I READ IT, BUT I DON’T GET IT:COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES FOR ADOLESCENT READERS

BY: CRIS TOVANI

Professional Development Presentation

By: Janel Dowling and Trish Warner

Cris Tovani – Why should we listen to her?

Features of her book

“Aha” moments I wonder. . . Modeling Strategy:

Double-Entry Diaries

TEXT FEATURES

Real life experiences

Examples citing current theories of comprehension instruction

“What Works”

Appendix with reproducible materials

“AHA MOMENT” #1:FAKE READING

Sharing personal experiences Ways to avoid fake reading

“Literary Histories”“What Good Readers Do” – student generated

“Some kids are born good readers and some kids

aren’t. I’ve always been a bad reader and I always

will be. It’s too late for me.” – Courtney(Tovani, 2000).

“AHA MOMENT” #2:HOW DO I KNOW I’M STUCK?

No voice No camera Mind wanders Can’t remember Questions not answered Lost track of story elements

“AHA MOMENT” #3:STRATEGIES TO “FIX UP”

CONFUSION Connect Predict Stop and think Question Reflect in writing Visualize Use print conventions Retell Reread Notice patterns and

text structure Adjust reading rate

MODELING STRATEGY:I WONDER . . .

“The good news is that questioning is a strategy that can be taught in connection with any subject, to students of all abilities. Readers who are taught how to question the text can infer and clear up confusion better than those who simply decode words and accept ideas unchallenged,” (Tovani, 2000).

MODELING STRATEGY:USING DOUBLE-ENTRY DIARIES

Direct quote from text and page number

Thinking options This reminds me of I wonder I infer/I think this means This is important because I am confused because The picture in my head

looks like

USING DOUBLE-ENTRY DIARIES:CONTENT AREA APPLICATIONS

List interesting facts or details Confusing part in text Term/Vocabulary word causing confusion What is the author’s message? What I did to try to get unstuck What I know about the term/confusion

FINAL THOUGHTS

“Comprehension is messy. There is no clear-cut path that the brain takes when making sense. There are many roads the mind can travel as it burrows through layer after layer of meaning. Good readers don’t read every document, book, or magazine article the same way. They are aware of their thinking and consciously apply reading strategies that will help them cope with the demands of the task.” (Tovani, 2000).