Reading Comprehension Strategies6th Grade

Mary Dalfo RED4348 CA#1

Whenever you read a good book, somewhere in the world a door opens to allow in more light.

–Vera Nazarian

Good Readers●Good readers are active readers!

●From the outset they have clear goals in mind for their reading. They constantly evaluate whether the text, and their reading is meeting their goals.

Good Readers

* In order to read effectively, it is necessary for you to interact with whatever you are reading.

* Your mind is constantly in motion when you read.

To fully understand what you read, you complete tasks…

Before you actually start to read a selection. During the reading of the selection. After reading the selection.

Get Ready, Set, GO!!

We will be looking at…

Before you Read● You need to prepare yourself!● This will make reading easier. You will be able to make

the process smoother.

Find Your Purpose for Reading

●Why are you reading this particular text?

- To learn more?- To become a better reader?- For enjoyment?- I enjoy reading?

Review the Text●Pay attention to text features and headings!

●Review Subtitles, photos and captions, graphs, diagrams, etc.

May vary based on the type of text!

Narrative - Broadly defined, narrative text tells a story. Expository - Broadly defined, expository text is factual. Its primary purpose is to inform, explain, or persuade.

Activate Prior knowledge

● Background knowledge is very important!

● What do I know about this book or subject?● Have I read something similar?● Vocab words● Can I relate to this book?● Is it something that has been of use to me?

“This strategy requires readers to activate their background knowledge and to use that knowledge to help them understand what they are reading. Background knowledge is made up of a person's experiences with the world (including what he or she has read), along with his or her concepts for how written text works, including word identification, print concepts, word meaning, and how text is organized. Research has established that readers' existing knowledge is critical in determining their ability to comprehend what they read” (readingrockets.com).

Make Predictions●What might happen in this text?●What might I learn about?●What clues about the main character may I get by looking

at the title and pictures.●What will this text be about and why?

“Good readers use predicting as a way to connect their existing knowledge to new information from a text to get meaning from what they read” (readingrockets.org).

Set a Reading Speed

● Pick a speed that works best for you:

- 1st gear: slow! This can be for more difficult text.

- 2nd gear: Easier reads. Use this when you are reading for pleasure.

- 3rd gear: Skimming the text. Use this when you are looking for specific information.

- 4th gear: Scanning the text. When you are looking for a specific word.

* When you read too fast, you are

not soaking up everything you are

reading!! * Adjust your reading rate to the

text you are reading and your

purpose.

Remember – Before Reading

P review and set a purposeA ctivate prior knowledgeW onderS et a speed

During Reading • The importance of preparing yourself for reading sets you up for success!

Now you are ready to read! • These strategies will guide and direct you through your reading process!

Monitor your Reading: “Is this making sense?”

●Did you ask yourself questions as you read?●Did you reread sections that were difficult?●What did you do when you came to a word you

did not know?

“This involves the ability of readers to know when they understand what they read, when they do not understand, and to use appropriate strategies to improve their understanding when it is blocked. Comprehension monitoring is a form of metacognition. Good readers are aware of and monitor their thought processes as they read. In contrast, poor readers "just do it” ” (readingrockets.com).

Stop and Summarize

Stop - Stop reading. Cover the text with your hand.

Think - Think about what you read.

Paraphrase - Paraphrase by quietly telling yourself what you read.

What if I’m Stuck

● Reread the text ● Look at the first or last line● Find key words● Use synonyms

Seek Clarification for Questions You Have

● What questions do you have about what you read?● What is something you would ask the author?

Ask quesions….● When you are curious about something.● When you want to make a prediction. ● When you want to think deeper about the topic.

Clarification could sound like this:

● I did not understand the part where___________.

● I need to know more about________.● The section about ________ was confusing.

Visualize

• Create a quick sketch• Make a mental image

“This involves the ability of readers to make mental images of a text as a way to understand processes or events they encounter during reading” (readingrockets.org).

“Visualizing can also be applied to the reading of expository texts, with readers visualizing steps in a process or stages in an event or creating an image to help them remember some abstract concept or important name” (readingrockets.org).

Make Connections - Marking the text

¤ Text to Self ¤ Text to Text ¤ Text to World

“Annotating or writing about what is read increases students’ retention and comprehension” (http://wsascd.org/downloads/Active_Reading_Strategies.pdf).

This part reminds me of… My life… The world… other texts… The character in this story

is like the character in…This happened in real life

Feel ●I can relate to the character! ●I feel an emotion rise up when I read this part of the

story.

*Which parts did you have an emotional connection to?

*How did YOU feel when you read this part?

At the end of the story, ________ probably felt _______. What made (character) feel_________?

Make Inferences

●What is something you can figure out about the story that the author didn’t tell you?

