Reading+Guide+-+3+Level

Reading guides are designed to improve information acquisition and simplify difficult material. Reading guides allow the teacher to guide students' attention on key information, concepts, and vocabulary in a given text, article, or passage. Another advantage is that they require each student to actively engage and respond to at least some points of reference.

THREE-LEVEL GUIDES - purpose is to lead students from a basic to more advanced comprehension of reading material.

3 Parts: 1) Questions at a literal level: What did the author say? 2) Questions at an interpretive level: What did the author mean? 3) Questions at an application level: How can you use this information?

Guidelines: Decide before which //application// questions you want students to answer. In doing this you will be able to select the details and inferences to focus on when writing the questions for Parts 1 and 2. Next determine what you need for those applications and whether it is explicitly stated or needs to be inferred. The inferred information can be used for Part 2 questions. Lastly, write Part 1 questions from the necessary literal information from the reading selection.

Most of the time students will answer questions from Part 1 while they are reading and Parts 2 and 3 after reading. The teacher could also have students complete Part 1 independently and Parts 2 and 3 in cooperative groups.

Click here for an example of a Three-Level Guide