College Reading : The Science And Strategies Of Expert Readers, 1st Edition Class Notes

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
THE NEW S CIENCE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING
Background...................................................................................................................................... 4
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 4
Benefits of Brain-Compatible Teaching........................................................................................... 4
Make Your Classroom More Brain Compatible .............................................................................. 5
Why Teach Reading? ....................................................................................................................... 7
Why Teach Students about the Brain? ............................................................................................. 7
HOW TO TEACH WITH THE F EATURES IN S CIENCE AND S TRATEGIES
Student to Student ............................................................................................................................ 8
Making Connections ........................................................................................................................ 9
Brain Connections: Self-Assessment................................................................................................ 9
Comprehension Checks.................................................................................................................. 10
Tip from the Brain Doctor ............................................................................................................. 10
Practice with a Reading Passage .................................................................................................. 11
Chapter Summary .......................................................................................................................... 11
Post Test......................................................................................................................................... 11
Brain Strengths Options................................................................................................................. 12
COURSE TEACHING TIPS
The First Day of Class: Icebreakers .............................................................................................. 13
Teaching Tips to Engage Students................................................................................................. 15
Mind Mapping in Science and Strategies....................................................................................... 17
Creating and Facilitating Effective Groups................................................................................... 19
Using Journals with Science and Strategies .................................................................................. 30
Sample Syllabi................................................................................................................................ 31
F EATURES, TEACHING T IPS, AND TESTS
CHAPTER 1: M AKING BRAIN CONNECTIONS TO BECOME AN EXPERT READER
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 46
Activities............................................................................................................................ 48
CHAPTER 2: REMEMBERING WHAT YOU READ
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 52
Activities............................................................................................................................ 52
CHAPTER 3: DEVELOPING YOUR COLLEGE VOCABULARY
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 57
Activities............................................................................................................................ 58
CHAPTER 4: LOCATING S TATED M AIN IDEAS
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 60
Activities............................................................................................................................ 61
C HAPTER 5: F INDING S UPPORTING DETAILS
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 65
Activities............................................................................................................................ 65
CHAPTER 6: USING INFERENCE TO IDENTIFY IMPLIED M AIN IDEAS
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 67
Activities............................................................................................................................ 68
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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers2
CHAPTER 7: RECOGNIZING P ATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 72
Activities............................................................................................................................ 72
CHAPTER 8: USING P REVIEW, S TUDY-READ, AND REVIEW (PSR)
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 77
Activities............................................................................................................................ 79
C HAPTER 9: TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR TEXTBOOK: M ARKING AND NOTE TAKING
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 82
Activities............................................................................................................................ 82
CHAPTER 10: USING VISUALS TO INCREASE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF TEXTBOOKS
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 86
Activities............................................................................................................................ 87
CHAPTER 11: UNDERSTANDING AND CREATING ARGUMENTS
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 90
Activities............................................................................................................................ 91
C HAPTER 12: READING A RGUMENTS CRITICALLY
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 95
Activities............................................................................................................................ 95
CHAPTER 13: READING B EYOND THE W ORDS
Author Spotlight................................................................................................................ 97
Activities............................................................................................................................ 98

College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers 3
AUTHOR INTRODUCTION
From the Desk of Janet Zadina
To me the most exciting feature of Science and Strategies is that we are teaching students about how their
brain works! We are not only teaching them that they can change their brain, but also showing them how
they can change their brain by leading them through activities that strengthen their learning processes. As
someone who teaches teachers about how the brain learns, I am thrilled to have an opportunity to bring
students into this conversation. As a researcher, I know that some research has shown that when low
performing students are taught about how their brain learns and that they can change their brain, their
grades rise, while those who were not given that information had grades that continued on a downward
trend. As a teacher, I know that students are more motivated when they understand why they are being
asked to do a particular task. As a result, this book is very personal and exciting to me as it does what I
think we now know all books should do—that is to teach students how to learn the content or skills we
present to them and to share with them the important information that we have about the neurobiology of
learning.
From the Desk of Rita Smilkstein
Science and Strategies is different from all other books that teach the skills and strategies of how to be an
expert reader because its methods are based not only on research about how the brain learns, but also on
unique research with more than 9,000 people on how human beings naturally learn, how they are born to
learn. This research is discussed in Chapter 1, and the natural human learning process it describes informs
the methods and approach used throughout the book. When students are given the opportunity to learn the
way they are born to learn—the way the brain naturally learns—they are motivated, engaged, and
successful. The brain-based opportunities throughout the book for students to think critically, practice the
skills they are learning, and interact in a community of learners make it possible for all students to
successfully learn and use the skills and strategies of expert readers.
