Current Issues in Literacy Comprehension

Catholic Schools Office

August 4

Why are you here today?

• What questions or concerns do you have regarding comprehension?

• What is the problem you are trying to solve?

Comprehension – Working towards a definition

Read and reflect

Revisit your definition of comprehension.

If you made any adjustments, explain why?

connecting comparing Reading Strategies synthesising

visualising using analogy

skimming chunking

inferringsounding out

predicting consulting a

scanning reference

re-readingparaphrasing/summarising reading-on

self-questioning determining importance adjusting reading rate

The Multidimensional Model of Reading

Activate background knowledge Reading Processes review and clarify new vocab

Preview texts set a purpose monitor understandings

Adjust misunderstandings identify, extract and recall information reflect on information

Three-cueing System

Graphophonic

SyntacticSemantic

purpose Context of the Reading Event Sociocultural Influence

author / reader relationship situation subject matter

Think about comprehensionin your school

Why is it taught? When is it taught? How is it taught?

• A model for learning– Gradual Release of Responsibility model– Gallagher and Pearson 1983

Literacy Block Guide Lines

Assessme

nt and

Feedback

Shared Reading Talking and Listening

Explicit Teaching

Task Board

Small groupInstructional Reading

Independent Tasks

Learning Circle:(Time for further explicit teaching)

Modelled Writing

Small group Instructional Writing

Independent Writing

Learning Circle:(Time for further explicit teaching)

Video

During the video – note the comprehension strategies being used by the teacher.

http://www.nlnw.nsw.edu.au/events10.htm

Some practical examples of shared text and explicit teaching of comprehension

Under the iceDiagram showing a cross section through Antarctica

Two hundred million years ago Antarctica formed the centre of an ancient mid-latitude supercontinent called Gondwana, which included South America, Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand. Gondwana started to break up 180

million years ago and the separate continents drifted apart on different tectonic plates over the next 150 million years. Antarctic rocks and fossils have provided important clues in piecing together this supercontinent, and they provide records of earlier climates which were warmer and supported

rich vegetation. Fossil evidence indicates that the Antarctic continent was a much warmer

place before the cooling Circumpolar Current isolated the continent from its neighbouring land masses. The sea level was much higher, the polar ice cap

much smaller, and parts of the continent contained vegetation similar to today's endemic Tasmanian flora. Fossils of whales, molluscs and other

invertebrate animals from this period have been found in Antarctica's Vestfold Hills, and older plant fossils have been found at Transantarctic Mountain sites

close to the South Pole.

Learning goal:

• Text to world connections

• Scanning(Involves glancing through material to locate specific details such as names, dates, places or some particular content.)

1. Scan the text to locate names of places

2. Scan the text to locate words that you think are specific to geography

3. Scan the text to list words that you need to clarify

4. Scan the text to find the following words: circa, trans, polar

Scanning

Learning goals

1. Scan the text to locate names of places

2. Scan the text to locate words that you think are specific to geography

3. Scan the text to list words that you need to clarify

4. Scan the text to find the following words: circa, trans, polar

Literacy tasks

1.Locate and label the places on a current map

2.List and define the geography specific words

3.List and define the words to be clarified. Publish on A4 paper to develop a word wall.

4. Use an on-line etymology dictionary to find the meaning and background of the words.

Let’s put it into action

1. Read the given shared text on National Parks.

2. Break into groups of 3 or 4. Each group will be allocated a comprehension strategy

3. Read about the strategy, discuss and become the experts

4. Present to the group (3 mins each group)• Definition of the strategy• Model how you will explicitly teach the strategy

using the shared text

Royal National ParkSituated on the southern outskirts ofSydney, the Royal National Parkis the second oldest National Parkin the world. A railway station between Loftus and Bundeena on the suburban Illawarra line provides easy accessto the park. Alternatively, a ferry operates from Cronulla near the railway station to Bundeena. Lace up your walking shoes and discover secluded beaches and typical "Aussie Bush".

Design a task that will allow the student to practise his/her learning.

Small group instructional reading

• Guided reading • Reciprocal reading

Book talk

Planning for teaching

Term overview

This term overview is intended for teachers to use in order to plan an outline for the term. It is expected that the syllabus be consulted in this planning. Once the overview is completed the key skills and strategies are then transferred to the weekly programming proforma. It is anticipated that this overview will need to be adjusted throughout the term according to on-going assessment and feedback.

Year………….. Literacy Term Overview Term…………..

WeekShared Text Grammar Punctuation Comprehension Spelling Writing Handwriting Talking

and Listening

Technology Assessment Plan

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

NB. While there is a whole class spelling focus, individual children and small groups will have a spelling focus as identified in their writing and/or linking to their reading text.

Where to from here

• Keep

• Stop

• Start