What is comprehension?

What is comprehension?

What is comprehension? • “I understand what I read” • ~Comprehension strategies are sets of steps that helpreaders make sense of text. The strategies are purposeful and active for understanding, remembering and communicating with others about what has been read~

Power Point~to accompany~Comprehension Wiki Cassandra Cohen Christie Leszczynski Rebecca Pascual Alexandra Yauney Christine Gozelski EDUC 511 6.28.2011

Comprehension Strategies Click on each link to learn more! Check for Understanding Visualization Determining Author’s Purpose Concept Maps Summarizing Text Compare and Contrast Making Predictions Using Prior Knowledge Ask Questions Back up and reread Click this to go to the next page. Click this to return to this menu. References

Check for Understanding • Teaches children to stop frequently and check, or monitor, whether they understand what they are reading. A quick summary of what they’ve read, starting with who and what. Always ask the question – “do I understand what I just read?” How to begin … • commence with whole group on carpet • begin with read-aloud of picture book- regardless of age

con’t. Check for Understanding… Teacher role - what to model & verbalize to students • “I’m going to model how readers use a very important comprehension strategy, called Check for Understanding” • Remind students “every book has a purpose, what is the author trying to tell us, sometimes to learn something new” • “We need to think about what the author is trying to tell us while we are reading” • “We need to stop often maybe every 5-8 lines of text or stop after 2 or 3 pages and Check for Understanding” Teacher will model this throughout the book. • “When we stop to Check for Understanding, we always ask the same question: do I understand what I read?” • Teacher continues to model stopping and Check for Understanding, reminding to ask ourselves do I understand what I read, if I do then I continue reading. If I don’t understand then I go to my next comprehension strategy Back up and Reread.

con’t. Check for Understanding … Assessment - Have students individually read a story to you or a partner and Check for Understanding every 5-8 lines or 2 to 3 pages and recall what they read: • Retell what they just read. • Place sticky notes where ever they stopped to Check for Understanding. • Practice “I just read… Who… What…at the end of each paragraph. • Read to someone and practice check for understanding. • During reading students may hold a symbol of a checkmark while reading and raise to themselves or have a partner raise the checkmark when what is being read one does not understand.

Example Checkmark to use for Check for Comprehension Check for Understanding Students can cutout this checkmark and use for as a kinesthetic and visual reminder when reading to Check for Understanding.

Back Up and Reread When you can’t answer the question, “Do I understand what I just read?” There is no meaning and you go back and reread again to understand the meaning of what you read. As memory of strategy increases longer texts or chapter books can be used, a release of responsibility. How to begin… • commence with whole group on carpet • activate prior knowledge by reminding students of prior strategy Check for Understanding • volunteers share • teacher confirms strategy

con’t. Back Up and Reread… Teacher role what to model & verbalize to students • “I have stopped to Check for Understanding and when I ask myself the question do I understand what I read and if the answer is no then I use my new strategy Back up and Reread which is what I will model.” • “I Back up and Reread because if I don’t then I won’t understand what the author is trying to tell me and I won’t understand the rest of the story.” • Teacher will model and practice several times in a picture book when first teaching new strategies. • “Sometimes when I reread I have to read slowly and really think about the meaning” • “I also enunciate the words so I read and hear them clearly”

con’t.Back Up and Reread… Assessment – in small group or 1:1 observe student use strategy • Student will retell selection read • If student cannot retell then student will Back up Reread selection slowly. • Observe student Back up and Reread slowly • Suggest to students to read a few lines, one page or a paragraph at a time to ensure meaning. • Recognize and praise student for success

Visualization The process in which students visualize what is going on in a sentence or story. Visualization can be used in a variety of different ways at a variety of different levels. As students increase their understanding of visualization their comprehension literal and inferential comprehension will improve. How to Begin…. • Have students gather in one area to discuss what is visualization? • Students will discuss visualization. • Make connection between visualization and watching a movie. • Pick a grade level appropriate story that will allow students to visualize what is happening easily.

con’t. Visualization… Teacher Role- what to model to students • To begin, have students close their eyes. Once their eyes are closed tell them that you are going to read them the title of the story and you want them to visualize what they think the story is going to be about. • Then, have students share what they pictured in their minds of what the story is going to be about. • Teacher should then begin to read the story. • Model your thinking and what you are visualizing as you read the text. Be sure to explain why and how you’re visualizing these things by noting key words and phrases from the text. • Allow students to take turns practicing throughout the rest of the book.

con’t. Visualization… Assessment- • Check for understanding by having students read a story independently. Teacher should prep the story so that it doesn’t have any pictures in it. Students will be given a “film strip” worksheet to allow them to practice their visualization skills. • As students read they will record their visualization through a quick sketch on the “film strip”. • Students will be assessed if they capture key details found in the text.

