Chapter 11: High-Leverage Practice 6: Self-Verbalization/Self-Questioning

Self-Questioning What is it? A process in which students ask and answer questions while reading Improves active processing of text and comprehension Good Readers Before reading – consider background information, predict text using headings and illustrations During reading – monitor, use “fix-up” strategies, use context clues, identify main ideas, use knowledge of text structure to comprehend After reading – summarize, reflect, and draw inferences Poor Readers begin reading by jumping right in

Self-Questioning Can serve a variety of purposes (i.e., before, during, and after reading) Can be incorporated into other comprehension strategies Collaborative Strategic Reading (CSR) is one example Considerations while teaching self-questioning Type of text Student skill Generic questions Question stems

Self-Questioning Teaching Procedure Explicitly state importance of strategy and use clear learning objectives Follow specific sequence for teaching that includes explicit modeling as well as guided and independent practice “Think aloud” during instruction Monitor student progress and provide explicit corrective feedback to students that includes appropriate attributions Teach for generalization

Helping Students Become Independent Learners Four strategies Self-monitoring Self-instruction Goal-setting Self-reinforcement

Helping Students Become Independent Learners Self-monitoring Teaches students to self-assess behavior and record results Increases or decreases frequency, intensity, or duration of existing behavior Steps Select behavior to self-monitor Collect baseline data Obtain willing cooperation Teach procedures Monitor independent performance

Helping Students Become Independent Learners Self-Instruction Uses language to self-regulate behavior Involves use of self-induced statements to direct or control behavior Steps Discuss importance of what we say to ourselves Develop appropriate self-statements Model and discuss how and when to use self-statements Practice use of self-statements

Helping Students Become Independent Learners Goal-Setting Teachers guide students to establish achievable goals to reach desired results Offers structure by specifying target goal Provides feedback and motivates performance Steps Choose an appropriate goal Determine a timeline Establish progress monitoring

Helping Students Become Independent Learners Self-Reinforcement Selecting reinforcer and rewarding self for reaching or exceeding criterion Produces substantial improvement in performance Steps Set goal for receiving rewards Select reinforcer Determine student evaluation procedures Administer reinforcer