Strategies used for teaching Comprehension...2 Strategies used for teaching Comprehension • Annotation • Chunking Strategies used to teach Answering skills • Question and Answer

2

Strategies used for teaching Comprehension • Annotation • Chunking

Strategies used to teach Answering skills• Question and Answer Relationships (QAR)• Reading for specific information • C.U.B. (Circle, underline and bracket)

3

1. Working out the meaning of words and phrases2. Finding information from the passage3. Identifying the main idea4. Sequencing 5. Similarities and differences6. Prediction 7. Conclude 8. Cause and effect9. Fact or Opinion 10.Inference11.True- False

1. Annotation (To unpack the text) 2. QAR (To unpack the questions)3. Question analysis (To analyse what

the questions are asking and where to find the answers)

4

Annotation Symbols

Character – Who

Setting – Where & When

(Problem/Main Idea) – What

[Solution] – What & How

Words I do not understand

Linking main ideas OR Connecting pronouns to characters

?

Question and Answer Relationships (QAR)

Question-Answer RelationshipsThe Question-Answer Relationship (QAR) strategy presents a three-way relationship between questions, text content, and reader knowledge. Simply put, the QAR strategy shows that students who understand how questions are written are better prepared to answer questions. These activities help students "demystify" the question-building process as a step toward better reading comprehension.

Bukit Panjang Primary School

Question-Answer Relationships, or QAR, is a reading comprehension strategy developed to clarify how students approach the tasks of reading texts and answering questions. It encourages students to be active, strategic readers of

texts. QAR outlines where information can be found "In the Text" or "In my Head." It then breaks down the actual question-answer relationships into four types: Right There, Think and Search, Author and Me, and On My Own.



Students often follow an extremely literal or "in their head" approach when answering questions about what they have read. Understanding question-answer relationships helps students learn the kind of thinking that different types of questions require, as well as where to go for answers in the text. It encourages students to be more efficient and strategic readers.

Teaching students about question-answer relationships can help them to ask effective questions as they read and respond to the text.

Teachers use questioning strategies to guide and monitor student learning and to promote higher-level thinking in their students. Teaching students the QAR strategy encourages teachers to be aware of, and, it is hoped, improve the types of thinking they are requiring of their students.

Understanding how the question-answer relationship works is an important component of comprehending a text.

Why is the QAR important?


The QAR strategy divides questions into two broad categories; "In the Book" (text-explicit) questions and "In My Head" (text-implicit) questions.

"In the Book" questions are generated directly from a reading selection. These explicit questions fall into two subcategories: "Right There"–questions found in one place in a selection and "Think and Search"–questions built around cumulative information found throughout a document.

"In My Head" questions are created by the reader when confronting a text. These questions are not explicitly found in the reading; rather, these questions arise as the reader engages the selection's content through active thought, comparison, evaluation, etc. These implicit questions fall into two subcategories: "Author and You"–questions that the text provokes in the reader and "On My Own"–questions arising from the reader's prior knowledge and experiences.





Literal questions whose answers can be found in the text. Often the words

used in the question are the same words found in the text.

The answer is in one sentence of the text; the question and answer usually

have the same wording. Answers usually are one-word or short-phrase

responses. There is usually only one right answer to Right There questions.

Right there questions


Who is....?Where is...?What is...?When is...?How many...?When did...?

Right there questions


Eg: As she walked into the barnyard, Grandmother heard a sudden noise. She quickly spun her head around, wondering what it could be. Where was Grandmother when she heard the sudden noise?

The answer can be found right there in the text. The words used in the sentences are the same as those in the question. Guide your students to read for specific information.


Think and search questions

Answers are gathered from several parts of the text and put together to make meaning.

The question and answer have different wordings. Guide the students to synthesise and make meaning. Eg:

For what reason...?How did...?Why was...?What caused...?


An excellent strategy for pupils to:Analyse and understand questionsMove beyond literal, recall questions to make inferencesExamine and discover where to get answers for the different questions

using the different strategies taughtUnderstand the kind of thinking skill to use when responding to

different types of questions



16

• Read the questions and identify the keywords in the question

• What is the question asking for • Looking at the passage, identify which area

of the passage contains the answer• Identify the answer• Fit the response to answer the question • Check for errors in tenses, structure and

spelling

Guided Practice using a Comprehension text

‘Ghostly visitors’ Annotate the text Classifying the questions provided according to

the different categories of questions Analyse the question


18

Let us annotate!

All morning, Alif had worked with his father in the vegetablesgarden. Now, his skin burned from the hot sun and his musclesached. He walked into the shady space under his house to cooldown.

