Rationale for Explicit Comprehension Instruction
Research shows that students' comprehension can be improved by teaching students to use specific procedures to reason strategically when they encounter barriers to their understanding. Typically, the teacher models these strategies for students and gradually releases independence to them as the strategies become more familiar. Eventually, the goal is for students to use comprehension strategies automatically and independently.
In early elementary grades (K-2), comprehension instruction occurs primarily through read-aloud experiences. When read to, these students can develop skills and strategies far outside of their reading compentencies. By reducing the coginitive load for these students to decode, they can devote attention to actively building comprehension strategies.
Below are some strategies appropriate for early elementary learners.
Making Predictions
When making predictions, students think about what they already know and use that knowledge in conjunction with other clues to construct meaning as they read.
Students can make predictions about story content based on title and pictures. They can evaluate and change their predictions as the reading progresses.
Good picture book titles for making predictions:
- Sheep In A Jeep by Nancy Shaw
- Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
- Chrysanthemun by Kevin Henkes
- Ruby the Copycat by Peggy Rathmann
- Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
- The Cake that Mack Ate by Rose Robart
- If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff
- Duck and Goose by Tad Hills
Following is a strategy called Directed-Reading-Thinking-Activity (DRTA) or Directed-Listening-Thinking-Activity (DLTA). The difference between the two is that students read the text in a DRTA and the text is read aloud to them in a DLTA. Determine which format to use based on the abilities of the students.
This strategy invites students to make predictions and then check their predictions during and after the reading, thereby ensuring active reading (or listening) of the text. This strategy also helps students to read with purpose.
In early elementary grades (K-2), comprehension instruction occurs primarily through read-aloud experiences. When read to, these students can develop skills and strategies far outside of their reading compentencies. By reducing the coginitive load for these students to decode, they can devote attention to actively building comprehension strategies.
Below are some strategies appropriate for early elementary learners.
Making Predictions
When making predictions, students think about what they already know and use that knowledge in conjunction with other clues to construct meaning as they read.
Students can make predictions about story content based on title and pictures. They can evaluate and change their predictions as the reading progresses.
Good picture book titles for making predictions:
- Sheep In A Jeep by Nancy Shaw
- Pancakes for Breakfast by Tomie dePaola
- Chrysanthemun by Kevin Henkes
- Ruby the Copycat by Peggy Rathmann
- Leo the Late Bloomer by Robert Kraus
- The Cake that Mack Ate by Rose Robart
- If You Give A Mouse A Cookie by Laura Numeroff
- Duck and Goose by Tad Hills
Following is a strategy called Directed-Reading-Thinking-Activity (DRTA) or Directed-Listening-Thinking-Activity (DLTA). The difference between the two is that students read the text in a DRTA and the text is read aloud to them in a DLTA. Determine which format to use based on the abilities of the students.
This strategy invites students to make predictions and then check their predictions during and after the reading, thereby ensuring active reading (or listening) of the text. This strategy also helps students to read with purpose.
DRTA/DLTA | |
File Size: | 91 kb |
File Type: |
Visualizing
Through the process of visualizing, students develop a mental image of what is described in the text.
Visualizing: Making Mind Pictures | |
File Size: | 16 kb |
File Type: |
Sensory Imagery Graphic Organizer | |
File Size: | 63 kb |
File Type: |
Sketch To Stretch | |
File Size: | 28 kb |
File Type: |
Good books for making predictions:
- Fireflies by Julie Brinklow
- Twilight Comes Twice by Ralph Fletcher
- When I Was Young In The Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
- Puddles by Jonathan London
- A Rainbow Of My Own by Don Freeman
- I Went Walking by Sue Williams
- Fireflies by Julie Brinklow
- Twilight Comes Twice by Ralph Fletcher
- When I Was Young In The Mountains by Cynthia Rylant
- Puddles by Jonathan London
- A Rainbow Of My Own by Don Freeman
- I Went Walking by Sue Williams
Making Connections
Students make personal connections with the text based on their background knowledge. There are three main types of connections that we make while reading a text:
- Text to Self: Connections made between a text and the reader's personal experience.
- Text to Text: Connections made between a text being read and a text previously read.
- Text to World: Connections made between a text being read and something that occurs in the world.
Below are some examples of questions that can be used to facilitate student connections:
Text-to-self:
What does this remind me of in my life?
What is this similar to in my life?
How is this different from my life?
Has something like this ever happened to me?
How does this relate to my life?
What were my feelings when I read this?
Text-to-text:
What does this remind me of in another book I’ve read?
How is this text similar to other things I’ve read?
How is this different from other books I’ve read?
Have I read about something like this before?
Text-to-world:
What does this remind me of in the real world?
How is this text similar to things that happen in the real world?
