Reading Comprehension Strategies
- 2. READING AS A PROCESS Reading is a multifaceted process involving word recognition, comprehension, fluency, and motivation. - Diane Henry Leipzig Reading is the process of constructing meaning through the dynamic interaction among: (1) the reader's existing knowledge; (2) the information suggested by the text being read; and (3) the context of the reading situation (Wixson, Peters, Weber, & Roeber, 1987, citing the new definition of reading for Michigan).
- 3. WHY IS READING COMPREHENSION SO IMPORTANT? Classrooms across the nation are interspersed with students who experience frustration in reading comprehension every day. Often these students don’t possess adequate reading comprehension skills to do what is expected of them. Without comprehension, reading is just following words on a page from left to right while sounding them out. The words on the page have no meaning. The main goal of reading is to have some kind of understanding of what the writer is trying to say and make use of that information whether for fact gathering, learning a new skill, or for pleasure. That’s why reading comprehension skills are so important. Without them the reader cannot gather any information and use it to efficiently function and enjoy the richness of life.
- 4. WHAT CAN WE DO? (AS TEACHERS) As teachers we often ask ourselves, “How can I help my student’s excel?” In this case teachers may be beginning to ask themselves “What kind of strategies can I implement in order to aid in my students comprehension?” Luckily, this presentation will provide just that! I will provide before, during and after reading skills for students in middle school and higher with a focus on Non-Fiction readings.
- 5. READING STRATEGIES IMPLEMENTED BY TEACHER Before reading, the teacher may: • Motivate students through activities that may increase their interest EX. book talks, dramatic readings, reader’s theatre. These strategies help make the text relevant to students. • Activate students' background knowledge important to the content of the text by discussing what students will read and what they already know about its topic and about the text organization. During reading, the teacher may: • Remind students to use comprehension strategies as they read and to monitor their understanding. • Ask questions that keep students on track and focus their attention on main ideas and important points in the text. • Focus attention on parts in a text that require students to make inferences. • Call on students to summarize key sections or events. • Encourage students to return to any predictions they have made before reading to see if they are confirmed by the text. After reading, the teacher may: • Offer students opportunities to respond to the reading in various ways, including through writing, dramatic play, music, readers' theatre, videos, debate, or pantomime. • Guide discussion of the reading. • Ask students to recall and tell in their own words important parts of the text.
- 7. BEFORE READING STRATEGIES L E T P L A Y A G A M E : PHRASE GAME: The teacher writes an incomplete sentence on the white board drawing a line to indicate where the final phrase of the sentence would go. Have the students copy the incomplete sentence at the top of the sheet of lined paper. Then instruct the students to complete the sentence using different phrases they generate on their own. B E F O R E R E A D I N G , S T U D E N T S C A N : • Establish a purpose for reading. Students can do this by predicting journals written in before each reading. • Identify and discuss difficult words, phrases, and concepts in the text. Teacher can lead a small group discussion before reading. • Preview the text by looking the title, illustrations, and unusual text structures to make predictions about the book’s content. • Think, talk, and write about the topic of the text. This can also be done in small groups or written in the student’s predicting journals.
- 8. DURING READING STRATEGIES Students, with some help from the teacher, may: • Determine and summarize important ideas and supportive details. Take notes in a notebook as you read, jotting down what you think is important. • Make connections between and among important ideas in the text. • Integrate new ideas with existing background knowledge. • Ask themselves questions about the text. Refer to QARs that have been provided to you. • Sequence events and ideas in the text. Make a timeline in your notes. • Offer interpretations of and responses to the text. In your notes write down your opinion on what you are reading. • Check understanding by paraphrasing or restating important and/or difficult sentences and paragraphs. • Visualize characters, settings, or events in a text.
- 9. AFTER READING STRATEGIES After reading, the student can: SURF THE NET: After students have completed their reading they can search the internet to check out about the book, its author, or its subject. PICTURE THIS: Bring in art related to book's time or themes. Compare, describe, and discuss. Students may: • Evaluate and discuss the ideas encountered in the text. • Apply and extend these ideas to other texts and real life situations. • Summarize what was read by retelling the main ideas. • Discuss ideas for further reading.
- 10. REFERENCES Burke, Jim. "103 Things to Do Before/During/After Reading." Reading Rockets. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 July 2014. Bursuck, William D., and Mary Damer. "Chapter 7 - Comprehension." Teaching Reading to Students Who Are at Risk or Have Disabilities: A Multi-tier Approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, 2011. 272-321. Print. "Definitions of Reading and Word Identification." Definitions of Reading and Word Identification. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014. Leipzig, Diane H. "What Is Reading?" Reading Rockets. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 July 2014