Comprehension Chapter 7 Reader and the written text interact in reading comprehension. The reader alone or the text alone does not produce meaning.

Readers use all these forms of background knowledge 1. Print features (letters, word parts and words) 2. Facts 3. Strategies (Rupley & Wilson) 4. Purpose for reading These factors decide the attention (focus & maintaining focus) and refining of ideas to get meaning from print. (Tierney and Pearson)

Background knowledge includes: 1. Word recognition, concept of print, understanding of word order and understanding of word meanings. 2. Content of what is being read 3. How the text is organized. (Alexander and Murphy)

Schema Theory How knowledge is presented and how new knowledge is integrated with a network of prior knowledge. (Everyone’s is different) Reading process doesn’t go from print to overall interpretation of a text in a strict order. Explains how we learn, modify, and use information we have gathered from experiences.

Schema Theory Knowledge is organized according to meaning (thesaurus) rather than according to words (dictionary). Many categories of schemata: places, events, jobs, ideas. Slots-Attributes of a schema. Details about the chair-legs, back, seat.

Schemata are considered abstract 1. Concepts- ideas 2. Actions and events-have episodes or sequential order. Slots are filled differently (Anderson)

Much cross referencing happens with schema These theories are used for artificial intelligence. Empty slots are always waiting to be filled. New learning comes when schema is modified or created. Inference fills many slots.

How Schemata influence comprehension Explains how readers use background knowledge. Students may not have background for world politics or economics or England in Student may have the experience but not the language: The magistrate chastised them for the brouhaha.

Schemata Influence on Comprehension Students may have used schemata but come up with a different idea than the one intended by the author. Social and cultural factors affect schemata- Readers from different cultures give different meaning to the same text. Students had difficulty answering questions about text from a different culture than their own. When the reader’s culture is mismatched with the culture of the text, meaning is lost.

Implications of Schema Theory Using this knowledge to teach: –Make sure the reading is within the background experience of the child. –Activate the background knowledge before reading. Discuss, map words, give a purpose for reading, give study questions, pre-read questions.

Using schema theory to teach Develop background knowledge for new information: field trips, filmstrips, videos, pictures, guest speakers. Discuss new words, connect known concepts with new ones. Especially important in the content areas of science and social studies. Think aloud for students to relate new text to familiar ideas. Monitor student’s progress to see that they are matching new meaning to old ideas.

Bridges between new ideas and familiar ideas. Repeated interactions with content build these bridges. Hypothesis are used to confirm or reject ideas from the new text. Comprehension is the synthesis of these hypothesis that builds the meaning.

Metacognition Knowing if you know. Readers monitor their comprehension and know when it breaks down. Good readers know how to repair meaning.

Teachers should: Model how to check, monitor, and test hypotheses. Decoding and comprehension are both important parts of a literacy program. Teaching strategies, monitoring comprehension and providing opportunities to apply these strategies are major features of teaching literacy.

What to teach: Old research provided a set of skills to teach This list of skills is not enough. Dole says these are points should be taught as part of the curriculum of comprehension: –Decide what it important and what isn’t (FILTER) Text structure and organization helps with this skill. (Fine print)

Dole (cont.) Summarizing Information-allows reader to sort through large pieces of text. This is developmental. Young children can summarize a simple plot, but can’t do sections of a longer story.

Dole(cont.) Drawing Inferences: Learn to fill in the gaps. Ask questions of the text: Children K-5 are able to ask predictive questions about a story to gain the author’s purpose for the piece.

Monitoring Comprehension Good readers do this unconsciously in order to repair lost meaning. Metacognition is paying attention to your own understanding and applying fix it strategies when necessary.

Questioning Strategies Teachers must choose the right questions to help students with comprehension. This makes the students pay attention to the important aspects of the text. Questions help to tie background knowledge to new text. Pre-reading questions help students to focus their attention on literal meaning of the text.

Inferential Questions Students must fill in their background knowledge to deduce meaning. What do you think will happen next? Teacher questions usually focus on the knowledge or facts from the text. Find a turning point in the story and ask, What will happen next? Why do you think so? Check this prediction. Follow up activities help with reflection on the story