Comprehension+tips

Reading without comprehension or understanding is not reading. Many children pronounce words fluently but when asked what they have just read, they are unable to respond.

So what makes a reader a good reader? A good reader is someone who has a purpose for reading, whether it is to look for specific information or to read for pleasure. A good reader is involved in a complicated thinking process as he or she reads. There are strategies that we can teach children to help them to become purposeful, active readers.

//THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTS WAYS TO HELP READERS MAKE USE OF THESE STRATEGIES AS THEY READ.//

MAKE PREDICTIONS Predictions encourage active reading and keep children interested. Incorrect predictions can signal a misunderstanding that needs to be revisited.


 * Say: //Look at the pictures, table of contents, chapter headings, maps, diagrams, and features. What are the subjects in the book?//
 * Say: //Write down predictions about the text. During reading, look for words or phrases from those predictions.//
 * Say: //While reading, revise the predictions or make new ones.//

VISUALIZE Many children think visually, using shapes, spatial relationships, movement, and colors, and can benefit greatly from visualizing what is happening as they read. Say: //Form a picture of a character or the setting in your mind. Add details to the writer's description//. Say: //Imagine a fiction story is like a movie taking place in your head. Imagine the characters' features. Picture the plot in time and space//. Say: //Imagine the processes and explanations happening visually. Use nouns, verbs, and adjectives to create pictures, diagrams, or other mental images//.

ASK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS Having children form questions helps them recognize confusion and encourages active learning. Say: //Before reading, think about the subject based on the title, chapter heads and visual informations. Make not of anything you are curious about.// Say: //While reading, pause and think about or write down any questions. Be sure to ask questions if you are confused or unsure of something.// Say: //Look for answers while reading. Pause and write down the answers.// Ask: //Were all the questions answered? Could the answers come from other sources?// Students need to know that some questions can be answered by looking at a specific place within a book, and some are answered by taking information from several places spread over several pages. Some questions require combining text info with personal experience and knowledge, while some rely only on the personal knowledge of the reader. RETELL AND SUMMARIZE Have the student look for key events or ideas and write a checkmark or note the point them out. Review information at the end of each chapter or paragraph. Not the main events and details. Allow students to look back into the book to check their information. Say://Who are the characters in the story? Let's check the book and then write them down.// Say//: Where did this story take place?// Say//: What happened first in the story? What happened next? Are you sure? Let's check the book// Say//: What was the problem in the story? How did the characters solve the problem?//

CONNECT THE TEXT TO LIFE EXPERIENCES, OTHER TEXTS OR TO PRIOR KNOWLEDGE Connecting text to children's prior experiences and knowledge helps them personalize the information. It also helps children remember information when they link it to their lives. Ask: Is the subject familiar? Do the characters resemble familiar people? Have you learned about the concept from school, home or other experiences? Ask: Is the style or genre familiar? Does it remind you of other text you have read? (TV shows, movies, and games can be considered 'texts') Say: Write down similarities between the current text and your experiences, knowledge or other texts.