LITERACY SKILLS are the key, transferable skills required to process, and understand the multitude of TEXTS we encounter every day. From VISUAL to AUDITORY, from video games to novels, we rely on our skills to make meaning and ascertain messages.
Like all skills, they must be developed, honed, and practiced. One of the best ways to INTRODUCE or REINFORCE these skills with your students in through the use of SHORT STORIES. For that reason, a number of lessons have been developed for specific stories.
What Are Literacy Skills?
For a primer on the TEN KEY LITERACY SKILLS you should review the following articles:
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Literacy Skills – An Introduction
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Overview of the Ten Key Literacy Skills
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Teaching Literacy Skills Through Assignment Creation
What’s Included?
Each Lesson is fully explained and laid out in a WEB BASED format, that explains what PRIOR KNOWLEDGE is required, and what the NEXT STEPS should be.
MORE IMPORTANTLY each lesson comes with a FREE DOWNLOADABLE PDF of the lesson that is CLASSROOM-READY to be copied and handed to students for immediate use!
If you would like to SUPPORT ME you can choose to purchase the FULL PACKAGES of resources through my TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS account. However, this is not necessary, and all individual assignments are completely FREE through this site.
How to Use These Lessons
You can introduce a class to one text, and have them work through all TEN assignments based on the specific text. However, you may also find it more valuable to progress through the ten skills using a VARIETY of texts. As each collection uses the same framework, and basic assignments, you will have no problem switching from one story to the next, so long as you MAINTAIN the order in which you tackle the TEN SKILLS.
The Short Stories
Below you will find links to the specific SHORT STORIES for which LITERACY SKILLS ASSIGNMENTS have been created. Feel free to comment with recommendations for additional stories.
Charles, by Shirley Jackson – Lexile Level 760
- CHARLES: ANNOTATING
- CHARLES: DETERMINING IMPORTANCE
- CHARLES: SUMMARIZING
- CHARLES: VISUALIZING
- CHARLES: INFERRING
- CHARLES: QUESTIONING
- CHARLES: CONNECTING
- CHARLES: COMPARING
- CHARLES: PREDICTING
- CHARLES: SYNTHESIZING
Written by…
Michael Barltrop has been teaching since 2006, integrating comics, video games, and TTRPGs into his classroom. He has been the head of English, Literacy, Special Education, and Assessment & Evaluation and Universal Design. Feel free to reach out through Twitter @MrBarltrop!
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