chatboard - Teachers.Net

Join Teachers.Net

Chatboards

Recent Groups

Reading

MEMBERS

11 Members

+ Join Group

Pinned Posts

ALLAll Teachers

Teachers.Net LIVE CHAT Support group - Tues eve!

Featured Jobs

Full-timeMontessori Teacher

Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada

TemporaryTeachers, rural schools

Peace River North School District

Full-timeHead Teacher: 2nd/3rd Grades – Mills College Children’s School

Mills College

Teaching Jobs on Teachers.Net

Featured Job special only $39!

https://teachers.net/jobs

Become a Teachers.Net sponsor!

Reading Teachers Chatboard

Comprehension Strategies - in what order

by Stephen

Aug 18, 2011

Hi

What is the best order to teach comprehension? This is what I came up with. Any thoughts? I always switch reading between fiction and nonfiction.

1. Title/author/illustrator 2. Differences between fiction/nonfiction/poetry 3. Characters/setting/events 4. Problem/solution 5. Connections 6. Creating mental images 7. Prediction/inferences 8. Main Idea and Details 9. Summarizing 10.SQ3R

Comment

(3)

report post

Vet Teacher On 8/18/11, Stephen wrote: > Hi > > What is the best order to teach comprehension? This is what > I came up with. Any thoughts?

Are you trying to foster better comprehension? The phrase 'teach comprehension' is puzzling - you can't 'teach comprehension'. The process of understanding what you've read is something that can be en...See MoreOn 8/18/11, Stephen wrote: > Hi > > What is the best order to teach comprehension? This is what > I came up with. Any thoughts?

Are you trying to foster better comprehension? The phrase 'teach comprehension' is puzzling - you can't 'teach comprehension'. The process of understanding what you've read is something that can be encouraged, it can be fostered but it's not a simple skill that can be taught. What you've listed below are some of the strategies by which comprehension is fostered - but some of them are antique - and ineffective. They just plain don't work.

Some students are naturals at comprehension of reading. What caliber of students are you teaching?

In any case, writing breaks into two categories and it's not fiction/non-fiction. Think about it. It's creative/expository. When a dictator writes his autobiography and praises himself as a hero, is that fiction or non-fiction??

It's neither. It's expository writing (which can be creatively written). When you teach the fiction/non-fiction parameter, you don't foster comprehension but rather foster confusion.

Title is a clue to what the writing will be about - certainly teach them to read the title but not to lean on it - it's only a clue and titles can be misleading. The illustrator? His/her name has nothing to do with comprehension. The author's name is only important if it's a William Faulkner and then you know you're going to have long, incomprehensible sentences in the book.

Past that, nothing in your list really fosters comprehension but it's the kind of list a college professor who has never worked with elementary or secondary level students gives you.

Have them read in books that are palatable. Talk to them about what you're reading at home, in your own life. Ask them what books they've read that they've enjoyed and why. Dialogue about literature - what's the purpose of literature? Is it a mirror held up to society? Does it give an accurate reflection of life? Read a short story, or two or three and at the end of every one ask - did this work for you? Why? Why not?

You need to read a book called Mosaic of Thought - it will teach you about fostering reading comprehension. That 'creating mental images' stuff makes kids think you're nuts - that's not how everybody interacts with reading.

Reading is an experience that can act upon the brain and the heart too - that list below encourages kids to dissect the reading like a frog in biology class - which is rather awful to do to a frog and as awful to do to a book. Literature is filled with joy and pain - feel the joy and the pain and you're comprehending the book. They need to think about what's happening in the book, not dissect it into little bits. > > 1. Title/author/illustrator > 2. Differences between fiction/nonfiction/poetry > 3. Characters/setting/events > 4. Problem/solution > 5. Connections > 6. Creating mental images > 7. Prediction/inferences > 8. Main Idea and Details > 9. Summarizing > 10.SQ3R > > > > >

Aug 30, 2011

report post

Stephen Thank you for your detailed response. I really appreciate it. I will definitely buy that book. I will keep you posted.

Stephen

On 8/30/11, Vet Teacher wrote: > On 8/18/11, Stephen wrote: >> Hi >> >> What is the best order to teach comprehension? This is what >> I came up with. Any thoughts? > > Ar...See MoreThank you for your detailed response. I really appreciate it. I will definitely buy that book. I will keep you posted.

