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Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Development
November 3, 2005
Comprehension is “The Point”
“. . . reader’s process of using prior experiences and the author’s text to construct meaning that is useful to that reader for a specific purpose.” (p. 252)
Theories of Comprehension
• Schema Theory
• Mental/Situation Models
Factors Affecting Comprehension
• Decoding and fluency skills • Vocabulary • Background knowledge • Academic vs. conversational vocabulary• Understanding structure of written
language • Processing abilities• Understanding the purpose for a reading• Cognitive abilities/skills
Comprehension is “The Point”
“. . . reader’s process of using prior experiences and the author’s text to construct meaning that is useful to that reader for a specific purpose.” (p. 252)
Assessing Reading Comprehension• Graded passage with comprehension
questions
• Story re-telling
• Think-alouds (to see how student is attempting comprehension
• Assessing background knowledge
• Maze:
Jose went to the fair. He had to go through a big (hole/gate/tunnel) to get into the fair.
Jose ate lots of good (food/mud/it). He had fun at the (dance/zoo/fair).
• Picture Cards: story re-tellings; answering comprehension questions
Assessing Reading Comprehension
Teachers who were excellent at facilitating comprehension:
• Built language at every opportunity (Vocabulary)
• Activated/built students’ background knowledge (schema)
• Provided a purpose for reading• Followed up on that purpose after reading• Taught prediction• Continuously motivated students to read for
meaning• Taught strategies to identify the main idea
Example Strategy:Read -- Ask -- Paraphrase (RAP)
• Read paragraph to yourself.
• Ask yourself what is the main idea.
• Put the paragraph into your own words and tell it to your partner.
• Switch roles.
Story Grammar Questioning
1. Read the story and construct a story grammar using the elements you identified
2. Write one question for each of the major story elements.
3. Ask student to answer story grammar questions (using blank story map OR orally OR in pairs OR in small groups)
Vocabulary Development
• Children typically learn approximately 3,000 words per year!
• Gain new vocabulary through school (instruction) and through family activities, trips, hobbies, reading independently, etc.
Stages of Word Learning(adapted from Dade & O’Rourke, 1971)
• I never saw it before!
• I’ve heard of it or I can pronounce it, but I don’t know what it means.
• I recognize it in context - It has something to do with. . .; I know one of its meanings
• I know it. I know what it means and can use it in several ways or contexts.
What the Student Knows Instruction Needed
Knows word when hears it but doesn’t recognize printed form.
Teach printed form.
Knows word’s oral and written form but doesn’t use it in speech or writing.
Promote generative knowledge. Give examples of its use; clarify word; encourage its use in a safe environment.
Knows the concept but not the label. Teach the label and relate it to the concept.
Has partial knowledge of the word. Knows definition but doesn’t have contextual knowledge.
Develop a deeper meaning of the word; examine the word in multiple contexts.
Recognizes the label but has no real conceptual knowledge of the concept. Or knows the word’s “everyday” meaning but not how it might be used in a technical sense.
Develop the concept.
Does not know either concept or the label.
Develop the concept and the label.
What it is and What is Isn’t:
It is:
hardIt isn’t:
soft
Comprehension Repair Strategies
• Click – Clunk– Read on.– Reread sentence.– Reread paragraph or section.– Look for information from a resource such as
a dictionary or glossary.– Ask someone else for help.
Content through reading guides
• Teacher can develop guide questions or student or small group can develop questions.
• Students can work with guides independently or in small groups.
Content through strategy use
RAP Graphic Organizers
Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA)
K-W-L
Say-Something Paired Reading
Question-Answer-Relationship Guide
Admit-Exit Strategy
Content through modifications to text
Increased font size
Braille
Highlighted texts
Content through varying mediums
Tape-recorded books
Books on CD
Buddy-reading
E-books
www.academicmaterials.com/ entrance.htm
Content through Read-Alouds
• Teacher reads a selection aloud to entire class– Good as ‘grabbers’/hooks– Allow students to focus on content vs.
decoding– May aid in memory b/c of multiple avenues of
input– Model fluent oral reading (support language
acquisition for ELL students)
Content through Shared Reading
• Teacher reads aloud while students are looking at text– Be explicit about the purpose of the reading
– Model and teach a specific strategy (e.g., inference, text features, map reading)
• Provide a follow-up activity that allows students to practice the modeled strategy
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