From the Desk of Deborah Daiek
My favorite feature of Science and Strategies is that it truly promotes authentic learning. From the very
beginning of the book, students are guided and encouraged to think about their reading and thinking, and
to think about how others think, which gives students a more global perspective. All lessons are modeled
for easier transference of skills. Comprehension Checks are embedded assessments, which let instructors
know how well students are learning. Scaffolding is used to foster confidence and independent
application of the skills, which is the most important aspect of the text. Through the combination of brain
science and reading theory taught throughout this textbook, students emerge from the class knowing what
it takes to become expert readers.
From the Desk of Nancy Anter
We designed each chapter of Science and Strategies to model an effective approach to college reading.
This consistent framework for the chapters is probably the aspect of the book I like the most. The quote at
the beginning of each chapter offers inspiration. The Student to Student feature provides empathy from
another student who has experienced the struggles and triumphs of college. The Making Connections
feature encourages students to access their background knowledge before delving into the meat of the
chapter. The Brain Connections: Self-Assessment reinforces the idea of metacognition—that students
should monitor their own learning. If every student began every reading assignment with inspiration, an
understanding that they are not alone in the college challenge, a habit of accessing relevant background
knowledge, and the responsibility of knowing how they learn best, our colleges would be filled with
reading experts. This book is our best attempt at making that happen.
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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers4
THE NEW SCIENCE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING
Background
In the last few years, research on teaching and learning has exploded, including research coming from the
fields of neuroscience, medicine, and psychology. In fact, a new specialty has arisen—Educational
Neuroscience. In the past, teachers used the term brain-based to speak about these new insights from
brain research into the teaching and learning process. As this field has progressed, we have moved to new
terminology and new insights, and we can talk about how science, particularly neuroscience, has
informed our practice in the classroom. Historically, some untenable leaps were made, but now, as more
and more scientists are working with educators and building this bridge between science and education,
we have learned more about underlying processes, environmental factors, and student differences that
affect learning. Some of this research has implications for actual classroom teaching strategies and
student study strategies. While brain research still does not prove anything about what we do in the
classroom, it certainly is providing a new window into the learning process and giving us insights that we
can translate into practice. This textbook is designed to work with new information coming from all of the
cognitive and medical sciences that are illuminating the field of education. Education is at the edge of an
exciting new frontier in which new technologies in brain imaging are leading to new insights which lead
to new scientific studies involving students leading to new implications for our classrooms. Many steps
are required from the brain imaging to the classroom implications, but this new bridge is being crossed
and this book is designed with this new information in mind.
Introduction
College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers was written in part by a cognitive
neuroscientist who specializes in Educational Neuroscience. Throughout the chapters, you will find tips,
information, and strategies coming from this field. Underlying the pedagogy is an understanding of what
we currently know about how the brain learns best. Implications from brain research underlie much of
what is in the book, in some cases explicitly and in other cases implicitly. Throughout this book you will
see lessons and activities that are designed in a way that support the learning process as we are coming to
understand it. Traditional lessons and activities are still included for those who prefer to teach and test in
traditional style, but at the same time additional options are provided that approach the lessons differently.
This combination may be the best of both worlds. Teachers can do what they have seen works best with
their students, while having an opportunity to explore non-traditional approaches, activities, and
assessments if they so desire. This textbook makes it easy for a teacher to create a more brain-compatible
classroom by simply taking advantage of many of the features in this book.
Benefits of Brain-Compatible Teaching
The benefits of teaching with an awareness of brain research are many. When you as a teacher understand
the biological nature of learning (discussed explicitly in Chapter 1 and in segments throughout the book),
you can design your lessons accordingly. This explanation of the learning process is presented to students
in this textbook because research shows that when students learn that their brain is malleable—that it
changes as a result of learning—their achievement rises. This book is designed to increase student
achievement by providing them with this important information immediately. We also know that when
students understand why something should be done, they are more willing to do it. Therefore, students
learn about their brain and the why behind the activities and strategies. This transparency of the learning
process is a unique feature of this book. Teachers and students acquire these new insights into learning
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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers 5
Additional benefits to this new approach to teaching and learning accrue throughout the book.
The design of the activities, the sometimes unusual process by which a student is taken through a lesson,
the order of activities, and the additional options are based on an understanding of the importance of
several key aspects of teaching based on neuroscience insights.
Making Your Classroom More Brain Compatible
There are many ways to create a more brain-compatible classroom that are implicitly and explicitly
presented throughout the textbook. Teacher Tips, Tips from the Brain Doctor for the student, and textual
information provide you with this information as you go. However, some of the key strategies and
insights underlying this textbook are:
• Learning involves making connections. The chapters start with a section called Making
Connections. This section enables you to guide the student through connecting some of the
concepts that will be learned to an existing neural network—what the student is already familiar
with. It can be used in multiple ways: class discussion, journal activity, group discussion, or
individual reflection.
