Current Issues in Literacy Comprehension
Catholic Schools Office
August 4
Why are you here today?
• What questions or concerns do you have regarding comprehension?
• What is the problem you are trying to solve?
Comprehension – Working towards a definition
Read and reflect
Revisit your definition of comprehension.
If you made any adjustments, explain why?
connecting comparing Reading Strategies synthesising
visualising using analogy
skimming chunking
inferringsounding out
predicting consulting a
scanning reference
re-readingparaphrasing/summarising reading-on
self-questioning determining importance adjusting reading rate
The Multidimensional Model of Reading
Activate background knowledge Reading Processes review and clarify new vocab
Preview texts set a purpose monitor understandings
Adjust misunderstandings identify, extract and recall information reflect on information
Three-cueing System
Graphophonic
SyntacticSemantic
purpose Context of the Reading Event Sociocultural Influence
author / reader relationship situation subject matter
Think about comprehensionin your school
Why is it taught? When is it taught? How is it taught?
• A model for learning– Gradual Release of Responsibility model– Gallagher and Pearson 1983
Literacy Block Guide Lines
Assessme
nt and
Feedback
Shared Reading Talking and Listening
Explicit Teaching
Task Board
Small groupInstructional Reading
Independent Tasks
Learning Circle:(Time for further explicit teaching)
Modelled Writing
Small group Instructional Writing
Independent Writing
Learning Circle:(Time for further explicit teaching)
Video
During the video – note the comprehension strategies being used by the teacher.
http://www.nlnw.nsw.edu.au/events10.htm
Some practical examples of shared text and explicit teaching of comprehension
Under the iceDiagram showing a cross section through Antarctica
Two hundred million years ago Antarctica formed the centre of an ancient mid-latitude supercontinent called Gondwana, which included South America, Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand. Gondwana started to break up 180
million years ago and the separate continents drifted apart on different tectonic plates over the next 150 million years. Antarctic rocks and fossils have provided important clues in piecing together this supercontinent, and they provide records of earlier climates which were warmer and supported
rich vegetation. Fossil evidence indicates that the Antarctic continent was a much warmer
place before the cooling Circumpolar Current isolated the continent from its neighbouring land masses. The sea level was much higher, the polar ice cap
much smaller, and parts of the continent contained vegetation similar to today's endemic Tasmanian flora. Fossils of whales, molluscs and other
invertebrate animals from this period have been found in Antarctica's Vestfold Hills, and older plant fossils have been found at Transantarctic Mountain sites
close to the South Pole.
Learning goal:
• Text to world connections
• Scanning(Involves glancing through material to locate specific details such as names, dates, places or some particular content.)
1. Scan the text to locate names of places
2. Scan the text to locate words that you think are specific to geography
3. Scan the text to list words that you need to clarify
4. Scan the text to find the following words: circa, trans, polar
Scanning
Learning goals
1. Scan the text to locate names of places
2. Scan the text to locate words that you think are specific to geography
3. Scan the text to list words that you need to clarify
4. Scan the text to find the following words: circa, trans, polar
Literacy tasks
1.Locate and label the places on a current map
2.List and define the geography specific words
3.List and define the words to be clarified. Publish on A4 paper to develop a word wall.
4. Use an on-line etymology dictionary to find the meaning and background of the words.
Let’s put it into action
1. Read the given shared text on National Parks.
2. Break into groups of 3 or 4. Each group will be allocated a comprehension strategy
3. Read about the strategy, discuss and become the experts
4. Present to the group (3 mins each group)• Definition of the strategy• Model how you will explicitly teach the strategy
using the shared text
Royal National ParkSituated on the southern outskirts ofSydney, the Royal National Parkis the second oldest National Parkin the world. A railway station between Loftus and Bundeena on the suburban Illawarra line provides easy accessto the park. Alternatively, a ferry operates from Cronulla near the railway station to Bundeena. Lace up your walking shoes and discover secluded beaches and typical "Aussie Bush".
Design a task that will allow the student to practise his/her learning.
Small group instructional reading
• Guided reading • Reciprocal reading
Book talk
Planning for teaching
Term overview
This term overview is intended for teachers to use in order to plan an outline for the term. It is expected that the syllabus be consulted in this planning. Once the overview is completed the key skills and strategies are then transferred to the weekly programming proforma. It is anticipated that this overview will need to be adjusted throughout the term according to on-going assessment and feedback.
Year………….. Literacy Term Overview Term…………..
WeekShared Text Grammar Punctuation Comprehension Spelling Writing Handwriting Talking
and Listening
Technology Assessment Plan
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
NB. While there is a whole class spelling focus, individual children and small groups will have a spelling focus as identified in their writing and/or linking to their reading text.
Where to from here
• Keep
• Stop
• Start