Disciplinary Literacy Strategies Toolbox
Leticia Rosales
Strategy Description and link
Engager strategies:
(Such as Anticipation Guide or KWL or
Brainstorming Activity)
KWL
KWL is a strategy to use as formative assessment
before introducing new content- students might
write what they already know about it, then,
what they want to learn about it. After content
is presented or at the end of class, students write
what they learned about it as a conclusion and
as a way to tie the content together for students.
Sources:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-
resources/printouts/chart-a-30226.html
Anticipatory Guide
Create an anticipatory guide with 5-7 statements
about the story for students to predict whether
each statement will be True or False. Students
then use this anticipatory guide to follow the
story, confirming and providing evidence based
on what actually happens in the story.
Source:
http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/an
ticipation.pdf
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/antici
pation_guide
Other: Value line (incomplete)
Application to my content area along with an
example of how to use this strategy specifically in
my field.
Application of Engager strategies for reading in the
High School Spanish classroom:
KWL
I might use the KWL strategy as a formative
assessment about a reading, an author or a topic
related to the reading before the reading. I would
ask them to write what they know and what they
would like to learn about. At the end of the reading I
might ask them what they learned about the reading
or topic targeted.
Anticipatory Guide
This strategy works great with high school students.
They love to anticipate what will happen in a story.
They say they want me to tell them the answer right
away but when I act like I am about to tell them the
stop me and prefer to wait until we read the story. It
is a fun way to get them excited about reading a
short story.
I would provide this activity for them to complete.
The first statement serves to ensure all students
know that the story is about a TRUE volcano. They
may know this already and if they dont they can
easily find out in their personal netbook. Then, they
would anticipate what might happen in the story as
they answer whether they think each statement will
be true or false. Then, I would read the story aloud
for them and ask them to follow me. When we get
to a point in the story that relates to any of the
points in the anticipatory guide, I would stop and
give them time to complete the Evidence and
reflection part of their Anticipatory guide for each
statement.
Here is an Anticipatory guide that I will use this week
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 Disciplinary Literacy Strategies Toolbox
Leticia Rosales
Reading/Writing to Learn Strategies
(1 Think Aloud and 1 other strategy of choice)
Socratic method Students read a text, and
prepare questions as preparation to participate
in a discussion of the text. Students will be
sitting in a circle discussing while an outer circle
of students will take turns with students in the
inner circle in participating in the discussion. As
students present their questions to the group in
the inner circle, students respond to these
questions based on what they have read and
they share their thoughts referring to the text as
often as possible.
Source:
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-
development/strategy-guides/socratic-seminars-
30600.html
Readers theater students will get engaged
with a particular reading the entire text, maybe a
story, for a few days. The first day, they would
focus on reading the script/text. Second day,
students focus on their part of their script. Third
day, they focus on expressions of their text to
make sure they read the intonation properly.
Fourth, the teams do a final practice as if it was
the real performance. Finally, they read their
text in front of administrators, teachers and
parents.
Source:
https://www.weareteachers.com/best-of-
teacher-helpline-6-interactive-reading-strategies-
to-boost-student-engagement/
Writing to learn
In this strategy, the teacher might present
content and pose questions to reflect or
before we read a story.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ohWYNmtz
WzMr3TvHe-skr6QyPf7vvA73eC0boqx-JQc/edit?
usp=sharing
Application of reading/writing to learn strategies
for reading in the High School Spanish classroom:
I would implement the Socratic method with my
advanced/native Spanish speaker classes, Honors
Spanish III as they have a pretty advanced command
of the language. I would provide a text to read,
maybe something by Jose Marti or another
significant literary figure in Latin America or Spain
and would guide them through reading the text, ask
questions about the text and make their own
annotations and notes.
Then, I would implement the Socratic method in
Spanish to discuss the text. This is a great tool, to
engage them, not only in reading, but also in thinking
and discussing a text and their thoughts in Spanish.
I could implement the readers theater in both
classes, Spanish II and Honors Spanish III though with
different reading materials: Spanish II simpler
Spanish and H SP III with advanced/native Spanish
level material. I would provide choices of reading
texts for groups. Each group might choose their
reading text and engage in activities that would
include: reading the full text, reading their part of
the text, focus on new words and intonation of
phrases, do a final practice before doing their final
performance. This is a great strategy to help
students enhance their reading and their reading
comprehension. Though many students already
speak Spanish, many of them have a deficit in literacy
in Spanish. This strategy would increase their ability
to read and comprehend in Spanish as well as their
confidence in Spanish.
Writing to learn
I could implement this strategy when doing a reading
aloud. I could stop at some point and as the
students to write down what they think the reading
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Leticia Rosales
summarize based on the content presented, and
students respond to the questions in writing.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/writing-to-
learn
ESL or ELL strategies:
Small group intervention
Small group intervention refers to the technique
in which the teacher would pull ELL students on
the side on a regular basis and help them with
five aspects of reading: phonological awareness,
phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension. Important steps the teacher
needs to take when implementing this strategy:
Provide multiple opportunities for
students to respond to questions.
Provide multiple opportunities for
students to practice reading both words
and sentences, either in a small group or
with a peer.
Provide clear feedback from the teacher
when students make errors.
Provide specific instruction in all five
areas of reading.
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/best-
practice-ells-small-group-interventions
Partner Reading PALS
In this strategy, after choosing an assigned
reading and introducing it to the students, the
teacher creates pairs of students that include a
weaker reader in a specific area with a student
that might be stronger in that particular area.
Then the teacher would model the strategy for
students. And the students would proceed to
take turns in playing the roles of coach and
player. The stronger reader would act as the
player for five minutes while the coach
would follow along and correcting any mistakes.
Then the students switch roles.
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/partn
er_reading
Other strategies
is saying so far.
Application of ESL/ELL strategies for reading in the
High School Spanish classroom:
Small group intervention
Since I am a Spanish teacher, and all of my ELLs
native language is Spanish, I would use these
strategies, not on my ELL and ESL students, but with
my Spanish language learners at the beginning and
intermediate level.
As I often do, I would divide the class into small
groups according to their level of Spanish and I
would give option of readings at their level. Then, I
would work with small groups of beginners using the
Small group intervention strategy. I would help them
develop the five areas of reading (phonological
awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary, and
comprehension) but in Spanish as they all apply. I
would ensure that I provide multiple opportunities
for students to respond to questions in Spanish, for
them to practice reading, provide feedback and
specific instruction.
Partner Reading PALS
This strategy would come very effective in a
classroom such as mine that includes students that
are native Spanish speakers and Spanish language
learners at the intermediate and beginner level. To
apply this strategy, I would pair two students, one of
a higher level of reading in Spanish and the other
with lower level of reading in Spanish and I would
ask them to play the role of coach and player as
suggested in the strategy.
In high school, students seem to be more receptive
to feedback from their classmates than anybody else,
which is why I see how this strategy would be very
effective in improving students ability to read in
Spanish.
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Leticia Rosales
http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol5/511-
breiseth.aspx

