Reading Comprehension

Parents and teachers need to explicitly teach reading comprehension skills while

at the same time encouraging young readers to keep practicing and honing

their skills.

Explicit Varied TeachingReading comprehension must be explicitly taught

They need a variety of texts

Teachers work Whole class Small group One to One

Parents Model at home Real Life: Newspapers, Internet, books for pleasure Reading with their children Reading to their children

Comprehension StrategiesQuestioning

Before reading – making predictions and activate prior knowledge.

During reading – ask questions to check for understanding or misunderstandings (Who, What, Where, When, How, Why) Ask questions to guide students to make inferences. Ask questions to guide students in analyzing text

Have students give proof by citing evidence in text

Vocabulary InstructionFormal instruction by teachers

Informal instruction by parents Instruction on words before they read or as they

readHelping them use context clues (words or pictures in

text to determine the meaning)Teaching basic roots, prefixes and suffixes

Exposure to words and their meanings

MonitoringYoung readers must learn to monitor their

comprehension. They must learn to “check in” with themselves for

understanding

Adults help children to develop strategiesActivate prior knowledgeRead and rereadAsk themselves questions while readingStop and jotUse text structure for meaning

SummarizingYoung readers must develop the ability to

summarize what they have read.

They need to be able to state in order key events, ideas, details, and explain the big idea of what they are reading.

http://Vimeo.com/54007714

Focus and AttentionYoung readers must learn to focus their

attention.

They must become fluent readers before they can attend to comprehension.

Too much time spent on decoding distracts from their ability to pay attention to comprehension.

Students will need to stop periodically and summarize what they have read.

MotivationEncouragement for all their reading

Demonstrate an enthusiasm for readingShow excitement for your own reading and theirs

Help choosing books that are at a child’s interestChoosing books that are “doable” for students

Books should be at their level or just above their independent level if you are helping them

Strategies to Help Comprehension

YouTube video - Making sense of Informational Text

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua0D9uE25ns

English Language ArtsRL3

KindergartenWith prompting and support, identify characters,

settings, and major events in a story.

First GradeDescribe characters, settings, and major events in

a story, using key details.

Second GradeDescribe how characters in a story respond to

major events and challenges.

English Language ArtsRL3

Third GradeDescribe characters in a story (e.g., their traits,

motivations, or feelings) and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events

Fourth GradeDescribe in depth a character, setting, or event in

a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).

English Language ArtsRL3

Fifth GradeCompare and contrast two or more characters,

settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

Sixth GradeDescribe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot

unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

English Language ArtsRI3

KindergartenWith prompting and support, describe the

connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

First GradeDescribe the connection between two individuals,

events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

Second GradeDescribe the connection between a series of

historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

English Language ArtsRI3

Third GradeDescribe the relationship between a series of

historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Fourth GradeExplain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a

historical, scientific, or technical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information in the text.

English Language ArtsRI3

Fifth GradeExplain the relationships or interactions between

two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

Sixth GradeAnalyze in detail how a key individual, event, or

idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).