Chapter 8 Teach Comprehension
Not only is it important to model and teach reading, is it
equally important to teach comprehension.
What good is reading without being able to understand what is being
read? Often times, I have noticed
students are excellent at reading a passage within a certain time (which I contribute
to numerous programs that time reading), but cannot apply comprehension skills
during or after reading. When asked what
they have read, they either give the blank stare or begin scrummaging through
the book to piece together the events.
Though I teach referring back to and rereading the text, I do emphasize
taking the time to understand and question during the reading process and not
to solely depend on going back to the text to answer every comprehension
question.
As explained in the article, students need a deepened
understanding of what they read; something that goes beyond answering those
comprehension questions that are stated in the text. Students need to be taught comprehension
strategies that they can apply to their independent reading material as well as
class novels. This article has me
reflecting on the structure of my reading block. Often times, I only focus on one skill at a
time for a week or two isolated. However,
I do make sure to refer back to previously learned skills even after
assessments of skills. Yet, I am going
to reevaluate my reading block to not only incorporate more independent reading
time but how I can consistently assess students’ performances on each skill as
they are reading during one on one conferencing.
Because I do not take the time to reflect on my reading
practices, I don’t realize how many skills I am using. Reading comes natural to me. If I don’t understand a text, I will
reread. As I am reading, I am making
connections, creating a movie, determining a theme, making inferences,
etc. After reading I am sharing with others
about what I learned providing a summary.
It is now my goal to get students to this point of using the strategies
to truly read and comprehend texts that they enjoy reading.
Krystal,
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your blog, i was struck with the thought that rarely in the real world do we ever have to read something within a given time frame. Most of the time we read so that we understand something or for entertainment. When we focus on teaching comprehension we are teaching a skill these kids will use for life. I also love that you agree that our kids need a deeper understanding of what they read. I also enjoyed hearing that you are looking at your reading block and trying to find ways to incorporate more independent reading time!
Hi Krystal,
ReplyDeleteI love how reflective you are as a teacher. I learned a lot about you through your blog post and it is clear that through reading and taking time to reflect on your current reading practices and where you can improve your instruction you were able to identify some areas to grow. I love how you are taking the proficient reader strategies that you utilize in your personal reading and are making them explicit through your instruction to your students. I know they will benefit from this. Sincerely, Dawn