Comprehension What is comprehension? Comprehension is the process of constructing meaning while reading text. (Fountas & Pinnell, 2008)
Why is it important? The purpose of reading is to understand and gain new information. If students don't comprehend what they read, then they aren't gaining anything from the act of reading.
How can I support comprehension for my diverse learners (ESOL, SPED, and economically disadvantaged?) *Provide self-selected books over the summer! This improves reading ability on state tests. This is especially beneficial for students who do not have access to books at home and likely will not have access to the library. (Allington and McGill-Franzen, 2010) **Resource:100 Greatest Books for Kids
*Make personal connections Make learning and reading meaningful by making it personally relevant for students. Connect the subject content to experiences that are related to students' lives. (Hinchman,, Alvermann, Boyd, Brozo, & Vacca,, 2003). * Ex: Compare a Shakespeare love sonnet to hip hop songs/ lyrics ** Resource:Connecting Students' Background Knowledge to Content in the ELL Classroom
*Teach strategies Comprehension improves when students are taught specific comprehension strategies. See above for examples. (Hinchman,, Alvermann, Boyd, Brozo, & Vacca,, 2003). ** Resource:Seven Strategies to Teach Students Text Comprehension
* Use a Language of Process Teachers need to model how they read and comprehend. Teachers should model with a content statement, which describes the information in the text that the teacher is thinking about. Teachers then use a process statement, which describes the process that the teacher is using in his/her head to understand the content. (Brozo & Simpson, 2007)
* Use High-Interest, Readable Books (Taboada, Gutherie & McRae, 2007) - This is important for struggling readers with decoding difficulties and ELLs - Students are more motivated to spend their time and effort learning from books that appeal to them