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Guthriegabs About: Nonfiction Informational Reading Comprehension Middle School

Increase nonfiction reading comprehension by using the three pillars of comprehension: vocabulary knowledge, text connections, and text structure. Articles alternate between science and history. #confidence
Kim Guthriegabs M. Ed
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(424)
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What's included

1 live meeting
50 mins in-class hours per week
Homework
Students do not have homework between classes. Work will be completed in class. Students may always submit questions about class and suggestions for future stories in the classroom comments.
Progress Report
Progress reports based on individual answers and participation.

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 9
Intermediate Level
June-July
The Byzantine Empire
Comparative Study on Early Blind People and Typical Vision on Tracking Sounds
The Phrygian Cap 
Hydrogen Bombs
The British Riot Act 1715

Recent Classes: 
Viking Ships
Writing and the Brain
The Galloway Hoard
Experiments in Gillnet Fishing



Reading fiction books is easy and enjoyable for many learners. 
As a classroom teacher, I saw students struggle when reading non-fiction passages. 
It is easy to get lost and absorbed into an imaginary world, but when students read nonfiction, they often struggle to decide which facts are critical and which details are background or extra information. 
They also struggle with knowing how to organize the essential facts.

This class is designed to help students develop strong reading comprehension skills, specifically in the context of non-fiction texts.
The class will combine vocabulary review, reading activities, discussions, and relevant writing exercises focused on developing critical thinking skills.

The text passages will be at or above a 7th-grade instructional reading level.

The text passages cover a wide range of topics in science and social studies. 


Learners will analyze non-fiction texts in class and practice reading comprehension.  I welcome group discussions and debates on topics.

      *Preteaching of key vocabulary, prefixes, roots, and suffixes
      * Identify the text structure
      *Use graphic organizers to organize facts
      *Active reading strategies
      *Answering comprehension questions- skills and strategies
     * Summary and paraphrasing


All lessons include the text passage on visual slides. 

All learners can be actively involved throughout the class. I encourage learners to contribute to the class (either in the chat, Nearpod, or on camera). Learners are welcome to leave their cameras on or off after verification at the start of each class.


This a reminder that I am on EST time.

Learning Goals

Identify and organize the main idea.
Identify common prefixes, base and root words, and suffixes. Understand the meaning of common word morphemes.
learning goal

Other Details

Parental Guidance
I use Nearpod to create an interactive lesson for all students. One reason I use the Nearpod platform is that learners respond anonymously. No student names are posted alongside the responses. When learners respond to questions using Pear Deck, other learners cannot see the names of the response authors. Learners can answer questions during each lesson privately without the worry of making public mistakes. Students will be provided a link at the start of class that opens up a Nearpod presentation. Students do not need a code or membership to Nearpod. All text passages are from reliable news sources or publishers.
Pre-Requisites
Learners need to be able to read independently at a grade 6 reading level or higher. This class focuses on comprehension, so vocabulary and content will be reviewed and explained. Some reading questions require a written answer.
Supply List
Optional:  a notebook for writing vocabulary and graphic organizers that we use in class.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
  • Nearpod
Sources
Non-fiction books American Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Museums Library of Congress Imperial War Museum
Joined April, 2020
4.9
424reviews
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Teacher expertise and credentials
South Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
Master's Degree in Education from Southern Wesleyan
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Limestone University
I have been a state licensed and highly-qualified teacher for over 15 years. I was named my school's district reading and writing teacher on two occasions. I have always seen myself as a reading teacher for all of my students. Students who are in grades 3 and above read to learn and need to learn the strategies that make this possible.

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Live Group Class
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$22

weekly
1x per week
50 min

Completed by 560 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
3-6 learners per class

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