Back Up and Reread–Parent Pipeline

Have you ever been reading a book, gotten to the end of a page and realized you didn't remember anything you just read? Have you started over two or three times before actually making yourself concentrate on what you are reading. This happens to readers of all ages. Why? It could be due to a lack of interest (I am remembering many college textbooks now), not enough background knowledge, or perhaps unfamiliar vocabulary. Maybe something on our mind keeps crowding in.

No matter what the reason, there is only one thing we can do to get full meaning out of what we are reading. We need to back up and reread and then check for understanding again. These two reading strategies often go hand in hand. After introducing your students to the reading strategy Check for Understanding, use the strategy Back Up and Reread to aid in understanding what may have been missed the first time. Once you have introduced this strategy, follow up by sending the Parent Pipeline home so parents can support this strategy use at home.