1. Comprehension Strategies for Struggling Students
South Todd Elementary 7/30/2012
Betsy Madison
Betsymadison.com

2. 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?

3. 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

13. 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

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. 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

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

18. 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.

19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. 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

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

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

25. Comprehension Strategies

26. 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

27. 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

28. 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

29. Connect to Prior Knowledge

30. 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

31. 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

32. 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

33. 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…

34. 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

35. Discuss painting
Word Sort with bat vocabulary

36. Visualizing/Organizing

37. 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.

38. 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

39. 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…

40. 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

41. Read and organize thoughts on Little Bat Poem
Draw a picture

42. Questioning

43. 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

44. 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

45. 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

46. 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?

47. 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.

48. 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.

49. 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

50. Determining Importance

51. 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?

52. 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?

53. 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

54. 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…

55. 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.

56. Most Important Word with bat body parts page

57. 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.

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

59. 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.

60. 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.

61. 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

62. Read Aloud from Bat Book
Note Making

63. Inference

64. 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)

65. 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

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

67. 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.

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

69. 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?

70. 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.

71. 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)

72. 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

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

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

75. Progress Monitoring Dibels Daze
Comprehension Strategies Monitoring Sheet

76. Intervention Strategies
FCRR Activities
Comprehension Instructional Menu

77. 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

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

79. 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?

80. 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

81. How can I help you?