• It isn't enough to fire it, the student must wire it. This means repetition, but not necessarily
“drill and kill.” Neuroscience has made clear the importance of repetition and also the sequencing
of it, so this underlies the instructions and activities in the book. The repetition or practice occurs
in a recursive and spiral fashion and is often achieved by activating more than one pathway or
process.
• Metacognition is a key factor in learning. Therefore, students are asked to draw their dendrites
as a metaphorical metacognitive activity to get them to stop and assess what they know with the
Brain Connections: Self-Assessment feature. It also is a factor in reminding them that they have
the power to change their brain and to control their learning. A sense of progress is rewarding to
the brain and this feature provides them with that sense of progress by asking them to complete
the self-assessment early and again later in the learning process.
• Students learn better when they figure things out for themselves. This principle from brain
research relates to several learning pathways. When students figure things out for themselves, it is
rewarding to the brain in the form of chemicals that make them feel good. Many of the activities
in the book are designed in such a way as to create this reward. In addition, when students figure
things out, they own it, rather than when they memorize it. This process is also motivating and
engaging. Rigor is rewarding to the brain, so lessons get more challenging as they go along. This
stimulates students who may learn quickly or easily at first and provides a sense of progress,
another sense leading to rewarding chemicals in the brain.
• Relationships are key to learning. Therefore, most of the activities are designed in such a way
that you can put students into groups to do part or all of the activity. In addition, Brain Strengths
Options at the end of each chapter provide opportunities for collaborative learning.
• We are probably all wired differently. Teachers want to address learning differences in the
classroom but find this a challenge. The Brain Strengths Options is a feature designed to work
with learning differences. The variety of options allows for students to self-select an activity that
uses their strengths. It is critical that students be allowed to select the activity rather than it being
assigned. We want to tap into strengths (which they will naturally select) rather than increase
stress by giving an assignment that taps into a weakness, such as asking them to show the class a
drawing or to sing for the class. It is encouraged that a project be part of every chapter, but you
may find that class time does not allow for this. This feature can be used in other ways. Students
may select one of these as an alternative to traditional testing if you wish to make that option
available. Alternatively, you may allow a student to do a project to make up for missed work.
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• Learning is more effective when it is meaningful and relates to real life. The readings,
activities, and examples were selected with this brain-research principle in mind. The Student to
Student feature capitalizes on this. And, Brain Strengths Options is an attempt to create more
meaningful activities than that of answering objective questions.
As you work with the book, you will gather ideas that you can use to design your own brain-
compatible activities. In addition to textbook material, the classroom environment is also important to an
effective learning environment based on what we know about brain research and engagement, motivation,
relationship to physiology, and emotion. The most important aspect of the classroom environment is
safety—emotional safety. Sarcasm, anger, or demeaning comments, of course are not appropriate, as
teachers know. However, this goes beyond that. Freedom to fail and try again gives a feeling of safety.
Having choice is key to the kind of emotion that is effective for learning. Not only do the Brain Strengths
Options provide choices, you can find other ways to give students choice wherever possible as
appropriate. Allowing students to work with their strengths when possible through use of Brain Strengths
Options gives them a feeling that they will be able to do some of the work and builds success. Starting
with something likely to be achievable on the first attempt is another concept coming from brain research.
The lessons start simple and build to more challenging tasks. Use the Brain Connections: Self-Assessment
feature as a way to remind students of the progress that they are making. Address testing anxiety with
some of the suggestions provided in the appendix of the textbook. This is an important issue because
anxiety can make it more difficult for students to perform well on tests, thus creating a misleading
impression of their true ability.
Some simple steps will help you make your overall course more brain compatible:
Addressing classroom behavior is an important first step. It is not compatible with what we
know about emotion and learning to scare students the first day or to start off hard and get easier, as
previous maxims indicate. Negative emotion and fear is not conducive to learning. However, starting out
firm yet positive is important. By providing students with a clear, written list of procedures (rules) and
consequences you are creating a safe yet effective classroom. Be sure to include that bullying or mocking
another student will not be tolerated and state the consequence (sent to dean, referred to counselor, etc.)
Another important step is to form relationships. Learn students’ names and have them learn each
other’s names. One exciting way to do this is to tell them you are stepping out of the classroom for ten
minutes and when you return everyone must know everyone else’s name. That is appropriate for a class of
30 or less and it is exciting and attainable. In addition, you want to address them by name. Not only does
that improve attention, but also it creates positive emotion that enhances learning. Take stiff paper and
fold it in half lengthwise. Write their name on one side in big letters and have them bring it to class and
stand it up on their desk until all names are learned. If they forget it, have them make one and keep some
tape handy so they can tape it to the front of their desk. Tell them you are doing this because their name is
important to you, but you have 100+ (or whatever the case may be) names to learn. Make sure you use
their names.
A third important step is to provide a clear, simple syllabus. Design it with the student in mind.
