Study Guides and Strategies

I recently came across a site called “Study Guides and Strategies” that is dedicated to providing helpful tips and tricks for students. An overview of the site explains: Since 1996 the Study Guides and Strategies Website has been researched, authored, maintained and supported by Joe Landsberger as an international, learner-centric, educational public service.

As I looked through the (many) links on this page, two of them immediately jumped out because of their connection to reading content material and helping with the comprehension of nonfiction (which is a focus of this blog).

Taking Notes from a Textbook (link)
Even though note-taking is a skill that many of us do automatically, it is a skill that many students need to be explicitly taught. This site presents tips that students can use when reading a text book and needing to take notes. Because most students do better with a model first, I would suggest using this as a lesson plan – actually walking the students through the process – before letting them try it on their own.

Reading Difficult Material (link)
This article provides tips for students who are tackling some difficult reading material. The article is written as though a student will be reading it, but I think that the tips mentioned are strategies that teachers should introduce, model, and practice with students.