Session 4Comprehension

And Book Orientations

Reading Is A Complex Activity A skilled reader rapidly and accurately

decodes the words, attaches the meaning to words and sentences, connects text information to relevant background knowledge, maintains a mental representation of what he or she has already read, forms hypotheses about upcoming information and makes decisions based on his or her purpose for reading – all at the same time.

Carlisle and Rice, 2002

Major dishwasher recall… at eleven.

Killer soap in many households…at eleven.

Got Thinking?

What It Says? What It Means?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the King’s horses and all the King’s men,

Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Somebody Wanted But So

To Summarize the Reading…

Research Based There is clear research support for teaching

all students to be strategic readers.RAND summaryStudents must actively interact with textNeed for participatory approaches in

classrooms – students using texts as tools for learning and constructing new knowledge

•Peter led Bridget into the waiting room.•He realized that she was extremely nervous, so he gently suggested that she sit down.•Bridget ignored him and began to pace frantically.•The other patients watched her warily and several also began pacing.•As a scream rang out from the inner office, Peter angrily forced Bridget to sit down.•Bridget moved closer to Peter, who leaned down and tenderly scratched her ears.

Bloom’s Taxonomy (Cognitive Domain)

1. Knowledge Recall or recognition of specific information

Directs ShowsTells Examines

2. Comprehension Understanding of information given

Demonstrates, Listens, Questions, Compares, Contrasts, Examines

3. Application Using methods, concepts, principles and theories in new situations

Shows, Facilitates, Observes, Criticizes

4. Analysis Breaking information down into its constituent elements

Probes, Guides, Observes, Acts as a resource

5. Synthesis Putting together constituent elements or parts to form a whole requiring original, creative thinking.

Reflects, Extends, Analyzes, Evaluates

6. Evaluation Judging the values of ideas, materials and methods by developing and applying standards and criteria

Clarifies, Accepts, Harmonizes, Guides

Areas of Taxonomy Definition What Teacher Does

Research

“I used to believe that I was teaching comprehension when I carefully asked readers

questions. I realize now that student-generated questions are vital to

comprehension. They deepen learner understanding.”

Keene and Zimmerman (1997)

10

Code-Based and Meaning-Based Instruction

K 1 2 3

Phonological Awareness

Alphabetic Principle

Automaticity and Fluency with the Code

Vocabulary

Comprehension

MultisyllablesLetter Sounds & Combinations

ListeningReading

ListeningReading

Comprehension and Reader

Factors

Factors that Affect Comprehension

Reader:• Background knowledge• Purpose• Fluency• Comprehension strategies• Making inferences• Motivation

Text:• Structure• Genres• Content and vocabulary

What I’m Learning About the Reader

What I Want to Follow Up With

Chard & Kame'enui © 2003

Skills-Strategy Example

To SUMMARIZE involves:

• Sequencing of events

• Making judgments

• Noting details

• Making generalizations

• Using story structure or text organization

There for eachother!

Factors that Affect Comprehension

Reader:• Background knowledge• Purpose• Fluency• Comprehension strategies• Making inferences• Motivation

Text:• Structure• Genres• Content and vocabulary

Evidence-Based Instructional Practices to Improve Comprehension

• Comprehension Monitoring• Graphic and Semantic Organizers• Story Structure• Question Answering• Question Generation• Summarization• Multiple Strategies• Cooperative Learning

National Reading Panel (2000)

Fix-Up or Self-Monitoring Strategies“What do we do when meaning breaks down?”

• Clarifying/Rereading word, paragraph, page, chapter• Looking back, ahead• Think-Aloud• Ask questions• Make predictions/visualize• Making inferences• Summarize• Make Connections• Determine what is important

Knowinghow to go from

the metacognitive

to thecognitive

Ducks on a Winter NightBy Georgia Heard

Ducks asleepOn the banks of the pondTuck their billsInto feathery quills,Making their own bedsTo keep warm in

A Framework for Scaffolding Reading Instruction

Before During After

Whatever is done to set the stage, contextualize the reading

The heart of interpretation is in this phase

Activities to reinforce understanding

Linking this framework to Lesson Planning

Students need to begin thinking about the text before they begin reading the text. This time is brief, leaving the majority of the time for actual reading.

(Allington, 2000)

Before Reading:

• Building/Accessing Prior Knowledge• Connecting to personal experiences• Developing vocabulary• Taking a “picture walk”• Making predictions• Setting purposes for reading• Graphic organizer:

– Story map, story frame, story web, – Lotus, Fishbone, KWL chart

During-Reading Phase

While reading, students must:• question and monitor what they are

reading and thinking about • make inferences• visualize• continue to make connections • continue to set predictions

What Should You Get Out Of Your First Reading? Fiction• Narrator• Characters• Setting• Problem (Need that to get summary and theme)• Solution/Ending• Illustrations (How they support)• Words ( the important words the words they need to

talk or write about - 5 or 6 words from each passage)• Metacognitive Strategies (pictures/questions)

Students need uninterrupted periods of time to read and think, so this phase should be the longest of any Guided Reading lesson. For every minute spent talking about reading (including before and after), students should spend at least one minute actually reading.

(Pearson and Fielding, 1991)

Magic

Big Ideas/Topics

Love, Guilt, Family, Courage, Prejudice, Poverty, Family, Loss

After Reading:

• Teacher helps the children with:–Discussing the text–Connecting new knowledge to what

they knew–Following up predictions–Discussing what they have learned and

how they are becoming better readers using strategies

What to Notice in a First Reading?Nonfiction• First Reading• Topic• Details• Point Of View (no such thing as neutral text)• Graphics • Text Features• Metacognitive Strategies• (Text to text connections)

NOW THAT YOU KNOW ABOUT TEXT FEATURES

I CHALLENGE YOU TO USE THEM TO COMPLETE A SCAVENGER HUNTRead the article, Flying High. Your goal is to identify as many informational text features as possible. Write the types you find on a separate sheet of paper and then check your work by viewing the next slide.

Close Reading of Instructional Techniques

Guided Reading Plus

Assisted Writing

(Dorn book)