Include deadlines. Create a calendar for every month with holidays, test days, and deadlines. Just as with
your handout on procedures and consequences, having a sense of what to expect is important to the
proper learning environment. Provide assignments in written fashion whenever possible. Keep in mind
that students ages 18-25 are still developing their frontal lobes and may not exercise the executive brain
as well as older students would. They may struggle with using good judgment, meeting deadlines,
planning early for tests, and budgeting their time. Consider giving one free “pass” for a deadline not met.
However, keep in mind also that a teacher’s job is to help students grow their frontal lobes well by

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers 7
providing them with and expecting them to meet deadlines and schedules. Our job is not to make school
easy but to make it engaging! Set a challenge and expect them to rise to it, but keep some scaffolding
handy. There are example syllabi on page 31 of this that you can refer to as well.
Finally, since research shows that when students understand how much control they have over
their learning they rise in achievement, be sure to insist they read the part of the text that instructs
them in the learning process. This is the best thing you can do for your students. You will convince
them by your leadership that learning about their brain and learning about learning is important with an
emphasis on this important aspect of the textbook. Perhaps you may feel that learning study skills is a
topic best taught elsewhere or something that can be omitted when time is short, but this textbook goes
beyond study skills—it is how to be a better learner, which translates into being a better reader when
working through Science and Strategies. Yes, working through this textbook is important and will make
them a better reader, but teaching them about their brain, how to use it, and how much control they have
over the process will enhance their learning in all classes and throughout life.
Why Teach Reading?
Reading is not a normal activity. Yes, you read that correctly. There is no single part of the brain devoted
to reading as there is for vision or hearing. Instead, there are multiple parts of the brain working together
to do a task for which the brain was not originally designed. Reading uses parts of the brain designed for
other tasks and recruits them in this task that is relatively new in human history. Therefore, learning to
read requires wiring a pathway that is effective and efficient for reading. Neuroimaging shows us that
while most good readers use a similar pathway in the brain that is efficient and effective, those with
dyslexia sometimes use an alternative pathway. This pathway is not as efficient or effective. In fact, often
those with dyslexia must use a compensatory pathway or compensatory strategies to accomplish this quite
intricate skill of reading.
Science and Strategies was written with this understanding in mind. Topics are selected to help
the reader consciously learn the skills and strategies of expert readers. Some will struggle with this more
than others depending upon their prior reading experience and their “wiring” for reading. Therefore,
opportunities for compensation are included. Suggestions for leading with strengths are provided. Brain
Strength Options also reminds students that while reading may be a weakness, they have other strengths
that can be used in life to compensate and to support achievement.
Why Teach Students about the Brain?
Recent neuroscience research studies indicate that when students learn that the brain is malleable and that
it changes as a result of experience, their achievement rises. Therefore, Science and Strategies provides
explicit information throughout the book about how the activities change the way they have been using
their brain or help them create more effective brain “wiring.”
A unique feature of Science and Strategies is the chapter on the memory process. It takes the
student beyond “I am not good at memorizing” to an understanding of how the brain creates a memory,
and the steps that a student can take to consciously create stronger memories. A difficulty that may be
invisible to teachers but can underlie reading comprehension problems is working memory. Teachers
think that a student can’t comprehend even though he or she seems to be a good reader, but this may
actually be a deficit in working memory capacity. The student cannot hold the entire sentence or
paragraph in working memory long enough to process the information and make sense of it. To our
knowledge, this is the first and only textbook on the market that addresses this underlying issue of
working memory. The textbook shows students how to deal with this issue and break down material into
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units that they can process. It is very empowering to students to understand that it is not that they can’t
comprehend, but that they may be “biting off more than they can chew” for their working memory and
how to compensate for this.
Vocabulary instruction is included throughout the textbook because learning means making
connections in the brain, but if students have no understanding of the concept, they cannot make a
connection. If they can’t “fire it” then they certainly can’t “wire it.” Again, the importance of this is made
explicit to the student.
Oftentimes students have trouble reading because they do not understand what is important and
what to focus on when reading. Explicit strategies throughout the book help students learn this skill of
evaluating what they read and making sense of it.
HOW TO TEACH WITH THE FEATURES IN SCIENCE AND STRATEGIES
Science and Strategies includes specific features, which were designed with both the instructor and
student in mind. The features are designed to provide relevancy, motivation, formative and summative
assessments, collaborative experiences, as well as independent learning. It’s not easy motivating students
who initially don’t want to be in a developmental reading class. By teaching students that academic
success isn’t about intelligence you will open doors; our students are far more capable than they may at
first imagine. Success is all about knowing what skills and strategies to use, when to use them, and how to
use them. By teaching students how to optimize their ability to learn, instructors can make an immediate
connection with students, keep them on track, and provide them with successful and authentic learning
experiences. The following features demonstrate to students that successful learning can be fun, engaging,
and is a choice. Each feature and strategy provides a goal, as well as the intended benefit to students and
instructors.