Concept Map Teaches students about relationships between characters, settings, problem and solution. Concept maps are very useful to organize information and identify relationships between different types of text by identifying themes and hidden issues. How to Begin…. • Talk about features of maps and graphic organizers. • Read a familiar story to the students with one main character that makes connections to many different people.

con’t. Concept Map… Teacher Role- what to model to students • Introduce a concept map as a map that shows how things relate to each other. • Model to students how you are going to put the main character’s name in the center of the concept map. • Start to read the story and add the character’s relationships to the concept map as they develop. • Throughout the story, students will begin to practice identifying the relationships that the characters are making towards others. The students can classify the relationship in different ways. For example, whether two characters enjoy doing the same activity or have the same feelings or emotions.

con’t. Concept Map… Assessment- • Students will work with a partner to create their own concept map when reading a story of their choice. • While creating their concept map students can use the strategy check for understanding to ensure that they are creating the correct relationships throughout this story.

Below is an example of a concept map

Ask Questions When students ask questions before, during, and after reading, they are actively involved in reading and this increases comprehension. • Why Ask Questions: • Students become actively engaged • They are more likely to remember important information from the story • As they ask questions, students monitor their comprehension

con’t. Ask Questions • How to Begin: • Start with whole-group on carpet • Explain that asking questions • Helps us focus on the reading • Gives us a purpose • Helps us to monitor our reading/check for understanding • Read Aloud

con’t. Ask Questions Teacher Role-What to Model: • Stop during reading and state question we have in our minds • “What does this mean?” • “Is it important?” • “What does this word mean?” • “What did I learn?” • Students then practice by asking questions during a read aloud • Students then ask questions during independent reading

con’t. Ask Questions Assessment: Have students individually read a story to you or a partner and Ask Questions every 2 to 3 pages: • Ask questions • Place sticky notes with questions on them in their book • Read to someone and practice asking questions

Compare and Contrast By thinking how things are alike or different, students are able to understand new ideas which deepens their comprehension. • Why: Helps readers to be engaged in thinking critically • Readers go past descriptions, summaries, and retells to gain a deeper understanding of the story

con’t. Compare and Contrast How to Begin: • Begin with whole class • Define and give examples of how to compare (tell likenesses and differences) • Use two students, point out comparisons and differences • Read story and then compare characters in story • Use a Venn diagram

con’t. Compare and Contrast Teacher Role-What to Model: • Remember to discuss with students: • Compare: tell how 2 or more things are alike • Contrast: tell how 2 or more things are different • Stop during reading and discuss: • “How are the stories the same?” • “Compare the characters in each story?” • “How might you compare these stories?”

con’t. Compare and Contrast Assessment: Have students individually read a story to you or a partner and Compare and Contrast characters within the story. • Have students individually read two stories that are similar to you or a partner and Compare and Contrast: characters, plots, settings, themes, etc. within the story. • Make sure students are using key words such as: • Compare: like, as, than • Contrast: but, unlike

Use Prior Knowledge to Connect with Text Using Prior Knowledge- readers bring information from what they already know or what they have read before about a topic and connect with what they are reading to increase their understanding of their text and to remember what they have read. How to Begin: • Begin with whole class instruction. • Have students reiterate things they learned previously that will help them in their new lesson. • Connect current lesson to previous lesson taught in class. • Have students talk with a partner about the previous lesson. • Have students make predictions about the lesson. Their predictions should be based on knowledge from their previous lesson. This will be revisited during the assessment time.

Con’tUse Prior Knowledge to Connect with Text Teacher Role: • Introduce the new lesson to the students. • Teacher should clear up any confusion from the previous lesson that may inhibit the students from successfully learning new knowledge. • Ask for volunteers to speak about the things they learned from the previous lesson. • Make a list of key items on the board that the students can clearly see and refer to when executing the new lesson. • Have students make connections from previous learned experiences to new learned experiences. • As the teacher begins the lesson, teacher must refer back to the key list on their board to show students how and where the connections are made between the two lessons.

Con’tUse Prior Knowledge to Connect with Text Assessment: • Have students journal about how their previous experience helped them to understand what was being taught. • Discuss what was initially confusing and how they used their prior knowledge to help them figure out what was going on. • Have students go though the key list that was made and have them compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the two lessons. • Have students go through their predictions and have them put a check next to things that were correct and have them correct what was incorrect and explain what was different.

Determine and analyze author’s purpose with support from the text Identify why the author wrote a text, by giving specific examples from the text to support the reader’s inference; deepens understanding for how to read and comprehend the text. How to Begin: • Whole group instruction. • Discuss what an author is. • Discuss what the word “purpose” means. • Ask students to make a sentence using the word purpose. This is voluntary and the students will share it out with the class. • Ask students what is the purpose for being in school. This will activate their critical thinking skills and will help them to define the word purpose using their personal and background knowledge of why school is important.

