Real-life Reading Activities For Grades 6-12

For secondary reading specialists and English teachers, this practical resource provides over 200 ready-to-reproduce lessons and exercises to teach and reinforce basic reading skills with students of all abilities. Each lessons includes an Instructor's Page with background information and teaching suggestions followed by one or more Student Skillsheets designed for sequential development of skills that build to higher levels of reading proficiency within each section. For easy use, all of the lessons and activities are printed in a big lay-flat binding that folds flat for photocopying of any page as many times as needed and are organized into 7 convenient sections followed by a complete answer key. Here's a brief overview of each section:

1. Reading for Deeper Meanings teaches students to look beyond the surface for the writer's meaning. Sample activities include "Determining Main Ideas...Combining Details to Reach Conclusions...Words that Signal Opinions..."and "Recognizing Propaganda."
2. Reading and Vocabulary reinforces understanding of the English language at the word level with activities such as "Using Context Clues to Determine Meanings of Words...Completing Analogies..."and" Homophone Crossword Puzzle."
3. Reading Diagrams/Charts, Tables and Graphs shows how words in different visual arrangements can expand meanings through activities such as "Understanding Whales" (illustration with labeled parts)..."Reading a Bus Schedule" (tables)..."Volcanoes "(cross-section diagram)...and "A Line Graph of Motor Vehicle Production."
4. Reading Pictures/Cartoons and Maps gives experience with other ways of finding meaning through words and symbols. A few sample activities are "Air Pollution Situations in Cartoons...Mapping a Hurricane...Map Indexes and Road Distances."
5. Reading and Study Skills provides students with practice in various approaches to outlining and study methods through exercises such as "Gathering and Classifying Information...Composing Questions as a Study Technique...Ways to Improve Memory."
6. Reading and Its Writing Connection teaches students to be aware of certain features in writing that make reading more understandable such as correct punctuation and careful word choice. Sample activities include "Sentences that Make Sense...Using a Variety of Verbs and Adjective...Using Words That Help Readers Visualize."
7. Reading and Research offers guidelines and practice in using research materials ranging from tables of contents to encyclopedias with activities such as "Using Indexes" ..."Dictionary Guide Words and Multiple Definition..."and "Basic Reference Books."

You'll find theses lessons and activities are completely flexible. They can be used with individual students or an entire class to meet particular corrective or remedial reading skill needs. And the answer keys may be reserves for your own exclusive use or duplicated for students to correct their own work. In short, mastery of the skills in Real-Life Reading Activities for Grades 6-12 will help your students experience greater school success and give them confidence in reading challenges they may encounter in every-day life situations!