Comprehension Strategies for Narrative and Informational Text Dr. Kevin Flanigan West Chester University

Transactional Comprehension Strategies Instruction (Pressley, 1998) Dynamic “give and take” between teachers and students Coordinated and flexible use of multiple strategies “in the throes” of reading Meaning constructed among teachers and students as they consider text content in light of previous knowledge/experiences.

Transactional Comprehension Strategies Instruction (Pressley, 1998) Teacher explanation and modeling of strategies Scaffolded student practice over time (small group reading instruction) Internalization of strategies

Transactional Comprehension Strategies Instruction (Pressley, 1998) TSI students outperformed “controls” on standardized measures of comprehension and interpretive measures (Anderson, 1992; Brown et al., 1996; Collins, 1991)

DRTA (Directed Reading/Thinking Activity) Purpose: to develop “young scholars” who are actively engaged in critical thinking and decision-making during reading Coined and developed by Russell Stauffer Comprehension as hypothesis-testing

DRTA Teacher selects approximately 3 stopping points During these stopping points, teacher facilitates discussion through questioning Three types of questions –Prediction –Confirmation –Exploration

DRTA Prediction Questions –What do you think is going to happen next? –Why do you think so? –What have you read that supports your prediction?

DRTA Confirmation Questions –Were you close? Exploration Questions –Did he love her? –Has any character changed? –What does this tell you about this character? –What is this story mostly about right now?

DRTA Steady and faithful use of the DR-TA will develop your students into young scholars The teacher’s role is one of agitator “Stir up” the discussion and move in or back out as needed It should look and feel more like a discussion rather than a formal lesson

Strategies/Thinking Processes Predicting Confirming/Modifying Predictions Clarifying Summarizing Making inferences Justifying Responding to text based on prior knowledge

Power Thinking ( Santa, Havens, & Valdes, 2004) Purpose: to provide students a framework for organizing information that is hierarchical in nature Main ideas, subtopics, details An alternative to roman numeral outlining

Power Thinking Power 1 – Main Ideas Power 2 – Subtopics Power 3 – Details

Power Thinking Power Mapping – use with a graphic organizer Power Reading – use in conjunction with reading Power Writing – use as a framework for organizing essays, reports, etc.

Power Mapping Introduce this strategy with something the students know well – (movies, fast food) Use shapes and/or colors consistently to differentiate power 1, 2, and 3 ideas Before reading, have students create power 1 and 2’s as a previewing technique

Pattern Puzzles/Concept Sorts Take any set of concepts, vocabulary words, sentences, story events, and mix them up! Students must reorganize them. Promotes understanding of the “pieces” and how the pieces “relate” to each other – the structure.

Selected Resources Pressley, M. (1998). Reading instruction that works: The case for balanced teaching. New York: The Guilford Press. Santa, C. M., Havens, L. T., & Valdes, B. J. (2004). Project CRISS: Creating independence through student-owned strategies. Stauffer, R. G. (1975). Directing the reading- thinking process. New York: Harper & Row.