? Old /not used

Alif started poking around among the tools and junk storedunder the house. He spied several old pram wheels hangingabove his head and found some strong planks of wood in acorner.” Ah ha,” he thought, “if I can find some nails and rope, Ican make a trolley.” He ran over to the workbench and pickedup a jar of nails and a hammer.” He was looking for some ropewhen, (“Whirr, whizz!” a ghostly shadow zoomed past hishead to a beam above him.) problem

19

Annotation

Alif’s heart pounded as he quickly stepped back.” What was that?” hesqueaked. He tiptoed towards the beam to have a closer look.

“Whizz, whirr!” Three more shadows zoomed past him. Alif dropped thehammer and ran out of the space under his house. He blinked in thebright sunlight. “Father, come quickly! There are ghosts under thehouse!” Alif yelled).

Alif’s father dropped his hoe in surprise, “Alif, are your eyes playingtricks on you?” he asked.

“No, Father. Please come quickly. Look over there, by the tools,” Alifsaid.

Alif’s father went into the space under the house and looked up at thebeam. “Whirr, zoom, whizz!” This time, the ghostly shadows flew out ofthe space under their house. Alif’s father burst out laughing.

[“Alif, keep calm. There are no such things as ghosts. These ‘ghosts’ are fruits bats. ]They usually visit us at this time of the year. They sleep in the space under our house during

Solution

Problem

Continuous Writing

• Paper 1Continuous Writing (20 marks) 10 marks for content10 marks for language Duration: 50 min

Examination Format (Primary 3 and 4)

Part 1: Situational Writing (15 marks) 9 marks for Task Fulfilment 6 marks for Language

Part 2: Continuous Writing (40 marks)20 marks for Content20 marks for Language Total: 55 marks

Duration: 1h 10 min (both)

Paper 1 (Writing)

Candidates will be required to write a composition of at least 100 words at P3 ; 120 words at P4 and 150 words (P5 & P6) in continuous prose on a given topic.

• Three pictures will be provided on the topic offering different angles of interpretation.

• Candidates may also come up with their own interpretation of the topic.

Requirements

1 Write to suit purpose, audience and context in a way that is clear and effective.

2 Use appropriate register and tone in a variety of texts.

3 Select and infer information from text, organise and express them in a coherent and cohesive manner.

4 Use correct grammar, 5 Use a variety of vocabulary appropriately, with clarity and precision.

• CONTENTIdeas are exceptionally clear, focused and captivating. Main ideas have very strong support characterised by rich and unusual detail.Development/exploration is original, complex and relevant.Effectively organised in a logical and creative manner.

Level of Writing Competency: Advanced Writer

• LANGUAGEHardly any errors in grammar, expression, spelling and punctuation. Precise words/phrases that powerfully convey the intended message and energises the writing.Variation in sentence structure to enhance purpose and context.Skilful use of transition within and across paragraphs that shows creativity and flexibility to enhance meaning.


• CONTENTIdeas are clear, focused and interesting. Main ideas are developed with supporting details. Development/exploration is thorough and relevant.Effectively organised in a logical and conventional manner.

Level of Writing Competency: Proficient Writer

• LANGUAGEA few errors in punctuation, spelling and grammar. Slips in tenses and awkward structures.Precise words/phrases that powerfully convey the intended message and energises the writing.Variation in sentence structure to enhance purpose and context.Skilful use of transition within and across paragraphs that shows creativity and flexibility to enhance meaning.

Level of Writing Competency: Proficient Writer

• CONTENTIdeas are easily understandable but partially developed. Development/exploration is simple; merely a listing of events.Some attempt at organisation.

Level of Writing Competency: Intermediate Writer

• LANGUAGELanguage is fairly accurate with some errors in grammar, expression, spelling and punctuation.Appropriate words/phrases showing functional use of vocabulary.Some understanding of sentence structure.Frequent significant errors which do not interfere with understanding of the whole text.

Level of Writing Competency: Intermediate Writer

• CONTENTIdeas are vague; little or no supporting details. Development/exploration is minimal or non-existent.Little or no organisation.

Level of Writing Competency: Beginner Writer

• LANGUAGEInappropriate use of words/phrases showing limited vocabulary.Little or no sense of sentence structure.Numerous errors distract the reader and make the text difficult to read.

Level of Writing Competency: Beginner Writer

Topic Pupils are required to address the topic given. Eg: being considerate, a secret, an unexpected discovery, a friendship etc. Picture(s)Besides addressing the given topic, pupils’ composition should be based on one OR more of these pictures.

IMPORTANT!

