Reading+Comprehension+Strategies

Post a Reading Comprehension Strategy

**Reading Comprehension Strategies** (AB)

1) **Make connections:** As a student reads a book, they will notice that parts of the text may relate to or remind them of their lives, past experiences, other books, movies, events, or people. They may say to themselves that "reminds me of..." or "I remember when..." 2) **Visualize:** Students will read books where they will be able to create images in their head or visualize what they are reading which will help them understand the text. For younger children, picture books already assist them in visualizing what is happening in the story. When their is not pictures students will seek understanding by saying "I can picture..." or "I can visualize..." as they read their book. 3) **Ask questions:** Students will ask questions before, during, and after reading a book to better understand the meaning of what is being read and intended by the author. The student may ask themselves "What is the main idea or message of this book?" "What are my predictions from what I have read so far? or "What will I learn from reading this book?" 4) **Infer:** Finding clues from the text and making conclusions from background knowledge will help students better comprehend what they are reading. They may ask themselves "I wonder why..." "I wonder how..." or "I wonder if" to infer about what they are reading. 5) **Determine importance:** Why is it important for me to read this book and how is it helping me learn? Students may ask themselves these questions as they determine why a book is important for them to read. As students read a book, they will search within the book for big ideas such as titles and headings, pictures and captions, etc. They also may ask "The most important information is..." or "What have I learned so far..." 6) **Synthesize:** Now students wonder what they will do with the information they have acquired. After reading, students will combine what they have learned with previous knowledge to create new ideas.They may try to think of new ways to use the information or compare and contrast what they know from reading the book with other information.

A teacher may help their students build and utilize these strategies as they read various books by:


 * Providing students with a description of each strategy and when they can use it as they read new books
 * Modeling each of the strategies for the student to see
 * Together use the strategies in action as the student reads
 * Guide the student as they practice using each strategy
 * Have the student use the strategies on their own to help them build the use of each one

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 * Reading Comprehension Strategies (MD)**
 * Mini lessons** after stories or books have been read get the students to critically think about what they have read. It also reinforces what they have read and provides opportunities for the teacher to use key parts of the story for lessons. Examples of the mini lesson could be to have the students visualize themselves in the key situations that are presented in the story and have them write or journal about it.(MD)

Use **inferences** to help students relate to the story or have meaningful experiences with the story so reading is more engaging. This can also help with reading comprehension.(MD)

something that is usually used by older children but can be adapted to younger children for reading comprehension. Read, recite, and review is something that can be used by younger children and can fix some of the smallest and easiest reading comprehension problems. (MD)
 * SQ3r strategy**. Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review.

Have structure and organization behind the words you present. (JJSU) **
 * 

Rather than randomly selected words "at their grade level," present words in related groups. Examples: Present words about feelings, and make a poster with the students, with different words to describe being "afraid" or "happy." Students can discuss the degrees of emotion (is "terrified" more than "nervous" or "anxious," "ecstatic" better than "pleased"), and the differences between the words (how is "snicker" different from "guffaw," "terrified" different from "horrified?"). Another option is to study word parts: have the students learn that 'ject' means 'throw,' and then tackle "projectile," "reject" and "trajectory." An advantage to grouping words this way is that it lends itself to individualized instruction.

Reference: www.resourceroom.net

 Guided Reading (MP) small groups same level same needs specific text used for reading levels focus on skill set for example fluency specific out comes and benchmarks background knowledge needs to be built and connected Good time to assess students adjust lesson planns use time as teachable moments

