Chapter 8 Strengthening Comprehension. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.8...

Chapter 8

Strengthening Comprehension

Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. 8 - 2

Essential Strategies to Improve Comprehension

• Be patient and do not rush the reading process.

• Stay with a paragraph or section of material until you comprehend.

• Recognize and use different levels of information.

• Use knowledge of writing structures to your advantage.

• Learn the terminology.

• Expand your vocabulary.

• Get into the writer's head.

• Use elaborative rehearsal and active learning techniques as you read.

• Become excited about what you learn.


Increase Comprehension Through Vocabulary Skills

• Use punctuation clues.

• Use word clues.

• Use word structure clues.

• Use context clues.

• Use glossaries and dictionaries.

• Substitute familiar words for unfamiliar words.

• Use ongoing review to learn terms and definitions.


Punctuation Clues


Word Clues


Word Structure Clues


Word Structure Clues (Cont)


Context Clues


Increase Comprehension Paragraph by Paragraph

1. The topic is the subject of a paragraph

• Ask yourself, “In one word or one phrase, what is the paragraph about?”

2. The main idea tells the main point the author intends to develop in the paragraph

3. The topic sentence expresses the main idea and usually includes the topic

• Ask yourself “What is the topic? Which sentence has the topic?” “What idea does the author want to make about the topic?” “Which sentence expresses the big picture for the paragraph?”


The Main Idea

4. The topic sentence is like an umbrella. It is broad enough to include supporting details in the paragraph.

5. Use common sentence location in the paragraph to analyze each sentence to decide if it is the topic sentence.

• Most common location: the first sentence

• Next most common location: the last sentence

• Least common location: in the middle of the paragraph


The Main Idea (Cont)

6. Some paragraphs have implied main ideas or topic sentences. The main idea is not directly stated in one sentence. If you cannot locate a topic sentence, formulate a sentence that expresses the overall big picture or main point of the paragraph.

• Ask yourself, “What main point do the supporting details suggest?”


Seven Organizational Patterns

Chronological

Process

Comparison or contrast

Definition

Examples

Cause/Effect

Whole/Parts


Annotating Your Textbook

Highlight the complete topic sentence with the main idea.

Selectively highly key words or phrases that support the topic sentence.

Circle terminology and highlight definitions.

Enumerate steps or lists of information.

Make marginal notes to emphasize important ideas and integrate information.


Make Marginal Notes

Be very selective and brief.

Selectively write the following kinds of information in the margins:

• Numbered lists of key ideas

• Key words to define

• Short definitions

• Study questions

• Comments, reaction, questions

• Diagrams or pictures

• Links to lecture notes

Use brackets to mark off densely-written sections to review later.


Essential Strategies to Study Annotations

Reread, preferably out loud, the information that you marked.

String the ideas together by inserting some of your own words.

Recite the information without looking at the textbook. Paraphrase.

Get feedback to check the completeness and accuracy of your recited information.

Write summaries.

Review your annotations as a warm-up activity.

Chapter 8 Strengthening Comprehension. Copyright © Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.8...

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