COMPREHENSION

1. COMPREHENSION Reading First Stonewall Resort Fall ’07 -adapted from presentations by Dr. Joe Torgenson and Dr. Anita Archer

2. Before Reading passages • Teach the pronunciation of difficult to read words. • Teach the meaning of critical, unknown vocabulary words. • Teach or activate any necessary background knowledge. • Preview the story or article.

3. Pronunciation • If students can read the words in a passage accurately and fluently, their reading comprehension will be enhanced.

4. Pronunciation • Carefully and systematically teach and review decoding skills that have been introduced in the core reading program.

5. Pronunciation • Teach before passage is read: • Program indication • Difficult text • Outside core program • Pre-teach to struggling readers small group. • Focus on accuracy, then fluency. • Blend with vocabulary instruction

6. Pronunciation of difficult words Selection of words • Provided by core program • If not, preview passage to select • Divide words into 2 categories: • Tell Words – irregular words, words with untaught elements and foreign words • Strategy Words – words that can be decoded with minimal assistance

7. 1. Tell words • This word is ______________. • What word? ______________ • Spell and read the word. __________________________ Examples: there along upon woman

8. 2. Strategy words • Single syllable words • Precorrect the difficult part of the word Look at the underlined letters. What sound? ___________ Sound out the word. (Pause) What word? ____________ rain boat seed

9. 2. Strategy words • Multisyllabic words • Segment into decodable parts. • Guide students in reading each part. What part?___________ What part? __________ What part?___________ What part?___________ Condensation atmosphere If any element is unknown, simply tell students the pronunciation of the element.

10. Meaning • If students understand the meaning of critical vocabulary in the passage, their comprehension will be enhanced.

11. Meaning • High-quality Classroom Language • Reading Aloud to Students • Explicit Vocabulary Instruction • Word-learning Strategies • Wide Independent Reading

12. Meaning • Attributes of good vocabulary instruction • Multiple exposures • Definitional information and contextual information • Sufficient amount of instructional time to insure understanding of words • Active engagement in instruction

13. Meaning • Select limited number for robust, explicit vocabulary instruction. • 3 to 10 words per story for expanded instruction would be appropriate. • Briefly tell the meaning of all other words that are needed for comprehension.

14. Meaning • Words that are unknown. • Words that are critical to passage understanding. • Words that students are likely to encounter in the future and are generally useful. • “Goldilocks Words” • Not too difficult • Not too easy • Just right

15. Meaning

16. Meaning • Teach words AFTER you have read a story to your students and BEFORE students read a selection.

17. Routine of Isabel Beck • Introduce word • Student-friendly explanation • Illustrate with examples • Ask deep processing questions • Examples & non-examples • Generate own examples • Story starter & then complete sentence

18. Review • “Word association” Activity enemy, disgusting, invited, relieved “Tell me the word that I am thinking about. Someone that hates you might be called an _____. If you didn’t like a food, you might say it is _______. When a test is over, you often feel ________________. When you are asked to a party, you are ________. “

19. Review • “Choose” activity enemy, disgusting, invited, relieved • “If you felt relieved after a test, was the test probably easy or difficult? • If an enemy gave you the answers before a test, would you believe the answers to be correct or incorrect? • If the food was disgusting, would you ask for more or spit it up? • If you were invited to a party, would you be asked to come or to stay away?

20. Background knowledge • If students have the background knowledge required by a passage, their comprehension will be enhanced.

21. Background knowledge • Teach it! • Strategy # 1 – Introduce as stated in core program. Actively engage students. • Strategy # 2 – “Front load” by teaching additional background knowledge. • Strategy # 3 – Prior to reading, select a read aloud that provides necessary background knowledge.

22. Activate background knowledge • Strategy # 1 – Ask questions and engage in discussion to activate • Strategy # 2 – KWL strategy • Strategy # 3 – Brainstorm topics/questions that might be covered

23. Preview • If students preview a passage, their comprehension will be enhanced.

24. Preview • Discover the content to be covered. • Learn what is emphasized. • Organized • Activate background knowledge • Interest level

25. Preview - narrative • Read title. Predict the content of story • Preview the illustrations/pictures. Predict the content of the passage.

26. Preview – Expository/Informational • Read title and predict content. • Read introduction and ask “What will we learn in this passage?” • Read headings and subheadings. Predict. • Read the summary.

27. Preview • Warm – Up – Science, Social Studies, Health • BEGINNING • Title • Introduction • MIDDLE • Headings • Subheadings • END • Summary • Questions

28. Quick Notes from Dr. Archer and Dr. Torgenson • Comprehension instruction must mirror the core program to show and continue student gains. • Sustain the level of intensity • There’s no way to teach perfect when children are present. • To comprehend, students must be first taught how to respond. • Decoding is necessary but not sufficient for comprehension.

29. Multisyllabic words –Many students do not read them; but the problem is that English uses them. • Learn the rhythm of teaching. • Reading First is not about being perfect, but teaching more students to read every year. • Scaffold the probability that students can successfully answer the question. Scaffold before, NOT after reading the passage to ensure student understanding.

30. Questions • Books