Strategies Based Discussions
Use these discussion starters with to spark your book talks
Tips for Tapping Background Knowledge
Preview the book by looking at the title, cover, illustrations,
discuss the topic.
Ask your child...
Predicting is when…
Readers use prior knowledge and the text to set up expectations of what will happen
Discussion Starters for Predicting
Connecting is when…
Readers use prior knowledge to relate a text to self, another text, or the world.
Discussion Starters for Connecting
Questioning is when…
Readers ask questions to clarify meaning
Discussion Starters for Questioning
Visualizing is when…
Readers create pictures of what they are reading in their minds.
Discussion Starters for Visualizing
Summarizing is when…
Readers identify main ideas in text
Discussion Starters for Summarizing
Using Modeling and Think Alouds in Your Discussions
Two components of your text discussions that will greatly enhance your child's experience are modeling and think alouds. Social Learning Theory, supported by the research of Bandura, finds that we learn by observing behaviors (Tracey & Morrow, 2006).You provide a model by asking any of the questions suggested of yourself and answering them in discussion with your child. For example, if you were reading Hatchet (Paulsen), you might model making predictions about the book based on the title. "Hmm, I wonder why the title of the book is hatchet." or "I predict this book is going to be about ... because..." As you model, you will "think aloud" offering explanations for your thinking. By modeling your own use of strategies and explaining your own thinking as you use these strategies your student observes the thinking of reading.
Tips for Tapping Background Knowledge
Preview the book by looking at the title, cover, illustrations,
discuss the topic.
Ask your child...
- What do you already know about [topic]?
- Have you ever experienced ____?
- What have you read before about [topic]?
Predicting is when…
Readers use prior knowledge and the text to set up expectations of what will happen
Discussion Starters for Predicting
- Make a smart guess about what’ s going to happen next.
- Based on the title and the cover, what do you predict this story will about?
- What do you think will happen next?
Connecting is when…
Readers use prior knowledge to relate a text to self, another text, or the world.
Discussion Starters for Connecting
- Connect what we’re reading to something else.
- What does this story remind you of?
- How can you connect this book with your own life? with another book? with the world?
Questioning is when…
Readers ask questions to clarify meaning
Discussion Starters for Questioning
- Ask questions to learn more.
- I wonder…
- Why do you think…?
- How come…?
- What if...?
Visualizing is when…
Readers create pictures of what they are reading in their minds.
Discussion Starters for Visualizing
- Imagine a picture in your mind.
- What kinds of things do you imagine … seeing? hearing? smelling? tasting? feeling?
Summarizing is when…
Readers identify main ideas in text
Discussion Starters for Summarizing
- Retell what happened in the story so far.
- What is the most important idea in this book/section/chapter? What makes you say so?
- What did you learn about when you read this story?
Using Modeling and Think Alouds in Your Discussions
Two components of your text discussions that will greatly enhance your child's experience are modeling and think alouds. Social Learning Theory, supported by the research of Bandura, finds that we learn by observing behaviors (Tracey & Morrow, 2006).You provide a model by asking any of the questions suggested of yourself and answering them in discussion with your child. For example, if you were reading Hatchet (Paulsen), you might model making predictions about the book based on the title. "Hmm, I wonder why the title of the book is hatchet." or "I predict this book is going to be about ... because..." As you model, you will "think aloud" offering explanations for your thinking. By modeling your own use of strategies and explaining your own thinking as you use these strategies your student observes the thinking of reading.