Students who struggle with important versus nonimportant content specific information.
Study Guides are a useful strategy as the teacher is able to support student learning by pointing students in the correct direction to identify important content specific information rather than unimportant content specific information. Study Guides allow the teacher to hone in on essential pieces of content-related information to set their students up for success.
1. Choose a piece of content-related text or appropriate text to study.
2. Determine what Information from that text Is considered most Important for student comprehension.
3. Create a series of questions that are designed to guide the students through the chosen text. Be sure to choose both higher and lower level questions that require critical thinking as well as information that is fact. Ask students to back their answers up with evidence.
4. As the students read the text, have them complete the Study Guide.
5. Provide opportunity for the students to discuss their answers to the questions after it is completed.
Adapted from 40 Strategies for Guiding Readers through Informational Texts
(Moss, B., & Loh-Hagan, V. (2016). 40 strategies for guiding readers through informational texts. New York, NY: The Guilford Press.)
Herber, H. (1978). Teaching reading in the content areas. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Stetz, M. (2002, April 22). Beware: Don't tread on me. San Dieago Union Tribute. Retrieved July 15, 2015, from http://legacy.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/metro/20020422-9999_1m22snakes.html.
Vacca, R., & Vacca, J. (2013). Content area reading (11th ed.). New York: Pearson.