IMPROVE STUDENTS' RETENTION OF WHAT THEY READ

To help students recall what they have read, create a context for them. Frame the material for them, focus on essentials, allow them the opportunity to make meaning for themselves, and use visual cues for reinforcement.

Creating advance organizers ("this is what to look for "), occasions for reflection, and opportunities for reinforcement make for more effective learning, We all need to be reminded that reading is not the same as learning. You are the teacher, not the textbook. Like a fine jeweler, you have to design an esthetic setting for a precious stone. How will your lesson contextualize the information conveyed in the text?

  1. Before making reading assignments, give a structured overview of the material. Who are the key personalities discussed in the chapter? What are the important concepts? How does the material fit with what has been learned in previous classes?

     

  2. Reinforce the material the students read with opportunities for reflection. What does the text say about ... ? What does the author mean by ... ? What does ... mean to me?

     

  3. True understanding occurs when students construct their own meaning from what they read and hear. Allow time for journal writing or for exhibitions of mastery, such as displays and projects. A studentwritten and student-produced puppet show on the story of Jonah and the great fish tells the teacher more about students' comprehension than any test; the creation of a student-designed wall hanging inspired by the twelve tribes tells more than any worksheet.

     

  4. Reinforce the textbook by transforming your classroom into a complete learning environment. If you teach Hebrew, make Hebrew labels for objects in your room; keep a classroom collection of simple stories in Hebrew for those who finish their work before the others; use Hebrew expressions for routine tasks, for praise, or to begin and end each class. If you teach Jewish holidays, decorate your room with holiday pictures and ritual items. Reinforce a history lesson with a bulletin board display that depicts the period you are studying.