All students can benefit from this learning strategy.
Preview is one fourth of CSR, a learning strategy shown to improve students’ reading comprehension when all four parts of CSR are used by students. The role of Preview within CSR is for students to think about what they already know about the topic of the text and to make predictions about the text using features such as titles, subtitles, graphs, illustrations , and other text cues.
Use explicit instruction (explanation, modeling, guided practice, independent practice) when teaching CSR to students.
Using Explicit Instruction to Teach CSR: Preview
1. Explain the strategy. Using a poster showing where Preview fits into CSR and another poster of steps for Preview, explain both posters and explain the benefit students will experience from using Preview and from CSR after they have learned all of it.
2. Model the strategy. Next, provide modeling- Use a think aloud strategy, and voice aloud the thought process behind each step. This may need to occur over the course of several days based on the needs of the students.
3. Guided practice: Guide students in performing the strategy in small groups or in pairs. During this time, scaffold the learning and support students who need assistance in using the strategy. They can also model the think aloud strategy (when in pairs) to strengthen comprehension and learning of the steps involved.
4. Independent practice: After guided practice, students should only use the strategy independently, once they have shown they have mastered the strategy. Students can also be given the opportunity to reflect on the strategy.
After the teacher introduces the topic of a passage, students brainstorm a list of everything they know related to that topic. If a learning log graphic organizer is used, students write this list in the What I already know about the topic section.
Students share their responses with a partner.
Students skim the passage, using the features of the text (headings, pictures, graphs, bold text, etc.) to predict what they might learn as they read. If a learning log graphic organizer is used, students write predictions in the What I think I will learn section.
Students share their best ideas with the class.
(Adapted from the IRIS Center, 2016)
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