Think-Aloud thoughts = What does ‘indorsed for friends’ mean? Could it mean ‘supported by friends’ because in politics when you endorse a candidate, you support him or her. What is ‘sumptuous legacy’? I know legacy means live on after death? Let’s look up sumptuous in the dictionary. Well, then we can say his father left him a great memory with lots of friends for support. What is ‘fine Virginia stock’? Well, I know stock can be a herd of cattle……………can it also mean fine Virginia people too? National distinction of course means distinct or different and national is like our country. So, Mark Twain’s father left a remembrance of him with people who supported him and he was upper class and well known throughout the nation. Then, Mark Twain said he couldn’t live on that by itself without food to wash it down with……………What does this mean? Maybe he couldn’t feed himself only on his notoriety or the fact he was born to a famous family. What did he need to do to make it and feed himself? Of course, he needed money and to get money he needed a job.  My Think-Aloud thoughts = Now, since Mark Twain is writing his personal story or narrative, what do you think he will tell us about next? I’ll bet he tells us about his jobs he has had over his lifetime. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Passage, Page 795-796, “I had gained a livelihood in various __vocations,__ but had not dazzled anybody with my successes;……………” <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> My Think-Aloud thoughts =Now what does ‘vocation’ mean? Maybe if I reread that section, or the paragraph prior to it, I’ll get the meaning from the other sentences around it. I know I can’t skip it because it is underlined, so it must be an important word. If I still don’t understand, I’ll ask the teacher. This is the way to learn new words and improve reading comprehension skills. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Passage, Page 796, “I had once been a grocery clerk, for one day, but had consumed so much sugar in that time that I was relieved from further duty by the __proprietor”__ <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; text-decoration: none;"> My Think-Aloud thoughts= ‘Proprietor’? If you don’t know this word, connect with prior knowledge. I know we’ve heard that word before. I know we learned this word when we learned about careers and business owners in Mrs. Lee’s class. <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Passage, Page 799, “At the end of five hours my note-book was still __barren.__” <span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> My Think-Aloud thoughts=Now what does __barren__ mean? Well, a barren desert means empty; therefore, a __barren__ note-book would mean an empty note-book. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontfamily: Symbol;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Potential Issues: I don’t really believe there are too many difficulties or potential issues with this strategy. I think it builds knowledge. The only problem I see is giving too much scaffolding where the reader can’t or won’t think or use strategies on their own. <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: Symbol; mso-list: Ignore; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore; msobidifontfamily: Symbol;">· <span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">References (Bibliography Information & Cross reference the Resource Binder):

<span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-armenian-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">McDougall Littell. 2002. Language of literature. <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-style: italic; mso-armenian-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">Mark Twain’s Roughing it. <span style="font-size: 12pt; mso-armenian-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; language: en-US; mso-ansi-language: en-US;">(p. 794). Evanston, IL: Houghton-Mifflin Company. Tina's Own Development. (2009). During Reading - Constructing Strategy.

(**All Cross Referenced in E-portfolio Content Area Reading 465 Reading Strategies Binder.)