Independent Strategies Poem
Jill Marie Warner
When I get stuck on a word
in a book.
There are lots of things to
do.
I can do them all, please,
by myself;
I don’t need help from you.
I can look at the picture to
get a hint,
Or think what the Story’s
about.
I can “get my mouth ready”
to say the first letter,
A kind of “sounding out.”
I can chop the word into
smaller parts,
Like on and ing
and ly,
Or find smaller words in
compound words,
Like raincoat and bumblebee.
I can think of a word that
makes sense in that place,
Guess or say “blank” and
read on
Until the sentence has
reached its end,
“Does it make sense?”
“Can we say it that way?”
“Does it look right to me?”
Chances are the right word will
pop out like the sun
In my own mind, can’t
you see?
If I’ve thought of and tried
out most of these things
And still I do not know what
to do,
Then I may turn around and ask
For some help to get me
through.