Along with the various features included in the book, the authors wanted to give instructors more
information on their favorite parts of Science and Strategies. Throughout the you will
find Author Spotlight features and activities for classroom use. The Author Spotlights give you
information on why the authors included these items in the book and how to use them in your own
classroom.
Student to Student
Goal: The goal of this feature is to make the instruction relevant. Introducing students to another
student who has experienced what they are experiencing also provides students with hope. Relevancy
and hope help create a positive foundation for instruction.
Overview: Students were interviewed from around the country and invited to discuss their concerns,
frustrations, and strengths regarding specific topics. They were also encouraged to share strategies
that worked.
Benefit to Students: When the chapters are introduced, students who have gone before current
students share their story regarding specific strategies and skills. This makes what instructors teach
relevant. These introductions are a way to legitimize what students are being asked to learn.

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Benefit to Instructors: In order to get students to buy-in to what you are teaching, it has to be
relevant; students need to be able to connect with it. These introductions make that needed
connection. They give their viewpoints and provide students with hope.
Making Connections
Goal: The goal of this feature is to activate students’ existing network of knowledge in order to help
them make connections to the new material introduced in that chapter.
Overview: The feature consists of a list of five to eight questions. There are no specific instructions
for this feature other than a very general guideline. It is to be used as the instructor prefers. Students
may think about it, write about it, or talk about it. It is the process, not the modality that is the
important part of this feature.
Benefit to Students: In order to learn, students must make connections from existing knowledge to
the new material. These questions help them activate what they already know and use that prior
knowledge to process the information in the chapter. It is a sort of scaffolding for students in that it
helps them apply existing concepts and experiences to the new material. It also builds confidence as
they start out with a no-fail activity.
Benefit to Instructors: Activating prior knowledge is a step that is easily overlooked by instructors as
they are pressed for time to get into the chapter. This provides a quick and easy way to incorporate that
important first step of ascertaining what they already know. It is designed to be quite flexible for the
instructor who can just have them think about it while taking roll, use it for a learning journal, or use it
for class discussion to start off a chapter so that students can begin with no wrong answers and build
confidence going into the chapter. A teacher may want to select only one question or use them all. It is a
very flexible, efficient, and effective way to start the conversation about the concepts in the chapter.
Brain Connections: Self-Assessment
Goal: This feature is the key to student confidence, engagement, and motivation. Students gain the
metacognitive knowledge that when they are practicing, processing, thinking, trying to understand,
and working at learning something, their brain actually grows dendrites, which underlie their
learning, understanding, and skill. When students make this real connection, they know they can and
will learn if they work at it. They know it is a physical fact that by their practicing, processing,
thinking, trying to understand, and working at learning, the result will be natural physical changes in
their brain that will be their new learning. This metacognitive knowledge empowers students because
it provides them with knowledge and confidence about how and why they can and will learn. Thus,
by having students self-assess how much they know by imagining and representing how many new
dendrites they might have grown, it is no longer a mystery how and why learning occurs; they see that
it is in their own hands: If they do it, they grow it; if they grow it, they know it. Share this statement
with your students, as and after they learn about the brain in Chapter 1. Also let them know, and
remind them each time they do a self-assessment by drawing the amount of dendrites (knowledge,
understanding, skill) they imagine that they have, that this metacognitive activity will show them that
they can be successful learners if and when they do the work and practice needed to grow their
dendrites. Students are always happy to hear this. There are two goals of this feature. One goal is to
give students the opportunity to assess the knowledge they already have for the material in the new
chapter before they begin reading the chapter. The second goal is to give students the opportunity
periodically to focus on and assess their level of understanding as they progress through the chapter.
That is, this feature gives students a specific, clear, focused way to assess what they already know
about the topic of a chapter and also to keep track of how and what they are learning as they proceed
through a chapter.
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Format: The format for this feature is a box at the beginning of each chapter. The box contains an
illustration of a brain cell upon which students are to draw the amount of dendrites they imagine that
they already have—the knowledge they already have—for this chapter. There is also a box containing
a brain cell at the end of the chapter upon which students draw the amount of dendrites they imagine
that they have so far grown, representing the amount of knowledge and skill they have so far learned
in the chapter.
Benefit to Students: When students understand that learning actually means their brain is growing
dendrites, they are able to visualize their learning, which in turn demystifies learning. This
metacognitive knowledge is empowering. It makes it possible for students to say, “If I do this work
that the teacher and book give me to do, my brain will grow new dendrites—I will learn. Let me draw
the dendrites I think that I have now which is what I know now.” As they progress through a chapter,
they draw more dendrites on their brain cell, which they know means they have learned more.