How is this different from things that happen in the real world?
How did that part relate to the world around me?
- Text to Self: Connections made between a text and the reader's personal experience.
- Text to Text: Connections made between a text being read and a text previously read.
- Text to World: Connections made between a text being read and something that occurs in the world.
Below are some examples of questions that can be used to facilitate student connections:
Text-to-self:
What does this remind me of in my life?
What is this similar to in my life?
How is this different from my life?
Has something like this ever happened to me?
How does this relate to my life?
What were my feelings when I read this?
Text-to-text:
What does this remind me of in another book I’ve read?
How is this text similar to other things I’ve read?
How is this different from other books I’ve read?
Have I read about something like this before?
Text-to-world:
What does this remind me of in the real world?
How is this text similar to things that happen in the real world?
How is this different from things that happen in the real world?
How did that part relate to the world around me?
Text to Self Connections | |
File Size: | 35 kb |
File Type: |
Text to Self Connections 2 | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: |
Text to Text Connections | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: |
Text To World Connections | |
File Size: | 38 kb |
File Type: |
Questioning
Good readers ask themselves questions before, during, and after reading. Teachers can help students become aware of and more proficient at questioning by modeling the questioning process and encouraging students to use the strategy independently.
Good readers approach a text with questions like "What is this story going to be about?" and continue to ask questions as they read: "What will happen next?", "Why did the character do that?", etc. Active readers are still asking questions after the reading is finished. They might question the meaning of what they just read, why the text ended as it did, or why the author chose to write the piece.
Good readers approach a text with questions like "What is this story going to be about?" and continue to ask questions as they read: "What will happen next?", "Why did the character do that?", etc. Active readers are still asking questions after the reading is finished. They might question the meaning of what they just read, why the text ended as it did, or why the author chose to write the piece.
Guess My Question Activity
Begin by modeling reading a story aloud and pausing to ask questions. Model finding the answer to the question and how pausing to ask/answer questions helps your comprehension.
After modeling, introduce the Guess My Question game. For this activity, begin reading a story aloud, pause periodically and say "Guess my question." Encourage students to call out questions that could be answered in the section you just read aloud. Continue to have students share questions until you get some that would make sense for the section you just read. Have students find the answers. Continue reading and pausing for student questions until the end of the story.
This activity encourages students to think about potential questions as they read. As an extension, have students complete a Question Chart with the questions they create and their answers. After practice, students could be asked to complete the chart, making questions on their own as they read independently. Students could even trade their questions with a partner for the partner to find the answers.
After modeling, introduce the Guess My Question game. For this activity, begin reading a story aloud, pause periodically and say "Guess my question." Encourage students to call out questions that could be answered in the section you just read aloud. Continue to have students share questions until you get some that would make sense for the section you just read. Have students find the answers. Continue reading and pausing for student questions until the end of the story.
This activity encourages students to think about potential questions as they read. As an extension, have students complete a Question Chart with the questions they create and their answers. After practice, students could be asked to complete the chart, making questions on their own as they read independently. Students could even trade their questions with a partner for the partner to find the answers.
Question-Answer Relationships
This strategy was created to help students realize that answers are related to the type of question that is being asked. This strategy explicitly shows the relationship between questions and answers, categorizes different types and levels of questions, helps student to analyze, comprehend and respond to text concepts, and helps refute the common misconception held by students that the text has all the answers.
The core of the QAR strategy is getting students to understand that the answer will come from one of two places-- either in the text or in their heads (what they already know). These are labeled "In The Book" or "In My Head" questions. Once students understand the distinction between these two types of questions, each category is further divided into two sections: "In The Book" includes "Right There" and "Think and Search" questions, and "In My Head" includes "Author and You" and "On My Own" questions. This chart helps to explain the difference between each type of question.
Students can be taught to identify the type of question being asked, which will enable them to know where to search for answers. Additionally, student should be encouraged to write their own questions for each category.
Click for an example of QAR using Frog And Toad Together
QAR Graphic Organizer
The core of the QAR strategy is getting students to understand that the answer will come from one of two places-- either in the text or in their heads (what they already know). These are labeled "In The Book" or "In My Head" questions. Once students understand the distinction between these two types of questions, each category is further divided into two sections: "In The Book" includes "Right There" and "Think and Search" questions, and "In My Head" includes "Author and You" and "On My Own" questions. This chart helps to explain the difference between each type of question.
Students can be taught to identify the type of question being asked, which will enable them to know where to search for answers. Additionally, student should be encouraged to write their own questions for each category.
Click for an example of QAR using Frog And Toad Together
QAR Graphic Organizer
Question Answer Relationships in the Primary Grades | |
File Size: | 146 kb |
File Type: |