By Anna Strole
ResearchRAND: Reading Study Group Report on
reading comprehensionShows that there are 3 domains to
comprehension:InstructionTeacher preparation
Community, cultural differences, the school and classroom culture, curriculum design, instructional activities, and teacher-student interactions
Assessment
• All reading programs should include:• Phonological Awareness• Phonics• Fluency• Vocabulary• Comprehension
Classroom organization, appropriate and interesting texts, choice of reading and collaboration with peers, writing, and expert tutoring also affect comprehension
Comprehension Strategies“guide students to become aware of how well
they comprehend as they attempt to read and write”
Interactive process: involves the reader and the text
The ReaderThe teacher needs to make sure that each
student has the appropriate amount of background knowledge to understand the text
It is important to eliminate biases in readingCultural Context for students is important,
especially ESL studentsProper motivation for reading is necessary
along with a specific purpose
ScaffoldingThe teacher must include scaffolding,
especially for young readersScaffolding can be provided through pictures,
other resources, or booksDr. Seuss is an example of predictable
language books, i.e. rhymingSchema theory: prepares children for new
knowledge, builds on previous knowledge
The Reading Comprehension ActivityIncludes:
Decoding WordsRecognizing VocabularyUsing Higher Order Thinking SkillsApplying Comprehension Strategies
Purpose:Increase KnowledgeFind Solutions to Real or Imagined ProblemsEngage in the textPredict outcomes
Strategies to Develop Schemata for StudentsDiscussionBackground-generating activityPrequestions and Stating objectivesStory previewsField tripsSemantic mapping/brainstormingVideo, Film, PicturesQuick WriteRole-playing
Fluency
Fluency builds comprehensionBuilds vocabularyHelps make the story clearer Reading is more efficient and effective
Metacognition and Comprehension Strategies“thinking about thinking”Students become aware of how they read, learn, and strategies that work for them
PredictionMonitoring
comprehensionUsing graphic and
semantic organizersGenerate student
questionsRecognize story
structures
SummarizeSequence eventsIndentify main ideasUse context cluesCompare and
contrastDraw conclusions
Pre-reading ActivitiesActivate prior knowledgeBuild background knowledgePreteach vocabularyMotivate and interestPredictPrequestionDirection set
During Reading ActivitiesMap the storyMake connections
Text-to-textText-to-selfText-to-world
Guide readingTeacher modelingModify texts
Post Reading ActivitiesRetellSummarizeSynthesizeMake connectionsHands on activitiesDiscussionWriting
Teaching StrategiesSQ3R: Survey, Question, Read, Retell, ReviewDR-TA: Directed Reading and Thinking
ActivityQAR: Question-Answer RelationshipP-L-A-N: Predict, Locate, Add, Note
TechnologyNon-linear hypertextMultimedia textInteractive textsOnline communication networking texts
Strategies:Activate prior knowledgeMonitor comprehensionIdentify the main ideaSynthesize textInferGenerate student questionsNavigate the text
Key WordsComprehension
strategiesInteractive processAutomaticitySchemataVisual literacySocial Cultural
ContextSchema theoryFluency
Metacognitive Strategies
Cohen, V.L., & Cowen, J.E. (2008). Literacy for children in an information age: teaching reading, writing, and thinking.. Belmont, CA: Thomson Wadsworth.
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