Improving Comprehension with Think-Aloud Strategies: Modeling What Good Readers Do

by Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Wayne Otto (Foreword by)

Think aloud as you read from a novel, a textbook, or any kind of book and watch your students become confident, fluent readers! With this simple, powerful technique, you can show students how you use strategies such as inferring, visualizing, and summarizing. Finally, students can "see" what good readers do and apply it to their own reading process. Think alouds are great for struggling readers, because they make reading an active, social experience. Includes engaging activities like Open Mind, Fish Bowl, Thought Bubbles, Post its, and more. For use with Grades 3-8.

Genres: Education, Teaching, Professional Development, Nonfiction

176 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kellie Wagner]

I took away a few short story ideas that will help my students with inferring. I'm also reading Monster by Dean Myers because this book recommended it for students who need help with inferring. Monster might be a possible class book if it ends up being a good fit for that strategy.

[Meg]

A great resource for teachers! Super practical - can’t wait to put it in action.

[Rose Butler]

I checked this book and a few others on reading comprehension out from my local library, and I have to say, this one trumped them all. As someone new to tutoring and having just acquired my first reading comp student (an eighth grader), I was a little intimidated by and not quite sure how to teach from those other boring books. This book gave me many wonderful ideas and, working with Shelf Life, edited by Gary Paulsen, my first few lesson plans. I'm really looking forward to trying think-alouds with all my reading students.

[Sidney]

After reading a bunch of books for on-line courses, the geek in me was happy to gain numerous helpful tips for helping my students comprehend better. Wilhelm encouraged me to slow down my teaching of reading comprehension and to add more shorter, challenging texts to give my students important practice.

[Karen]

Wonderful resource for teachers wishing to model thinking strategies.

[Dana Berglund]

I understand the importance of think alouds, and there were a few sections that really grabbed me.

[Emily]

HS Library

[Joy]

You can read my thoughts here.

[Karen]

Not anything I haven't heard or read but good reminders given