1. T.H.I.E.V.E.S
“Sneak” into a book and
“steal” the information before
reading a non-fiction book!

2. What is that?!
 A mnemonic device
 It identifies the elements of the textbook chapter
that should be thoroughly surveyed and pondered
BEFORE actual reading.
 Direct students to “sneak” into the chapter and
“steal” information ahead of time- be “greedy”
and take as much as the can!

3. Who should use this?
 T.H.I.E.V.E.S has stood the test of time.
 It supports students in their pursuit of meaningful
textbook reading, from upper elementary
grades through college classrooms.
 Students from middle elementary levels to young
adults in college-level reading courses have
learned and applied.
T.H.I.E.V.E.S

4. Why Y.O.U should use
T.H.I.E.V.E.S?
Subsequent reading will become
more relevant and meaningful.
It will also be more readily
recalled!

5. T is for Title
 The title is the entrance to a chapter- and it’s
most often skipped!
 In essays, a title can unlock the entire thesis.
 Though you “can’t tell a book by its cover”
students can get a lot of information from its title!
QUESTIONS STUDENTS NEED TO ASK THEMSELVES
What is the title? What do I already know about this topic? What
does it have to do with the preceding chapter? Does it express a
point of view? What do I think we will be reading about?

6. H- Headings
 Headings are the QUESTIONS
gateway to important STUDENTS NEED
general subject areas TO ASK
within chapters THEMSELVES
 Visible Organizers What does this heading
 Students can string let me know I will be
headings together to reading about? What
generate a summary is the topic of the
of the chapter paragraph beneath it?
How can I turn this
heading into a
question that is likely
to be answered in the

7. I- Introductions (How do you do?)
•Introductions QUESTIONS STUDENTS NEED TO
provide a
framework
ASK THEMSELVES
•Offers a Is there an opening, perhaps
background and
setting
italicized? Does the first paragraph
•Chapter goals
introduce the chapter? What does
and objectives the introduction let me know I will
are often stated
in the
be reading about? Do I know
introduction anything about this already?
•Notify students
that sometimes
introductions are
not labeled

8. E- Every 1st Sentence in a Paragraph
We’re #1!
 Ask students to read the first sentence of each
paragraph.
 Often the first sentence is the topic sentence.

9. I
spy…
V- Visuals and Vocabulary
 “A picture is worth a QUESTIONS
1,000 words!” STUDENTS NEED
 Perusing TO ASK
photographs, charts, THEMSELVES
graphs, maps, or Are there
tables provides a photographs,
segue into reading drawings, maps,
 Integrates an charts, or graphs?
important processing What can I learn from
sense them? How do the
captions help me

10. E- End of Chapter Questions
 Flag important points QUESTIONS STUDENTS
NEED TO ASK
and concepts THEMSELVES
 Knowledge of the What do the questions
questions ahead of ask? What information
do they earmark as
time help direct and important? What
establish a purpose information do I learn
for reading from the question? Let
me keep in mind the
 “Why” questions are questions I am to
particularly answer so that I may
annotate my text where
informative pertinent information is
located.

11. S- Summary (To summarize, we love T.H.I.E.V.E.S!)
 Provide a general frame of
reference for the detailed content of
the chapter
 Students can more easily
understand and recall information
about subjects when the have
some prior knowledge

12. HOW TO: Introduce T.H.E.I.V.E.S
 Acronym is presented vertically on a large board.
 Once identified as a strategy for previewing text
students are challenged to discern the meaning of
the letters.
 They are encouraged to look through the actual
chapter looking for clues.
 Practice the first application of T.H.I.E.V.E.S as a
group with the chapter you are about to
encounter.
 The application of T.H.I.E.V.E.S becomes an
integral step in reading textbook chapters
throughout the year.

13. I Intro Continued
 During preliminary applications of T.H.I.E.V.E.S,
students should highlight what they preview.
-This intensifies the process by adding an active
sensory component!
 T.H.I.E.V.E.S. is readily applicable to a wide
range of material.
 TH.I.E.V.E.S may also be used as a review for
chapter test.

14. It really works!
 A college student credited his perfect score on his
criminal justice course to T.H.I.E.V.E.S
 He applied the strategy and beamed when he noted
the irony of being such an adept “thief”
 A 5th grader hated reading his science textbook,
and his tutor introduced T.H.I.E.V.E.S
 His familiarity with the chapter helped him to move
efficiently through the assignment
 “Man… that went fast!... I won’t tell anyone how
great it was to be a thief!”

16. Hope to see your kids “stealing”
soon!
Liff Manz- an educational therapist and instructor; A
Strategy for Previewing Textbooks: Teaching
Readers to become T.H.I.E.V.E.S
R. Wassman and L. Rinsky- Effective Reading in a
Changing World
Patricia Dietrich
Alyssa Muto