Save the Last Word for Me

Save the Last Word For Me

What Is It? Save the Last Word for Me is a post-reading strategy that has students copy down a passage/sentence from a text that was meaningful to them (something they liked, something that confused them, something that they disagreed with, etc.) and respond to it in writing. Then, small groups of students discuss with the quote chooser reading the passage/sentence first, letting the other students respond, and then the quote chooser finished the discussion with his or her own comments, thereby giving the quote chooser the “last word” in the discussion of the passage/sentence.

What Do They Do? This strategy helps encourage reluctant readers to share their thoughts and opinions. Often these reluctant readers are reluctant speakers as they fear that their opinions and answers are wrong. This strategy gives students time to find a passage, respond to it in writing, and listen to the responses of their peers before “putting themselves on the line.”

How Do I Use It? Step 1: First, model how to find a good passage/sentence.

o Using small pieces of text on the overhead, model a think aloud about how to choose a quote that is meaningful to you. Teachers may have students just focus on finding something they like on the first attempts, then slowly model other ways to respond to the quotes as students become comfortable with the strategy. Step 2: Explain the procedure to students.

o Have students silently read a text. At the end of their reading, students are to go back and identify a passage that is meaningful to them. Students then record that passage (page numbers are also helpful) on one side of the notecard. On the other side of the card, students are to write about why they chose the quote that they did and why it is important to the reading. o Students will be divided into small groups (four is ideal). Each group will select a timekeeper to keep the group on track. o When the group is ready, a volunteer member identifies the part of the article that s/he found to be most significant and reads it out loud to the group. This person (the presenter) says nothing about why s/he chose that particular passage. o The group should pause for a moment to consider the passage before moving to the next step. o The other participants each have 1 minute to respond to the passage — saying what it makes them think about, what questions it raises for them, etc. o The first participant then has 3 minutes to state why s/he chose that part of the article and to respond to the comments of the rest of the group members. o The same pattern is followed until all members of the group have had a chance to be the presenter and to have “the last word.”

Step 3: Students practice on very short texts.

o Allow them to become familiar with the strategy before moving on with larger assignments.

Step 4: Model often how to do it.