Cooperative Learning Strategies: Application of Cooperative Learning strategies for

reading in the High School Spanish classroom:

Reciprocal Teaching Reciprocal Teaching

In groups of four, students get a role to play after
reading a paragraph:
Summarizer Points out the main ideas
of the text read at each stopping point.
Questioner Asks questions about the
text read at each stopping point.
Clarifier Attempts to address questions
asked by the questioner and clarify any
confusing parts.
Predictor Will predict what may
happen next in the reading.
Before the reading, each student in the group
would get a card with one of the roles written
down. Then, students read one or a few
paragraphs and student are given time to play
their roles. It is important that, as students read,
students take notes to prepare for their role.
In Honors Spanish III, when reading Chapter 1 from
La Edad de Oro by Jose Mart, students would be
divided in teams of four and each student would play
the different roles: summarizer, questioner, clarifier
and predictor.
The teacher would read the text aloud and would
stop after each paragraph and students would fulfill
the responsibilities of their role and would
summarize their discussion in the form provided:
http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/recipro
calteaching_worksheet.pdf
The students would conduct themselves completely
in Spanish as they discuss playing each of their role.
After each paragraph, the students will change roles
resulting in all students playing all roles.

Students can be provided with the cards in the

formats below to help them understand their
role better.

http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/rec
iprocal_teaching_bookmark.pdf

http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/rec
iprocalteaching_handout.pdf

Students can use the worksheet below to

provide the information from each student.
http://www.readingrockets.org/content/pdfs/rec
iprocalteaching_worksheet.pdf

Source:
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/recipr
ocal_teaching

