Background ExperienceThe Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DRTA) is a technique to help learners build their comprehension skills. It has the following steps:
Background Experience
Exploring Vocabulary
Reading the
Passage
Discussion of
the Reading
The first step in the DRTA involves exploring what a passage of text may be about prior to reading it. Together, the learner and tutor can read and discuss:
Once the topic is clearly established, the learner and tutor can discuss what they already know about it. The K-W-L chart could be used for this purpose. Where necessary, the tutor can fill in any necessary background information.
Next, the tutor can introduce new vocabulary. This should be done in the context of the original sentence.