This article, along with chapter 8, was very informative. I learned a lot of new strategies to incorporate into my classroom when I become a teacher, which is very helpful. "Considering a topic under study and then writing about it requires deeper processing than reading alone entails, according," according to Fordham, Wellman, and Sandman. I really liked this statement because I can definitely relate to it. In other words, they are basically saying that writing about a topic that you've just read require more than just reading about it. Comprehension is something that students have to work at. It doesn't just come natural. I, for example, had lots of problems in elementary school with comprehending a short story and then anwering questions about it. I was an excellent reader, but I often found myself re-reading the story or looking back at it several times to try and comprehend what I had just read. "Integrating writing with reading enhances comprehension because the two are reciprocal processes." This is another great sentence that caught my attention. I never really understood why I had to answer questions about short stories when I was in elementary school, but now I realize that it was a way for me to enhance my comprehension skills. I used to think a good reader was someone who could read fast and never had trouble with the words. I know now that is definitely not the case. You must find ways to comprehend what you read, or reading will be absolutely useless.
There were many good strategies that I read about and will use in my classroom. The first one I really liked was biopoems. Biopoems are excellent strategies to achieve a deeper understanding of a historical figure. It requires students to think carefully about what they've read and make inferences about what a person's actions and statements imply. The biopoem we did in class was actually very fun for me. Another strategy I liked was the ABC list. An ABC list requires critical and creative thinking. The students conceptualize their new understanding of a particular topic by creating an alphabet list. After reading the text, the students choose significant words of phrases for each letter of the alphabet. This strategy would be especially good with the younger children. For older kids, quick writes and structured note taking would be good strategies to help them prepare for reading assignments.
Two questions I have:
How can I distinguish between a good reader (with comprehension skills) and a good reader (without comprehension skills)?
Most of these strategies were not used when I was in elementary school. Are the teachers implementing them now? If so, I would like to know which ones work best and if there are other ones I have not heard of that work well with students.
For the first question: Look in our 50 Strategies book under comprehension and there are lots of different ways to develop comprehension. As far as testing them on their comprehension skills, you can do question and answer and fluency assessments. While you ask the questions, you can tell your students WHY you are asking them questions so they won't be like you and think you're wasting their time.
ReplyDeleteFor the second question, haha, trial and error. Try things and see how they work. The ones that don't work so well, don't use them as much.
Fantastic opening paragraph in your post, Lindsey. You point directly to the text, "'Considering a topic under study and then writing about it requires deeper processing than reading alone entails, according,' according to Fordham, Wellman, and Sandman," and then you expound on it, "In other words, they are basically saying that writing about a topic that you've just read require more than just reading about it. Comprehension is something that students have to work at. It doesn't just come natural." This is spot on for what I'm looking for in postings and you seem to internalize the concept that comprehension comes in many ways for learners, writing being just one strategy that can be helpful. You also highlight a personal connection, "I, for example, had lots of problems in elementary school with comprehending a short story and then anwering questions about it. I was an excellent reader, but I often found myself re-reading the story or looking back at it several times to try and comprehend what I had just read." I'll bet there are a lot of us that can relate to that experience; I know I can. Dr B
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