Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Development

November 3, 2005

Comprehension is “The Point”

“. . . reader’s process of using prior experiences and the author’s text to construct meaning that is useful to that reader for a specific purpose.” (p. 252)

Theories of Comprehension

• Schema Theory

• Mental/Situation Models

Factors Affecting Comprehension

• Decoding and fluency skills • Vocabulary • Background knowledge • Academic vs. conversational vocabulary• Understanding structure of written

language • Processing abilities• Understanding the purpose for a reading• Cognitive abilities/skills

Comprehension is “The Point”

“. . . reader’s process of using prior experiences and the author’s text to construct meaning that is useful to that reader for a specific purpose.” (p. 252)

Assessing Reading Comprehension• Graded passage with comprehension

questions

• Story re-telling

• Think-alouds (to see how student is attempting comprehension

• Assessing background knowledge

• Maze:

Jose went to the fair. He had to go through a big (hole/gate/tunnel) to get into the fair.

Jose ate lots of good (food/mud/it). He had fun at the (dance/zoo/fair).

• Picture Cards: story re-tellings; answering comprehension questions

Assessing Reading Comprehension

Teachers who were excellent at facilitating comprehension:

• Built language at every opportunity (Vocabulary)

• Activated/built students’ background knowledge (schema)

• Provided a purpose for reading• Followed up on that purpose after reading• Taught prediction• Continuously motivated students to read for

meaning• Taught strategies to identify the main idea

Example Strategy:Read -- Ask -- Paraphrase (RAP)

• Read paragraph to yourself.

• Ask yourself what is the main idea.

• Put the paragraph into your own words and tell it to your partner.

• Switch roles.

Story Grammar Questioning

1. Read the story and construct a story grammar using the elements you identified

2. Write one question for each of the major story elements.

3. Ask student to answer story grammar questions (using blank story map OR orally OR in pairs OR in small groups)

Vocabulary Development

• Children typically learn approximately 3,000 words per year!

• Gain new vocabulary through school (instruction) and through family activities, trips, hobbies, reading independently, etc.

Stages of Word Learning(adapted from Dade & O’Rourke, 1971)

• I never saw it before!

• I’ve heard of it or I can pronounce it, but I don’t know what it means.

• I recognize it in context - It has something to do with. . .; I know one of its meanings

• I know it. I know what it means and can use it in several ways or contexts.

What the Student Knows Instruction Needed

Knows word when hears it but doesn’t recognize printed form.

Teach printed form.

Knows word’s oral and written form but doesn’t use it in speech or writing.

Promote generative knowledge. Give examples of its use; clarify word; encourage its use in a safe environment.

Knows the concept but not the label. Teach the label and relate it to the concept.

Has partial knowledge of the word. Knows definition but doesn’t have contextual knowledge.

Develop a deeper meaning of the word; examine the word in multiple contexts.

Recognizes the label but has no real conceptual knowledge of the concept. Or knows the word’s “everyday” meaning but not how it might be used in a technical sense.

Develop the concept.  

Does not know either concept or the label.

Develop the concept and the label.

What it is and What is Isn’t:

It is:

hardIt isn’t:

soft

Comprehension Repair Strategies

• Click – Clunk– Read on.– Reread sentence.– Reread paragraph or section.– Look for information from a resource such as

a dictionary or glossary.– Ask someone else for help.

Content through reading guides

• Teacher can develop guide questions or student or small group can develop questions.

• Students can work with guides independently or in small groups.

Content through strategy use

RAP Graphic Organizers

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA)

K-W-L

Say-Something Paired Reading

Question-Answer-Relationship Guide

Admit-Exit Strategy

Content through modifications to text

Increased font size

Braille

Highlighted texts

Content through varying mediums

Tape-recorded books

Books on CD

Buddy-reading

E-books

www.academicmaterials.com/ entrance.htm

Content through Read-Alouds

• Teacher reads a selection aloud to entire class– Good as ‘grabbers’/hooks– Allow students to focus on content vs.

decoding– May aid in memory b/c of multiple avenues of

input– Model fluent oral reading (support language

acquisition for ELL students)

Content through Shared Reading

• Teacher reads aloud while students are looking at text– Be explicit about the purpose of the reading

– Model and teach a specific strategy (e.g., inference, text features, map reading)

• Provide a follow-up activity that allows students to practice the modeled strategy