Paraphrase Chunks & Put It Together
A "READING STRATEGY" BY JENNIFER SERRAVALLO
What is the strategy?
As you're reading, stop after every paragraph or short section. Ask yourself "How can I explain about what I just read and learned in my own words? Jot down your answer and any additional thoughts. When you are done reading the entire passage or article, go back through your notes and ask yourself "What is this article mostly about?"
Who is this strategy for?
Teaching Tip:
Strategies like this one help a reader to slow down - which is especially important when reading informational text. They can not read at the same pace as reading fiction text. By slowing down their reading and chunking the information, this helps them monitor their comprehension as they are reading, instead of waiting until the end. They are better able to dissect it into pieces and understand it as whole. It also helps them synthesize the information as they go!
Prompts to Give Students:
- Stop here and jot a note.
- What is the most important in what you just read?
- How could you say this in your own words?
- Don't write the same thing the author wrote; think and try to say it on your own.
- Look back across your notes.
- What is the whole article about?
- It seems like slowing down to think is helping you to think about main ideas as you go.