During our test prep unit, students learned how to create roapmaps on passages as a way to reflect their thinking as they read. They learned that roadmapping was a way of being active readers. Their roadmaps would help them to better understand what they were reading. Lucy Calkins recommends starting a grade level below to teach the strategy so that students feel successful. I began by using lexile passages from the end of second grade.
I told my students that learning how to roadmap was like learning how to ride a bike with training wheels. I would show them how to do it and they would practice on the same passage. As they get better, they will practice on their own passages. I will help them until they can do it on their own.
This student color-coded what the different characters did in the story.
This student listed character traits along with text evidence.
He also identified a cause/effect relationship.
This student summarized at the end.
This student used the boxes and bullets strategy.
This student drew an actual road map to organize her thoughts.