Active Reading Through Self-Assessment Active Reading Through Self-Assessment

This strategy begins by the teacher reading aloud After having reach chapter 1 from La Edad de Oro
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Leticia Rosales
a text for the students. Then, the students and
the teacher together create a T Chart of main
ideas from the text. Then, the teacher shares a
T-Chart with main ideas and so what questions
about the reading and an additional format to
show the students even more examples of so
what questions.
Example:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/l
esson-docs/ExampleTChart.pdf
Additional so what questions:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/l
esson-docs/AdditionalSoWhat.pdf
Then, individually, students read an assigned text
and identify main ideas.
Then, in a blank T-Chart provided,
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/p
rintouts/T-Chart.pdf
students write 3-5 quotes that represent main
ideas on the left side and so what questions
related to each quote on the right side.
Then, in groups, students come to a consensus of
5 main ideas of the text and create a group T-
Chart. Each group shares their quotes and
explain their reasoning for choosing those as
main ideas of the text.
Then, based on their T-Chart, groups will create
quiz questions each teammate creates a
question and writes his/her name before the
question.
Then, the teacher distributes the quizzes in the
class, each group answers a quiz that they did
not make, and, when finished, returns the
quizzes to the group who created the quiz to
grade and discuss the answers.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/l
esson-docs/StudentMadeQuiz.pdf
The students end this lesson with a final
reflection. The teacher might use all or some of
the following questions to stimulate reflection:
and before starting to read chapter 2, I would model
the process of identifying main ideas of the text and
placing them in a T- Chart on the left side and so
what questions on the right. I would involve the
students as, at this point, they would be very familiar
with the chapter.
Then, individually, students would read chapter 2
and identify 5 main ideas and, using a T-Chart,
students identify 3-5 quotes that represent the main
ideas on the left side of their T-Chart and so what
questions on the right side.
Then, students would be placed in groups, share
their T-Charts and come to a consensus to choose 5
main ideas and create a group T-Chart.
The groups would share their main ideas to the class
and their reasoning behind choosing these ideas.
Then, based on the main ideas, the groups would
create quiz questions about their quotes each
teammate creates one. The quiz that each team
creates would be distributed to other groups and
then returned to the group that created it for grading
and discuss the answers.
The students would end this lesson with a final
reflection answering the following questions:
How did the practice of collecting quotes,
writing questions, and discussing main ideas
affect your reading?
If you could do this activity again, what
would you like to do differently next time
and what should stay the same?
THE STUDENTS WOULD CONDUCT ALL STEPS OF THIS
LESSON COMPLETELY IN SPANISH, and they would be
encouraged to use academic Spanish from the
reading as they discuss and write.
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Leticia Rosales
Were you surprised by the way your
peers answered their quiz questions? If
so, why? If not, why not?
What did these answers reveal about
your peers understanding of the
reading?
What did these answers reveal about the
quiz questions you asked?
How did the practice of collecting
quotes, writing questions, and discussing
main ideas affect your reading?
If you could do this activity again, what
would you like to do differently next time
and what should stay the same?

Source:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-
resources/lesson-plans/active-reading-through-
self-30702.html?tab=4#tabs

Preparation Steps:

http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-
resources/lesson-plans/active-reading-through-
self-30702.html?tab=3#tabs

Visual organizers: Application of Visual Organizers for Reading in the

High School Spanish classroom:

Concept Web Concept Web

Students can use the concept web map to make
connections between concepts from a reading.
Source:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/l
esson_images/lesson1045/concept.pdf
Having read a short story or a passage in Spanish,
Spanish II students can use this concept web to write
characteristics of a character in Spanish, either a
protagonist or an antagonist. This is a great tool for
students to make connections in reading and for
using their Spanish in their reading comprehension.

Character Trait Map Character Trait Map

Students can use a Character Trait map to
describe a character and support their
description with references to the text.
Source:
http://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/wp-
Spanish III students can use my version of a
Character Trait Map to describe each of the three
personalities to which Jose Marti alludes in Chp 1 of
La Edad de Oro.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KNRBATvf3vI

