Comprehension Strategies for Struggling Students South Todd Elementary 7/30/2012 Betsy Madison Betsy.madison@grrec.ky.gov Betsymadison.com

What is your definition of Reading Comprehension? “intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactions between text and reader” Durkin (1993) “the construction of the meaning of a written text through a reciprocal interchange of ideas between the reader and the message in a particular text” Harris & Hodges (1995) “reading comprehension is thinking guided by print” Perfetti (1995) “the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language. It consists of three elements: the reader, the text, and the activity or purpose for reading” Rand Reading Study Group (2002) What skills and knowledge are most critical for reading comprehension?

Comprehension Continuum Answering Literal Questions Retelling Merging Thinking with Content Acquiring Knowledge Actively Using Knowledge Short term recall Does not demonstrate understanding Can organize thoughts and put in own words Does not necessarily demonstrate understanding Connecting, inferring, questioning, determining importance, synthesizing, reacting to info Demonstrates understanding Reading to acquire knowledge and insight Learn, understand, remember Shows deeper understanding Actively use knowledge and apply what has been learned to experiences, situations, and circumstances of daily life Expand understanding and take action

Proficient comprehension of text is influenced by: Accurate and fluent word reading skills Oral language skills (vocabulary, linguistic comprehension) Extent of conceptual and factual knowledge Knowledge and skill in the use of strategies to improve comprehension or repair it when it breaks down. Knowledge of text structure and genre Reasoning and inferential skills Motivation to understand Interest in the task and materials

Fail to use meta-cognitive strategies as they read Successful Readers Struggling Readers Continuously monitor their reading to make sure they understand what they are reading Fail to use meta-cognitive strategies as they read Are often not aware when their understanding breaks down Continuously make connections between the content of their reading and their prior knowledge (life experiences) Often lack subject-specific prior knowledge Do not automatically make connections between what they are reading/learning and what they already know What do successful readers do that struggling readers do not do in relation to comprehension? We have all had the experience of reading something and not realizing until the end of the page that we had no clue what we were reading about. Effective readers continuously monitor their reading for understanding so that they rarely get to the end of a page without gaining meaning from text. Struggling readers, however, fail to use metacognitive strategies as they read and may not even be aware when their understanding breaks down. Knowing “fix-up” strategies is not effective when a student is not even aware when he or she should be applying them. Second, successful readers often link content to their prior knowledge, which may contribute to their ability to glean meaning from text. Struggling readers may lack prior knowledge about content altogether because they generally read less than their peers and because they do not automatically make connections between what they are learning and what they already know. It may be up to a teacher to highlight how a student’s prior knowledge can help him or her understand a text and to explicitly model making these connections so the student can make meaning from text. Third, effective readers know and are able to apply a variety of strategies before, during, and after reading to comprehend text; struggling readers lack knowledge of these effective strategies and practice applying them effectively and efficiently. Fourth, effective readers set a purpose for reading and adjust their strategy use so they meet this goal. Struggling readers may fail to read with purpose or goals. 5

Successful Readers Struggling Readers Automatically use a variety of effective reading strategies before, during, and after reading. Have limited knowledge of strategies for gaining information from text Do not automatically use those strategies Set a purpose for reading and adjust their rate and strategy use depending on the text and content Often do not enjoy reading Lack understanding of the utility of reading Have little history of success to build on

You should suspect comprehension problems if a student… has know difficulty with phonemic awareness, phonics, and/or fluency seems to have a weak vocabulary. is not able to summarize a passage or a book. might be able to tell you what happened in a story, but can't explain why events went the way they did.

can't explain what a character's thoughts or feelings might have been. doesn't link events in a book to similar events from another book or from real life. seems to focus on the "wrong" aspect of a passage; for example, he concentrates so much on the details that the main idea is lost.

can tell the outcome of a story, but cannot explain why things turned out that way. does not go behind what is presented in a book to think about what might happen next or why characters took the action they did. brings up irrelevant information when trying to relate a passage to something in her own life.

cannot tell the clear, logical sequence of events in a story. does not pick out the key facts from informational text. cannot give you a "picture" of what's going on in a written passage; for example, what the characters look like or details of where the story takes place.

