Collaborative+Strategic+Reading+(CSR)

**Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR)**

**Content** Reading and reading comprehension strategies

**Grade Level** This would be best suited for upper elementary, middle school, and high school.

**Curriculum Standards** For sixth grade, this strategy addresses the following CSOs:
 * RLA.O.6.1.5 Use pre-reading strategies to analyze text for the type and structure of text to determine comprehension strategies:previewing, activating prior knowledge, questioning, skimming, scanning
 * RLA.O.6.1.15 Increase the amount of independent reading to comprehend, analyze and evaluate literary text and informational text.

**Description of Practices**

STEP 1: Preview the text. Look at the title, pictures, captions, and figures. Predict what the reading may be about. Look for things you may find especially interesting.

STEP 2: Break up the reading material into more manageable pieces. This size will vary depending on the ability and size of the class. Put small groups together to read each section. Worksheets can be made for the following items (there is also a good on the Iris website above).

STEP 3: During reading, look for words that "click" (you understand them), and words that "clunk" (you need clarification). Write the words that "clunk" on your paper.

STEP 4: Fix up Strategies Figure out meanings of the words that "clunk." Write a new definition on your sheet. Use the following strategies: 1.Take out the word, and read the sentence without it. Try to put a new word in it's place. 2.Look for clues in the sentences before and after the word. 3.Break up the word. Look for prefixes, suffixes, or break it into smaller words if you can.

STEP 5: "Get the Gist" Section Students will write a quick summary of what they read, including all the key points.

STEP 6: Q & A Ask questions about the text and answer them. With the students, arrange the questions in the order of Bloom's taxonomy, and share with the class what types of questions they have created.

**Implementation Consideration** This strategy would be best used in a small group setting. This strategy encourages students to be grouped in fours to complete the activities. It could be used with in a self-contained classroom or in the general education classroom.

**Example** A great example of this strategy can be seen at: http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/csr/cresource.htm

Another example is from a second grade teacher: http://mrsmccumbeesclass.blogspot.com/2011/05/collaborative-strategic-reading-csr.html

**Citation** //Module: CSR: A reading comprehension strategy//. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/csr/cresource.htm

Swanson, E., Mohammed, S. S., Boardman, A., Vaughn, S., et al. Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness, (. (2011). The Effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading Instruction on the Reading Comprehension of Middle School Students: Year 2 Replication. // Society For Research On Educational Effectiveness //http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED518949.pdf

Bremer, C. D., Vaughn, S., Clapper, A. T., Kim, A., & National Center on Secondary Education and Transition, M. N. (2002). Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR): Improving Secondary Students' Reading Comprehension Skills. Research to Practice Brief: Improving Secondary Education and Transition Services through Research. http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED468581.pdf