LAST STOP of the Super Sleuths Mystery Blog Hop!

Awesome job, Super Sleuth!  You made it to the final letter!  You are almost ready to crack the mysterious reading code!  If you just 'hopped in' and missed some clues, retrace your steps and head back to Stop #1 Comprehension Connection to collect all the fabulous FREEBIES along the way!

NOW....get ready to read about an awesome strategy for teaching informational text...The Text Feature Walk!

Most primary-aged students learn how to do a "Picture Walk" before reading a story.  While previewing text, students activate prior knowledge, make predictions, and set a purpose for reading the book.  Effective reading instruction includes this important strategy yet this supportive practice is not as common when using informational text. 

When entering intermediate grades, students may experience difficulty reading textbooks and informational text due to high-level vocabulary and unfamiliar concepts.  In addition to these complexities, students encounter numerous text features throughout the text that often get overlooked even though they have been taught their importance.  The Text Feature Walk is a technique that explicitly teaches the purpose and importance of text features which enables students to navigate any informational text more effectively. 

First, students learn how text features support informational text.  Familiarizing your students with the purpose of each text feature is key to the lesson's success.  Additionally, it is important to model an interactive discussion about text so that students will be prepared to do it on their own.

Once students are familiar with text features and are able to hold a focused discussion about text, you can easily introduce the steps of a Text Feature Walk.  Through explicit modeling and thinking aloud, demonstrate the steps to follow while taking a Text Feature Walk using a short nonfiction article.  The steps outlined on our Student Cue Cards include identifying the text feature, making a prediction, making a connection, asking questions, and predicting the main idea.

Part 2 of the lesson focuses on guided practice with the teacher providing support as needed.  Within small groups, students use the cue cards to preview and discuss each text feature in order to activate prior knowledge, make connections, and set a purpose prior to reading the information text.

Once groups are finished, have students come back together as a whole group to discuss what went well and what they learned from their discussions.  They are now ready to read and more fully comprehend the text!

We hope you enjoy the last FREEBIE in the Super Sleuths Mystery Blog Hop!  Thank you to all the participants (Reading Specialists/Literacy Coaches/Title 1 Teachers), especially Carla from Comprehension Connection, for coordinating this awesome event!  Don't forget to follow all of us on Facebook or bloglovin' for updates on future blog hops and fun!

 And now for the moment you have been waiting for.....the last letter to crack the mysterious reading quote from Katherine Patterson! Use this quote to enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win 1 of 6-$25.00 Teachers Pay Teachers gift certificates!

Have a great weekend, friends! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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1. Comprehension Connection

2. Dont Let the Teacher Stay Up Late

3. The Reading Tutor/ OG

4. Learning Fundamentals

5. Reading and Writing Redhead

6. Ms. Ds Literacy Lab

7. Conversations in Literacy

8. Teacher Mom of Three

9. A Day in the Life of a Title 1 Teacher

10. Luckeyfrog"s Lilypad

11. Curious Firsties

12. All Four Reading

13. Thinking Out Loud

14. Ms. Jordan Reads

15. Big Time Literacy

16. Read with Me ABC

17. Teaching With Nancy

18. This Little Piggy Reads

19. The Literacy Minute

20. Book Units Teacher

21. Reading Toward the Stars

22. The Literacy Garden

23. Im Lovin Lit

24. Ripper Resources

25. Teachers Take-Out

26. Sweet Integrations

27. Reading is Elementary

28. The Rungs of Reading