INSERT Notes

Purpose:
INSERT is an active reading strategy designed by Vaughn & Estes (1986). It is a
particularly helpful way for less skilled readers to become more aware of breakdown in
comprehension so that they can remember to clarify the issue at a later time. This is a
particularly useful strategy when students have their own books and can mark in them.
However, students can use post-it notes, separate sheets of paper, strips of paper in
the margins, etc. to deal with an in common textbook.

INSERT Marking System

X
+
!
??
*

I thought differently
New & important information
WOW
I dont get it
VERY important to remember

Steps:
Overview & Purpose
Describe the INSERT strategy and why it can be helpful to use it .
Demonstrate Model
Think aloud as you model using INSERT.
Guide Class in Using INSERT
As a whole class practice using INSERT, be sure to discuss your thinking, rationale for
using various marks, etc.
Practice in Pairs and/or Teams
Structure cooperative pairs/teams to read segments together and use INSERT,
compare
and discuss their marks.
Practice on Your Own
Assign homework and/or other independent work using INSERT (be sure to discuss
after, using pairs/teams/whole class).

Monitoring Using the INSERT Technique

Overview
A majority of students in grades 4 to 6 are beyond decoding instruction and need more assistance
with comprehension to help them become successful, independent readers. Strategic reading allows
students to monitor their own thinking and make connections between texts and their own
experiences. Based on the Guided Comprehension Model developed by Maureen McLaughlin and Mary
Beth Allen, this lesson introduces students to the comprehension strategy of monitoring. Students
learn the INSERT technique, which teaches them to monitor their thinking and comprehension using a
coding system. Students also learn about the Great Pyramid and other information about ancient
Egypt.

From Theory to Practice

McLaughlin, M., & Allen, M.B. (2002). Guided Comprehension: A teaching model for grades 38.
Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Guided Comprehension is a context in which students learn comprehension strategies in a

variety of settings using multiple levels and types of text. It is a three-stage process focused
on direct instruction, application, and reflection.

The Guided Comprehension Model progresses from explicit teaching to independent practice
and transfer.

Monitoring involves asking, "Does this make sense?" and clarifying by adapting strategic
processes to accommodate the response.

INSERT (i.e., Interactive Notation to Effective Reading and Thinking) provides students with
opportunities for reflection. Students make connections between prior knowledge and text
content.

Current studies demonstrate that when students experience explicit instruction of

comprehension strategies, it improves their comprehension of new texts and topics (Hiebert et
al., 1998).

Hiebert, E.H., Pearson, P.D., Taylor, B.M., Richardson, V., & Paris, S.G. (1998). Every child a reader.
Ann Arbor, MI: Center for the Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA).

Student Objectives
Students will

Define and understand the INSERT technique

Monitor their comprehension of various text passages using the INSERT coding technique

Work cooperatively and then independently to apply the INSERT technique when reading

Reflect on the monitoring strategy and how it helps to extend their understanding of texts

Instructional Plan
Preparation
1.

Familiarize yourself with the INSERT technique and symbols using the INSERT poster. Another
recommended resource is the book Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 3-8 by
Maureen McLaughlin and Mary Beth Allen.

2.

Access the EPS Lesson Pack: Ancient Egypt and King Tut's Tomb and read the passages on "The
Great Pyramid" and "Mummies." Pay special attention to the "Mummies" passage since you will
be using that one for demonstration purposes. Anticipate places in the passage where you can
use the INSERT symbols.

3.

Copy the "Mummies" passage onto chart paper or an overhead transparency.

4.

Copy the INSERT poster for each student or recreate it on chart paper.

5.

Gather three instructional-level texts that match the needs of three levels of reading in your class
(see Suggested Booklist for Egypt).

Instruction and Activities

NOTE: This lesson is intended as an introduction to the monitoring strategy. With continued practice,
students should be able to apply the monitoring and INSERT strategy independently to other texts.
Day 1
Stage 1---Teacher-directed whole-group instruction (40 minutes)
1.

Explain the strategy. Ask students if they have ever been reading something and realize they
have no understanding of what they just read. Explain that you are going to teach them a
strategy to help them monitor their reading and better understand texts.
Display the INSERT poster and distribute individual copies to students as well. Show students
each of the symbols and discuss what each symbol represents. Explain how students can write
the symbols in the margins of a text to symbolize their thinking during the reading. Also
emphasize that before reading, students should think about what they already know about the
topic. That way, they will be able to mark the sections that confirm or refute what they thought.
You may want to have students practice writing each of the symbols and discuss why each one
was chosen to represent the particular thought process (e.g., why a + would represent
something that they did not previously know).

2.

Demonstrate the strategy. Display the "Mummies" passage for students (either on an
overhead or on chart paper). Ask them to watch and listen as you read the passage and mark it
with the INSERT symbols. Model the process for students. Make sure that you "think aloud" so
that students can witness the entire thought process. You may also want to refer back to the
INSERT poster to reinforce the meanings of the symbols.

