What is Text Box/Bag Activity
The Text Box/Bag Activity assists readers in building background knowledge about specific topics. In this strategy, teachers chose real-life facts based on a concept's important to understanding a certain text. This strategy can be easily implemented by following predetermined steps:
Using Text Box/Bag Activity in the classroom
(Miller and Veatch, 2011)
Tie it to writing
By having students summarize the story through a written a assignment, you can enhance and improve students writing skills. Instruct students to retell that story and incorporate the items that represented the concepts of the story as they write the story.
(Afflerback and Paris, 2008)
The following video shows a teacher using props to prompt students to retell a story in a reading center setting. This video is a solid example of how the use of props can promote comprehension and understanding of a story.
The Text Box/Bag Activity assists readers in building background knowledge about specific topics. In this strategy, teachers chose real-life facts based on a concept's important to understanding a certain text. This strategy can be easily implemented by following predetermined steps:
Using Text Box/Bag Activity in the classroom
- Select an appropriate text for the grade level and ability of the group of students.
- Identify between 5 and 7 with the selected text that are important to the content and can be represented by objects in life.
- Find and gather objects that can represent the words or concepts that were selected. Place these items into a box or a bag.
- After introducing the lesson and the topic to the class, pull out an object from the box or the bag. Along with the students, think out loud about the selected object and how it can connect to the text.
- Continue to pull objects while reflecting on them and discussing their connections.
- As the students begin reading, instruct them to find the key words or phrases represented by the objects and have them underline or highlight these texts.
- After the students have finished reading the text, show each of the objects a second time and review how they connected to the text.
(Miller and Veatch, 2011)
Tie it to writing
By having students summarize the story through a written a assignment, you can enhance and improve students writing skills. Instruct students to retell that story and incorporate the items that represented the concepts of the story as they write the story.
(Afflerback and Paris, 2008)
The following video shows a teacher using props to prompt students to retell a story in a reading center setting. This video is a solid example of how the use of props can promote comprehension and understanding of a story.
References:
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
Afflerback, P., Pearson. P.D., & Paris, S. (2008). Clarifying differences between reading skills and reading strategies. The Reading Teacher, 61(5), 364-373.
Miller, M., & Veatch, N. (2011). Literacy in context (LinC): choosing instructional strategies to teach reading in content areas for students grades 5-12. Boston: Pearson.
Afflerback, P., Pearson. P.D., & Paris, S. (2008). Clarifying differences between reading skills and reading strategies. The Reading Teacher, 61(5), 364-373.