Comprehension.. Teaching for Meaning Session 1 DAY 1... · What is Comprehension? “Comprehension is defined as intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactions

The PDST is funded by the Department of Education and Skills under the National Development Plan, 2007-2013

Comprehension..

Teaching for Meaning

Session 1

© PDST, 20101



Focus and content of workshops

• Session 1 – Introduction

Explicit teaching of comprehension

Focus on a strategy

• Session 2 – Sharing of classroom work

Focus on more strategies

• Session 3 - Sharing of classroom work

- Integrating the strategies

- Focus on assessment

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Literacy & Numeracy Strategy 2011and School Self Evaluation

• Good literacy and numeracy skills are fundamental to the life chances of eachindividual and essential to the quality

and equity of Irish society

• One in ten children In Irish schools has serious difficulty with reading or writing; in some disadvantaged schools this is as high as almost one in three students

• Equip teachers to provide for the explicit development of higher-order skills and strategies for reading comprehension (e.g. retrieving, questioning, inferring, synthesising, critically evaluating)

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School Self Evaluation

strengths concerns

What is Comprehension?

“Comprehension is defined as intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactionsbetween reader and text”

Harris and Hodges (1995)

Comprehension is a process in which readers construct meaning by interacting with text through the combination of prior knowledge and previous experience, information in the text and the stance the reader takes in relationship to the text

Pardo, 2004


Curriculum says.....

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“The ultimate objective of reading is comprehension or the reconstruction of meaning”


Discuss

What key components need to be included in the teaching of

comprehension ?

Activity!

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Variables of Comprehension

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8

Prior Knowledge

Word Identification

Skills

Reading Fluency

Vocabulary Development

Motivation

Decoding Skills Personal

Engagement

Comprehension Strategies


Key Principles

• Comprehension needs to be explicitly taught as part of the reading process

• Oral language activity is at the core of the programme for developing children’s comprehension skills

• A number of variables influence the comprehension process

• Comprehension should be explored in a cross-curricular manner

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Variables of Process of Comprehension

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10

Prior Knowledge

Word Identification

Skills

Reading Fluency

Vocabulary Development

Motivation

Decoding Skills Personal

Engagement

Comprehension Strategies


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Reading Strategies

inferring

connecting

skimming

creating imagescomparing

determining importance

summarising

self questioning

predicting

synthesising

scanning

3 Levels of Comprehension

Creating ImagesSkimming/Scanning

Consulting a ReferenceSelf Questioning

SynthesisingDetermining Importance

Self QuestioningParaphrasing/Summarising

ConnectingComparingInferringPredicting

LITERAL

INFERENTIAL

EVALUATIVE


How do we teach comprehension?

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Gallagher and Pearson – Gradual Release of Responsibility Model

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Role of the

Teacher

Role of the

Student

GuidingThe teacher provides scaffolds for students to use the strategy. Teacher provides feedback.

Students work with help from the teacher and peers to practise the use of the strategy using a variety of problems

SharingThe teacher continues to demonstrate the use of the strategy with a range of problems inviting students to contribute ideas and information.

Students contribute ideas and begin to practise the use of the strategy in whole-class situations.

ModellingThe teacher demonstrates and explains the strategy being introduced. This is achieved by thinking aloud the mental processes used when using the strategy

The students participate by actively attending to the demonstrations.

ApplyingThe teacher offers support and encouragement as necessary.

The students work independently to apply the strategy in context across the curriculum.

Deg

ree

of

Co

ntr

ol


Creating Images

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Creating Images – a definition...

“efficient readers use all their senses to continually create images as they read.

Sensory images created by readers help them to draw conclusions, make predictions,

interpret information, remember details and assist with overall comprehension”

First Steps Reading Resource Book pg. 118

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1. Modelling

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•Whole class activity – Teacher led

•Most significant step when teaching any reading strategy

•“Think Aloud” – unlocks “secret”

•Articulate thinking

•Needs to be well planned and thought out session


2. Sharing

• Whole class activity – Teacher led, children contribute

• Children and teacher think through text together

• Teacher continues to demonstrate strategy

• Children invited to contribute ideas and information during demonstration

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3. Guiding

• Small group activity – scaffolding provided by the teacher

• Practise strategy in meaningful reading context when using a variety of texts

• Ongoing feedback and support

Activity!

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4. Independent• Children taking charge of their own reading

• Can be paired or squared to allow for Talk and Discussion and sharing of ideas

• DEAR (Drop everything and read)

• USSR (Uninterrupted Sustained Silent Reading)

• SURE (Sustained Uninterrupted Reading for Enjoyment)

• Book Clubs / Book Discussion Groups Reciprocal reading

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The Anchor Chart

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VisualisationMaking movies in our heads...

Using all of our senses – see,

hear, smell, feel, taste...

We are the directors of our own movies...

We can make loads of movies in our heads...


Anchor chart

• A clear detailed account of the strategy and its use

• Child-friendly language

• An account of what the strategy is, how we use it and why we use it

• It is co-created with the children

• It fosters a common language surrounding the strategy.

• The anchor chart hangs visibly in the classroom

• Children refer to it as needed

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Strategy in Action

• DVD – Teacher modelling a “think aloud”Source: Building Bridges of Understanding

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Choosing a Text...

• The book/piece should

– Be descriptive

– Allow children use their prior knowledge and experiences

– Provide opportunities to use many or all of the senses

• Books with a nature theme are especially suitable for introducing the strategy as they are by their nature descriptive

Can you think of any texts that you have that may be suitable for Creating Images?

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Cross Curricular Integration

The integrated nature of the Primary School Curriculum should support the development of children’s language and literacy skills in all curriculum subjects” (NCCA, 2005)

Hallmarks of true integration• Meaningful integration

is about making natural connections

• Integration must remain true to each of the subject areas involved

• Integration should facilitate the transfer of learning and skills.

“Integration should emphasises the interconnectedness of knowledge and ideas and reinforces the learning process”

Primary School Curriculum Introduction, pg 16

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1564029654/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1564029654/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Twits_first_edition.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Twits_first_edition.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Scream.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Scream.jpg

http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/508/Starry-Night.html

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Secretgarden1993.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Secretgarden1993.jpg

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nursery-Rhymes-Book-CD/dp/1843323966/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327665423&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nursery-Rhymes-Book-CD/dp/1843323966/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327665423&sr=1-2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PeterandtheWolfColoringBook.png

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PeterandtheWolfColoringBook.png

http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/1580625576/ref=sib_dp_pt

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http://www.amazon.com/Discovering-Great-Artists-Hands-Children/dp/0935607099/ref=cm_lmf_img_4

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http://www.walktall.ie/

http://www.walktall.ie/


Bringing the Learning Back to the Classroom

Planning for the teaching of

Comprehension

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Give It A Go..In class groups select a text and use the following

prompts to guide your planning:

Consider;

1. Model - “Think Aloud” for Creating Images (teacher)

2. Record on Anchor Chart – name and sentence starter

3. Shared - “Think Aloud” (teacher + children)

4. Guided – activity (children + teacher)

5. Independent – (children)

© PDST, 201029


Documents

Comprehension.. Teaching for Meaning Session 1 DAY 1... · What is Comprehension? “Comprehension is defined as intentional thinking during which meaning is constructed through interactions