Reasons for Comprehension Difficulties Lack of appropriate prior knowledge. Inability to relate content to prior knowledge. Over-reliance on background knowledge. Inability to read text fluently. Difficulty with decoding words; Inability to attend to meaning while reading. Inability to apply comprehension strategies. Difficulty with understanding meaning of words. In summary, here are some reasons students may struggle with comprehension: Lack of prior knowledge or inability to relate content to prior knowledge of the topic: Some students lack knowledge about a topic or do not relate the content of what they are reading to what they already know. They may need more background knowledge to facilitate comprehension. Over-reliance on background knowledge: Some students do the opposite, relying too much on their background knowledge. They may be able to get by with this strategy for awhile, but, eventually, it will catch up with them. These students may also rely on the context of something that they know to decode a word, resulting in guessing. They need to learn strategies to encourage self-questioning and to monitor their understanding of the text. Inability to read text fluently or difficulty with decoding words: Some students have difficulty reading text fluently or even decoding the words in text. These students should receive word study instruction. It would also be beneficial to review difficult vocabulary and unfamiliar words or concepts, and have students preview text before reading. Inability to attend to meaning while reading or inability to apply comprehension strategies: “Word callers” are fluent readers who do not attend to meaning. They especially need emphasis and instruction in learning and applying comprehension strategies. Teach students to stop and ask questions about the text and determine whether they understand what they are reading. Difficulty understanding meaning of words: Finally, some students, especially English language learners, have a limited vocabulary, which inhibits their making sense of text. These students would benefit from additional instruction in the area of vocabulary and from previewing unknown vocabulary words before reading. 11

Listening Comprehension is the first step Refers to children’s understanding of stories and other texts that are read aloud to them Lays the foundation for children to later be able to “understand what they read, remember what they read, and communicate with others about what they read” —National Institute for Literacy, 2001, p. 48

Listening Comprehension . . . . . . is enhanced as children listen to stories that are read aloud, participate in discussions of stories, and engage in other literacy-related activities.

Listening Comprehension Instruction Make predictions Answer questions about the book’s content Read and talk along Share their own interests related to the book content Ask questions of you and their peers Reenact or retell the story When you read aloud, encourage children to ... Listening comprehension instruction includes reading aloud books and other printed materials.

Effective Read-Aloud Sessions Schedule time for read-aloud sessions Use a variety of grouping formats including one-on-one, small groups, and whole class Select different types of books Activate and build background knowledge Teach new words and concepts

Stop a few times for reactions, comments, predictions, and questions Avoid long discussions Don’t stop read-alouds when students can read independently

It’s the talk that surrounds (before and after) the reading aloud of books that is so important for enhancing children’s oral language, vocabulary development, and listening comprehension.

Putting it all together Step 1: Enhance content instruction Step 2: Embedded strategy instruction Step 3: Intensive strategy instruction for struggling students Step 4: Intensive basic skill instruction

Level 1: Enhance Content Instruction “Give me a fish while you’re teaching me how to catch my own. That way I won’t starve to death while I’m learning to tie flies.” Students with limited literacy skills typically do not acquire enough content knowledge to meet standards Comprehension will not improve, long term, for struggling readers unless content area background knowledge is improved When students have limited literacy, teachers must compensate for their limited skills in the ways they present content Rather than COVERING content, try UNCOVERING content

Level 2: Embedded Strategy Instruction Literacy/Thinking Strategies teach students how to think about what they read Connect to Prior Knowledge Visualize/Graphically Organize Question Determine Importance in Text Monitor for Meaning Infer Synthesize

Level 3: Intensive strategy instruction for struggling students Tier 1 Small Group Intervention Tier 2 or 3 Intervention Mastery of specific strategies for struggling students Direct Instruction Think Aloud Modeling, Modeling, Modeling Name the strategy and positive outcome

Level 4: Intensive Basic Skill Instruction Phonemic Awareness Phonics Fluency Vocabulary Screening Re-Teaching Intervention 4th grade level of basic skills is the minimum

Gradual Release of Responsibility I do it. We do it. Y’all do it. You do it.

Comprehension Strategies

Procedures for Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies Direct instruction begins with teachers modeling one strategy at a time (whole group instruction) I DO IT Teachers use think-alouds to describe why, when, and how they are using the strategy to make meaning

Teachers guide whole group in practicing the strategy WE DO IT Teachers guide small groups, partners, or individual readers in applying the strategy Y’ALL DO IT

Phase out teacher direction until readers apply strategies independently YOU DO IT Readers reflect on the benefits and challenges or using the strategy I DO IT, WE DO IT, Y’ALL DO IT, YOU DO IT

Connect to Prior Knowledge

Intentionally Activating Schema Text-to-Self Connections Students compare what they are reading to their own prior knowledge & experiences Students can better understand character, setting, events, etc… of a story because they’ve had a similar experience These connections can be made by young students. Engaging: I like learning when it’s about ME

Text-to-Text Connections Students compare what they are reading to something they’ve already read. Encourage connections across genres (article to story, story to poem) Helps students understand the concept of character, setting Helps students learn to make predictions, anticipate problems and solutions These connections can be made by young students

Text-to-World Connections Students compare what they are reading to a Real World Event May require a little more teacher direction with young students Helps students better understand both the Real World Event and the text

Prior Knowledge Thinking/Discussion Stems That reminds me of… I’m remembering… I have a connection to… I have schema for… I can relate to… I already know…

Vocabulary Tools for Activating Prior Knowledge “The limits of my language are the limits of my mind. All I know is what I have words for.” Ludwig Wittgenstein Vocabulary Tools for Activating Prior Knowledge Word Sorts Three Way Tie Frayer Model Most Important Word

Discuss painting Word Sort with bat vocabulary

Visualizing/Organizing

Visualizing/Organizing Good readers spontaneously create mental images, anchored in their background knowledge, as they read. Good readers use these mental images to give depth and dimension to their reading experience. This engages them and makes the text memorable. Good readers use mental images to draw conclusions and recall significant details after the text is read. Good readers modify their mental images as others share their images.

