This strategy works well with informational texts, but could easily be adapted for other genres. The main purpose of this strategy is to encourage students to interact and have a conversation with the text. They are constantly thinking about what they are reading and reacting to it in some way by making connections, questioning, predicting, etc. In this strategy, students read short passages and pause to think and discuss what they just read. They ask questions, infer, predict, and react to the passage, then write their thoughts down on a sticky note or two and stick it on the page. Students could simply orally discuss their thoughts or they could organize their thoughts onto a graphic organizer.
For example, I used this strategy with my 3rd grade student, Jem. I modeled the strategy for him using two different passages about two different soccer players. Each passaged was 3-4 paragraphs long, and I would stop to reflect and think aloud for Jem. I jotted my surprises and questions onto the sticky notes and attached them to the page. After modeling, Jem read a passage about another soccer player and practiced using the strategy. He struggled to interact with the text and needed me to remind him to stop and react. I usually prompted him to notice certain words or sentences in order to help him react to the text, such as “I wonder what this word means? Do you know? Well, maybe we should write this on our sticky note, so we can look it up.” I am sure that if we had more time to practice, Jem would grow more confident and comfortable with this strategy.
Read, Write, and Talk is a great strategy to teach early in the year and at the beginning of an informational unit. It really helps students engage more with the text and maintain meaning while reading. It is similar to having an oral conversation with someone; you can’t participate in the conversation if you are not listening and understanding what is being said. When reading, you can’t interact and react to a text if you do not understand what the author has written. In addition to helping readers engage with the text more, this strategy builds the foundation for students to use reading to learn instead of just learning to read. Students who can use this strategy can apply it to all kinds of texts throughout their educational career and life to learn new information.