Cognitive processing Top-down vs bottom-up processing

The sentence	Missing words
Missing words
Taken as it is from the text	From the text	Students must use their vocabulary knowledge to complete the sentence
Not taken as it is from the text	From the text	Students must use their vocabulary knowledge to complete the sentence

Graphic organizers
Graphic organizers help students construct meaning and visualize how ideas fit together. Scholastic has some interesting ideas for using graphic organizers as learning tools that can be used with any text.
Text type and structure

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  Identifying type of text (i.e. email, newspaper article, scientific text…)
  
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  Identifying topic sentences and the main idea of paragraphs.
  
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  Distinguishing general from specific ideas.
  

Cohesion

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  Identifying the connectors (however, moreover, thus, etc) to see how ideas are linked within the text.
  

Vocabulary and grammar work
Reading is a great opportunity for vocabulary and grammar practice, which contribute, to a better understanding of the text. Here are some examples of these activities.
Vocabulary work
Provide a list of vocabulary words from a reading passage and have students sort them into various categories:

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  Parts of speech,
  
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  Semantic fields (e.g. food, means of transport, banking, branches of government, etc.)
  

Other vocabulary activities consist of:

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  Matching synonyms or opposites;
  
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  Filling the gaps with the appropriate words from the text.
  

Grammar work
Many grammar points are directly related to the meaning of the text. Students can be encouraged to notice the grammar structures used to convey meaning through activities such as:

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  Identifying verb tense
  
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  Identifying verb patterns (verb + infinitive or gerund..)
  
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  Distinguishing passive from active structures.
  
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  ….