Picture this. What do you Mean?

Dr. Constance UlmerAppalachian State University

Summer 2008

Order of the Day

What is Reading Comprehension? Reading as literacy ? Who are our readers? How can we help them as readers? Closure

Reading Comprehension

“ We define reading comprehension as the process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language. We use the words extracting and constructing to emphasize both the importance and the insufficiency of the text as a determinant of reading comprehension” NLA

Comprehension

entails three elements:The Reader who is doing the

comprehendingThe text that is to be comprehended

The activity (context) in which comprehension is a part

Rand report, Reading for Understanding (2002)

Rosenblatt’s Reader Response & the Transactional Model

Reader

TextContext

MEANING

1938,1968,1993

Literacy As Engagement

I start with the idea that literacy is not merely the capacity to understand the conceptual content of writings and utterances but the ability to participate fully in a set of social and intellectual practices. It is not passive but active, not imitative but creative, for it includes participation in the activities it makes possible. (xiv)

James White

Adult learners- ESL Learners Consider purpose for reading-motivation Consider purpose of the author Consider background knowledge-schema) Consider text structure–levels-genres Consider context Consider cueing systems

Consider the Reader

Who are your students? What makes an engaging environment? How do I set up that environment? What can be learned ? What should be learned?

Questions to Consider

Consider the Type of Reading

Implicit-Explicit Short - Long Narrative-Expository Vocabulary vs. Conceptual information

Consider Strategies

Think Alouds Pictures KWLs Text –self Text-text Text -world Quotes- personal narration Smart or symbols for discussions Alphabetic descriptions Continued

Resources Alverman, Donna, Billmeyer, Rachel Buehl, Doug Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy National Institute for Literacy National Literacy Association Rosenblatt, Louise Vacca and Vacca Vaughn and Estes White, James