Reading

A Resource for Using Multilevel Texts in the Classroom

Edugains is a website that has ministry developed resources that support programs and policies related to enhancing learning and teaching from kindergarten to grade 12. Edugains contains hundreds of resources that teachers can use in their classrooms. The resource “Using Multilevel Texts” is a great resource that supports literacy in the inclusive classroom. Multilevel texts are texts that are written at two or more levels of complexity. This is a good resource for educators because it explores how multilevel texts can be used in in the classroom and how they benefit all students. It can help teachers explore ways to ensure their students are reading at the correct level for their ability. This would benefit the students as it makes the reading more engaging if they can actually understand it.

This resource connects to Reading as outlined in the Ontario Curriculum as it states: “3.3 students will read appropriate texts at a sufficient rate and with sufficient expression to convey the sense of the text readily to the reader and an audience” (p. 85).

I would use the idea of multilevel texts in my reading assignments for students. I would begin by arranging the students in groups, varying in reading level and providing the students with a text. I would the divide the students into small groups and I would assign each student a certain part of the text that aligned with their reading level. They would go around the circle and read their sections out loud and then piece together the main ideas of the text as a group. I would then explore the text while the with class, compare ideas, talk about differing opinions, etc.

Resource for Improving Students' Reading Comprehension Skills

There are several resources that you can use to teach your students reading comprehension skills. It is important to gather these resources because comprehension is the goal of all reading instruction. One resource that is useful is entitled “Enhancing Comprehension: Reading Skills in Middle School”. This resource will help me to teach students not only how to read but how to use prior knowledge to make sense of texts and make inferences. The resource explores five different key reading comprehension skills that educators can use to teach students. For example, the resource explores the strategy “speed”. Educators can teacher their students to build their reading speed level. They can do this by having the student read an abundance of varying texts that are easy for them to comprehend.

This resource connects to Reading as outlined in the Ontario Curriculum as it states: “1.3 students will identify a variety of reading comprehension strategies and use them appropriately before, during, and after reading to understand increasingly complex texts” (p. 111).

This resource is advantageous to me and other educators because I can use the five different reading comprehension skills that the resource explores and put them to practice. Having resources that I can look back and reflect upon will help me to be a better literacy teacher.

I have attached video that explores reading comprehension strategies for teachers. 

Resource for “Indigenous Education” Assignment

Teaching reading through learning about Indigenous education can be very beneficial for students. I would use the Pinterest page entitled “IRC Brock University” as it has a board called “Indigenous Education”. This is a great resource for teachers because it provides tools for them to use in their classrooms. Teachers can visit this Pinterest page to find hundreds of books on the topic of Indigenous people, their ways of life and their culture. Learning through reading children’s books can be a stepping stone to learning more about this topic. Sharing influence, interpersonal relationships, raising awareness and creating meaning are vital components of Indigenous learner success which teachers of literacy can explore.

This resource connects to Reading as outlined in the Ontario Curriculum as it states: “1.7 students will analyze texts and explain how specific elements in them contribute to meaning” (p. 84).

I have provided a resource that has a list of Indigenous children's books that students could explore in the classroom.

I would incorporate this resource by having students go to the Pinterest page and choose a children’s book. This can be done for different grade levels. What would change from grade to grade, however, is the complexity of the questions after reading the children’s book. Once students pick a book, they have to read it and make notes about it. I would then ask the students questions about their book such as “what was the main idea, how did the book connect to Indigenous culture, can you make connections to the real-world, what was the significance of the characters, etc”.