Stephen

On 8/30/11, Vet Teacher wrote: > On 8/18/11, Stephen wrote: >> Hi >> >> What is the best order to teach comprehension? This is what >> I came up with. Any thoughts? > > Are you trying to foster better comprehension? The phrase > 'teach comprehension' is puzzling - you can't 'teach > comprehension'. The process of understanding what you've read > is something that can be encouraged, it can be fostered but > it's not a simple skill that can be taught. What you've listed > below are some of the strategies by which comprehension is > fostered - but some of them are antique - and ineffective. They > just plain don't work. > > Some students are naturals at comprehension of reading. What > caliber of students are you teaching? > > In any case, writing breaks into two categories and it's not > fiction/non-fiction. Think about it. It's creative/expository. > When a dictator writes his autobiography and praises himself as > a hero, is that fiction or non-fiction?? > > It's neither. It's expository writing (which can be creatively > written). When you teach the fiction/non-fiction parameter, you > don't foster comprehension but rather foster confusion. > > Title is a clue to what the writing will be about - certainly > teach them to read the title but not to lean on it - it's only > a clue and titles can be misleading. The illustrator? His/her > name has nothing to do with comprehension. The author's name is > only important if it's a William Faulkner and then you know > you're going to have long, incomprehensible sentences in the book. > > Past that, nothing in your list really fosters comprehension > but it's the kind of list a college professor who has never > worked with elementary or secondary level students gives you. > > Have them read in books that are palatable. Talk to them about > what you're reading at home, in your own life. Ask them what > books they've read that they've enjoyed and why. Dialogue about > literature - what's the purpose of literature? Is it a mirror > held up to society? Does it give an accurate reflection of > life? Read a short story, or two or three and at the end of > every one ask - did this work for you? Why? Why not? > > You need to read a book called Mosaic of Thought - it will > teach you about fostering reading comprehension. That 'creating > mental images' stuff makes kids think you're nuts - that's not > how everybody interacts with reading. > > Reading is an experience that can act upon the brain and the > heart too - that list below encourages kids to dissect the > reading like a frog in biology class - which is rather awful to > do to a frog and as awful to do to a book. Literature is filled > with joy and pain - feel the joy and the pain and you're > comprehending the book. They need to think about what's > happening in the book, not dissect it into little bits. >> >> 1. Title/author/illustrator >> 2. Differences between fiction/nonfiction/poetry >> 3. Characters/setting/events >> 4. Problem/solution >> 5. Connections >> 6. Creating mental images >> 7. Prediction/inferences >> 8. Main Idea and Details >> 9. Summarizing >> 10.SQ3R >> >> >> >> >>

Aug 30, 2011

report post

Whitney I love Mosaic of Thought and definitely second the vote to incorporate that book and those strategies in teaching comprehension. A great site to supplement and provide some use-tomorrow resources: [link removed]!

On 8/30/11, Stephen wrote: > Thank you for your detailed response. I really appreciate it. I > will definitely buy that b...See MoreI love Mosaic of Thought and definitely second the vote to incorporate that book and those strategies in teaching comprehension. A great site to supplement and provide some use-tomorrow resources: [link removed]!

On 8/30/11, Stephen wrote: > Thank you for your detailed response. I really appreciate it. I > will definitely buy that book. I will keep you posted. > > Stephen > > > On 8/30/11, Vet Teacher wrote: >> On 8/18/11, Stephen wrote: >>> Hi >>> >>> What is the best order to teach comprehension? This is what >>> I came up with. Any thoughts? >> >> Are you trying to foster better comprehension? The phrase >> 'teach comprehension' is puzzling - you can't 'teach >> comprehension'. The process of understanding what you've read >> is something that can be encouraged, it can be fostered but >> it's not a simple skill that can be taught. What you've listed >> below are some of the strategies by which comprehension is >> fostered - but some of them are antique - and ineffective. They >> just plain don't work. >> >> Some students are naturals at comprehension of reading. What >> caliber of students are you teaching? >> >> In any case, writing breaks into two categories and it's not >> fiction/non-fiction. Think about it. It's creative/expository. >> When a dictator writes his autobiography and praises himself as >> a hero, is that fiction or non-fiction?? >> >> It's neither. It's expository writing (which can be creatively >> written). When you teach the fiction/non-fiction parameter, you >> don't foster comprehension but rather foster confusion. >> >> Title is a clue to what the writing will be about - certainly >> teach them to read the title but not to lean on it - it's only >> a clue and titles can be misleading. The illustrator? His/her >> name has nothing to do with comprehension. The author's name is >> only important if it's a William Faulkner and then you know >> you're going to have long, incomprehensible sentences in the book. >> >> Past that, nothing in your list really fosters comprehension >> but it's the kind of list a college professor who has never >> worked with elementary or secondary level students gives you. >> >> Have them read in books that are palatable. Talk to them about >> what you're reading at home, in your own life. Ask them what >> books they've read that they've enjoyed and why. Dialogue about >> literature - what's the purpose of literature? Is it a mirror >> held up to society? Does it give an accurate reflection of >> life? Read a short story, or two or three and at the end of >> every one ask - did this work for you? Why? Why not? >> >> You need to read a book called Mosaic of Thought - it will >> teach you about fostering reading comprehension. That 'creating >> mental images' stuff makes kids think you're nuts - that's not >> how everybody interacts with reading. >> >> Reading is an experience that can act upon the brain and the >> heart too - that list below encourages kids to dissect the >> reading like a frog in biology class - which is rather awful to >> do to a frog and as awful to do to a book. Literature is filled >> with joy and pain - feel the joy and the pain and you're >> comprehending the book. They need to think about what's >> happening in the book, not dissect it into little bits. >>> >>> 1. Title/author/illustrator >>> 2. Differences between fiction/nonfiction/poetry >>> 3. Characters/setting/events >>> 4. Problem/solution >>> 5. Connections >>> 6. Creating mental images >>> 7. Prediction/inferences >>> 8. Main Idea and Details >>> 9. Summarizing >>> 10.SQ3R >>> >>> >>> >>> >>>

Sep 1, 2011

report post