Reading comprehension
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Definition
Reading comprehension - techniques for improving students' success in extracting useful knowledge from text (Mayer, p 34)
As defined by Partnership for Reading (2005), Reading comprehension is understanding a text that is read, or the process of "constructing meaning" from a text. Comprehension is a "construction process" because it involves all of the elements of the reading process working together as a text is read to create a representation of the text in the reader's mind.
Strategies for teaching comprehension
First, a teacher must realize that there is a difference between strategies, skills, and activities.
For instance, a skill is soemthing you can do; A strategy is something that helps you do that skill. Also, an activity is an action of the stratgey/idea where someone use phsyical/mental materials to act out the strategy. Essentially: Strategy - Activity - Skill
- K. Mattis
There are several strategies for teaching comprehension. I am going to focus on three strategies.
1. Making Connections
Readers make connections between books they read to their own lives. Children can make these connections with what they read to their lives. Teachers can help their students connect on a larger scale. They can connect things from books to real world happenings. By doing this, it enhances the students' understanding.
Teachers can develop their instruction around certain components that help readers find the connections and help them comprehend. The genre can range from fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc. When the reader experiences these and become more familiar with each type of genre, they learn the special characteristics and conventions of the genre. The reader also can learn about how authors write about certain themes, topics, or issues. Readers can usually find a topic they can enjoy from an author. Also the style the author writes in can influence an appretiation from the reader.
At first, making connections can be difficult. The student learns from modeling by the teacher and peers. The student learns that making connections help with understanding. They learn that prior knowledge helps them make the important connections.
2. Questioning
Questions are the key to understanding. They take us into understanding. Students need to feel that their questions are important. We as teachers need to model by asking and answering questions. When students ask questions they have a desire to learn for understanding. This leads to comprehension.
There are several different ways a teacher can use quesioning in their lessons. One is the teacher can share their own questions they may have when they are reading. By doing this, it shows that even adults have questions about what they read. Another strategy that may work for questioning is the use of a book of questions. When the students are reading and they have a question about something, the students can make a list of questions. When the class is discussing the reading, the class can help answer the students' questions. Teachers seem to focus on questions that quiz the students to see what they know about a topic. Teachers are starting to focus on a different type of question. This question is the question that they may not know the answer to. This question may require research by the teacher and the class. Another question is one that they wonder about. These are the types of questions that are likely to bring about understanding and meaning for the students.
3. Visualizing and Inferring
Visualizing is creating pictures in our minds. When students visualize, they create their 'own movie' in their minds. Teachers can use picture books that do not have words to help the students make their mental movies.
When we read we create an image in our mind. We create an amalgam - the conclusion we draw, the interpretation we create (Keene, p 126). We read and create this image with what we know or have experienced. Things come alive when we use sensory images. Teachers can help give these images through lessons that evoke the thought processes.
Inferring is being able to read body languages and expressions while reading the text. To help the students find inferrences in picture books is to focus on the illustrations. The pictures give clues to help gain meaning.
Inferring is the process of taking that which is stated in text and extrapolating it to one's life to create a wholly original interpretation that, in turn, becomes part of one's beliefs or knowledge (Keene, p 153). It is also using one's imagination or the use of prediction. Teachers need to have their students try to make conclusions about the reading and make reasonable predicitions.
4. Fluency and Decoding - Essentially, is the student able to read fluidly?
Phonics - knowing that sounds and writing have a relationship
Phonemic Awareness - knowing that sounds and symbols have a relationship
- Speech - Pre-requisite to further abilities
- Spelling/Writing - Isolation/Manipulation of letters/words
Phonological - sounds; hearing
Decoding - saying word; pronunciation
- Decoding Chart:
Phonemic Awareness ocurrs from BIRTH through 1st Grade
Phonics ocurrs from KINDERGARTEN through 2nd Grade
Structural Analysis ocurrs from 2nd Grade and onward
- Activity - Informal Phonics Survey used for 1st grade and above
- Spelling Inventory such as DRA, QRI, or Rigby
Fluency - no need for pause or chunking word
- Activity - Fry Sight-Word Test
Sight Words - automaticity; just know the word without much thought process
Vocabulary - knowing and understanding word meaning
Strategic Reading
The term strategic reading refers to thinking about reading in ways that enhance learning and understanding (Harvey, p 16). Students do no only need to understand a strategy, they need to know when, how, and why to use them. In order to do this the reader needs to use metacognitive knowledge. Teachers need to teach several different strategies to help students use and apply them. Perkins and Swartz (Perkins, 1992) have defined four levels of metacognitive knowledge that are helpful for gaining understanding. These levels show the progress of the reader's thinking.