Interest value relates to pupils’ ability to engage the reader effectively.Writing vividly using apt words and phrasesLively and convincing piece to create an impact on reader by

paying close attention to details, making comparisons, using dialogue and varying sentence structures

• Narration is the art of storytelling.• Narratives can be either factual or fictional. In either

case, narratives should emotionally engage the reader.• Most narratives are composed of major events

sequenced in chronological order.

Taken from Lumen Learning

• Words and phrases are used to orient the reader in the sequence of a narrative.

• The four basic components to all narratives are plot, character, conflict, and theme.

• The use of sensory details is crucial to emotionally engaging the reader.

• A strong introduction is important to hook the reader. A strong conclusion should add resolution to the conflict and evoke the narrative’s theme.

Taken from Lumen Learning

• Quick Writes• Listing of story ideas

Stage 1: Pre-Writing (Planning Stage)

• Plot Structure • Exploding the Moment – Expanding the Plot using Show, Don’t Tell and STEAL (characterisation)

Drafting

Plot Structure – Elements of Narratives

• LANGUAGEHardly any errors in grammar, expression, spelling and punctuation. Precise words/phrases that powerfully convey the intended message and energises the writing.Variation in sentence structure to enhance purpose and context.Skilful use of transition within and across paragraphs that shows creativity and flexibility to enhance meaning.

• CONTENTIdeas are exceptionally clear, focused and captivating. Main ideas have very strong support characterised by rich and unusual detail.Development/exploration is original, complex and relevant.Effectively organised in a logical and creative manner.


Exploding the Moment/ Expanding the Plot

Expanding the Plot =Show, Not Tell & S.T.E.A.L

Great Beginnings

Satisfying EndingsMeat of the Story: PLOTClimax

Developing SuspenseRising Action

Falling Action

Two main ingredients to cook up a main event:

1) Show, Don’t Tell (Feelings) 2) S.T.E.A.L (Characterisation) Speech (Dialogue) Thoughts Effect on others Action Looks

Show, Don’t Tell (Feelings)

Telling: The girls were excited.

Showing:

Giggles and screams filled the arena. Their soft curls werenow damp with perspiration in anticipation of the event.They held tight to each other in a mock effort to containthemselves. Their arms flailed upward, and voices echoedin varying tones. The moment was here.

Show, Don’t Tell (Feelings) Telling:She was too nervous to speak.

Showing:She wrung her hands and tugged at the hem ofher blouse. “No, I…I didn’t…” she muttered asshe avoided his steady gaze. Her heart waspalpitating wildly and she was totally flustered.

Show, Don’t Tell (Feelings) Telling:My angry teacher stared at me.Showing:Madam Suharti stopped short in front of mydesk. She leant forward and glared at me withbulging eyes. Baring her teeth in an ugly snarl,she hissed, “Where is your book? Did you forgetagain?” If looks could kill, I would have witheredthere and then.

How do we “show” and “not tell”?

There are many ways!

Be precise!

saw: scanned, peered, glanced, gazed, spied.ate: devoured, chomped, gnawed, gobbled, scarfed

said: squeaked, babbled, mumbled, snapped, changed

Get creative!steaming chili

teeth-chattering morningelated studentsapphire dress

thirst-quenching Diet Pepsi

Use your 5 senses.

Use your five senses along withapt vocabulary to paint a picturefor your reader. You want yourreader to feel like they werethere experiencing what you arewriting about!

Characterisation- S.T.E.A.L

There are 5 ways an author can communicate information

about a character using characterisation

We can use the S.T.E.A.L. Method to analyze out characters!S.T.E.A.L stands for

SpeechThoughtsEffects on othersActionsLooks.

Speech

Speech- What does the character say? How does the character speak?

Example: “Hey, we can have lots of fun at camp this summer! I love being outside!” he said, his voice laced with excitement.

Thoughts

Thoughts- What is revealed through the character’sthoughts and feelings?

Example: I wish it would stop raining. I am tired of sitting inside!

Effect on Others

Effect on Others- What is revealed through the character’s effect on other people? How do other characters feel or behave in reaction to the other character?

Example: The boy glared at his sister as she ate his dessert, oblivious to his anger.

Action

Actions- What does the character do? How does the character behave?

Example: The girl rode the lawn mower through the house and into the garage, while doing a handstand!

Looks

Looks- What does the character look like? How does the character dress?

Example: The little girl left the game with slumped shoulders and a frown on her face.

58

Thank you for your time

Documents

Strategies used for teaching Comprehension...2 Strategies used for teaching Comprehension • Annotation • Chunking Strategies used to teach Answering skills • Question and Answer