Using in the classroom Connection to Literacy**
 * The purpose

K=What I **K**now W What I **W**ant to know L=What I **L**earned This is a good strategy to use when it is a new topic to the students schema, or it does not work as well. The students will find themselves with too much time, and then it causes chaos. I have seen it many times with new teachers. Please avoid this situation if at all possible. Ask a few questions about the topic before hand to get a feel for the subject with your students. If you see that the students have more questions than answers, or the deer in the headlights look, it is a go. You will need some fairly large paper, fold the paper into thirds label the top **K - W - L**. Subtitle if the students are not familiar with the concept of KWL charts. Walk your students through the process, either make an example of your own kwl chart or start one on the board together. Guide them until they are ready to take over on their own personal chart. The **what I want to know section,** is the part that must be planned. Research is required, library, computer, interviews it is up to the teacher to plan and guide the students through this process. Pictures, labels, drawings, or even just words are all options to be used, to fill in the three sections of the cart. When the KWL chart is done, (each section questions are answered) the students present their findings and enlighten the rest of the class. Knowledge shared covers a lot of ground in a short time. This can be used in all subjects and is a great tool to share with the public as well. Students can use the writing process in the same manner as a paper, prewriting, drafting, revising, and sharing with public. EX: We tried this concept with 6-8 grades, when we added the sturgeon to our cultural events at MTS, it turned out to be quite the exhibit. The students took pride in showing off their KWL charts. They also enjoyed the artwork that was put into each KWL poster. cp
 * KWL**

**__Story Maps:__** A story map is a listing of the major events and ideas in a story, beginning at the starting point and moving through the story in sequential order. The basic elements of a story map are: ** How to Use Story Maps: ** To effectively use the strategy, teachers should model how to identify story grammar elements. First, introduce the story map by explaining the importance of story grammar. Most stories have certain elements in common. Remind students that most stories have a beginning, which includes the time of the story, where it takes place, and introduces the main character(s). An event then sets a problem or conflict in motion, which is followed by attempts to reach the goal or resolve the conflict. Finally, the goal or conflict is resolved in some way and the main character(s) react to the outcome. Next, model how to complete a story map. Questions can be used to guide discussion: The teacher can then model how to use the story map to write a summary. Students should be given guided practice in developing story maps on books they are reading, independently or in class. Once students have an understanding of the basic story map, they can extend their understanding by focusing on a particular character. One goal of reading is to maximize students’ interaction with text- the more students get involved with text, the higher the probability of them constructing meaning from text. The key concepts of this graphic organizer form the basis for evaluation. By looking at the information on the story map, teachers can quickly assess if the student has “gotten it.” Story retelling is an authentic way of assessing if the reader can identify key story elements. In story retelling, the student is asked to recount in their own words what they have read. Through the retelling, students should identify the major elements of story grammar. Teachers can allow students to use a story map to guide their retelling. A simple checklist can be used to assess the student’s ability. Is the student able to... Story map questions can both improve students’ existing schema for a story and improve their story compreshension, but when students understand the story, then interpretive, analytical, and creative questions are appropriate and important (extension questions). (LS)
 * ** Setting ** – when and where the story occurs
 * ** Characters ** - the most important players in a story
 * ** Problem/Conflict ** - the focal point around which the story is centered
 * ** Events ** - the attempts by the main character(s) to resolve the problem or conflict
 * ** Resolution/Solution/Conclusion ** - the outcome of the attempts to resolve the problem or conflict
 * ** Theme ** - main idea or moral of the story
 * ** Setting ** – Where/when did the story take place?
 * ** Character ** – Who is the story mainly about? Who is the main character?
 * ** Problem/Conflict ** – What major problem does the main character face? What does this character hope to achieve?
 * ** Events ** – What did the main characters do? What happened in the story?
 * ** Resolution/Conclusion ** – Does the character solve the problem? How does the character solve the problem? Is the character defeated by the problem? Does the character learn to live with the problem? How did the story end? How did the main character feel?
 * Ideas for Assessment: **
 * Name the characters?
 * Tell about the setting?
 * Tell about the problem?
 * Tell about the solution?
 * Tell about the beginning, middle, and end of the story?
 * Retell events in sequential order?
 * Include details from the story?

