Reading Comprehension Reading Comprehension Strategies for ELLsStrategies for ELLs

Note: This article originally appeared in ASCD Express: Vol 5, Issue 11, “Reading to Learn”Note: This article originally appeared in ASCD Express: Vol 5, Issue 11, “Reading to Learn”

ELLs will benefit from improved ELLs will benefit from improved comprehension skills which will comprehension skills which will

allow them to:allow them to:

Read more accurately.Read more accurately.

Follow a text or story more closely.Follow a text or story more closely.

Master new concepts in their content-area Master new concepts in their content-area classes.classes.

Complete assignments and assessments.Complete assignments and assessments.

Feel motivated to read in school and for Feel motivated to read in school and for pleasure.pleasure.

Build Background KnowledgeBuild Background Knowledge

Draw on students’ existing Draw on students’ existing knowledgeknowledge

Students may already possess content Students may already possess content knowledge that they cannot yet demonstrate in knowledge that they cannot yet demonstrate in English.English.Look for opportunities to make associations Look for opportunities to make associations between students’ experiences and new between students’ experiences and new content.content.Allow students to use their native language with Allow students to use their native language with peers for a quick brainstorm about what they peers for a quick brainstorm about what they know about a topic before presenting their ideas know about a topic before presenting their ideas to the whole class.to the whole class.

Build students’ background Build students’ background knowledgeknowledge

Students with limited or interrupted Students with limited or interrupted schooling may not have that same level of schooling may not have that same level of knowledge as their peers, especially when knowledge as their peers, especially when discussing historical or cultural topics.discussing historical or cultural topics.

Look for references that may need to be Look for references that may need to be explicitly explained.explicitly explained.

Take students on a “tour of the Take students on a “tour of the text”text”

Virtual TourVirtual Tour– Table of ContentsTable of Contents– GlossaryGlossary– Bold printBold print– Chapter HeadingsChapter Headings– Chapter SummariesChapter Summaries

Use a “picture-walk”Use a “picture-walk”

““Walk-through” the book with the students, Walk-through” the book with the students, pointing out pictures, illustrations, and pointing out pictures, illustrations, and other graphic elements.other graphic elements.

Ask them what they notice about the Ask them what they notice about the pictures and how they think those details pictures and how they think those details may be related to the story or content.may be related to the story or content.

Use outlines or graphic organizers Use outlines or graphic organizers to scaffold comprehensionto scaffold comprehension

Provide a brief, simple outline or graphic Provide a brief, simple outline or graphic organizer of a reading assignment or an organizer of a reading assignment or an oral discussion in advance of a new oral discussion in advance of a new lesson.lesson.

This will help ELLs pick out the important This will help ELLs pick out the important information as they listen or read.information as they listen or read.

Teach Vocabulary ExplicitlyTeach Vocabulary Explicitly

Focus on Key VocabularyFocus on Key Vocabulary

Choose vocabulary that your students Choose vocabulary that your students need to know in order to support their need to know in order to support their reading development and content-area reading development and content-area learninglearning

Provide student-friendly definitions for key Provide student-friendly definitions for key vocabulary.vocabulary.

Include signal and directional wordsInclude signal and directional words

Remember that students may also need Remember that students may also need explicit instruction in signal or directional explicit instruction in signal or directional words…words…– because, explainbecause, explain

……in addition to key content vocabularyin addition to key content vocabulary– photosynthesis, revolutionphotosynthesis, revolution

Use a “picture-walk” for vocabularyUse a “picture-walk” for vocabulary

Once students know a new word’s Once students know a new word’s definition, ask them to connect those new definition, ask them to connect those new words to the pictures they see in the text.words to the pictures they see in the text.

Teach students to actively engage Teach students to actively engage with vocabularywith vocabulary

Teach students to underline, highlight, Teach students to underline, highlight, make notes and list make notes and list unknown vocabulary unknown vocabulary wordswords as they read. as they read.

Give students practice with new Give students practice with new wordswords

Ensure that your students can:Ensure that your students can:– Define a wordDefine a word– Recognize when to use that wordRecognize when to use that word– Understand multiple meanings (i.e. Understand multiple meanings (i.e. partyparty))– Decode and spell that wordDecode and spell that word

Incorporate new words into Incorporate new words into discussions and activitiesdiscussions and activities

For students to really know a word, they For students to really know a word, they must use it – or they will lose it. must use it – or they will lose it.

Use new words in class discussions or Use new words in class discussions or outside of class in other contexts if outside of class in other contexts if appropriate, such as on field trips. appropriate, such as on field trips.

Give the students as many opportunities to Give the students as many opportunities to use and master the new vocabulary as use and master the new vocabulary as possible.possible.

Check Comprehension Check Comprehension FrequentlyFrequently

Use informal comprehension Use informal comprehension checkschecks

To test students’ ability to sequence To test students’ ability to sequence material, for example, print sentences from material, for example, print sentences from a section of the text on paper strips, mix a section of the text on paper strips, mix the strips and have students place them in the strips and have students place them in order.order.

Test comprehension with student-Test comprehension with student-friendly questionsfriendly questions

After reading, test students’ comprehension with After reading, test students’ comprehension with carefully crafted questions, using simple carefully crafted questions, using simple sentences and key vocabulary from the text. sentences and key vocabulary from the text.

These questions can be at the:These questions can be at the:– Literal level (Why do the leaves turn red and yellow in Literal level (Why do the leaves turn red and yellow in

the fall?)the fall?)– Interpretive level (Why do you think it needs water?)Interpretive level (Why do you think it needs water?)– Applied level (How much water are you going to give Applied level (How much water are you going to give

it? Why?)it? Why?)

Ask questions that require higher-Ask questions that require higher-level thinking skillslevel thinking skills

To probe for true comprehension, ask To probe for true comprehension, ask questions that require students to analyze, questions that require students to analyze, interpret, or explain what they have read, interpret, or explain what they have read, such as:such as:– What ideas can you add to…?What ideas can you add to…?– Do you agree? Why or why not?Do you agree? Why or why not?– What might happen if…?What might happen if…?– How do you think she felt…?How do you think she felt…?

Use Graphic OrganizersUse Graphic Organizers

Graphic organizers allow ELLs to organize Graphic organizers allow ELLs to organize information and ideas efficiently without information and ideas efficiently without using a lot of language.using a lot of language.

Venn diagrams, KWL Charts, Story Maps, Venn diagrams, KWL Charts, Story Maps, Cause-and-Effect charts and Timelines.Cause-and-Effect charts and Timelines.

Provide students lots of different Provide students lots of different ways to “show what they know”ways to “show what they know”

Drawings, graphs, oral interviews, posters Drawings, graphs, oral interviews, posters and portfolios are just a few ways that and portfolios are just a few ways that students can demonstrate understanding students can demonstrate understanding as they are beginning to develop their as they are beginning to develop their reading and writing skills in English.reading and writing skills in English.

SummarizeSummarize

Ask student to use the following strategies Ask student to use the following strategies to summarize what they have read (orally to summarize what they have read (orally or in writing):or in writing):– Retell what you read, but keep it short.Retell what you read, but keep it short.– Include only important information.Include only important information.– Leave out less important details.Leave out less important details.– Use key words from the text.Use key words from the text.