Read:OutLoud
Fiction and Non-fiction Outline Templates
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Download All Fiction and Non-fiction Outline Templates Here
Individual OutlineTemplates Below
Fiction Beginning Middle End
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Identify the beginning part of the story, the middle parts of the story and the end part of the story.
Download this template: Fiction_BeginningMiddleEnd.zip
Fiction Character Map
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Based on Billmeyer, R. & Barton, M.L. (1988). Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If not me, then who? McREL: Aurora, CO (p. 90)
Download this template: Fiction_Character_Map.zip
Fiction Compare and Contrast Characters
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Read a story and gather notes about two characters. Discover what is the same about them and what is different.
Based on Comparison/Contrast Organization Form by Englert, C.S., et al (1991). Making writing strategies and self talk visible: Cognitive strategy instruction in regular and special education classrooms. American Educational Research Journal, 28, 377-372.
Download this template: Fiction_Compare_Contrast.zip
Fiction Directed Reading and Thinking Activity (DRTA)
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Predict what a story or chapter will be about. Read the story or chapter and see how close you are.
Based on Stauffer, R. G. (1969). Directing reading maturity as a cognitive process. New York, Harper & Row
Download this template: Fiction_DRTA.zip
Fiction GIST
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Highlight the 5 to 7 words that are most important to the chapter. Then write a short summary.
Download this template: Fiction_GIST.zip
Fiction Identify Parts of a Paragraph
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this outline to identify the topic sentence, body sentences and closing sentence of a paragraph.
Download this template: Fiction_Parts_of_Paragraph.zip
Fiction Note Taking with Highlighters
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
As you read, highlight what you find interesting, funny or make connections with.
Download this template: Fiction_Note_Taking.zip
Fiction Preview Text
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Preview the title, cover, table of contents, introduction, pictures and captions. Highlight words or phases that you make connections with. Add notes to write your thoughts.
Download this template: Fiction_Preview_Text.zip
Fiction Story Frame
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Based on Fowler, G.L. (1982). Developing comprehension skills in primary students through the use of story frames. The Reading Teacher, 36 (2), 176-179.
Download this template: Fiction_Story_Frame.zip
Fiction Story Map
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Based on Story Map by Beck., I & McKeown, M. (1981). Developing questions that promote comprehension: The story map. Language Arts (November/December), 913-918.
Download this template: Fiction_Story_Map.zip
Fiction Vocabulary Study
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Based on a combination of the Student VOC Strategy and the Frayer Model as described by Billmeyer & Barton (2002) in Teaching Reading in the Content Areas, 2nd edition.
Download this template: Fiction_Vocabulary_Study.zip
Non-fiction Before, During and After
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this outline to gather facts and information about things that happen before, during and after an event (for example, a party or a tornado).
Download this template: Non-fiction_BeforeDuringAfter.zip
Non-fiction Cause and Effect
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Identify cause and effect relationships so you can better understand what has happened.
Download this template: Non-fiction_Cause_Effect.zip
Non-fiction Closest-Farthest
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this outline to tell what things are closer and what things are farther (for example, planets closest to the sun).
Download this template: Non-fiction_Closest_Farthest.zip
Non-fiction Compare and Contrast
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Compare two items, ideas, people, etc. Gather notes in the outline about what is different and what is the same.
Based on Comparison/Contrast Organization Form by Englert. C.S., et al (1991). Making strategies and self talk visible: Cognitive strategy instruction in regular and special education classrooms. American Educational Research Journal, 28, 377-372.
Download this template: Non-fiction_Compare_Contrast.zip
Non-fiction Directed Reading & Thinking Activity (DRTA)
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Preview a text selection looking at the title, subheadings and graphic aids. Follow the outline template to write what you know, what you think you know and what you will learn. Read the text and confirm or reject your prediction.
Based on Stauffer, R. G. (1969). Directing reading maturity as a cognitive process. New York, Harper & Row
Download this template: Non-fiction_DRTA.zip
Non-fiction GIST
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Highlight the 5 to 7 words that are most important to the topic.Then write a short summary.
Download this template: Non-fiction_GIST.zip
Non-fiction KWL
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this outline template to note what you know, what you want to know and what you learned.
Based on KWL+ by Lachowicz, C. & Ogle, D. (2001). Reading comprehension: Strategies for independent learners. New York: The Guildford Press. (pages 108-111)
Download this template: Non-fiction_KWL.zip
Non-fiction Main Ideas and Supporting Details
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Based on the two-column note taking strategy as described by Harvey, S. & Goudvis, A. (2000). Strategies that work: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. Pembroke Publishers Ltd,: Markham, Ontario. (pp. 134-137)
Download this template: Non-fiction_Main_Ideas_Details.zip
Non-fiction Preview Text
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Preview the text before reading. Highlight words or phases that you make connections with. Add notes to write questions or thoughts.
Download this template: Non-fiction_Preview_Text.zip
Non-fiction Process Frame
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this outline template to describe the steps in a process.
Based on Olson, M.W., and Gee, T.C. (1991). Content reading instruction in the primary grades: Perceptions and strategies. The Reading Teacher, 45(4), 298-306
Download this template: Non-fiction_Process_Frame.zip
Non-fiction Proposition-Support Outline
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Here is a framework for analyzing the different types of evidence an author presents to support a proposition.
Based on Buehl, D. (1995). Classroom strategies for interactive learning (Monograph of the Wisconsin State Reading Association). Schofield, WI: Wisconsin State Reading Association.
Download this template: Non-fiction_Proposition.zip
Non-fiction Questions Facts Connections
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
While reading your text, note questions you have, facts you find and connections you make to the text.
Based on a three-column note taking strategy as described by Harvey, S. (1988). Nonfiction matters: reading, writing and research in grades 3-8. Stenhouse Publishers.
Download this template: Non-fiction_QFC.zip
Non-fiction Sequence of a Major Event
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this outline for tracking information about things that lead up to a major event (for example, a volcanic eruption, the outbreak of the Civil War).
Download this template: Non-fiction_SequenceOfEvent.zip
Non-fiction Sequencing 1st 2nd 3rd
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this outline for gather items or events that you can list as 1st, 2nd and 3rd (for example, a procedure or list).
Download this template: Non-fiction_Sequencing123.zip
Non-fiction Sequencing Step-by-step
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Use this template to outline directions or a procedure.
Download this template: Non-fiction_Sequencing_ Steps.zip
Non-fiction SQ3R
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review) is a strategy for studying and active reading.
Robinson, F. (1961). Effective study. New York: Harper and Row.
Download this template: Non-fiction_SQ3R.zip
Non-fiction Vocabulary Concept Map
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Based on Schwartz, R. (1988, November). Learning to learn vocabulary in content area textbooks. Journal of Reading, 32, 108-117.
Download this template: Non-fiction_VocabConceptMap.zip
Non-fiction Vocabulary Study
Author: Don Johnston Incorporated
Based on a combination of the Student VOC Strategy and the Frayer Model as described by Billmeyer & Barton (2002) in Teaching Reading in the Content Areas, 2nd edition.
Download this template: Non-fiction_VocabStudy.zip
