Helping Your Students Understand the Textbook

~Comprehension Tools for Upper GradesJ. MulhollandReading Specialist, Jefferson County Schools

Two Heads Are Better Than OneFlexibility and Creativity Test

26 = L. of the A. 7 = W. of the A.W. 1001 = A.N. 12 = S. of the Z. 54 = C. in a D. (with

the J.) 9 = P. in the S.S. 88 = P.K. 13 = S. on the A.F. 32 = D.F. at which W.F. 18 = H. on a G.C. 200 = D. for P.G. in M. 90 = D. in a R.A.

8 = S. on a S.S. 3 = B.M.(S.H.T.R.) 4 = Q. in a G. 24 = H. in a D. 1 = W. on a U. 5 = D. in a Z.C. 57 = H.V. 11 = P. on a F.T. 1000 = W. that a P. is

W. 29 = D. in F. in a L.Y. 4 = P. on a C. 40 = D. and N. of the

G.F.

Comprehension

Comprehension is understanding text using many strategies (conscious plans or procedures).

Comprehension is recognized today as an active, constructive process rather than a passive process of only answering questions generated by others.

Graphic Organizers

Essential to every lesson. Students must learn to use

Graphic Organizers by themselves.

Brain thinks graphically and visually.

Organization is key to understanding.

Presentation Books or Shutter Books as study tools. (Dinah Zike, K. Fulweiler)

What are Shutter Books or Presentation Books?

A three-dimensional, hands-on learning tool that can help children group facts together in categories for easier recall.

Enhances comprehension with a visual representation of connections.

Creative way for students to document units of study.

Alternate authentic assessment when combined with a rubric.

Why Use Presentation/Shutter Books?

Flexible and multi-level. Reaches a different

modality. Appropriate for ELL, Gifted,

Special needs children. Allows the student to own

the information. Students are responsible for

making decisions (What’s important here?)

Tangible (space-saving) project to share.

Fun.

From www.dinahzike.com/

Types of Basic Shutter Books

4 Door Drop Down

Layer (Story Elements or Episodes)

Concept Maps

www.dinahzike.com

Some Examples ( from Dinah Zike)

Alphabet Books to Present Content

A is for Armstrong. From Space to

Presidents and Beyond.

Story Structure

Beginning

End

Middle

CharactersGoal

GoalSetting

Characters

SettingObstacle

Middle

How Does Text Structure Differ from Story Structure?

Subject-specific vocabulary. Need for increased, worldly background

knowledge. “Busy” Bold print, text boxes, graphs, charts,

Chapter Headings, Italics, Colored text, etc Where to start to read? Process info from across curriculum areas. No Beginning, Middle, End (Sequence) No story elements. Read slower. Skim for information. Substantiate within the text.

Vocabulary Instruction-Before Reading

Explicitly pre-teach unfamiliar words important to comprehension.

Lowers frustration Pre-teach less as year

progresses. Teach where vocabulary is

located in the text. (Colored text, text boxes, captions, glossary)

Do NOT read connected text first!

•RIVET

•GTCW

•WORD SORTS

•SEMANTIC WEBS

Guess the Covered Word

The greater the pull of __________ the more something weighs on that planet.

Balls of ice and dust which travel around some planets are called ______________.

Clouds on Venus trap the sun’s heat, creating the _____________ _______________.

WORD SORTS

plates Edmontonia crests Stegosaurus predator

carnivore herding omnivore Saurolophus meat

Allosaurus plants Tyrannosaurus

RexStruthiomimus herbivore

Vocabulary Instruction - CSSRDuring Reading

Context Structure Sound Reference

Developed by Martha H. Ruddell

Download the Wall Chart for your classroom.

Vocabulary Instruction-After Reading

Ruddell’s Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy ((VSS)

2-5 member teams that select new and important words from the text.

Vote for 5. Add to Vocabulary Wall.

To Nominate a VSS Word:

1. Choose one new word from the text.

2. Tell where the word is in the text.

3. What the word means in the text.

4. Tell why this word was chosen.

Obstacles to Comprehension of Informational Text:

Limited background knowledge.

Lack of student motivation/interest.

Unfamiliar text structure. (story elements)

More complex and subject specific vocabulary.

No transition words or connectors.

Need to seek out additional information.

~adapted from Olson & Gee, 1991

Suggestions to Foster Comprehension of Expository Text: Tap prior

knowledge. Build background

knowledge. Hands-on

experiences before reading.

Teacher Read-Alouds.

Read for a purpose.(ERT)

Provide supplementary materials.

Encourage affective responses.

Promote discussions.

Connect reading and writing.

Use Pre/During/After Reading activities.

~adapted from Guillaume, 1998

Anticipation Guides (Agree/Disagree)Before/After

Target major concepts. Include general concepts. Activate student’s prior knowledge. Challenge the child’s current thinking

about the topic. Foster the ability to make predictions

and verify predictions in the text. See Literacy Lane (Guided Reading)

for Anticipation template and explanation.

Anticipation Guide (The Restless Earth)by Melvin Berger

Agree Statement Disagree _________The Earth's crust has remained the unchanged ________ for millions of years. __________ Millions of years ago, the Earth was one giant ________ continent. _________ Plates are only found on large land masses _________ such as continents. _________ When volcanoes erupt, there is always a __________ loud noise preceding the lava flow. _________ When magma comes to the Earth's surface __________ it is called lava. 6. _______ Earthquakes are caused by breaking plates. _________ 7. _______ Earthquakes rarely last more than one minute. _________ 8. _______An earthquake only takes place on land. __________

Direct Reading- Thinking Activity(DR-TA) Best used with textbook chapters.

Chapter title -- brainstorm what the students know about the chapter. (web)

Write names of chapter headings and subheadings -- elaborate on the previous web.

Students now open books to the chapter and look over illustrations, headings and subheadings. Add additional info. Every students now makes a copy.

DR-TA (continued)

Children silently read targeted section and verify/modify web.

Guided by the teacher, children discuss pre -reading web and discuss additions and/or changes. Class reworks pre-reading brainstorming web.

Repeat steps 3-5 for each chapter section.

Concept Map with Subtopics

SQ3R

SQ3R

R=READRead to check predictions

Read for a purposeFocused reading (ERT)

R=RECITEDiscussionM odify GO

Prioritize w hat's im portant

R=REVIEWCom plete GO

Sum m arizePost-reading

S=SURVEY"Picture W alk"

M ake predictionsPre-reading

Q=Question"Brainstorm "

teacher/student ?sGraphic Organizer

QAR - Question-Answer Relationships

RIGHT THERE

Answers are found easily in one place.

THINK & SEARCH

Putting it together.

Combine info from several places in text.

AUTHOR & ME

Background knowledge /experience + text

ON MY OWN

Can be answered w/out text.Personal experience needed.

In the Book

In My Head

Stickies or Post-Its (Monitoring our Understanding)

K = What I already knew. N = One new fact or word or

concept that I learned. Q = One question that I still have or

something that I still do not understand.

Comprehension Strategies:

Monitoring understanding Cooperative learning Graphic organizers Story structure/Story elements Question answering Question generating Summarizing/Retelling

~National Reading Panel, 2000

Caution!

Over-simplified texts for lower grades may actually be more difficult to read.

To fit readability formulas: Break down complex sentences Eliminate connecting words and

transitions Vocabulary substitutions Concept and text relationships become

unclear

Where Have We Been Today?

Something that I learned today that is “square” with my beliefs.

Three important points to remember.

A question still going around in my mind.