Visualize Creating a mental image Making a picture in your head MODEL, MODEL, MODEL Ask students to draw the picture they see in their head Ask students to write about the picture they see in their head

Visualizing Thinking Stems I’m picturing… I can imagine… I can feel… I can see… I can smell… I can taste… I can touch… I can hear… My mental images include…

Organizing Read with a pencil in hand Reading must be accountable Students will be responsible for something as a result of the reading Write Time Writing is an active vs. passive task Writing involves the whole body in the process of thinking Writing clarifies perspective Graphic Organizers from Common Core Lesson Book

Read and organize thoughts on Little Bat Poem Draw a picture

Questioning

Questioning Students ask questions, while reading,… If they are curious about something in the text If they want to predict what will happen If they want to make something more clear Asking the right questions allows good readers to focus on the most important information in a text. Videos Read article

Questioning Thinking Stems I wonder… What if…? Why…? I don’t understand… It confused me when… How could…? Give older students Blooms verbs and Bloom’s stems

Questioning the Author Helps students see text as “someone’s ideas written down” Deals with text through teacher-posed questions such as “What is the author trying to say?” or “What do you think the author means by that?” Encourages discussion in which students are urged to think about constructing meaning

Question the Author What is the author trying to tell you? Question the Author Prompts Student Responses What is the author trying to tell you? Why is the author telling you that? Does the author say it clearly? How could the author have said things more clearly? What would you say instead?

Question Writing Practice What questions come to mind when you see this picture? List your questions in your reading journal. At least one question must be an open question. At least one question must come from the evaluating, creating, hypothesizing level on your Bloom’s chart.

Question Writing Practice What questions come to mind when you see this picture? List your questions in your reading journal. At least one question must be an open question. At least one question must come from the evaluating, creating, hypothesizing level on your Bloom’s chart.

Questioning with bat facts sheet Each group write a question that can be answered with their paragraph Make some type of a graphic Generate additional questions that come to mind

Determining Importance

Determining Importance “…making sense of reading and moving toward insight” (Goudvis & Harvey) What are the most important ideas or information in this reading? What should I remember?

In determining importance, readers identify important ideas and facts, enabling them to mentally organize and thus more easily comprehend the essence of what they are reading. The House reading passage 1st read: Read and underline the most important parts 2nd read: Read as a Real Estate Agent preparing to show the house and circle the most important parts 3rd read: Read as the boys’ parent and star the most important parts 4th read: Read as a burglar casing the joint and highlight the most important parts Why is it important to have a purpose for your reading?

Who is “driving” this lesson? Keep it or Junk it Who is “driving” this lesson? How does the teacher keep the students focused on the important information in the text? Show video until 7:50 Talk about the role of the guiding question

Determining Importance Thinking Stems What’s important here…. What matters to me… One thing that we should notice… I want to remember… It’s interesting that…

Most Word Important Understanding is one of the most cherished goals of education. Teaching for understanding can bring knowledge to life by requiring students to manipulate knowledge in various ways. For instance, understanding a historical event means going beyond the facts to explain them, explore the remote causes, discuss the incident as different people might see it from their own perspectives, and skeptically critique what various sources say.

Most Important Word with bat body parts page

Monitor for Meaning What is your first thought when you look at this picture? (Kid has chopped his head off.) But when you start to monitor your thought processes, you realize that if your initial thinking was correct, this picture doesn’t make sense. When you begin to “fix up” or clarify your thinking, you realize that it is actually a picture of two children, not one.(one is buried and one is hovering over the other one.) Sometimes struggling students do not stop to take the time to clarify or fix up their thinking. It’s important to show them that understanding is possible, and there are strategies that they may not know yet that will help them break this cycle of perceived failure.

Monitor for Meaning Does this make sense? Does this look right? Does this sound right?

Fix Up Strategies Keep reading to see if things become clearer. 2. Go back and read it again. 3. Skip it to see if it's important and come back to it. 4. Ask for help.

Use the strategies of questioning, inferring, synthesizing, determining importance, and activating background knowledge when encountering problems with the meanings of words, sentences, and passages. Use decoding and world analysis clues from the context.

