--- title: The spinner --- # The spinner Fiction ## The spinner The Spinner is a model that can be used to help students become aware of themselves as readers and see their thinking in multiple stages while reading fiction. The model is called The Spinner because pupils spin on a wheel to determine the question they will answer.     #### **BEFORE reading a fiction text – shared reading**  Preparation Before delivering the lesson to the students, model how to use the spinner. Always read the text yourself before reading it to the pupils, and in this case, read the title, back cover, and look at the pictures to be well-prepared.     - Tell the students that by using the spinner, they will examine their thoughts before reading a fictional text. - Explain that by increasing pre-reading comprehension, it is easier to grasp a text and understand it within, between, and beyond the lines. This pre-reading brainstorm does not follow a particular order, and the questions come at random depending on where the spinner lands.   You can make a spinner with the following questions or use a digital spinning wheel. The suggested questions are: - *What is the name of the text?* - *What kind of text is it? How do we know?* - *Does the front cover give any clues as to what the book will be about?* - *Does the back cover give any clues as to what the book will be about? *  - *Do the pictures in the book give any clues as to what the book will be about?* - *Is there a table of contents or chapter names that can give clues as to what the book will be about?* When reading and reflecting together, it is a good idea to use a large wheel so that the students can see it. There are also digital tools available to create a spinning wheel. Here is a ready-made spinner that you can use before reading, and you can also create your own spinners via the link.   [Link to Digital Pre-Reading Spinner](https://wordwall.net/resource/31758348) (opens in a new tab) [![Pre-reading spinner](https://teaching.lexplore.com/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20spinner%201.png?width=222&height=221&name=The%20spinner%201.png)](https://wordwall.net/resource/31758348/pre-reading-spinner)   #### **Procedure: **  - Explain to students that they save time to think on their own, then let them test their thinking with a peer and share some reflections as a whole class. - If pupils find it difficult to reflect, guide them by thinking out loud about the issue. **Spin the spinner again and repeat!**  - Reflect aloud about the use of the spinner BEFORE reading a text like this one. - Show how you have used different questions to get a sense of what we think about the text. Explain that by predicting and reading the title and looking at pictures, we begin to think about what will happen in the book before we read it.     **WHILE reading a fiction text – shared reading  **  Preparation Before delivering this lesson to the students, model how to use the spinner. Always read the text yourself before reading it to the students. - Tell students that good readers reflect on their reading by predicting, asking questions, clarifying ambiguities and summarising. - Explain that by using the spinner, we can better understand how we think while we read. These thoughts do not follow a particular order, and the questions come at random depending on where the spinner lands.   [Link to Digital “While Reading” Spinner](https://wordwall.net/resource/31761510) (opens in a new tab) [![While reading spinner](https://teaching.lexplore.com/hs-fs/hubfs/While%20reading%202.png?width=223&height=223&name=While%20reading%202.png)](https://wordwall.net/resource/31761510/while-reading-fiction-questions) - *What do you think will happen later in the story?*  - *What are you wondering most about right now?*  - *Who or what is most interesting?*  - *How does the main character feel?*  - *Who do we know the least about in the book?*  - *Why do you think the author wrote this book?*  - Read or listen to the text and allow for pauses to spin the wheel. - Let the spinner decide which question to answer. - Let pupils have their own time for reflection. - Let them test their thinking with a peer then discuss some of their reflections as a whole class.  If students find it difficult to reflect, guide them by thinking out loud about the questions.     Conclude by reflecting aloud on the use of the spinner WHILE reading a text like this.   - Show how you have used different questions to get a sense of what you think about the text.   - Tell them that by predicting what will happen, you have become more and more curious.   - Also tell them that by thinking about these different questions, we become aware of the content of the text and understand the text within, between, and beyond the lines.     **AFTER reading a fiction text – shared reading**  Preparation Before delivering this lesson, model how to use the spinner. Always read the text yourself before reading it to the students. - Tell them that good readers reflect on their reading and often connect the book to themselves and their own experiences. - Explain that by using the spinner, we can examine our thinking AFTER reading. Thinking does not follow a certain order but happens randomly. When reading and reflecting together, it is a good idea to make a big wheel and put it on the board so that the students can see it clearly. Here is a ready-made spinner that you can use after reading. You can also create your spinners via the link.   [Link to Digital “After Reading” Spinner](https://wordwall.net/resource/31762224) (opens in a new tab)  [![After reading spinner](https://teaching.lexplore.com/hs-fs/hubfs/After%20reading%203.png?width=227&height=227&name=After%20reading%203.png)](https://wordwall.net/resource/31762224/after-reading-a-fiction-text) - *Do you recognise yourself in the book? *  - *What did you like about the book?*  - *What did you not like about the book?*  - *What do you think the author wants to communicate with this book? *  - *Does this book remind you of anything else you’ve read, seen or experienced?*  - *Choose a quote from the book. Why did you choose it?*  - Read or listen to the whole story together first.   - Clarify any ambiguities or difficult words in the text, discuss questions that arise, and make predictions where appropriate.    When you have read the whole story, spin the wheel and see which question it lands on.   - Let the students have time to reflect on the question.  - Let them test their thinking with a peer.  - Raise some questions with the whole class.   - If pupils find it difficult to reflect, guide them by thinking aloud about the questions.   - Conclude by reflecting aloud on the use of the spinner AFTER reading a text like this.   - Show them that they have found out what they think about the book by asking different questions about it.  - Show that they have connected with the book by thinking about whether they recognise themselves in it, whether they have experienced something similar and what they liked about the book. When students are familiar with how to use the spinner before, during, and after reading, they can read in pairs or groups, and each has their small spinner to use in the same way during their reading.     --- Back to Lesson plans and exercises