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Leticia Rosales
content/pdf/charactertraitsmap.pdf
Foldable: The secret door
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=X6vvv_HhYfs
Foldable: Flipbook
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=R7UZ6Iv8b_Y
Descriptive Text Outline
My idea based on
https://info.schreiner.edu/ICS/icsfs/Reading_Tea
cher_article_on_Text_Structure-graphic_.pdf?
target=d5e56bad-387a-48c2-9d4e-3c7c13ff7a72
Technology strategies to enhance
comprehension
( 1 Webquest and 1 other strategy of choice)
Webquest
Students use a webquest activity to find out
relevant information, come to conclusions and
gain skills about a particular topic.
Source:
https://info.schreiner.edu/ICS/icsfs/Using_Webq
FOd4QFxDgctRr-MZ-izmiZFdk70d4wuo/edit?
usp=sharing
Foldable: The Secret Door
This foldable, just like used in the video, can be used
in the Spanish class when reading a story. The first
section could be used to write a summary of the
story or the list of characters and their role. The
squares in the middle can be used to write a
summary of the sequence of events while the other
flap could be used for students to add a graphic
about the story.
This foldable might be used for vocabulary words
about a particular reading.
Foldable: Flipbook
The flipbook can be used to keep charts of different
verb tenses in Spanish in each flap.
Also, it can be used to draw and describe characters
of a story read in class or outside of class.
Descriptive Text Outline
After reading the text, I thought providing students
an outline form to identify the main ideas in a text
would help them understand the text structure. I
would use this for descriptive text and in Honors
Spanish III, an advanced and native Spanish-speaker
class.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NsV-
G2w8V_0-
MArFLg3fWXECgMEe_w07KV9WLFZ4eXg/edit?
usp=sharing
Webquest in Spanish Class
Students can use a webquest to explore a Subway
restaurant in Argentina, learn to read and
understand menus and learn to ask for particular
ingredients in their sandwich. Students would start
with the webquest, completing the activities in their
worksheet and would end with a two person
conversation in which one person would play the
role of the client requesting a sandwich and the
other person would play the role of the waiter.
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 Disciplinary Literacy Strategies Toolbox
Leticia Rosales
uests_to_Teach.pdf?target=c3f986c7-
615d-4fb6-b10b-88b9c31ba1a5
Flipgrid
Teacher can use Flipgrid to pose questions to
which students can respond in video.
This is a good strategy to use for
formative assessment in an engaging
way for students.
Source:
https://info.flipgrid.com/
Other Technology Resources
Skitch
Notability
Seesaw
Weebly
Vocabulary strategies
Multi genre Glossaries
Students create a glossary of new words
choosing to demonstrate their understanding of
the new word using four different genres from
the options in the format provided:
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/l
esson_images/lesson1143/GlossaryGuide.pdf
Before creating their sheet for each word in their
glossary, students will consider the following
guidelines to choose words
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/l
esson_images/lesson1143/VocabListGuide.pdf
And will use the planning sheet:
https://www.evernote.com/shard/s94/sh/0919296c-
f5a4-47b8-83a1-
a7adb4a8ee64/31a5d1b822521034/res/c480102f-
9bc8-4792-b271-53ed20a4875f/Subway%20reading
%20comprehension%20activities%20with
%20personalized%20questions.pdf
Flipgrid
This is a particularly useful took for Spanish or any
language class. The teacher can use it to pose
questions and students can respond in Spanish. With
this tool, students can respond individually or even in
partners. It is a great tool to use as formative
assessment in Spanish class.
A specific example:
After completing a few exercises in which students
read short reviews in Spanish for different art pieces
made by artists from Spanish speaking countries a
Flip grid activity might be used to ask students to
review pieces of art, state whether they like them or
not and why. Students would complete the review
verbally in Spanish.
Application of Vocabulary strategies for reading in
the High School Spanish classroom:
Multi genre Glossaries
This strategy would be very helpful in my Spanish
classroom for students of all levels in Spanish. This
strategy would deepen their understanding for words
more than the format that we use now that requires
them to write the dictionary definition, a synonym,
an antonym and a sentence. By them choosing
different genres to demonstrate their understanding
of a word they are playing with words and gaining
ability to use language in different useful ways while
learning not only about the target word but also
about genre and related words and ideas.
Students might create a Multigenre Glossary sheet
for every reading we do in class, which is about once
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 Disciplinary Literacy Strategies Toolbox
Leticia Rosales
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/i a week. And students might collect their glossary
nteractives/multigenre-mapper/mg-planning.pdf pages to create a Multigenre Glossary for
themselves.
After choosing their new word and planning the
four different genres they will use to
demonstrate their understanding of the word,
students will complete a Multigenre glossary
page for a new word.

Read and think Read and think

Students can use interactive flipbook to write
definitions of new words or to create a bilingual
dictionary for their use.
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/i
nteractives/flipbook/
As part of reading a short story in Spanish, beginner
Spanish language learners can use this interactive
flipbook to create a dictionary that includes
vocabulary words from the story and either write the
definition of the word or draw an image that might
help them remember the meaning of the word.

Resources
http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/professional_development/strategies/#one

http://www.tltguide.ccsd.k12.co.us/instructional_tools/Strategies/Strategies.ht
ml

http://region2library.org/DATA/Summer%20Literacy%2005/Treasure
%20Two/Keynote_files/redbk4.pdf

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/writing-to-learn
http://www.readingrockets.org/
http://www.readwritethink.org/
http://www.adlit.org/strategy_library/
Value Line http://strateaching101.weebly.com/value-line.html
https://www.dinah.com/about/dinah/