1. Reading Comprehension

2. Reading furnishes the mind only with materials for knowledge;
Food for Thought…
Reading furnishes the mind
only with materials for knowledge;
It is thinking that makes
what we read ours.
~John Locke
Philosopher

3. Factors affecting comprehension
Background knowledge
Knowledge of sentence structure
Knowledge of text structure
Vocabulary
Word identification skills
Fluency
Existence of picture clues
Reading mode-oral, silent, listening
Genre-narrative, expository

4. Typical Comprehension Instruction
Activate prior knowledge
Predicting
Vocabulary instruction
Picture walk/Think aloud
Comprehension questions
Retelling
Graphic organizers
Making inferences
Summarizing
Paraphrasing

5. Comprehension Teaching Looks Different at Different Ages
Kindergarten
learning to read
Picture walk with think aloud
Oral retelling
Lots of teacher support
Third Grade
reading to learn
Build background knowledge
Diagram story elements
Moving towards independence
Middle School
expository and content area text
Reading bold titles
Using signal words
Finding the main idea and supporting details
Working independently

6. Four Components of a Comprehension Program
Large amounts of time for reading
Direct instruction of strategies
Peer and collaborative learning
Occasions to talk about their response to reading
(Pearson & Fielding, 1991)

7. Comprehension Behaviors
Self-correcting
Looking back/ahead
Asking questions for understanding
Making predictions

8. Prediction Exercise:
The whole of this family-the six grown ups and little Charlie Bucket- live together in a small wooden house on the edge of a great town.
Pg. 4

9. Prediction Exercise:
The Oompa-Loompas guided the boat alongside the red door. On the door it said, INVENTING ROOM-PRIVATE-KEEP OUT. Mr. Wonka took a key from his pocket, leaned over the side of the boat, and put the key in the keyhole.
Pg. 87

10. Why the Bookmark? Builds vocabulary
Encourages students to ask questions and make connections
Looking back increases comprehension
Reading in school becomes more like “real” reading
Students take ownership of their learning
Opportunity for true discussion
Prepares students for note taking
Multi-level
Adaptable

11. The Bookmark: An Adaptable Teaching Tool
Creating the bookmark
Using the bookmark
Think-Pair-Share
Alternative headings

12. Closing thoughts:
How do we get students to think about what they read?
Prediction games
The bookmark
Think-Pair-Share
Monitor comprehension
Questions?

13. Resources: Recommended texts Web sites
Mosaic of Thought by Ellin Oliver Keene & Susan Zimmermann
Strategies That Work by Stephanie Harvey
Web sites
Readingonline.org
Readingresource.net
Theteacherscorner.org
Readingrockets.org