Think aloud: Think aloud is a strategy used to slow down the reading process and make meaning from the text they have read. This strategy involves the teacher reading a text that is a little challenging to the students out loud. While the teacher reads, they go through the following list of what skilled readers do during reading. -activate prior knowledge -set a purpose or goal for reading -decode text into words and meaning -make personal connections -make predictions -visualize -ask questions -monitor and summarize understanding -apply what has been learned This strategy is meant to simulate what should be going on in your head as you are reading. (CS)

-Directed silent reading -Prepare students for the reading assignment by creating interest, establishing purpose, or introducing new vocab. -Check students for comprehension during discussion -Oral reading, have students read again aloud - Follow-up activities
 * Scaffolding** (JW)
 * Making sure the student is interested in the reading by involving concerns, needs, strengths, weaknesses and informing them of background knowledge about the subject are ways to ensure the readers interests.
 * Pre. & Post reading exercises are important for reading comprehension: motivating and setting purpose for reading, building word vocabulary, relating to real life situations, asking students if they may know what the story may be about or having them record what they have read in a journal.

L.Mae.D
 * Monitor Comprehension**- Teach them to be aware of what they do understand and identify what they do not understand. In addition to this help them to choose the appropriate strategies to correct.
 * Metacognition-** “Think about thinking” Teach them to clarify their purpose for reading and review the text. After reading they need to identify where the difficulty occurs within reading. For example- at the end of the 1st paragraph I had a difficult time. Furthermore have them identify the word or concepts that are difficult for them.
 * Graphic and Semantic Organizers-** Teach them to utilize tools that will help identify the text purpose, focus on the text structure and examine and show relationships between concepts. Examples are Venn Diagrams, story maps and story boards to illustrate chain of events.
 * Questions- QAR Question Answer Relationship –** Teach them to indicate whether the questions they have are textually explicit (directly stated in text), textually implicit (implied in text), or information entirely from their own knowledge.


 * Recognizing Story Structure-** Teach them to identify the story content such as setting, characters, problems and solutions. This can be done using some of the organizers.
 * Summarizing-** Teach them to determine what is important in the reading and be able to summarize in their own words.

Comprehension strategy instruction should begin with making connections, the foundation for constructing meaning. Model each connection separately, several times, by thinking aloud while you are reading to the students. Consider posting three large charts with a conncetion heading on each ( the above three conncetions). As students begin to voice these connections in your literature discussions, record them on the appropriate poster.
 * //Make connections://** Each reader has a unique way of experiencing a book, making personal, individual connections. There are three connections:
 * 1) Text-to-self connection. A personal connection between the book and the reader's own life experiences
 * 2) Text-to-text connection. Connecting an author's craft, themes, characters, & events from one book to another
 * 3) Text-to-World connection. Connecting what is read to the issues or concepts in the larger world
 * //Explore the elements of literature://** Bring the various elements of literature to students' conscious attention: parts of a book, author's purpose, setting characters, illustrations, point of view, plot, symbols, mood, and theme. Keep in mind that these elements are not ends in themselves but rather tools for deepening one's understanding of a story. When these terms become a significant part of a group's language, a common vocabulary is created that supports discussion. Introduce each element of literature seperately. For each one, develop a chart to record collaborative definitions & descriptions that arise through discussions as a community of readers.
 * //Express new vocabulary with art://** Tricky vocabulary may impede understanding. One way to help students to make a connection to unfamiliar words is to have them illustrate the words. Ask students to draw a picture of the word after looking it up in the dictionary.(btt)

This strategy involves using what the child already knows about what they are getting ready to read about. As soon as a child picks up a book they start to think about past experiences that relate to the book. So when he/she starts reading it will make it more interesting to them and they will remember it easier.(lsd)
 * Using Prior Knowledge**

Once a child identifies the purpose of reading a particular text, they will find it easier to relate to that text. When a child can relate to a text he can understand it better.(lsd)
 * Establish a Purpose for Reading**

Work with Families as much as possible because learning doesn't only happen in a school from 8 to 3.
 * Have Parents play 20 questions type of game after the child reads but in this game, the parent gets to ask why?! Parents ask quetion about the reading and child answers.
 * Textbooks are not they only thing in which students can learn. Listening to a parent read one of their books aloud will also serve just fine. As the parent goes throught the story, they can take a break to ask he child what is happening in the school or why characters are doing current things.