ACTIVATE:
Establishing a Purpose for Reading (Secondary)

Setting a reading purpose provides active engagement with the text at a high level of thinking and supports students self-monitoring their comprehension. The purpose is typically established by the teacher prior to a reading lesson. However, as students become independent learners, they should be able to determine a plan for comprehension through questioning based on the purpose for reading. A teacher should be thoughtful in the selection of the purpose of the text to allow the students to focus on specifics. This will permit students to be successful in drawing meaning from the text. By teaching students to analyze the text and become metacognitive through the generation of questions to answer, this process will allow students to monitor their own learning and comprehension.

HANDOUTS and RESOURCES:

Selecting Texts for Instructional Purposes

Setting the Purpose for Reading

PREPARATION:

Chart paper or projection screen
A variety of reading materials

STEPS:

REFER TO TEXT: Refer to Teacher Resource: Selecting Texts for Instructional Purposes when selecting a text for this activity.
UNDERSTAND TEXT BEFOREHAND: Have a clear understanding of the text and the desired outcome of the learning that should occur from the text.
DISTRIBUTE STUDENT HANDOUT: Distribute Student Handout: Setting the Purpose for Reading and ask students to refer to this information as the process is modeled for the class.
SELECT A TEXT THAT RELATES TO TOPIC: Select a text that relates to the topic of study and display it for students.
STUDENTS ANALYZE TYPE OF TEXT: Lead students through analyzing the type of text and setting the purpose using the handout.
RECORD STUDENTS QUESTIONS ON CHART PAPER: Encourage students to identify guiding questions based on the text. Record student responses on chart paper or a projection screen. Students may select sample questions from Student Handout: Setting the Purpose for Reading or create their own questions using Costas’s Levels of Thinking.
GO OVER PURPOSE: Remind students to quickly go through the process of setting a reading purpose each time they read a piece of text. Emphasize the importance of self-monitoring for comprehension by setting a purpose.

EXTENSION:

To increase rigor, ask students to turn headings, titles, and subtitles into questions. Place questions into one of the following two notetaking formats: Cornell notes (questions/textual evidence) or three column notes (title/title in the form of a question/textual evidence).
To increase scaffolding:
- - - - Allow students to work with a partner to set a purpose for reading, referring to the provided handout.
      - Set the purpose for reading for small chunks of text to ease comprehension.

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ACTIVATE: Establishing a Purpose for Reading (Secondary)

ACTIVATE:
Establishing a Purpose for Reading (Secondary)