Strategies to Increase Reading Comprehension (Expository/Narrative texts)

1. Strategies to Increase Reading Comprehension (Expository/Narrative texts) Rebecca McMurrin 7th Grade English Room 42

2. VisualsWhy should I do this? • Gives context to the vocabulary and content. • Reinforces meaning.

3. Provide visuals to enhance learning and vocabulary acquisition.How can I use this with my students? • Identify the vocabulary. • Collect visuals. • Reproduce and organize visuals. • Engage students. • Visual Prediction Log • Archive visuals. • Resources for obtaining visuals. • Magazines. • Internet (google, yahoo, etc.). • Photographs. • Old textbooks. • Your own drawings.

4. Examples of ways visuals can be used. • “Into” activity for reading a passage, section, or narrative. • Discussion stimulator/Socratic Seminar text. • Question relationships. • Summarize readings.

5. What do you see in these pictures?

14. Provide opportunities for them to talk about what they’ve read or know. • LINK • Talk Show • PowerPoint Presentation

15. LINKList, Inquire, Note, Know Why should I try this? • Helps students activate prior knowledge and arouse interest in new content.

16. LINK ProceduresHow do I do this with my students? • Display the term or concept on an overhead transparency of a chalkboard. • List: Give students 3 minutes to list on paper any words they may associate with the concept. • Display their responses on the overhead transparency or chalkboard. To ensure maximum participation, ask for one response from each student in class. • Inquire: Students ask other students about items on the list. The teacher’s role at this stage is largely passive and neutral. The purpose of this activity is to allow students to share and elaborate on their understanding. Let them discover their errors and difficulties. • Note: Turn off the overhead projector or erase words on the chalkboard. Then instruct the students to turn over their papers and write down everything that comes to mind from prior experience and class discussion in response to the term or concept on the board. Limit the time for brainstorming to one minute. One variation is to have students write a definition of the concept. • Know: Students are now ready to read the passage. After reading, they may be asked to note what they now know after they have encountered new material.

17. LINK Example • Civil Rights

19. Talk ShowWhy? • Explores various points of view. • Works across disciplines; very adaptable. • Accountable talk. • Higher-level thinking. • Multiple modalities strengthened.

20. Talk ShowHow do I do this with my students? • Choose an appropriate topic. • Explain and model the strategy. • Give them guided practice (prepare and practice, can use question stems). Use index cards to guide interviewer. • Present to class.

21. PowerPoint PresentationWhy? • They can often give oral reports more easily than written ones. • Slides are less intimidating than written pages. • Can be used in combination with visuals which helps the listeners comprehend. • Basics of program can be taught in 5 minutes. • Can be used across disciplines (research projects in any subject, tell or re-tell stories, demonstrate math processes, etc.). • Gives them visual cues to help eliminate anxiety during oral presentation/speech.

22. PowerPoint PresentationHow do I do this with my students? • Have them pick a topic. • Have them gather their materials, brainstorming graphic organizers, etc. • Spend 5 minutes or less teaching them the basics: entering text, inserting new slides, copying/pasting pictures. • Explain the expectations of assignments. Let them play with the program.

23. PowerPoint Presentation Examples

24. The Clay Marble Culture and Celebration By: Farzad Mansoory & Jonathan Santos

25. (This is the flag of Cambodia)

26. Cambodian New Year • Cambodian New Year is celebrated in 14, 15, and 16th of April • Major holiday because of it’s length but even more because of it’s cultural significance. It is the one time of the year when all the commerce stops. • On this day all businesses close and almost all the streets are empty. (Dittmeier)

27. Cambodian New Year • During the Khmer New Year Cambodians celebrate by having fun activities • Boat Racing, and wearing special kinds of hats is an example of these activities • All families get together and exchange gifts and love • New Year is also seen as thanksgiving because they cook lots of food for the whole family to eat.

28. Cambodian New Year • During New Year they use a tiger, dragon, or snake as the new year symbol • During the month of April, Cambodians spend their time preparing for New Year • They also clean and decorate their house with candles, lights, and star shaped lanterns. • During the first three days of New Year people go to the Pagodas to offer the monks food

29. Cambodian New Year • Cambodians have many activities that they do on New Years Dancing Boating

30. Cambodian Traditions • When someone dies, his/her family have a ceremony • People go to the person’s house and eat boh-boh, boiled rice with some meat and herbs mixed in to make a porridge • They have the ceremonies on the seventh, thirtieth, and one year after the death • As people arrive, they greet the family and give money in a silver cup to show their love for the person that died • There is also a book to record the names of the people that came and how much money they put in the silver cup • After eating the rice, they separate because it is hard to talk to the family when they are so sad

31. Cambodian Traditions • One of the most important Cambodian traditions are dances • These dances include:

32. Works Cited • Dittmeier, Charlie. "Khmer New Year 2005." Cambodian Culture Main Page. 26 Apr. 2005 <http://www.parish-without-borders.net/cditt/cambodia/culture/2005/khmer%20new%20year/kny-main.htm>.