making sense of comprehension nick dawson pearson education

Making sense of comprehension

Nick DawsonPearson Education

Outline

Learning involves the learner taking ownership of information, ideas and concepts.Comprehension is fundamental to all learning.1.Learner unlocks and enters the text.2.Learner becomes part of the text.3.Text changes the learner.4.Text becomes part of the learner.Learner becomes the owner of the text.

‘text’

‘text’ =reading textlistening textvideo textany English language experience which learners need to understand.

The incarnation of knowledge

1. Child eats food.

2. Child digests food.

3. Food elements absorbed

into bloodstream.

4. Food elements help child

to grow.

5. Food becomes part of

the child.

understand

below | beneath

within | among | amongst

Receptive / Creative

Receptive• Input / Output

comprehension• Exact reproduction of

text• “Mug and Jug”

teaching

“Mug and Jug” teachingLearner is an empty mug waiting for knowledge.

Teacher has jug full of knowledge. Teacher pours knowledge into learner’s mug.

Receptive / Creative

Receptive

• Input / Output comprehension

• Exact reproduction of text

• “Mug and Jug” teaching

Creative

• Learner interprets text.• Learner uses

background knowledge and imagination.

• Learner uses ‘learner’s perspective’ to understand text.

• Learner creates an understanding of text.

Comprehension is an imaginative, creative process.

Unlocking a text

• Children begin to understand their environment by collecting evidence through all their senses.

• They compare this evidence with their database of previous experience.

• From the evidence and experience they form a hypothesis for understanding.

Evidence > Database > Hypothesis

Evidence > Database > Hypothesis

Learners take evidence from a text

textevidence

understandingtext

Learners bring

understanding to a text

Understanding factsDemonstrating comprehension

• Comprehension questions

• Multiple choice questions

• Using information from text in a new context

Showing evidence from the text

• Find evidence that [a] is correct.

• Find evidence that [b] and [c] are incorrect.

• If [a], [b] and [c] are all incorrect, what is the correct answer?

Why are these identical twins different sizes?

The Ames room is an optical illusion. The floor and ceiling are not horizontal. The ‘windows’ are not rectangles. We misunderstand the picture because we think this is an ordinary room.

Perspective in comprehension

Brains misinterpret pictures.We apply ideas of normality from our experience. We add perspective to the pictures.

Learners sometimes misinterpret texts. They apply their own perspective.The Present Perfect is difficult because it requires a new, ‘unknown’ perspective.

CLIL and Perspective

PERSPECTIVE is fundamental across the curriculum.

A nuclear power plant is a fact. We can examine it from scientific, ecological, mathematical, historical, sociological, cultural and economic perspectives.

We can do the same with any reading / listening text.

Adding ideas to the ‘text’

There is no “white

triangle” in the picture.

The “white triangle” is

invented in your brain.

This may happen when

we interpret a text.

Imaginative comprehensionComprehension should not be only about facts.Texts should stimulate and exploit imagination.How?Ask about facts which are not in the text.Ask learners their opinion of the text.

What kind of people lived in this house?Describe the inside of the house.Would you like to live in it? Give reasons.

Fourth Dimension by Robert O’Neill with Patricia Mugglestone. © Longman 1986

Who said…?

We’re far more realistic than they were. I think we were far happier when I was her age. When I married her father, we hardly had a penny.If I have a child, I want it to have all it needs.

Comprehension as dialogue

Most textbooks treat comprehension as monologue.

The learners read/listen to the text and try to remember it.

But, Comprehension is dialogue. We should train learners to interact

and dialogue with the text.So learners become part of the text.

‘Text’ changes the learner

Does text confirm ideas you already knew?

Does text expand your knowledge of a familiar topic?

Do you believe the facts contained in the text?

Do you agree with the ideas in the text?

You’re the cream in my coffee

Like cream in coffee,any text is merely an additive to the learner’s knowledge and experience.

Like cream in coffee,the text will change the learner!

Taking ownership

1. Note making2. Oral summary3. Written summary4. Summarise as a ‘tweet’ in 140 charactersTwo days after exposureRepair a corrupted textComplete a ‘clozed’ textSee Short and Sweet 1 by Alan Maley Penguin English © Alan Maley 1994

by reconstructing a text

What’s the answer?

5 + 3 =5 – 3 =5 x 3 =15 ÷ 3 = The language and grammar of mathematical computation is part of you.This knowledge and skill is in your brain and has become part of you.

Four stage comprehension

1. Learner unlocks and enters text.2. Learner interacts with text. 3. Learner becomes part of text.4. Learner takes ownership of text.5. Text becomes part of the learner.