Con’t Determine and analyze author’s purpose with support from the text Teacher Role: • Go over the definition of author and purpose. • Ask students what they think the author’s purpose was of a text that they previously read. Ask them why they think that that was the author’s purpose. • Teach students what inference means. • Help students make predictions about the text. • Model “making predictions” for the students to help them see what making inferences looks like. • Explain to students how you made your predictions. Show them the evidence from the text that helped you to make that particular prediction.

Con’tDetermine and analyze author’s purpose with support from the text Assessment: • After reading a book, have students write in their journals what they believe the author’s purpose was in writing that story. Students must use evidence from the text to support their ideas. • Have students write a short story and at the end, have them write what their purpose of the story was. This will help them sink in the “author’s purpose” more, especially when dealing with it first hand. • Go back to the question at the beginning of the lesson, “What is the purpose for being in school?” and ask the students what evidence they have to support their answer. Student’s should be encouraged to use their personal knowledge to help them formulate a purpose for being in school.

Making Predictions Readers will tell what they think will happen in the story; to confirm. Readers find out whether their predictions were true, partially true or way off. • How to Begin: • Gather students at the common meeting area • Discuss what making predictions means • Making predictions helps students make connections to the text. • Helps thinking ahead. • Helps with becoming more engaged.

Making Predictions Cont. • Teacher’s Role • Model as a whole group using a picture book (Such as Peg and the Whale) • Model for students • Looking at the details in the selection • Decide what they think will happen next based on the details and background knowledge • Look back and check to make sure the prediction was accurate (confirm them) • Pair students up to practice with the next part of the story • Assessment • Ask students to practice using their texts. • Have them stop and write down their predictions on a T- Chart in their readers notebook. • When they are done reading the book have them go back and write down whether their predictions were true, partially true, or way off.

Summarizing Text Students take selections of text and reduce them to their bare essentials: the gist, the key ideas, and the main points that are worth nothing and remembering • How To Begin: • Gather student in a common meeting area. • Discuss what it means to summarize a text. • Tell why this strategy is valuable • Students are able to understand the most important parts of a text • Able to absorb the meaning of the passage and capture it in their own words

Summarizing Text Cont. • Teacher’s Role- What to model • Begin with quick chapter book Such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Read the first few pages aloud to students. • Stop and model summarizing what was read. Make sure to point out the main points of what happened. • Write down any key terms or major events from the reading. Explain where you found them. • Assessment • Have students practice with their own books. • Ask students to stop at the end of every page to begin with and summarize on a post it note. When they become more comfortable ask them to stop every couple of pages.

Surveymonkey results… 10Total Completed Survey: Correct answer in bold. 1. Without looking on the CAFE Menu, what are the 5 words that define Comprehension? I know, find, and use interesting words 0.0% 0 I can read the words 0.0% 0 I can read accurately, with expression, and understand what I read 0.0% 0 I understand what I read100.0% 10 (yea!) 2. In The CAFE Book, the authors always use a read aloud book for their first lesson to teach what strategy? This is always the first strategy they teach to all grade levels, (hint it's under comprehension.) Self check your answer on page 30, from The CAFE Book. Count cross checking 10.0% 1 adjust and apply 10.0% 1 check for understanding70.0% 7 use word parts to determine the meaning of words 10.0% 1 (Check for Understanding is our first strategy)

Surveymonkey results… 3. One comprehension strategy effective for intermediate grades is Summarize Text; Include Sequence of Main Events. What would the teacher write on chart paper to help with this strategy? Count word parts 20.0% 2 use of punctuation 0.0% 0 make a picture 10.0% 1 write a synopsis of the section they just read70.0% 7 4. What is one comprehension strategy you would like to learn more about? Count use prior knowledge to connect with text 30.0% 3 check for understanding 0.0% 0 back up and reread 10.0% 1 summarize text; include sequence of main events60.0% 6 (Summarize Text is strategy 10 on PowerPoint) 5. During your most recent teaching experience what did you most struggle with in comprehension instruction? Count teacher role 0.0% 0 literature choice 50.0% 5 student role 10.0% 1 assessment 40.0% 4 (We have organized 10 comprehension strategies along with instruction guidelines to support your teaching)

References • Boushey, G. & Moser, J. (2006) The daily five: Fostering literacy independence in the elementary grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. • Miller, D. (2002). Reading with meaning: Teaching comprehension in the primary grades. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers. • Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2009). The cafe book: Engaging all students in daily literacy assessment and instruction.Stenhouse Publishers. • www.surveymonkey.com

What is comprehension?