Because of this empowering knowledge, their confidence, self-efficacy, and engagement increase.
Benefit to Instructors: Demystifying learning makes an instructor’s work easier and less stressful.
Instructors who guide students to focus on growing their dendrites find that their students are
motivated to do more work so they can grow more dendrites and know more. Thus, instructors no
longer have the problem of how to motivate or engage their students because students are responsive
to their instructor’s assignments when they know that if they do the work assigned by their instructor,
they will grow their dendrites and learn more. Discussing with students the connection between
drawing dendrites and what students have learned and are learning helps instructors ensure that their
students are motivated and engaged.
Comprehension Checks
Goal: The Comprehension Check is a formative assessment technique—a type of classroom
assessment technique (CAT). The goal is to let students and instructors know if students understand
the information that has been presented in the chapter, up to the point of the Comprehension Check.
Benefit to Students: The Comprehension Checks become a metacognitive tool for students. They
begin to think about their thinking in every chapter by learning how to monitor their own thinking.
They are guided to ask questions about what they understand. It serves as a checkpoint for students to
know if they need to ask for assistance, or if they feel comfortable moving forward. The
Comprehension Check is a strategy students should begin applying to all of their other coursework.
Benefit to Instructors: The Comprehension Checks let instructors know if corrections need to be
made to their lesson plans, or not. If students do not understand the new information presented in the
chapter, it will be very obvious. Instructors don’t want to wait for the end-of-the-chapter assessments
to learn that students didn’t understand the intent. If necessary, instructors can then use additional
activities from the to reinforce concepts, or move on if all students understand the
information.
Tip from the Brain Doctor
Goal: This feature gives students information about the brain from an outside source that they would
find credible. Sometimes students don't want to hear study tips from their parents or their teacher, but
might be more accepting if they knew the study skills came from someone else, such as a scientific
researcher. The feature consists of a piece of research explained in layman terms followed by an
explanation of what this might mean in terms of student learning and success, or a tip based on

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something presented in the text. It is written informally, as if the scientist were giving the students an
insider tip.
Benefit to Students: This feature puts information into a format that might not be overlooked or
ignored. It is set apart, quickly read, and is clearly for the students’ benefit. It is more personal than
the rest of the text so it benefits them by putting them at the center of the learning.
Benefit to Instructors Much of this research may be unfamiliar to instructors as well, so they are
actually gaining teaching tips. The feature contains research and practice in a visible, brief format so
that it can be accessed and used. It is one of the pathways in the chapters used to reinforce material,
but in this case, in a more personal format.
Practice with a Reading Passage
Goal: This feature is designed to provide guided reading practice with longer readings. Questions
become incrementally more challenging so that students are scaffolded through application of the
reading strategies taught.
Format: This feature occurs at the end of each chapter and has pre- and post-reading questions. Pre-
reading questions reinforce the idea of previewing readings. The post-reading questions synthesize
the reading strategies from all previous chapters and the current chapter.
Benefit to Students: Students can begin to synthesize reading strategies and gain practice in applying
them.
Benefit to Instructors: This feature sets up scaffolding in learning and allows instructors to address
any weak areas before post testing students.
Chapter Summary
Goal: The summary provides the main point and important details of a chapter, thus providing
another review of the material to strengthen the learning of the material.
Benefit to Students: The summary is a previewing tool that students can use in order to get an
overview of the chapter. It also helps students see the essential elements of a chapter after studying
the chapter.
Benefit to Instructors: A summary presents important points of a chapter so instructors can review
chapters with students. A summary also serves as a previewing tool.
Post Test
Goal: The Post Test serves as a measurement of student learning, or student learning outcome.
Format: A Post Test is presented at the end of the chapter as a cumulative test. Part 1 consists of
multiple-choice, matching, true-and-false, and fill-in-the-blank question types. Part 1I provides
students with a reading selection, and students will be expected to apply the reading strategies
presented in the current chapter and preceding chapters. Questions, at varying levels of Bloom’s
Taxonomy, will be asked to test their understanding of the reading selection.
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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers12
Benefit to Students: Students will become aware of the gaps in their learning. They will know where
they need to focus to remediate. It’s important for them to understand the strategies they still haven’t
mastered or to celebrate those they have.
Benefit to Instructors: It’s difficult for instructors to make adjustments in their teaching if they are
not certain what students have learned or how well they have learned it. The Post Test provides an
opportunity for instructors to remediate and opportunities to offer supplemental instructional
materials, if necessary.
Test Bank questions and answers can be found on the instructor companion website for this title. Go
to www.cengagebrain.com to locate the specific book site.
