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The Reading Strategies Using War Games by Audrey & Akila Couloumbias

 


This summer, I have been trying to go through Jennifer Serravallo's book The Reading Strategies.  I have always been a big fan of sketch-notes/one pagers, and have incorporated many of her strategies into them.  

Strategy 2.16 Choose Books with your ID in Mind

    



I really liked this strategy because knowing what your likes and dislikes are, it is easier for students to find a genre that will interest them, thus making it easier for them to read.  If I think about building a reading habit, and thinking of James Clear's Atomic Habits, he states that habits should be attractive and satisfying.  Knowing what you like, and finding a book that fits your identity, not only makes the book both attractive and satisfying, but also allows the reader to better connect to the story and want to pick another book when completed.  

 

2.17 Visualize to Focus



This a great strategy to help readers visualize and make a movie in their mind's eye while reading.  It is not an unknown strategy and ELA teachers have tapping into this strategy for years.   In The Reading Strategies Book, the example is of an annotated passage, but I am such a visual person, and thought it would be great as part of a one pager, I chose to illustrate it, and identifying the activated senses that came into the movie of my mind while reading War Games.

5.26 Historical Notes Prime Prior Knowledge

It is my norm as an experienced reader to read the author's notes in the back of the book.  Sometimes I read them during my reading of a novel, and sometimes I read them at the conclusion of a novel.  Sadly, I never thought of this as a reading strategy.  Serravallo suggest reading author notes prior to reading the novel to activate prior knowledge, and again at the conclusion.  

Example:

What I learned from the historical notes that helped me understand War Stories is that the Germans invaded Greece to control the Suez Canal.  I knew that Germany occupied Greece, but I did not know why other than war and power.  I also learned that the story is based on the author's experience.  

 Amphissa is located on the mainland of Greece.  I can infer that people living on the mainland would be more affected by the German occupation than people living on islands, other than perhaps the island of Crete.  When the community first learns that the Germans are making their way into Greece, many residents do flee to the islands.  Petros's mother does ask his father about going to Cephalonia, where many Greeks were literally living in caves to avoid the Nazi regime (pg. 47). I wondered how the mainland Greeks were received by the island Greeks.  After reading Kristen Hannah's The Four Winds, many Californians were intolerant of the Dust Bowl refugees, accusing them and fearing that they would take up jobs, and use up resources. Did island Greeks feel similar, or did they welcome and protect these war refugees.   

Knowing that War Games is based on the author's life also effected my reading.  Once I learned that the events in the books were based on true experiences, I carried that knowledge throughout my reading, knowing that trauma the characters experienced was real.

This last strategy may be a bit long for a one pager, but I think it is a useful strategy for readers to use from their reading toolbox.  

#jenniferserravallo #readingstrategies #wargame #audreycouloumbias


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