THIEVES


 * THIEVES**

**Cont****ent** Reading. This is a pre-reading strategy that helps the reader obtain information about the reading selection.

**Grade Level** This technique is appropriate to use with grade levels 5-12 with a primary focus for the middle school grades.

**Curriculum Standards** For sixth grade this strategy uses the following CSOs: RLA.O.K.1.8 recognize that print conveys meaning. RLA.O.K.1.10 use concepts of print RLA.O.K.1.11 use basic comprehension concepts in a variety of texts
 * front of book
 * title
 * hold book correctly
 * follow words from left to right and top to bottom of page
 * spaces
 * turn pages left to right
 * one-to-one match of print and voice
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">difference between words and letters

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">**Description of Practices** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The goal of the THIEVES strategy is for the reader to steal as much information as they can before reading the selection. The acronym of THIEVES guides the reader through the reading and focuses on the different parts of the text: title, headings, introduction, first sentence in every paragraph, vocabulary/visuals, end of the chapter questions, and summary. Once the reader goes through each letter of the acronym they will have the opportunity to summarize what they learned and "stole" from previewing the text. The reader should be writing what they see at each part of the text.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">T is for the title and topic. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">H is for the headings <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I is the introduction and opening paragraph <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">E is for every first sentence in a paragraph. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">V is for vocabulary/visuals including photographs, drawings, maps, charts, graphs. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">E is end-of-chapter questions and/or end of paragraph <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">S is summary

**Implementation Considerations** This strategy could be used in any situation and can be modified for different grades. For example students could use this strategy individually or in partners. When using this strategy in partners the students could do the strategy by themselves and then compare what they saw and see what was different. One of the sites below has a bookmark which could guide students that have a problem recalling the different steps of THIEVES.

**Example** http://www.douglasesd.k12.or.us/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=mYUNa7mIrtI%3D&tabid=1567 --This site has a THIEVES worksheet and a bookmark that can guide the student through the strategy.

http://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/62866.pdf http://youtu.be/IelvvkxJrik

**Citation** Manz, S.L. (2002). A strategy for previewing textbooks: Teaching readers to become THIEVES.//The Reading Teacher//, //55//, 434–435.