Comprehension Strategy InstructionCarla MeyerNora VinesRE 4030

Today’s AgendaShare Vocabulary ActivitiesBlue Read AloudComprehension Strategy

InstructionReciprocal TeachingTo do

Blue Read AloudModelVocabulary

What Do We Teach to Improve Comprehension?*

Accurate decoding

Reading Fluency

Self monitoring of decoding (metacognition)

*Pressley, M. (2000). What should comprehension instruction be the instruction of? In M.L. Kamil, P.B. Mosenthal, P.D. Pearson, & R. Barr (Eds.), Handbook of Reading Research: Volume III (pp. 545-561). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.

BUT….Teaching decoding, fluency,

vocabulary, etc. is not enough.

Balanced Comprehension Instruction…Comprehension instruction

should be balanced:◦Explicit instruction in specific

comprehension strategiesAND◦A great deal of time and opportunity

for actual reading, writing, and discussion of text

Duke, N.K. & Pearson, P.D. (2002)

What to Teach?

Before

Preparing to Read

Preview the materialIdentify the purposeSelect a reading rateActivate prior knowledgeAsk a questionMake predictions

To make meaning

During

Reading Strategically

Determine importanceMonitor understandingMake connectionsMake inferencesAsk questionsVisualize Re-read

To make meaning

After

Making Sense of the Material

Summarize the textEvaluate the textCheck answers to questionsWritten ResponseGraphically Organize

To make meaing

When? What? Why?

How do we teach comprehension strategies?1. Explicit instruction2. Modeling3. Scaffolded practice4. Independent opportunities to

practice

Explicit instruction (of strategies)Before reading, provide Declarative Knowledge: What

strategy is to be learned and used

Procedural Knowledge: How is that strategy actually employed

Conditional Knowledge: When and why that strategy should be used

Modeling: Making Comprehension VisibleWhen we teach decoding or

fluency, it’s easy to model good techniques and to assess students’ progress. It’s visible.

Teaching students to be expert comprehenders of text isn’t as easy to see.

Modeling: Use a Think-AloudDuring a think-aloud, the reader

verbalizes the thought process.

The goal is to make the invisible thinking that goes on while reading public.

When to use a Think-Aloud? When you’re modeling

reading comprehension strategies.

◦ That way, students can hear how you apply them.

◦ You might only use them for a part of a lesson—the part that you want students to notice.

Reciprocal TeachingImportant Concepts

◦Graphic organizers◦Basal series◦Gradual release of responsibility◦Zone of proximal development◦Constructivism

Strategies, strategies and more strategies So the goal is to help our

students develop a full ‘toolbox.’ But, they can’t just learn about the tools, they have to learn

how to use them, when they need to use them and which tools are most appropriate at a given time dependent on text structure, purpose and the level of difficulty.

How does this relate to the different types of knowledge?◦ Quick Write

Comprehension Under Construction Roles of participants:

Foreman: Teacher, in charge of background knowledge and introducing roles

Architect: Draws up blueprints of the building through prediction

Job-inspector: “Get-it goggles” help the inspector clarify by attending to words and ideas

Electrician: Questions to keep the group “wired”

Bricklayer: cements understanding by summarizing and connecting main ideas

Reciprocal Teaching (RT)Introduction of the Four Comprehension

Strategies↓

Teacher-Led Stage↓

Collaborative Stage↓

Reciprocal Stage↓

Metacognition Stage

Stages1. Teacher-Led Stage: During this stage the

teacher models the strategies2. Collaborative Stage: Guided practice. 3. Reciprocal Stage: Independent within

groups. Roles are rotated on a lesson-to-lesson basis with attention to which strategies were implemented during reading group and/or self-selected reading.

4. Metacognition: Moving toward independent use of strategies and attention paid to which strategies were most effective.

Practical ApplicationEach group will be assigned a role:1. Architect (Predict)2. Job-inspector (Clarify)3. Electrician (Question)4. Bricklayer (Summarize) As I read ch. 1 of Blue aloud, make notes of

predictions, vocabulary or ideas which may need clarification, questions you may have that would spark discussion, and main ideas to help you summarize the chapter.

Share with the group and feedback.

Practical ApplicationChoose a role in your small group

(there can be multiple role players)

As you read pages 19-27 in your small groups, play your part to construct meaning. Make notes as you work together and evaluate which strategies you think are most effective for comprehending Blue.

To Do…2/7 Read:

◦Blue pages 27-85◦Kucan Discussion article

2/7 Activities: ◦Double Entry Journal for Blue reading◦Make notes of Tier 2 words as you read◦Free write from an image in your notebook◦Complete Polio Internet Workshop on your

own

To Do…2/12 Read:

◦Blue pages 86-131◦Zumbrunn & Kraus◦NKH Ch. 5

2/12 Activities: ◦Blue—Double Entry Journal