List-Group-Label
List-Group-Label is a reading strategy that helps to build students background knowledge as well as vocabulary. This strategy can be used before, during and after reading. Reading Rockets categorizes this strategy as a one that can be used with individuals, small groups and whole group instruction. Through the use of this strategy, students learn to build and make meaningful connections which builds their background knowledge and improves their comprehension skills. However, some background knowledge is required for this strategy to be successful (Readence). Before beginning this process, teachers need to select a main concept in a reading selection that they want to focus. This strategy can be used to help kinesthetic learners by using sticky notes that allow students to physically move the words into the different categories" (Jennings, Caldwell, & Lerner 2014).
AdLit provides three steps to List-Group-Label:
AdLit provides three steps to List-Group-Label:
- Brainstorm a list of related words. Have students brainstorm a list of words related to a topic and visually display student responses. Note: Do not critique student responses at this point.
- Group the words into subcategories. Divide the class into small groups and have the groups work on organizing the words into different subcategories. Note: While students work, encourage students to think critically and explain why they chose the categories and placements they made.
- Label the groupings with descriptive titles. Now the students are to label each grouping they created. The label should be easily understood and show why the words were grouped.
The above video describes how to use the strategy list-group-label in the classroom. The video also provides examples of how it can be used in the classroom.
The video below shows how a second grade classroom uses the list-group-label strategy. The lesson has a focus on gardening, which is connected to a read-aloud that they had previously read "The Gardener." The video clarifies and shows the steps that are used within a list-group-label strategy to help build students vocabulary and comprehension skills.
The video describes the skills and aspects the List-Group-Label helps to promote:
1. develop categorizing skills
2. build background knowledge
3. activate critical thinking skills
4. grow vocabulary
The video below shows how a second grade classroom uses the list-group-label strategy. The lesson has a focus on gardening, which is connected to a read-aloud that they had previously read "The Gardener." The video clarifies and shows the steps that are used within a list-group-label strategy to help build students vocabulary and comprehension skills.
The video describes the skills and aspects the List-Group-Label helps to promote:
1. develop categorizing skills
2. build background knowledge
3. activate critical thinking skills
4. grow vocabulary
Content Area Examples:
- The List-Group-Label strategy could be used in science when students are learning about living and non-living things.Students can create a list of words that describe living and non-living organisms. After listing their words, they can than begin to group them into multiple categories and labeling their categories. After this they can describe and explain why they grouped and labeled the groups the way they did. This is a great way to help students to really understand the differences between different organisms as well as allowing students to explore the concept in more depth on their own or in groups or as a whole class.
- In social studies, students could use the List-Group-Label strategy to learn about native Americans. Students can be given a list of words associated with Native Americans they are currently learning about in the unit. Then students can group the list of words into as many groups as they wish. However, they need to label each group with a simple, yet targeted label.
- Students can brainstorm and come up with a list of words they are currently learning in a health unit about food. Once students have come up with a list of words, they can group the different types of foods and then label each of the groups. For example, the foods could be grouped according to color or location on the food pyramid.
- In language arts, students could come up with a list of words about a story read during class. The students could group the words into the categories, such as, main characters, setting problem, attempts to solve problems, and solution (Jennings, Caldwell, & Lerner, 2014). After they have established the categories, students can place the grouped words under their desired label.
This picture shows students labeling the groups of words they created. The students are working together to label, therefore have a better comprehension.
Type of Learner:
List-Group-Label can be used for all types of learners with some differentiation. Students who are at-risk can use this in a picture form where beginners and emergent readers would use less pictures and more words. This activity allows all students to work at their level to complete the same task to the best of their ability.
Type of Learner:
List-Group-Label can be used for all types of learners with some differentiation. Students who are at-risk can use this in a picture form where beginners and emergent readers would use less pictures and more words. This activity allows all students to work at their level to complete the same task to the best of their ability.
Jigsaw
The Jigsaw is a reading strategy that helps monitor a student's comprehension and helps improve listening and problem-solving skills. This strategy provides opportunity for students to help each other build fluency (Jigsaw). This strategy has been proven to reduce racial conflict, improve test performance, reduce absenteeism and create a greater liking for school (The Jigsaw Classroom). According to Reading Rockets, "Jigsaw is a cooperative learning strategy that enables each student of a "home" group to specialize in one aspect of a topic. Students meet with members from other groups who are assigned the same aspect, and after mastering the material, return to the "home" group and teach the material to their group members" (2015). Each of the students in the "home" group is one piece of the topic's puzzle and when they work collaboratively, they complete the jigsaw puzzle (Reading Rockets, 2015).
Reading Rocket provides ten steps to use Jigsaw (2015):
1. Introduce the strategy and topic
2. Assign each student to a "home group" of 3-5 students. These groups should have a range of abilities represented.
3. Determine a set of reading selections and assign one selection to each student
4. Create "expert groups" That consist of students across "home groups" who will read the same selection. These student become experts on a specific portion of the entire topic.
