I-Search: Monitoring Your Comprehension with Read-Pause-Retell

You may not know this, but NO ONE remembers everything they read the first time they read it.  And when you watch me model how much I remember after a first reading of a text, you'll really be convinced.  The important thing is to know when you're not comprehending.  One way to tell if you are or aren't getting all the important information in a text is to retell what you read to yourself or a partner and check. 

Here's how to do the Read-Pause-Retell strategy for checking your understanding:

1. Read the first paragraph of the text, then cover it up. 
2. Pause for a few seconds and try to remember what you read. 
3. Tell your partner what you remember. 
4. Your partner will then look at the text you read and tell you if (a) you can keep reading in the text, or (b) if you have to reread the paragraph again to make sure you get all the important information. 
5. If you need to reread the paragraph again to get a better understanding, follow steps 1-4 until  you remember the main points of the text. 

Here's an example of what I was able to remember after reading the first paragraph of an article on tides:  First Reading

Here's an example of what I was able to remember after the second reading:   Second Reading

Here's today's AIM for Language Arts:  Students will practice Read-Pause-Retell in pairs with articles they've found for their topic.  Each pair of students will write notes recording the main points of each paragraph of their article in red text beneath that paragraph as they go. 

Here are today's lesson steps:

1. Open a new screen so you can follow today's instructions and still work on another screen. 
2. Log in to the 7th grade site and click on your name page. 
3. Click on your I-Search Notes to get to one of your articles.   
4. Practice Read-Pause-Retell, recording your final main points for each paragraph of your article in red text underneath every paragraph. 
5. Post changes regularly to avoid loss of work!!