Post-Its are your Reading Friends

A few weeks ago I realized that, in the interest of fostering a "love for reading for the love of reading", I had given my students too much free reading time, and not enough guidance as to what to do when they read. In an effort to provide some structure without dictating every thought they have as readers, I introduced using sticky-notes to make their thinking visible.

The concept is easy- you read your book with a stack of sticky-notes next to you, and whenever a thought pops into your head, you quickly write down a symbol on the sticky note and stick it in the book.

The students were excited to try this and it soon became obvious that it was a very helpful strategy. Students who usually find reading difficult enjoyed slowing down and not worrying about "going too slow", and faster readers were challenged to slow down and really think about their thinking. All in all, it will be a valuable tool to develop their reading comprehension.