What is comprehension?
Reading comprehension is
understanding a text that is read, or the process of "constructing
meaning" from a text. Comprehension is a "construction process"
because it involves all of the elements of the reading process working
together as a text is read to create a representation of the text
in the reader's mind.
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What are comprehension strategies?
Comprehension strategies
are conscious plans or sets of steps that good readers use to make
sense of text.
Commonly taught strategies
include making inferences/predictions, summarizing, self-monitoring
and clarification, visualization, schema connections, and question
generation.
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Why is comprehension strategies
instruction important?
Comprehension strategy instruction
helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control
of their own reading comprehension.
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How do I teach comprehension
strategies?
Self-Monitoring
Making Connections
- Lakewood Literacy Center Book Titles
suggestions for Making Connections:
Christmas in the Country
(Level K) Cynthia Rylant
Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs (Level N) Tomie DePaola
Now One Foot, Now the Other (Level L) Tomie DePaola
The Wall (Level N) Eve Bunting
Teammates (Level N) Peter Golenbock
Fly Away Home (Level M) Eve Bunting
Some Birthday (Level M) Patricia Polacco
Ira Sleeps Over (Level L) Bernard Waber
William's Doll (Level L) Charlotte Zolotow
Frog Prince Continued (Level K) Jon Scieszka
Fireflies (Level K) Julie Brinkloe
The Relatives Came (Level K) Cynthia Rylant
Hello Ocean (Level
N) Pam Munoz Ryan
Fredrick (Level N) Leo Lionni
Salamander Room (Level L) Anne Mazer
The Raft (Level O) Jim LaMarche
Let's Go Home (Level Q) Cynthia Rylant
- Prove
It! (Have
students make predictions about what they'll be reading based first
on the title, cover, table of contents, and/or bold print (headings
and subheadings). Have them record these predictions, and then have
them make predictions based on the visuals in the text-pictures, charts,
graphs, etc. and record those. After this preview, have them read
the text to validate whether their predictions are true or false.
As they find this information, they circle the "true" or
"false" and record in the "Prove It" column the
page that they feel helps to prove or disprove their prediction. The
form will download as two pages and then should be copied back and
front.
- Cheryl Sigmon's Five
Finger Strategy for Previewing Informational Text
- Using
context clues to infer word meaning
- Inference
Task Cards (Print on cardstock
and cut apart.)
- Making
Predictions Task Cards (Print
on cardstock and cut apart.)
- Impressive
Inferences (Christina Bainbridge has this wonderful activity
on her website. It uses poetry to teach inferring.)
- Lakewood Literacy Center Book Titles
suggestions for Inferring and Predicting:
Trouble on the T-Ball
Team (Level J) Eve Bunting
(William Steig's books are great for inferring meaning of unknown words.
The following titles are available from the bookroom)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble (Level N)
Dr. Desoto (Level M)
The Amazing Bone (Level M)
Smoky Night (Level P) Eve Bunting
The Wall (Level N) Eve Bunting
Grandfather Twilight (Level K) Barbara Berger
Charlie Anderson (Level K) Barbara Abercrombie
The Wednesday Surprise (Level K) Eve Bunting
How Many Days to America (Level S) Eve Bunting
Compare/Contrast
- Venn
Diagram for "The True
Story of the Three Little Pigs" and "The Three Little Wolves
and the Big Bad Pig" (Created by Christina Bainbridge)
These books all have a "moral of
the story."
Students could be asked to determine what the moral of the story is
before reading the moral of the story statement.
Fables (Level N) Arnold Lobel
Stephen Cosgrove's Serendipity Book Series:
Memily (Level O)
Flutterby (Level O)
Crickle-Crick (Level O)
Sassafras (Level O)
Trafalgar True (Level P)
Sniffles (Level P)
Glitterby Baby (Level P)
The Grumpling (Level P)
Frazzle (Level P)
Retell
Fact/Opinion
Comprehension
Trifolds
(Ms. Winston,
a talented 2nd grade teacher, shares these wonderful creations!
Click on her name to see her other resources.)
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Building Background
Lessons
-
- Building
background lesson for rainforests (uses active participation model)
(This lesson was developed specifically for Fernando's Gift,
but can be used for building background for any story about the rainforest.
Picture cards and notes are included.)
- Building
background lesson for nocturnal animals (uses active participation
model)
(This lesson was developed for Zipping, Zapping, Zooming Bats,
but can be used for building background for any story about nocturnal
animals. This file includes lesson plan, picture cards, and notes
for back of picture cards.)
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How do I assess
comprehension ?
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How do I provide appropriate
practice?
Literacy Centers
- Nonfiction
Reading Center Form
- 3-2-1
Summary
- Retell
Center
(Create a retell center by printing the desired story characters from
the list below. Glue each to a popsicle stick to make a stick puppet.
Read the story to the students during read-aloud time. Have the students
retell the story using the stick puppets. A portable puppet stage
is available for check-out through the resource room.)
Five
Little Monkeys Jumping On the Bed
Brown
Bear, Brown Bear
Silly
Sally
Mouse
Paint
Go
Away Big Green Monster
Papa,
Please Get the Moon for Me
Polar
Bear, Polar Bear
Rain
Rosie's
Walk
There
Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly
Today
is Monday
The
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Whose
Baby Am I?
Where's
Spot?
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