Begin by brainstorming aloud what you already know about mummies. You can either
brainstorm aloud or write out a list on chart paper. For example, you might say, "I don't
know a lot about mummies. I do know that the Egyptians wrapped their dead in cloth
and they were called mummies. I also think the mummies were housed in pyramids."

Next, begin reading the "Mummies" passage. Stop every few sentences and mark the
appropriate INSERT symbol in the margin, discussing your reasoning as you go. For
example, after reading, "Mummies were first found in 1798," you might put a + sign in
the margin to show that you didn't know that, and say something aloud such as, "I didn't
know that the mummies weren't discovered until 1798. I thought it was sooner than
that."

Continue in this way through the passage. You may want to also answer the questions at
the bottom or you can just skip them.

3.

Guide students to apply the strategy. Pass out a copy of "The Great Pyramid" passage to
students. Ask them to begin by taking a minute to think about the things they already know
about pyramids or the Great Pyramid in particular. You may want to write their thoughts down on
chart paper or just discuss them aloud. Review the INSERT symbols again with students. Read
the first paragraph or two of the passage together and mark the margins with the INSERT
symbols. Have students discuss their reasoning throughout the reading of this passage and talk
about how each of the symbols can be used.

4.

Practice individually or in small groups. Divide students into groups of three. Ask them to
work together to finish reading "The Great Pyramid" passage and marking the INSERT symbols
as they read.

5.

Reflect. Gather students as a whole class to discuss how using the INSERT technique helped
them monitor their thinking. Was it easier to understand the passage using the INSERT symbols
than if they had just read the passage silently?

Stage 2---Teacher-guided small groups and student-facilitated independent practice (40

minutes)
Before beginning Stage 2, students must be divided into three instructional-level groups. Students
with similar instructional needs should be grouped together. This does not necessarily mean that
students in each group are on the same reading level. Instead, they may have similar needs for
comprehension instruction (e.g., students who have trouble making inferences or students who need
extra practice making connections between texts).
Students are working in three different areas during this stage:

Teacher-guided small-group instruction

Student-facilitated comprehension centers

Student-facilitated comprehension routines

Classroom management is at the discretion of each individual teacher. You may want to assign
students to small groups and set up a rotation schedule, or you may want to allow groups of students
to choose their own activities. Regardless, each group of students needs to visit the three areas at
least once in the three-day period.
1.

Teacher-guided small-group instruction. Choose one group to begin with you as follows:

Review the INSERT technique using the poster from Stage 1.

2.

3.

Guide students to read a nonfiction text at their instructional level using the INSERT
technique and symbols (see Suggested Booklist for Egypt).

Have students reflect on using the INSERT technique and how it helps them monitor their
own comprehension.

Student-facilitated comprehension centers. Students may be assigned to centers or choose

activities on their own.

Poetry center. Have students write an acrostic poem that cleverly describes how to use
the INSERT strategy. Using the letters in the word INSERT, students write words or
phrases that begin with each letter to describe the technique. Students can find more
information about how to write an acrostic poem by visiting The Poetry Zone and clicking
on "Teacher Zone" and then "How to Write Poems."

Writing center. Have students write a story using the interactive Stapleless Book that
describes what they learned about Ancient Egypt and their reactions to the passages they
read. Students can then trade stories and code their partners' stories using the INSERT
symbols.

Internet center. Have students take a virtual tour through the pyramids of Egypt at
NOVA Online: Pyramids or read about Egyptians at Pyramids and Temples. They can take
notes on what they learn and code them with the INSERT symbols.

Student-facilitated comprehension routines. Working in small groups, students engage in

three different literacy strategies. Students should already be familiar with each of the strategies
and have practiced them over time. For more information, review the Summary Sheet or refer to
the text Guided Comprehension: A Teaching Model for Grades 38 by Maureen McLaughlin and
Mary Beth Allen.

Days 2 and 3
For Days 2 and 3, pick up where you left off the previous day. The suggested time for each session is
60 minutes, however, since the group on the first day only had 20 minutes in small groups, you may
want to meet with them for another 20 minutes and then switch groups for the last 40 minutes. The
rotation should continue until all three groups have visited all three areas. On Day 3, students will
spend 40 minutes in small groups, leaving 20 minutes for whole-group reflection and discussion (see
Stage 3).
Stage 3---Whole-group reflection (20 minutes)
1.

Talk to students about the monitoring comprehension strategy that they have been learning. Ask
students to tell why and how the INSERT symbols helped them monitor their own thinking as
they read.

2.

Give students time to share the activities they completed in the student-facilitated
comprehension centers.

Student Assessment/Reflections

Assessment can be done informally through anecdotal notes and observations.

Students' understanding of the INSERT technique can be assessed using "The Great Pyramid"
passage they coded with the INSERT symbols in Stage 1 and any of the other activities
completed during Stage 2.

Did students accurately use the INSERT coding symbols?

Did they make valid reactions and connections to texts?

You can also ask students to reflect in their comprehension journals about monitoring and
their experience using the INSERT technique.

How does using the INSERT technique help you monitor your thinking as you read?

How do you think you will use the INSERT technique in the future?