Actively Learn supports deeper reading by teaching students to pause, question, reread, write, and assess their understanding. The challenge is that deeply reading an entire novel can demand more time than teachers and students can afford to give.
Fortunately, Actively Learn has several features that teachers can use strategically to support deep reading while keeping a pace that works within calendar restraints.
1) Ensure students can access all chapters of the novel
- Turn off question gating. This allows students to jump to any section of the text without requiring them to answer all questions in previous sections first.
- Go into the Assignment reading settings and disable “Questions require a response to continue reading”.
2) Highlight a few focus chapters for deeper reading
- Add or edit teacher directions
- Add you own directions to let students know which chapters to read more casually, and which to read slowly and deeply.
- Use the Add directions for students button in the assignment.
- If the text comes with instruction - Remove questions by section
- Remove questions from the sections you want students reading casually.
- Use the Authoring Options to remove all questions from a text or section.
- If the text does not come with instruction - Add questions in focus chapters
- Add higher-order questions in chapters that you have chosen for deeper, closer reading. The questions will prompt students to slow down and think, reread, write, and assess their understanding where you want them to.
3) Help students stay organized
- Break the novel into chunks (free texts only)
- You can assign single chapters or clusters. This allows you to manage reading pace, and clearly distinguish between chapters for deep reading and those for quick reading.
- Make individual assignments by assigning text sections.
- You can control reading pace by hiding chapters or text sections from student view.
4) Get some help!
- Reach out to your dedicated success manager for training or one-on-one coaching.
- Submit an assignment to receive feedback from our content team.