The development of reading: comprehension

1. The development of reading: comprehension Week 2 PGCE

2. Seminar learning intentions: • To become familiar with the essential components of reading comprehension • To know that reading comprehension is an active process of interaction between the reader and the text and that it is the product of decoding and listening comprehension • To understand the importance of oral skills and vocabulary development • To be aware of the influence of children’s own experiences and their socio-cultural context

3. The Simple View of Reading

4. The importance of story • Good comprehenders use their story knowledge to tell structurally coherent stories (Cain, 2003 p.348). • Story telling and learning stories can offer poor comprehenders the opportunity to improve and learn to tell their own stories and, in doing so, improve their comprehending ability (Cain, 2003).

5. What is reading comprehension? • making meaning from texts • understanding the text • making connections from existing knowledge • reflecting upon responses • monitoring own understanding • making decisions about which strategies will help clarify understanding • critically evaluating the text • engaging with the text Parker, M. & Hurry, J. (2007) ‘Teachers’ use of questioning and modelling comprehension skills in primary classrooms’ in Educational Review59, (3)

6. Listening to Emily read • As you listen to Emily, consider what kind of reader she is. • She’s in Year 1 in the summer term. • What does she know about word recognition? • What about her comprehension? • How would you respond to her reading? • What would you work on with her next?

7. How do we access comprehension? • Literal • closed, factual questions test recall • Questions which deepen understanding of the text: • Deductive • use clues in the text • Inferential • read between the lines, draw on world knowledge from life, books, films… • Evaluative • offers the reader the opportunity to bring their previous knowledge to the reading experience

8. Modelling strategies • Role of dialogic talk is crucial • Orientating the book: Teacher: Ok, so we think the story’s going to be about Katie, the girl in the middle, and her two grandmother’s, yeah? Let’s find out. (front cover) • Understanding character: Teacher: Grannie Mainland looks a little bit uncomfortable being on the island. I wonder if she feels over-dressed, let’s have a look at the picture. Her hands are clasped together and she’s wearing some very nice clothes. Do you think they would be suitable for a windy day? • Reflecting on what we’ve read: Teacher: I think this is a story about people learning about each other and finding out that they all have different qualities, which can be very important. Have you read other stories like this?

9. Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers, Marie Hedderwick • Our objective is to understand more about the characters of the two Grannies • The questioners should take it in turns to ask questions of both characters (feel free to ask others that are related to the plot) • How did you feel when Granma Mainland arrived/ when Grannie Island came to meet you? • How do you feel about the way Grannie/Granma dresses? • Do you think Katie Morag has a good life on the Island of Struay? • What do you think to Katie Morag having a two week holiday in the city with you Granma Mainland?

10. Differences in comprehension? • How do we make meaning when we read: • Fiction • Poetry • Non-fiction

11. Responding to poetry • Read the poem “Newcomers” on your own. • Work with a partner and take it in turns to either ask or answer the questions about the poem. • Having done this, can you work out the kinds of questions you were asking: • Evaluative? • Inferential? • Deductive? • Inferential? • Can you think of some more interesting questions about this poem that would prompt discussion about its possible meaning?

12. In order to comprehend, children need to: • apply their understanding of grammar • empathise with characters • understand that authors have a viewpoint and intention • understand figurative language, e.g. simile, metaphor, idiom, personification • understand text structure – narrative and non-fiction

13. Suggested follow up: • Reciprocal teaching - www.adrianbruce.com/reading/room4/recip/ • Teachers’ TV – KS1 English – Making Meaning www.teachers.tv/video/2509 • Teachers’ TV – CLPE: The Power of Reading www.teachers.tv/video/5475 For your learning journal: • Reflect on your experience of seeing a guided reading session in school • Think about what you’re doing, as a reader when you read silently – do you have different roles?

14. Reading • Hobsbaum, A., Gamble, N. & Reedy, D. (2002) Guided Reading: A handbook for teaching guided reading at Key Stage 2. London: Institute of Education Bibliography: Cain,K. (2003) ‘Text comprehension and its relation to coherence and cohesion in children’s fictional narratives.’ in British Journal of Developmental Psychology21, pp.335 - 351 Oakhill, J. & Garnham, A. (1988) Becoming a skilled reader. Oxford: Basil Blackwell Parker, M. & Hurry, J. (2007) ‘Teachers’ use of questioing and modelling comprehension skills in primary classrooms’ inEducational Review59, (3) Riley, J. & Elmer, C (2001) ‘P is for Possibly’ inThe Primary English Magazine, (October, 2001) Birmingham: Garth Publishing