Writing to Learn to Monitor Meaning Learning Log/Journal Dialogue Journal Double-Entry Journal Reading Response Journal Admit or Exit Slips Notemaking (not notetaking) Re-Write in own words

Read Aloud from Bat Book Note Making

Inference

Two core sources of information: In the Book (or video, photo, text…) The answer is there In My Head Background knowledge comes into play. There are two core sources of information. (read slide)

The four basic types of question and answer relationships are…... Right There -- In this type of QAR, the answer is found in the text.  Also, the words in the question and the words in the answer are usually in the same sentence.  The reader can point to the answer. Think and Search -- In this type of QAR, the answer is found in the text.  However, the words in the question and the words in the answer are not found in the same sentence.  The reader must put together different parts of the text to get the answer. Author and Me (or Author and You) -- The answer is not found in the text.  The reader has to put together the information the author provides with information the reader already knows to come up with the answer.   On My Own (or On Your Own) -- The reader does not use the text at all to answer the question.  The answer is based on the reader's opinions and experiences

Now we are going to focus on this question and answer relationship because it requires inference.

Author and You: Making Inferences Question It Says I Say And So 1. Read the question. 2. Find information from the text to help you. 3. What do you know about it? 4. Combine what you know with what the text says. Inferences can be a very abstract process for a struggling reader. One explicit procedure to help students with this process is to use a graphic organizer. This graphic organizer from Kylene Beers’ book, When Kids Can’t Read, What Teachers Can Do breaks the process down into four steps. Students read the question. Next, they locate information from the text that is relevant to the question. Following that, students must activate their own background knowledge to see if there is anything they know about the topic. The last step is to combine what they found in the text with their personal knowledge. This graphic not only aids the student in breaking down the steps in the inferring process and guiding them through it, but the teacher can use the information formulated in this graphic to analyze each student’s understanding of text. The product then serves as a measure of understanding or formative assessment that allows the teacher to decide if additional practice or instruction is needed.

Tools for Inferring & Predicting QAR (Questions/Answer/Relationships) Skimming Picture Walks Analogies and Metaphors Classification Cornell Notes

Right there– To what is the author comparing the bat? Think and Search– Find an example of a metaphor, rhyme, and personification in the poem. Author and You– The author implies that people are afraid of bats. Give 2 reasons, from the poem, that someone might be afraid of a bat. On my Own– In your opinion, are bats helpful or harmful? Why are people afraid of bats?

Synthesis The ability to compile information in a different way by combining concepts or parts in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions Synthesizing is a reader's final destination. On their journey, readers pass familiar places, and as they travel on uncharted roads, they get new perspectives, create a new line of thinking, discover original ideas, and achieve insight. As they reach the end of their journey, they realize that their new strategy for learning and thinking will take them all the places they could ever want to go.

To demonstrate the process of synthesizing information, look at this picture and try to figure out what is happening. As you begin to make sense of this, you are piecing together bits of information to figure out what has happened to this student. You begin to ask yourself questions about what may have happened and what may have led to this situation. You are also piecing together pieces of prior knowledge and experiences. You end up creating your own scenario. (CSI)

Synthesis Thinking Stems Now I understand why… What would happen if….? I’m changing my mind about… I used to think ____, but now I think ___. My new thinking is…. I’m beginning to think… How could you connect…..? Written Conversation and/or Key Concept synthesis Talk Moves

Read the wikipedia article on Bats Go back and look at word sort and make changes as necessary

Comprehension Screeners MAP Dibels Daze IRI (Individual Reading Inventory) Classroom Formative Assessment Text-based questions

Progress Monitoring Dibels Daze Comprehension Strategies Monitoring Sheet

Intervention Strategies FCRR Activities Comprehension Instructional Menu

Implications for Older Struggling Students It’s usually a decoding problem Assume they struggle with vocabulary Use whatever it takes to teach content Listening Comprehension Think Aloud Guiding Questions Small Group/Individual

Implications for Older Struggling Students Literacy Thinking Strategies Teach content specific text structures Use highly motivational reading materials

Putting it all together Step 1: Enhance content instruction Step 2: Embedded strategy instruction Step 3: Intensive strategy instruction for struggling students Step 4: Intensive basic skill instruction What tiers?

Conclusions About Comprehension Instruction TEACH STRATEGIES Do not just ask comprehension questions. Eventually, show students how to combine these strategies and use them concurrently. It is much more effective if students are taught strategies to use before, during and after reading in order to improve their comprehension. Simply asking students questions after students read will tell whether they comprehended a text, but it will not teach students how to improve their comprehension skills. As students learn these strategies, begin to teach lessons where two or more of these strategies are combined and used concurrently by the students. The combination of these strategies will lead to increased comprehension. 80

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