Brain Strengths Options
Goal: Brain-compatible teaching and learning includes the understanding that we are probably all
wired differently and that students have differing strengths and deficits. It is impossible to diagnose
and remediate the wide variety of differences in underlying processes, such as memory and attention,
subtypes of reading difficulty, biological and learning exceptionalities, impact of English as a second
language, and experiential differences. Providing an opportunity for students to self-select learning
strategies and/or assessments enables the instructor to address some of these differences. This feature
provides options that tap into a variety of strengths that can be used to compensate for deficits. This
feature also increases motivation and engagement as it provides students with an opportunity to show
the instructor their strengths instead of a constant focus on their deficits.
Format: This feature is designed for use in a variety of ways according to the preferences of the
instructor.
• Alternative assessment: Educators know that objective tests do not always measure the true
level of understanding, especially in those with test anxiety, dyslexia, second-language issues, or
other exceptionalities. Providing options for alternative assessment using strengths helps
instructors address these challenges. We suggest allowing students to self-select the option so that
they can lead with their strength rather than assigning items, as that potentially taps into another
weakness, thus increasing stress and discouragement.
• Brain-compatible learning: The Brain Strengths Options feature is designed to create a
learning scenario that is more compatible with the way the brain learns best. These activities are
designed to be more engaging, more like real life, more social, and to utilize a variety of skills to
reach the goal. Therefore, instructors may wish to have students do a project per chapter as an
alternative to some of the paper and pencil activities throughout the chapter. As-needed options:
Sometimes students need to be allowed to complete make-up work due to illness or other
legitimate absences. Having them complete activities later that they did not turn in earlier is not
always an option when the rest of the class has completed the work and possibly even had their
work graded and returned. These options are ideal for make-up work. The student would have to
select ones that could be done individually. Sometimes instructors want to allow students to do
make-up work if they have failed a test. These options are ideal for that as well.
Benefit to Students: This feature is of great benefit to students because they would not be in this
reading class if their skills were up to par. However, everything else in the book requires them to use
their weak modality of reading to learn any of the concepts or information. This feature allows them
to use their strength to unlock the material. If they speak well, they may choose an oral presentation.
If they are artistic, they may choose to represent, for example, patterns of organization with

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers 13
illustrations or a poster. Some may choose to use their computer strengths to review and present the
information.
Benefit to Instructors: In our experience, teachers read the research and want to apply it, but few
actually know what that looks like in the classroom. Also, how do you diversify your strategies with
everything else you have to plan for and cover? This section provides them with strategies that have
proven popular with instructors in our experience working with diverse and challenged learners. It
makes it very easy for teachers to deal with learning differences. Teachers can allow students to select
a project rather than a post test, which deals with memory—a problem for many students. They can
be used for make-up work. However, these are options available to the instructor, not required.
COURSE TEACHING TIPS
One of the great features about Science and Strategies is that it intentionally provides many extra
activities. At first glance, the size of the book may look overwhelming. However, we have provided
additional information so that you can select some or all of the material to ensure that your students have
learned the skills and strategies presented in each chapter. If students are having difficulty after the
Comprehension Checks, all of the activities may be used. Or, individual students can be given extra work
for extra credit. If, however, students seem to understand the concepts, you can choose to move forward.
We acknowledge that you are a reading professional who is teaching the course using this textbook and
honor your experience, background knowledge, and ability to teach. This book is a vehicle designed to
help you facilitate your teaching and students’ learning.
The First Day of Class: Icebreakers
The first day of class is usually one of the most important days. You get to introduce yourself, your
expectations, the syllabus, and your environment to your students. You set the stage for a great semester.
From day one, you begin to build a sense of community. Share something about yourself. Begin to bridge
the humanistic side of learning with the academic. Icebreakers help you to accomplish this. They are not
“fluff” if done correctly. Critical thinking will not occur in a classroom where students feel uncomfortable
sharing information. You want students to engage in learning, not sit through class in fear of appearing
stupid to others. Students need to know that what they think is important to you, the instructor.
Icebreakers are a great way to get to know students, and they allow students an opportunity to get to know
each other.
Icebreakers play a critical role in developing a safe environment in your class. If you expect
students to develop authentic critical thinking skills, students need to know that they have the right to
disagree and that they are not going to be punished for sharing their thoughts. Icebreakers bridge the
academic with the humanistic. They make students feel comfortable, relaxed, and give students an
opportunity to connect fun with learning. They give students a chance to learn about each other and make
connections. The time you invest in your initial icebreaker will be well worth it.
