DIRECTED READING/THINKING ACTIVITY
The DRTA is a comprehension strategy that can be used during reading practice with an individual student, in small groups, or the whole class. This activity guides students in posing questions, making predictions, and then reading to confirm or refute their predictions.
How to use DRTA:
Determine the text to be used and pre-select points for students to pause during the reading process.
Introduce the text, the purpose of the DRTA, and provide examples of how to make predictions.
Use the following outline to guide the procedure:
D = DIRECT. Teachers direct and activate students' thinking prior to reading a passage by scanning the title, chapter headings, illustrations, and other materials. Teachers should use open-ended questions to direct students as they make predictions about the content or perspective of the text (e.g., "Given this title, what do you think the passage will be about?").
R = READING. Students read up to the first pre-selected stopping point. The teacher then prompts the students with questions about specific information and asks them to evaluate their predictions and refine them if necessary. This process should be continued until students have read each section of the passage.
T = THINKING. At the end of each section, students go back through the text and think about their predictions. Students should verify or modify their predictions by finding supporting statements in the text. The teacher asks questions such as:
What do you think about your predictions now?
What did you find in the text to prove your predictions?
What did you we read in the text that made you change your predictions?