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RevisitingComprehension:TheRoleofTextComplexity,BackgroundKnowledge,andDeeperComprehension

LindaDorn,PhD.ArkansasReadingAssociationConference

November17,2016

ThisNotesPageconsolidateskeyslidesfromthePowerPointpresentation.ThreeQuestionstoFrametheLearningGoals1. Whatiscomprehension?2. Whatistheroleofexperienceinmakingmeaningforsomethingnew?3. Whatistheroleofthetextinactivatingthereader’sbackgroundknowledgefor

constructingmeaning?4. Howcanteacherscreatetheconditionstoactivate,clarify,andextendmeanings?WhatisComprehension?Comprehensionisareflectionoftheinnerworkingsofthehumanmind.Itishowweinterpretthingsinourworldbasedonourmemoriesandexperiences.Textsactivatethosementalassociationsandexpandourknowledgethroughmeaningfulrelationships.Inaliteratesociety,thetextisaspecialtoolforactivatingrelevantassociationswithinthereader’smindinordertounderstandsomethingnew.Whennewinformationistestedagainstoldinformation,somethingnewiscreated.WhattheReaderBrings• Cognitivecapabilities(attention,memory,analyticability,inferencing,

visualization)• Motivation(apurposeforreading,interestinthecontent,self-efficacyasa

reader)• Knowledge(vocabulary,topicknowledge,strategicknowledge)• Linguisticanddiscourseknowledge• BackgroundexperiencesWhattheTextBrings• Surfacecode(printedword)• Textbase(author’sideas)• Textconventions(textstructuresandfeatures)• Symboliclanguage(hiddenmeaningswithinwords)TwoLevelsofMeaningSurfaceMeaning–LiteralrecallofconcreteinformationwithinthetextDeeperMeaning–HiddenmessageswithintextthataregroundedinabstractthinkingandintellectualworkThreeTypesofBackgroundKnowledge1. Topic(content)knowledge

– Whatisthetopictobelearned?2. Strategicknowledge

– WhatstrategiesshouldIusetohelpmelearnthecontent?3. TextStructure/ConventionsKnowledge

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– Whatstructuresandfeaturesoftextdoestheauthorusetohelpmeunderstandthecontent?

ThreeQuestionstoKeeptheFocusonMeaning1. Whatdoesthereaderalreadyknowthatrelatestothetextmeaning?2. Whatdoestheauthorwantthereadertoknowaboutthetextmeaning?3. Whatcantheteacherdotoscaffoldthereader’smeaning-makingprocess?Whatdistinguishessimplemeaningsfromcomplexmeanings?SimpleTexts ComplexTextsMeaning MeaningSinglelayersofmeaning MultiplelayersofmeaningSimpleplotstructure ComplexplotstructureExplicitpurpose Implicit,hiddenpurposeSingletheme MultiplethemesCommonexperiences DistinctlydifferentexperiencesSingleperspective Perspectiveunlikeorinoppositiontoone’sownComfortable,safeissues World(critical)issuesEmergentcomprehension Deep,analyticalcomprehensionKnowledgeDemandsWithinTextsSimpleText ComplexTextSingletheme ComplexorSophisticatedThemeCommon,everydayexperiences Experiencesdistinctlydifferentfromone’sownSingleperspectiveor Perspectivesunlikeownorinoppositiontoone’sperspectiveunlikeone’sown own

Meaningistheultimategoalofallreading.Whenreadingformeaning,thebrainisactivelyengagedinacomplexprocessoftransformingold(existing)informationintonewinformation.

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TenCognitiveProcessingStrategies1) Activating 6)Analyzing2) Planning 7)Categorizing3) Predicting 8)Searching4) Inferring 9)Monitoring5) Visualizing 10)Regulating

TenComprehensionStrategies

1. Rereadingtextforcloseranalysis2. Previewingorsurveyingtext3. Askingquestionsbefore,during,andafterreading4. Readingaloudtoclarifymeaning5. Usingstorystructure,genre,andwritingconventions6. Usingtextfeaturestoilluminateandextendmeaning7. Annotatingtextsandrecordingnotes8. Usingcontextandwordpartstoinfermeaning9. Writingaboutreading10. Discussingideaswithothers

Source:Dorn&Soffos.2005.TeachingforDeepComprehension:AReadingWorkshopApproach.Stenhouse.StrategiesforMakingMeaningfromLiteraryText• Strategiesforunderstandingtheauthor’smessageandoverallthem• Strategiesforunderstandingtherelationshipbetweencharacters,actions, problems,solutions,settings,andotherpossibilitiesStrategiesforMakingMeaningfromInformationalText• Strategiesforunderstandingthetopicorargumentandideas• StrategiesforunderstandingtherelationshipbetweenscientificconceptsExamplesofUniversalThemes

• Relationships• ChangeOverTime• Wisdom–ChoicesandConsequences• CauseandEffect• StruggleBetweenGoodandEvil• ManVersusNature• QuestforDiscovery• War–Glory,necessity,pain,tragedy• WilltoSurvive

ExamplesofCharacterTraits• Acceptance–characterswhorespectandacceptothers’differencesand

beliefs• Courage–characterswhohavethestrengthtoovercomefearoracceptarisk• Perseverance–characterswhonevergiveupevenwhenfacingdifficult

times

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• Cooperation–characterswhoworktogethertosolveaproblemorachieveagoal

• Compassion–characterswhowanttomakethosewhoaresufferingfeelbetter

• Honesty–characterswhofinditisbesttoalwaystellthetruth• Kindness–characterswhoaregenerousorconsiderationofothers• Loyalty–characterswhotrusteachotherandneverturntheirbackson

friends

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ThreeBigIdeas1) Comprehensionisthemind’sabilitytomakesenseoflife-ahumansurvival mechanismthatallowsustofunctionwithoutchaos.Otherwise,wewould beramblingaroundwithnosenseofdirectionorpurpose.Withoutmeaning, thereisnopurposebehindhumanactions.2) Thereader’sbackgroundknowledgeisessentialtomeaning-making.Ifwe lackthebackgroundexperiencetointerpretthetext–nomatterhow beautifullywrittenorhowwellwehavetaughtit–canbenonsensetothe reader.3) Tounderstandamessage,themindmustintegratemultiplepiecesof informationandself-correctanyproblemsthatinterferewithmeaning.This isdeliberateandreflectivethinking.Withoutmeaning,thegoalofreading becomesasenselessact.