Abstract

The purpose of the present paper is to introduce text guides as instructional tools for the content area classroom. Text guides, known also as reading guides or study guides, are teacher-developed devices for helping upper elementary and secondary students comprehend textbook materials as they read informational text. Text guides can be made to simulate the processes “good readers” employ as they are engaged with expository text. These guides can be used to help students develop the ability to summarize information from textbook units, magazine articles, and informational websites. Text guides can also provide students with much-needed developmental practice on reading skills such as finding the main idea, making inferences, using context clues, comparing and contrasting subjects and differentiating between causes and effects. A complete sample text guide, adapted from an informational website, is included in the paper. A discussion on creating text guides and implementing them into the curriculum is also presented.