I think the author wants me to know… The author didn’t actually say… but I think… Things seem…

Answering Inference Questions!Right There

The answer is in the text, usually easy to find. The words used to make up the question and words used to answer the question are RIGHT THERE in the same sentence.

Author and You

The answer is not in the story. You need to think about what you already know, what the author tells you in the text, and how it fits together.

Think and Search

The answer is in the story, but you need to put together different story parts to find it. Words for the question and words for the answer are not found in the same sentence. They come from different parts of the text.

On My Own

The answer is not in the story. You can even answer the question without reading the story. You need to use your own experience.

Right There Questions Who_____? What_______? Where________? When_________? 

Think and Search Why_____? What cause_______? Tell me in your own words ________? What happened first, second or third? What are the characteristics of _______? Characters/Setting/Problem/Events/ Solution? 

Author and You What can you infer about ____’s feelings

in this section of the text? What do you predict will happen next?

Why do you think so? The setting is never stated but where

do you think the story is taking place? Why______? What if _______? What does the author mean when

______? Tell me the most important

reason_______? What are the themes of this text? Tell me the biggest problem_______? 

On My Own Do you think_____? How would you____? Which is better______? Would you agree that______? Were you ever ____? In your opinion _____? 

Right There Questions Who_____? What_______? Where________? When_________? 

Think and Search Why_____? What cause_______? Tell me in your own words ________? What happened first, second or third? What are the characteristics of _______? Characters/Setting/Problem/Events/ Solution? 

Author and You What can you infer about ____’s feelings

in this section of the text? What do you predict will happen next?

Why do you think so? The setting is never stated but where

do you think the story is taking place? Why______? What if _______? What does the author mean when

______? Tell me the most important

reason_______? What are the themes of this text? Tell me the biggest problem_______? 

On My Own Do you think_____? How would you____? Which is better______? Would you agree that______? Were you ever ____? In your opinion _____? Would it be better if _____? 

Right There Questions Who_____? What_______? Where________? When_________? 

Think and Search Why_____? What cause_______? Tell me in your own words ________? What happened first, second or third? What are the characteristics of _______? Characters/Setting/Problem/Events/ Solution? 

Author and You What can you infer about ____’s feelings

in this section of the text? What do you predict will happen next?

Why do you think so? The setting is never stated but where

do you think the story is taking place? Why______? What if _______? What does the author mean when

______? Tell me the most important

reason_______? What are the themes of this text? Tell me the biggest problem_______? 

On My Own Do you think_____? How would you____? Which is better______? Would you agree that______? Were you ever ____? In your opinion _____? Would it be better if _____? 

Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers can:

•Help students focus on text structure "differences between fiction and nonfiction" as they read•Provide students with tools they can use to examine and show relationships in a text•Help students write well-organized summaries of a text

After You Read

After Reading!

●What was the author trying to trying to say?●How could this be explained to someoneelse? ●What do I still want to know?

Review Questions

Review your questions for clarification!

●Did I answer my questions?●Were my predictions correct?

Think About the Purpose

●Were you able to address the reasons for why you were reading the selection?

Summarize

● What is the main idea? What are the supporting details?● What happened in the beginning, middle, and end?● Determine which events or ideas were the most important

and why?● Who, what, where, when, and why?

● Non-fiction summary: Focuses on important details/facts that help you create a main idea.

“This strategy involves the ability of readers to pull together, or synthesize information in a text so as to explain in their own words what the text is about. Summarizing is an important strategy because it can enable readers to recall text quickly. It also can make readers more aware of text organization, of what is important in a text and of how ideas are related” (readingrockets.org).

Compare

●Was this book like any books I have read?●How have what I read compare to other

information I have read about this topic?●How does my prior knowledge compare to

what I read?

Conclusion

● Think about the BIG picture!● Think about the text as a hole and form opinions about what you read. ● What do you think about the text?● You should be able to point to a reason why you have that opinion (the writer

was logical or illogical, the story was interesting or boring, the point made was important or not important).

What are my final thoughts, observations, conclusions about this text?

Talk About What You Read

●Talk about what you read with your peers or teacher.

●You can explain it!

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places

you'll go.”

― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Works CitedSeven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension. (n.d.). Retrieved March 25, 2016, from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/seven-strategies-teach-students-text-comprehension

Bursuck, W. D., & Damer, M. (2011). Teaching reading to students who are at risk or have disabilities: A multi-tier approach. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Helgeson, John. (2010). Being Active With Reading Strategies. http://wsascd.org/downloads/Active_Reading_Strategies.pdf

A quote by Vera Nazarian. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/308185-whenever-you-read-a-good-book-somewhere-in-the-world

I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved March 28, 2016, from https://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2333951-i-can-read-with-my-eyes-shut