Silent reading is important, but before sending kids off with a book, set them up for success by scaffolding the activity. Consider pre-teaching vocabulary, providing a plot overview, and maybe introducing a K-W-L activity in which students write about what they already (K)now, add questions about (W)hat they’d like to know, and then summarize what they (L)earned. “Many of us, myself included, are guilty of sending students all alone down the bumpy, muddy path known as Challenging Text—a road booby-trapped with difficult vocabulary,” writes Rebecca Alber, an instructor at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education. “We send them ill-prepared and then are often shocked when they lose interest, create a ruckus, or fall asleep.” When pre-teaching vocabulary, “introduce the words to kids in photos or in context with things they know and are interested in,” Alber says. “Give time for small-group and whole-class discussion of the words.” #TeacherTip #ScaffoldingStrategy #SilentReading #TeacherTip...