5. Give all students a framework for managing their time on various parts of the jigsaw task
6. provide key questions to help each "expert group" gather information
7. provide materials and resources necessary for each student to become and "expert" on their topic
8. Discuss the rules for reconvening with "home groups" and provide guidelines for the "experts" to report their information
9. Prepare a graphic organizer for each "home group" as a way to organize the information gathered from the "expert's" report
10. Remind students that "home group" members are responsible to learn all content areas from each other.
Reading Rocket provides ten steps to use Jigsaw (2015):
1. Introduce the strategy and topic
2. Assign each student to a "home group" of 3-5 students. These groups should have a range of abilities represented.
3. Determine a set of reading selections and assign one selection to each student
4. Create "expert groups" That consist of students across "home groups" who will read the same selection. These student become experts on a specific portion of the entire topic.
5. Give all students a framework for managing their time on various parts of the jigsaw task
6. provide key questions to help each "expert group" gather information
7. provide materials and resources necessary for each student to become and "expert" on their topic
8. Discuss the rules for reconvening with "home groups" and provide guidelines for the "experts" to report their information
9. Prepare a graphic organizer for each "home group" as a way to organize the information gathered from the "expert's" report
10. Remind students that "home group" members are responsible to learn all content areas from each other.
This imagine clarifies an example of how the jigsaw strategy could work. Each home group has four members (red, green, blue, yellow). Then, all of the "blue" students get together to discuss one specific topic in their expert groups (same for each different color, red to red, etc.). After the expert group discussion, the students go back to their home group and share what they discussed in their expert group.
Below is a video of a lesson using the Jigsaw strategy that engages students in both their "expert groups" and "home group."
Below is a video of a lesson using the Jigsaw strategy that engages students in both their "expert groups" and "home group."
This image shows a teacher listening in on a discussion that a home group of students are in. The students are each sharing with their home group what they discussed/learned in their expert groups. Therefore, this home group discussion happens after each student discusses a specific topic in their expert group.
Jigsaw Classroom provides advantages to the Jigsaw strategy. They include:
1. Most teachers find jigsaw easy to learn
2. Most teachers enjoy implementing it
3. It can be used with other teaching strategies
4. It works even if only used for an hour per day
5. It is free for the taking
This strategy is easily used across grade levels and content areas. Below is a video of students using the jigsaw method in a social studies classroom. Each student is an expert in one topic and teaches that topic to their group.
Content Area Examples:
1. The Jigsaw strategy could be used during a science lesson where students are learning about living cells. The expert groups could include: cell wall, mitochondria, nucleus, and protoplasm. Once all of the expert groups have researched their designated topic, each student returns to their jigsaw/home group to share their findings with their group.
2. In social studies the Jigsaw strategy could be used to study the Civil War. Each expert group would research one of the following topics: the North, the South, reasons for the war, and the outcomes of the war. After researching their respective topics, experts return to their home group where they teach the rest of the group their new findings.
3. During a health lesson, the Jigsaw strategy could be used to learn about the various systems of the body. The expert groups could include: Skeletal, Muscular, Cardiovascular, and Nervous System. In expert groups, students research their designated systems. Then they return to their jigsaw group to share their research with everyone in their home group.
4. In art, students could learn about different artists who painted during the same time period through a jigsaw. Each of the students in the home group would join other students in the class with the same artist. These students research a particular artist and become experts of that person. After researching, students return to their home groups to share their knowledge with their group members.
Type of Learner:
Jigsaw is a strategy that works well for emergent readers because they are at a stage when they will be working on comprehension of what they have read. This strategy works with students comprehension and discussion skills and uses higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy to encourage critical thinking.
References for List-Group-Label:
All About Adolescent Literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2015, from http://www.adlit.org/strategies/19780/
Caparas, D. (2012, August 13). LIST GROUP LABEL STRATEGY. Retrieved June 11, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRONTvsiRKM
Jennings, J. H., Caldwell, J. S., Lerner, J.W. (2014). Reading Problems: Assessment and Teaching Strategies. Boston: Pearson.
List-Group-Label. (n.d.). Retrieved October 12, 2015, from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/list_group_label
List-Group-Label. (2011, July 1). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K731qicwYcY&index=3&list=PLLxDwKxHx1yL-pKSuYMCuN67uNu_F98so
Readence, J. (n.d.). List-Group-Label: A Simple Strategy for Improving Vocabulary and Activating Prior Knowledge. Retrieved June 11, 2015, from http://edc448uri.wikispaces.com/file/view/List-Group-Label.pdf
Images/Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K731qicwYcY
http://www.adventuresofaschoolmarm.com/2015/02/content-area-reading-strategies-list.html
https://youtu.be/jRONTvsiRKM
References for Jigsaw:
All About Adolescent Literacy. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2015, from http://www.adlit.org/strategies/22371/
Jennings, J. H., Caldwell, J. S., Lerner, J.W. (2014). Reading Problems: Assessment and Teaching Strategies. Boston: Pearson.
Jigsaw. (2012, February 16). Retrieved June 9, 2015, from https://youtu.be/mtm5_w6JthA?list=PLLxDwKxHx1yL-pKSuYMCuN67uNu_F98so
Jigsaw. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2015, from http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/jigsaw
Social Studies Jigsaw. (2009, March 6). Retrieved June 11, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pujIECeUyPc
The Jigsaw Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved June 11, 2015, from https://www.jigsaw.org/
Images/Videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtm5_w6JthA
https://www.google.com/search?q=reading+rockets+jigsaw&biw=1536&bih=731&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoBGoVChMIh8Ku2sm9yAIVyZMNCh2nIwYz#imgrc=eU4sTxMAv7L4sM%3A
https://blog.udemy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/shutterstock_144566138-300x200.jpg