Since home schooling has occurred all over the nation, you and your child possibly already have the following steps in place to help reading be a daily routine (each of these steps were discussed in great detail in my previous newsletter):
- A cozy reading nook that is a special place that the child created. This spot should be comfortable, well-lit, distraction-free, and quiet so silent reading (or even with another person) can occur.
- Chosen books that are high interest, “just right” reading level, and are tangible or virtual.
- A schedule for daily reading (free template here).
- A primed brain that is ready to enjoy reading and comprehending (book walk, personal connections made about the topic/title, and quick look up of a few challenging vocabulary words).
And now there is one more action to take to maximize comprehension, attention and engagement. It’s simple, and yet extremely imperative that it happens before reading: Establish a Thinking Job! Here’s how…
What is a Thinking Job, and Why Create One Before Reading?
A Thinking Job is a kid-friendly purpose for the reading. Why on earth would someone need a purpose for reading? Well, as strategic reading adults, we set our own purposes for reading without even knowing that we set them. You choose what you read from your phone, Kindle, magazines or books in order to be entertained, gather information, form opinions on a topic, escape reality for a while… the list goes on and on!
Thinking Jobs are a must to engage students in the reading process. Research suggests that setting a purpose for reading encourages focus, engagement, motivation (even when there are distractions!), and helps readers to have better conversations after reading.
In school, teachers create Thinking Jobs for their students’ reading all the time. They use lots of factors (state standards, student needs data, knowledge of the text, etc.) to determine the best Thinking Job for any particular reading.
Lucky for you, you don’t have to be a trained reading teacher to pick awesome Thinking Jobs for your child at home!
How Do I Create a Thinking Job?
It’s easy if you follow these steps:
1. Choose what to read. Should the child read the whole book or just a chapter or two? If it’s an article, should they read just the first section for now?
2. Decide on a Thinking Job. Look through the text to determine the best Thinking Job and write it down on scrap paper or sticky note (place it in front of the reader). For example:
- For the first chapter of a book: Predict what you think this whole book might be about and what you might learn in chapter one (share verbally before reading). Student reads to determine if prediction was accurate.
- For a book that’s nonfiction and controversial: Read to determine what the author believes about Global Warming. Determine if you agree or disagree with this author and why.
Make sure the Thinking Job is not too narrow so that there is only a one-word answer, otherwise, kids will read only to find that one-word answer and be done. Encourage natural Thinking Jobs based on the book.
If you’re thinking, “Those are great, but I’d like some more examples” – I’ve got you covered! I designed an extensive list of Thinking Jobs that you can use today! Bonus: the list also includes ways your child can mark the text to show their thinking and ways to discuss the reading afterwards – two critical literacy skills!
3. Get out the sticky notes. Help your reader be a “detective” to find the Thinking Job evidence by giving him/her little sticky notes or tabs to put in the book when they see evidence of the Thinking Job answer. (Get them at Dollar Tree or Amazon.)
4. Discuss. Now for the fun part! After reading, you get to have a wonderful discussion with your child about the book. Here are some discussion-starters to get you going:
- Fiction:
- Ask who, did what, where, when, why and how to see how well your child understood the reading.
- Ask questions to elicit emotions: What was your favorite part and why? What was upsetting?
- Finally, ask the Thinking Job question that goes along with what you chose. Ask your reader to show you what was marked or tabbed in that text that will assist with the discussion questions (third column in the Downloadable).
- Non-Fiction:
- Ask, “What was this passage or book all about? What was the main idea?”
- Ask, “What details were interesting to you? What personal connections did you make with the information in this text?”
- Finally, ask the Thinking Job question that goes along with what you chose. Ask your reader to show you what was marked or tabbed in that text that will assist with the discussion questions (third column in the Downloadable).
5. Pass it on. Eventually, after much modeling, your reader might be ready to create his/her own Thinking Job and way of tabbing the text. They will love owning this life-long skill.
Closing Thoughts
Enjoy setting up reading success, giving a purpose for the reading so better comprehension can occur, discussing what was read to reinforce comprehension, analyzing the text, and extending thinking about what was read. You will see a child who wants to keep reading and has a purpose for it! Next Parenting Insights will be another engaging reading/discussing tool.
