| Classroom Applications |
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| In response to reflection on Cris Tovani�s I Read It, But I Don�t Get It I plan to make the following changes in my instruction |
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| Add Thinking Aloud to model comprehension strategy use when I read aloud to students. And include reading aloud as a regular part of the curriculum in all subjects using a variety of texts.
Students commonly assume that meaning is magically associated to text when they read. While association of meaning may be automatic when reading easier text, the association of meaning requires more thinking when more difficult text is encountered. By verbalizing thinking processes like reflection and questioning when I read out loud, I can model what happens in my own mind when I�m reading. I make the hidden process of strategy use to create meaning explicit. By hearing how I set a purpose for my reading, students get a picture of how to do it theselves. They can observe that I do not understand everything I read and that I use various different strategies to improve my understanding depending on the problem that I encounter. The Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills document outlines a complete list of strategies that support reading comprehension organized appropriately to reflect the needs of student reading development: -reading for different purposes -connecting text with background knowledge and experience -monitoring reading comprehension and making strategy adjustments when meaning breaks down -visualizing -using text structure to aid comprehension -summarizing text -drawing inferences -using study strategies By Thinking Aloud when I read to students, I can model each appropriate strategy depending on the text and the purpose for reading. Incorporating the practice on a regular basis in all subject areas ensures greater coverage of the strategies, yielding more modeling for students to build on when they read independently. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6-8 TEKS 110.21-23 (10) English I, II, III TEKS 110.42-44 (7) English IV TEKS 110..45 (8) Reading I, II, III TEKS 110.47 (3) & (5) |
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| Use Retelling to check for student comprehension of reading..
Retelling accomplishes several goals. First, as the student thinks about what s/he read the process of verbalization helps the reader to construct meaning. Second, re-telling reinforces the expectation that reading should be meaningful. Third, it is a quick and reliable assessment method for determining whether students are reading with comprehension. And fourth, it is useful for determining at what point in the text comprehension declined. In the past, students I�ve worked with one-on-one have resisted retelling. Because I have not sufficiently valued the usefulness of re-telling as a tool for promoting comprehension and oral expression, I have not insisted on its practice. However, I now see that re-telling is a powerful, simple, low resource tool that would be efficacious in my teaching situation overseas. Re-telling is a form of summarization. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills targets summarization as a reading comprehension sub skill for all levels of language arts instruction for grades 6-12 including remedial reading and ESL Students in grades 6-9 are expected to be able to determine the main ideas in a text and identify details that contribute to the main idea. As a separate subskill, all students in grades 6-2 should be able to paraphrase and summarize text in order to demonstrate recall, inform others about what they read, and help them organize their thoughts about the text. More proficient students in grades 10-12 who are enrolled in regular and advanced English classes are also expected to hone their summarization skills. Through re-telling, students have the opportuni ty to practice summarizing in a manner that reflects their developmental level and build their reading comprehension English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6-8 TEKS 110.21-23 (10F & G) English I TEKS 110.42 (7 F & G) English II, III TEKS 110.43-45 (7F) English IV TEKS 110..45 (8F) Reading I, II, III TEKS 110.47 (5G) |
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| Teach students to use access tools which lead readers to set a purpose for their reading and hold on to their thinking as they process text:. Access Tools support and guide students as they begin to practice various reading strategies modeled by the teacher. It takes a while for students to become automatic in applying enough reading strategies to comprehend when they are reading. While they are becoming more aware of various reading strategies and becoming more adept at using them, it is possible for students to lose direction. These tools can be used with all kinds of readers to support them in applying appropriate strategies when they encounter text that is difficult for them. Marking Text and Double Entry Diaries are access tools that are adaptable to all reading situations and text because they require few supplies and no preparation. Students can use these tools to construct meaning throughout their lifetimes whenever they encounter difficult text. For Marking Text, students use sticky notes or make annotations in the text margin that relate to questions they have, connections to background knowlege, inferences, etc. Double Entry Diaries can be focused on a single strategy or on multiple strategies. The reader records a quote from the book in the left hand column and writes a reflection or response to that part of the text in the right hand column. Comprehension Constructors require teacher preparation. Similar to a reading guide, they direct the reader to attend to specific structures, questions etc. Comprehension Constructors may be created for genre responses as well as for specific pieces of literature. All of these tools direct student�s thinking about the text so that they are led to create a meaningful purpose for their reading. In addition, these tools help students to keep track of their thinking while they experiment with various reading strategies. Thus, this instructional strategy supports all facets of Reading Comprehension development. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6-8 TEKS 110.21-23 (10) English I, II, III TEKS 110.42-44 (7) English IV TEKS 110..45 (8) Reading I, II, III TEKS 110.47 (3) & (5) |
| Teach students to recognize the signs of reading confusion and lead them to make adjustments in their reading when meaning breaks down.
Readers are often unaware of when they are not fully engaged in making meaning. In order to help them be more aware, common signs associated with disengagement can be explicitly taught. Then, once the students recognize their failure to understand the text, they can experiment with fix-up strategies to improve their comprehension. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills targets developing an awareness of understanding during reading and experimenting with various strategies to increase understanding when meaning breaks down across all grade levels and all types of instruction from grade 6-12. English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 6-8 TEKS 110.21-23 (7C) English , II, III TEKS 110.42-44.(7C) English , II, III TEKS 110.45 (8C) Reading I, II, III TEKS 110.147 (5A) |
| Use Picture Story Books to introduce and reinforce making inferences when reading. Making inferences requires abstract reasoning that extends beyond the text. It is a difficult concept for many students to grasp. However, by using Picture Story Books students can experience success and recognize that they know how to make inferences in some situations. This experience provides scaffolding as they experiment with making inferences in more difficult text.Teach students to know the signs of reading confusion and lead them to monitor their own comprehension. Readers are often unaware of when they are not fully engaged in making meaning. In order to help them be more aware, common signs associated with disengagement can be explicitly taught. Then, once the students recognize their failure to understand the text, they can experiment with fix-up strategies to improve their comprehension. The ability to draw inferences from text is an essential skill identified as contributing to Reading Comprehension at all levelsTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills . Throughout their secondary school years, students continue to develop their understanding of what is important in text and how to use the important elements to extend their understanding beyond what is explicitly stated in the text. English Language Arts and Reading Grade 6-8: TEKS 110.21-23 (10H & J) English I TEKS 110.42 (7H ) English II, III TEKS 110.43-44 (7G) English IV TEKS 110.45 (8G) Reading I, II, III TEKS 110.47 (5H) |
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