1. Tacit readers - readers who lack awareness of how they think when they read
2. Aware readers - readers who realize when meaning has broken down or confusion has set in but who may not have sufficient strategies for fixing the problem
3. Strategic learners - readers who use the thinking and comprehension strategies to enhance understanding and acquire knowledge
4. Reflective readers - readers who are strategic about their thinking and are able to apply strategies flexibly depending on their goals or purposes for reading (Harvey, p 17)
Teachers need to monitor the students' progress in reading. When they do this, the students should succeed with the proper guidance from the teacher.
Personal experiences
One of my professors in library school advises librarians to ask questions about books that do not have a specific answer. Even better, ask a question you do not know the answer to. Students can have great discussions about the books through these questions, and at the same time, improve their reading comprehension as they discuss. L. Weinstein
I went to a Project CRISS workshop this year and really enjoyed their strategies for helping reading comprehension, specifically in the area of non-fiction texts. This program gave an amazing amount of strategies that can be applied to any text and that students can get comfortable with to use independently. I really recommend looking into this program to help students' reading comprehension in the classroom. --Annie Craig, 2nd Grade Teacher
I use several of these reading comprehension strategies in my classroom. When we are reading a book as a class, we always stop and take the time to connect the book to something we have experienced or have learned about previously. I really enjoy discussing these things with my students. I feel as if I get to know the students on a different level. What I mean by this is I get to know them on a more personal level and the same for them when it comes to myself. We become real people and not just a name. For the questioning strategy, I use QAR. This is question/answer relationships. There are 4 different types of QAR questions.
1. Right There - The answer is in the text and usually easy to find.
2. Think and Search - The answer is in the selection, but you need to put together different pieces of information to find it.
3. 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.
4. On My Own - The answer is not in the selection. You can even answer the question without reading the selection. You need to use your own experience. This question brings our their prior knowledge.
My students come up with their own QAR questions and we use them to help with class discussion of the reading.
Reading comprehension is such an incredibly important skill. Most hearing impaired students do not progress past a 6th grade reading level. I find one of the best methods is to read with my student and then have him retell the story. We do this several times until the student actually tells the story accurately. R. Hall
I teach English as a Second Language and many of my students struggle with reading comprehension. I have had teachers amazed because their student who recently came from another country is able to read with fluency. Many of these students are able to decode and read text, but when asked questions about it, they are unsure. The comprehension of the text is difficult for them. That is why they are able to do great in subjects like Math, but once those story problems come, they struggle. It is important for English language learners to be able to express their comprehension in various ways such as a drawing response, oral response or written response. This way they will gradually gain comprehension as they continue to build their vocabulary and English. JP
A good book to read on teaching reading comprehension strategies in the primary grades is Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller. I found it very helpful. E. Elrick
I agree that Reading with Meaning is a great source for comprehension as E. Elrick mentioned above. My first graders do so much with reading comprehension that so many people can not beleive what a first grader is capable of doing. It is so important that young children understand that when they read they should not only be able to read the words fluently, but to also comprehend the story. -R.U.
Unlike most of the testimonials so far, mine involves reading and mathematics. I teach a seniors-only statistics class at our local high school. Most of the assignments I give require the students to read a word problem and pick out the relevant data. This means knowing what data they need, what key terms to look for in the problem and ways to avoid extranneous information. It amazes me how many of my students, in their final year of high school, have trouble finding the necessary information correctly. I praise every teacher that has made it their life's mission to teach reading to a child or adult. MFoshee
In my high school class, we use various reading strategies in order to promote inquiry and focus while reading. Giving students reading devices to look for, such as Inference, Metaphor, Pretext, gives students a means by which to label the elements in the text that give the text extra meaning and rich dynamics. Students will use something like Inferences in order to explore the answer to an inquiry we set up before the unit starts. For instance, for Fahrenheit 451 we will ask, "What is a the mature response to corruption?" Students will aim to answer what maturity is, particularly in relation to Montag (the main character) and others actions. They can use the Reading Devices, like an Inference, to assist in making meaning of the text as well. These kinds of strategies engage the student with the text and gives the activity of reading a purpose while also allowing the teacher and class a starting point for discussions and written responses. ~ B. Chambers
Websites
EdHelper.com Reading Comprehension Stories and Worksheets
And for a wealth of outstanding researched-based links, see Reading Comprehension
References
Harvey, Stephanie, Anne Goudvis. (2000). Strategies That Work. Markham, Ontario: Pembroke Publishers Limited.
Keene, Ellin, Susan Zimmerman. (1997). Mosaic of Thought. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Mayer, Richard. (2003). Learning and Instruction. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc.
"Partnership for Reading." http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/. Retrieved December 11, 2005.
