Figure 13.1 Teacher and class working on the learning strategy of advance
organization
‘I’d like you to practice just this much now. I am going to hand out a new reading
passage for you to practice on. When you get it, keep it face down. Don’t read it yet.
Does everyone have one? Good. Now remember, before you turn the paper over, you
are going to be practicing the strategy that I have just introduced. Ready? Turn over
the paper. Take a look. Now quickly turn it face down again. What do you think that
this passage is about? Who can guess?’
One student says he thinks that it is about whales. ‘Why do you think so?’ asks the
teacher. The student says he has guessed from the title, which is Rescuing the World’s
Largest Mammal.’ ‘What do you know about whales?’ the teacher asks the class. One
student replies that there are many different kinds of whales. Another adds that they
travel long distances. A third says that they are very intelligent. ‘What do you think is
meant by “rescuing”?’ the teacher asks. No one knows so the teacher asks them to
keep this question in mind as they read.
‘Turn your page over again. Read through the first paragraph quickly. Do not read
every word. Skip those you don’t know the meaning of. Don’t use your dictionaries.’
The teacher gives the students two minutes to read the first paragraph.
He then asks, ‘Who can tell us what the main idea of the passage is—what is the
gist?’ A student replies that the passage is about certain types of whales being put on
the endangered list. Another student immediately raises his hand. ‘What does
“endangered” mean?’ he asks. The teacher encourages him to take a guess. ‘Is there
any part of the word “endangered” that you recognize? What do you think it might