Brainstorming
Good readers activate their prior knowledge (what they already know about a topic) before the begin reading. However, weaker readers need activities which help them learn to think about what they already know about a topic before they begin reading-- they need to be taught to take stock of their prior knowledge.
Activities that guide students in identifying relevant prior knowledge are an excellent way to jump-start learning about a topic. The background knowledge students bring into the classroom greatly impacts their success in learning new material. Many researchers feel that a student's prior knowledge about material is the single most important variable in reading comprehension. Brainstorming activities can help teachers assess what background knowledge student's bring to a topic and what knowledge may need to be built or corrected for some students.
Activities that guide students in identifying relevant prior knowledge are an excellent way to jump-start learning about a topic. The background knowledge students bring into the classroom greatly impacts their success in learning new material. Many researchers feel that a student's prior knowledge about material is the single most important variable in reading comprehension. Brainstorming activities can help teachers assess what background knowledge student's bring to a topic and what knowledge may need to be built or corrected for some students.
ABC Brainstorm
The idea with this strategy is fairly simple... students try to think of a word or phrase related to the topic for each letter of the alphabet.
Students can either list letters of the alphabet down a sheet of paper or use one of the templates below, leaving room beside each letter to write out the rest of a word or phrase. Let them work individually at first, thinking of as many words as they can that could be associated with the topic you identify. Do note: The topic should be big and general enough that students can actually think of a lot of possible terms. Then, in no particular order, let them begin filling in the blanks beside each letter of the alphabet. For instance, if the topic were World War II, students might list Allies, Bombers, Concentration Camps, D-Day, Europe, French Resistance, Germany, Hitler, Italy, Japan, and so on.
It seems to work well if you give students enough time to think of a lot of ideas, but then let them pair up or work in small groups to fill in blanks for letters they had not yet completed. In this way, you can let the brainstorming function like a Think-Pair-Share. This would be the "Pair" phase. Then, go around the room or get students to report out ("Share") possible terms for the different letters of the alphabet. Be open to a wide range of possibilities! Make sure students know that you're not looking for exact answers, just justifiable and relevant ones.
This strategy can also function as a review after a large topic has been covered. Students may be asked to complete an ABC brainstorm review of material they have already learned to show what they recall.
A simpler variant of the ABC Brainstorm is the Alpha Blocks Brainstorm where letters of the alphabet are grouped together so that students do not have to think of a word or phrase for every letter.
Students can either list letters of the alphabet down a sheet of paper or use one of the templates below, leaving room beside each letter to write out the rest of a word or phrase. Let them work individually at first, thinking of as many words as they can that could be associated with the topic you identify. Do note: The topic should be big and general enough that students can actually think of a lot of possible terms. Then, in no particular order, let them begin filling in the blanks beside each letter of the alphabet. For instance, if the topic were World War II, students might list Allies, Bombers, Concentration Camps, D-Day, Europe, French Resistance, Germany, Hitler, Italy, Japan, and so on.
It seems to work well if you give students enough time to think of a lot of ideas, but then let them pair up or work in small groups to fill in blanks for letters they had not yet completed. In this way, you can let the brainstorming function like a Think-Pair-Share. This would be the "Pair" phase. Then, go around the room or get students to report out ("Share") possible terms for the different letters of the alphabet. Be open to a wide range of possibilities! Make sure students know that you're not looking for exact answers, just justifiable and relevant ones.
This strategy can also function as a review after a large topic has been covered. Students may be asked to complete an ABC brainstorm review of material they have already learned to show what they recall.
A simpler variant of the ABC Brainstorm is the Alpha Blocks Brainstorm where letters of the alphabet are grouped together so that students do not have to think of a word or phrase for every letter.
ABC Brainstorm Template | |
File Size: | 23 kb |
File Type: | doc |
Alpha Blocks Brainstorm Template | |
File Size: | 24 kb |
File Type: | docx |
List Group Label Strategy
List-Group-Label is a more in-depth brainstorming strategy that is effective for students who have an adeqate baseline of information about a topic. The strategy encourages students to improve their vocabulary and categorization skills and learn to organize concepts. Categorizing listed words, through grouping and labeling, helps students organize new concepts in relation to previously learned concepts.
The Strategy in Steps:
1. Select a main concept in a reading selection.
2. List: Have students brainstorm all of the words they think relate to that topic. Visually display student responses. At this point, do not critique student responses. Some words may not reflect the main concept, but students should realize this as the activity continues.
3. Group: Divide students into small groups of 3-4 students. Each group should work together to cluster the class list into categories. Students should be expected to explain their reasoning behind placing words within groups or discarding them.
4. Label: Students should create titles or labels for the groups of words they have formed. Labels should relate to their reasoning for placing the words in groups as they did.
The Strategy in Steps:
1. Select a main concept in a reading selection.
2. List: Have students brainstorm all of the words they think relate to that topic. Visually display student responses. At this point, do not critique student responses. Some words may not reflect the main concept, but students should realize this as the activity continues.
3. Group: Divide students into small groups of 3-4 students. Each group should work together to cluster the class list into categories. Students should be expected to explain their reasoning behind placing words within groups or discarding them.
4. Label: Students should create titles or labels for the groups of words they have formed. Labels should relate to their reasoning for placing the words in groups as they did.