Hello sixth graders! Today we are going to talk about how to respond to reading. Responding to reading means that we are going to think about what we have read and share our thoughts and feelings about it. This is an important skill because it helps us to understand what we have read better and to remember it for longer.

There are many ways to respond to reading, but today we are going to focus on three main strategies: summarizing, making connections, and asking questions.

Summarizing means that we are going to retell the main ideas of what we have read in our own words. This helps us to remember what we have read and to understand it better. To summarize, we can ask ourselves questions like: What was the story about? Who were the main characters? What happened in the beginning, middle, and end?

Making connections means that we are going to think about how what we have read relates to our own lives or to other things we have read or seen. This helps us to understand the story better and to see how it is relevant to us. To make connections, we can ask ourselves questions like: Have I ever experienced something like this? Does this remind me of another book or movie I have seen? How does this relate to what I already know?

Asking questions means that we are going to think about what we don’t understand or what we want to know more about. This helps us to clarify our understanding and to learn more about the topic. To ask questions, we can ask ourselves questions like: What did the author mean by this? Why did the character do that? What would happen if…?

Now, let’s practice these strategies together. I am going to read a short story and then we will respond to it using summarizing, making connections, and asking questions.

(Read a short story)

Now, let’s summarize what we just read. Who can tell me what the story was about in their own words?

(Allow students to share their summaries)

Great job! Now, let’s make some connections. Who can tell me how this story relates to their own life or to something else they have read or seen?

(Allow students to share their connections)

Excellent! Finally, let’s ask some questions. Who can ask a question about something they didn’t understand or want to know more about in the story?

(Allow students to ask questions and discuss as a class)

Remember, responding to reading is an important skill that helps us to understand what we have read better and to remember it for longer. Keep practicing these strategies and you will become a great reader!