It’s important for us as educators to create reading
experiences that foster student comprehension.
There are many strategies that can be implemented in our classrooms to teach
comprehension skills. Peer interaction is helpful in learning comprehension. A
child is more likely to learn and remember the content if they are actively
engaged and being social. Why do you think this is?
The book touches on the topic of interactive discussions. The discussion questions should enhance
student thinking and give them the opportunity to reflect on their own
experiences. Scaffolding is key in
any aspect of student learning.
Graphic organizers
are a great tool to put your thoughts and ideas down on paper. I’ve seen a
K-W-L chart utilized a lot in the classrooms I’ve been in. I think they’re
ideal for showing the growth and progression of knowledge as a specific topic
is explored. I remember using concept maps to generate ideas and build off them
in order to help in writing a paper.
Another strategy to check comprehension is retelling a story. It shows how closely the children were listening to the
story and if they’re able to recall facts and main ideas from a text. It can be
difficult for a child to retell a story, but with practice, the task becomes
easier (page 240). One way to help a student retell stories is through props
and pre-and post-discussions regarding the story elements. What are other tools
you’ve seen in classrooms to aid in comprehension?
Fluency is a path
that leads to comprehension (page 245). Fluency is a talent that has little to
no emphasis in literacy today. It encompasses a variety of skills, including automaticity (decoding words instantly),
prosody (reading with expression) and
accuracy (at a steady pace with no
errors). Fluency activities in the classroom are typically entertaining, simple
and short in time span. These activities should be done daily in the classroom,
as it is our goal to be fluent, accurate readers. This can be done through our
classroom literacy instruction.
There are many avenues for us as teachers to take when
practicing fluency in the classroom. I’ve seen echo reading and choral
reading in classrooms. The classroom teacher for my Edel 350 practicum uses
echo reading quite a bit. Echo reading involves a teacher modeling correct
reading habits, and then the students repeat the tone, expression and pacing
the teacher used. Choral reading is more led by the students. They create their
own pace and prosody and read the passage or short story how they choose. Which
strategy seems more impactful in a students’ fluency learning?
My favorite fluency activity is reader’s theater. I remember doing this a lot throughout elementary
school. I played the little gingerbread man in our reader’s theater play, and I
was so proud of it! I'm working on creating a reader's theater skit with my two first graders in my Edrd 430 practicum this week. Reader's theater has the class split into groups and practice
oral reading a short play (page 246). The parts are given out, and the students
are given the opportunity to practice their lines and “rehearse” them. Then,
each group can “perform” their reader’s theater script in front of their
classmates, or even in front of parents and family. I really like this
strategy, as it incorporates practice and fluency, as well as gives the
students a sense of responsibility. The children can even write their own skits
and perform them. Reader’s theater can be modified in different ways to fit the
style of your classroom. Props are highly encouraged for this activity as well.
Fluency and comprehension go hand in hand. As teachers, we
should strive to apply these strategies in our classrooms to ensure a positive,
engaging and powerful literacy learning experience.