Comprehension What was the last thing you read that was difficult for you? Why was it difficult? What factors make reading easier or harder?
Good Comprehenders: • Know how texts work (use structure). • Are active readers - think as they read. • Approach reading with a purpose. • Have knowledge of the world & texts. • Have good vocabularies.
Readability level of text is key: However: • There’s a smokey in a plain brown wrapper doing flip flops near 31.
To teach comprehension skills: • Teaching how to comprehend is different from assessing whether a student comprehends. • Need to include pre-/during/and post- reading strategies to address skills good comprehenders know.
Know how texts work: • Student should be able to use text structure as source of information. • Glossary, index, table of contents, headings, subheadings - all provide a map for students - an outline of the authors plan for sharing information. Students should use these cues to get an idea of what information they will gain. • Teacher must bookwalk narrative & expository text.
Text structure • Narrative: setting, characters, problem/goal, events/plot, resolution. • Expository: differs from text to text, usually includes description, sequence, compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution. • Teacher needs to explicitly teach structures & how to navigate.
Words to Cue Text Structure: • Descriptive: for example, characteristics are, includes, etc. • Sequence: first, finally, next, then, later. • Compare/Contrast: similarly, however, least, although. • Cause/Effect or Problem/Solution: as a result, because, since, therefore.
Teachers/Text Adoption Committees need to evaluate • Do materials: • Activate background knowledge? • Set purpose for reading? • Identify main idea? • Support main idea with clear explanations? • Organize information? • Include vocabulary and concept definitions? • Include metacognition questions/cues?
Active Readers • Need to approach reading with a purpose - prereading activities. • Need to think as they read - during reading activities. • Need to assess whether they understood (metacognition) & integrate new knowledge with old - post reading activities.
Prereading Strategies • Brainstorm - list & group what you know about the topic. • Set questions before reading. • Story Words – Holly story. • Anticipation Guides – The True or False Book of Dogs. • Contrast Charts. • K-W-L. • DRTA - Barefoot
During Reading Strategies • Contrast Chart – If you Hopped Like a Frog. • K-W-L • Character/Story Map - Mouse & Librarian • Timeline/summary notes - Handout. • Response Log.
Post Reading Strategies • Response paper - learning log. • Think-pair-share discussion. • Answer questions set before reading/redo anticipation guide. • Plot organizers/timelines. • Venn Diagrams. • QAR - right there, think & search, author & you, on my own - Handout. • Opinion/Hypothesis - Proof notes.
Vocabulary • Word knowledge is key to good comprehension - must know the concept behind the word. • Select key words for teaching. • Activate background knowledge. • Show students how to elaborate word meaning. • Energize students to be active learners. • Create ways to insure student independence.
Vocabulary con’t • High school chemistry texts may contain 3000 technical words unfamiliar to students - more than are taught in foreign language classes. • Need to focus on words needed for true understanding - question: Ten years from now, what do I want the students to remember?
Vocabulary con’t • Start with what students know about a concept to teach new vocabulary. • Brainstorm - discuss. • Active involvement - no memorizing. • Concept Maps, Semantic Feature Analysis, Graphic Organizers • Student independence - teach strategies to learn unknown words when encounter outside of class. • Think Alouds, modeling.