Provided are some favorite, tried-and-true icebreakers for you to consider:
• M&Ms
Give students small treat-size packet of M&Ms. Have each student dump his/her individual bag
to determine which color of M&M occurs most. (Or give students a 3 x 5 card with a color on it
as they enter the room. Not as much fun as the candy, but students still like it.) Have students
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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers14
introduce themselves by their names, and then answer the question for the most color of M&M in
their bags, or have each student respond to the color on the card he/she selected. If students have
more of the following colors, they answer the question associated with it:
Green: most exciting moment
Blue: a funny thing that happened to me
Yellow: favorite book
Brown: best learning experience
Red: most frightening moment
• Beach Ball (Thumb-ball)
In each slice of color on the beach ball, write a number using a permanent marker, 1–6. On the
board or on a handout, list six questions of your choice, suggestions provided here:
1. My favorite novel/movie/cartoon character
2. Favorite time period
3. The most unusual thing about me
4. If money weren’t an option, I would
5. My favorite hero
6. Most exciting day of my life
Throw the ball to anyone to get it started. Whichever number is touching the student’s left thumb,
that’s the question he/she responds to. Then, that student throws the ball to another student until
everyone responds and is introduced.
• 3 x 3 Squares
Create a sheet with six to nine squares (the number will depend on available time). In each square
put a characteristic (i.e., someone who plays an instrument, someone who has an unusual
collection, someone who is married, someone who is has been a Brownie or Girl Scout, someone
who writes poetry, someone who is a parent, someone who is a musician, someone who is a
serious athlete, etc.) Students need to move around the room and find someone who fits the
square and can initial it. Then when class reconvenes, each student introduces one person from
their square to the rest of the class.
Variation: Six to nine other students need to fill in the squares by providing the answer and
signing their names. Each student first fills in one of the squares. In the squares for students to fill
in, questions may include: longest journey to school, weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten, unusual
hobby, favorite author, favorite class, best day of my life, most frightening moment, etc.
• Fact or Fiction
Each person writes down three facts about themselves, one of which is a lie. Each person takes
turns reading his/her list aloud and the rest of the class writes down the one they think is the lie
with the person’s name. When everyone has finished going around, you can go through list and
have students vote on the lie. Each person then identifies the lie.
• Interview
Students pair up and interview each other. Each pair introduces themselves to the class when
class reconvenes, remembering key points without taking notes.

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College Reading: The Science and Strategies of Expert Readers 15
• Desert Island
To start this icebreaker, announce, “You've been exiled to a deserted island for up to two years.
You are allowed to take a few clothes, enough food, soap, toothpaste, etc. You may take one
piece of music, one book, and one luxury item you can carry with you. What would you take and
why?” Allow a few minutes for students to write down their list of three items. Then, in a circle,
have students introduce themselves and share their three items. You will want to share your three
items with the class as well. You’ll need to be a timekeeper to keep everyone on track. There are
many versions of this activity; however, this version works well as an icebreaker. Students get to
pick their items.
Teaching Tips to Engage Students
• See If You Can Figure It Out
Use this sentence to encourage students to cooperate with you and each other in a learning
environment where students are given time and tools to figure out patterns and logical structures
in what they are learning. This “figure it out” strategy creates a stronger memory in students’
brains, which helps learning. This strategy underscores most of the instruction in Science and
Strategies. When students figure out a pattern or an idea with guidance, they have a more vivid
and positive learning experience. Instructors should look for any opportunity to let students
discover knowledge. Many of the Teaching Tips in the Annotated Instructor’s Edition of Science
and Strategies give examples of “figure it out” teaching strategies.
• Keep It Rewarding (share this information with students)
Some people, such as the authors of Science and Strategies, are actually addicted to learning.
This means that they choose to engage in this activity as often as possible because it makes them
feel good. They take more courses and keep going to school. They love to read material that
enables them to learn new information. They devour books. They have learned that learning is a
very pleasurable activity. These are the lifelong learners. And since our world is changing so
rapidly and we are in an information age, these are the people who can learn, change, adapt, and
continue to have a great quality of life no matter what life throws at them. Sounds good, doesn’t
it? How can students take advantage of this? First, in order to get that feel-good feeling, students
have to actually learn, and that means they have to be emotionally engaged and involved with the
material. So tell students to approach Science and Strategies with the attitude that they are
actually going to learn, not just go through the motions.
• 10-80-10
To optimize learning, it is recommended that you consider using the 10-80-10 plan. At the
beginning of class, 10% of the class time is spent reviewing the last class—making connections.
80% of the class time is spent on a new topic, or new session. And, at the end of the class, 10% of
the class time is spent reviewing the current day’s lesson. It’s an excellent way to ensure that your
students understand and learn what was being taught. Both the preview and review can be
classroom assessment techniques (CATs). This is a great way to engage students, keep them
focused, and make everything you teach relevant.
• Creating the Safe Environment
Creating a safe environment cannot be over-stressed. If students are going to learn to think
critically, they need to know that it’s ok to disagree. A safe environment produces good
chemicals in the brain: serotonin and dopamine. These good chemicals optimize the brain’s
ability to learn. If students feel safe, they are more likely to participate. If they know that it’s ok
to not answer correctly, students will be motivated to participate. All ideas are good; however, not
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