The Teaching Channel is a website with many free ideas for teachers, or future educators, to find valuable information on. I found a great video about presenting information on a bookmark for students to use. Above is the video I used.This strategy of putting information on a bookmark both me and Mrs. Nickell
have previously used in the classroom so I think it is a great way to present information. I use it in my small group so the students can have their name on the book and have a small space to write quick notes. Mrs. Nickell used it when they did a book report project, she had a list of things they were looking for on the bookmark so that the students could quickly locate basic information about the project.
I think the video showed a great example of how you can determine how major an event is by answering the simple questions. This helps break it down for the students and keeps it simple. I also liked how at the end she said it is also good to take work up that way because its a different format. Students are always looking for a new way to be presented information and putting a quick reading assignment on a bookmark could be easy and more fun for the students to do.
Video Questions:
Why give students reading tips in the form of a bookmark?
Students always need something to keep their place in a book. I have personally seen students use anything from a tissue (unused thankfully) to a pipe cleaner. Giving them a bookmark with information on it helps them be able to quickly find information. Having things like a definition of character trait on a bookmark can help students when reading to go "hey I think that's a trait" then be able to look at their bookmark and see that they are right.
How could you use the bookmark to differentiate instruction?
This is a great tool for visual learners so that they can look at it and see what they need to be looking at. The audio learners can whisper read this to themselves and hear the tips on the bookmark and the kinetics learners can hold this small sheet to help them with their movement.
How could you use this strategy with younger students?
With younger students like kindergarten or first grade you could put the students sight words on it so when they're reading they can see "hey these are words I already know." They can also just have a blank bookmark and be instructed to write down words they struggled with while reading so the teacher can asses their reading levels and strengths.
