Grade 3: Comprehension The material in this Institute has been modified from the Florida Third Grade Teacher Academy which was based upon the original 2 nd grade reading academies developed by the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts. Copyright to the original 2 nd grade academy materials is held by the Texas Education Agency. Copyright to those portions developed by the Just Read, Florida! Office and the Florida Reading First Professional Development Office is held by the Just Read, Florida! Office, State of Florida Department of Education. Copyrights of published articles and excerpts contained within the academies are held by the original publishers of the articles, and they are included with permission.

Effective Reading Instruction

Survey of Knowledge Expository texts Genres Comprehension Narrative texts Strategies Think Aloud Text Text structure Metacognition Strategic readers Explicit questions Implicit questions Handouts 1 & 2 Activity

North Carolina Standard Course of Study Competency Goal 2: The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed Use metacognitive strategies to comprehend text (e.g., reread, read ahead, ask for help, adjust reading speed, question, paraphrase, retell). Activity

Effective Comprehension Instruction Helping students understand narrative and expository texts Helping students to become strategic, metacognitive readers so they will understand what they read Teaching comprehension strategies Incorporating a variety of activities to improve comprehension Promoting while reading Includes: VIDEO 4:27 Activity

Effective Comprehension Instruction Helping students understand narrative and expository texts Helping students to become strategic, metacognitive readers so they will understand what they read Teaching comprehension strategies Incorporating a variety of activities to improve comprehension Promoting while reading Includes:

Understanding Different Types of Texts tell stories follow a familiar story structure include short stories, folktales, tall tales, myths, fables, legends, autobiographies, fantasies, historical fiction, mysteries, science fiction, plays Narrative Texts explain information or tell about topics provide a framework for comprehension of content- area textbooks include informational books, content-area textbooks, newspapers, magazines, brochures, catalogues Expository Texts Handout 3

Comprehension Strategies Comprehension strategies are... Plans or procedures that readers use and apply when they hear text read aloud, when they read text with a teacher, or when they read independently.

Teaching Comprehension Strategies Model and discuss: What a given strategy is and why it’s important How, when, and where to use a strategy Which strategies work best in certain instances How to apply different strategies to different types of texts and reading situations Provide extensive practice

Teacher Read Alouds Model comprehension strategies Even though many third graders are reading independently, they still need daily opportunities to hear good narratives and interesting expository books read aloud to continuously challenge students’ oral language development. Handouts 4 & 5

Comprehension Framework Are used before, during, and after reading narrative and expository texts BeforeDuringAfter

Narrative and Expository Cards Before During After Reading Handouts 6 & 7 Activity

Improving Comprehension Asking questions to develop both basic and higher order thinking skills Having meaningful discussions Using graphic organizers can help students develop and extend meaning and make connections to personal experiences before, during, and after reading VIDEO 9:14 Activity

Scaffolding Discussions Scaffold discussions to help students clearly express their ideas and feelings about what they read Incorporate small-group discussions as often as possible to actively involve students

Continuum of Questions and Responses Ask questions before, during, and after reading Simple Explicit Who? What? When? Where? Complex Implicit How? Why? What if? Responses Recall facts, events, and names Focus on information in the text Rephrase text that has just been read Move away from what can be seen on the page Analyze and elaborate information Focus on thinking about what has been read and prior knowledge (making inferences) Make connections

Answering/Asking Different Types of Questions Level one questions involve responses that can be found word-for-word in the text. Level two questions can be answered by looking in the text, but the answers are more complex and require a response of one sentence or more. Level three questions cannot be answered by looking in the text; they require students to think about what they have read, think about what they already know, and think about how it all fits together. Handouts 10 & 11 Activity

Graphic Organizers for Improving Comprehension Guide students’ thinking and help them remember the important elements and information in texts Involve both questioning and discussion as students collaborate and share ideas bravekind Gabby

K-W-L Charts What I KnowWhat I Want to Know What I Learned What are some ways you use K-W-L charts with your students? Handouts 12-15

Narrative Story Maps Asking questions within the framework of a story map helps students visually organize and focus on the key story elements in narrative texts.

Comprehension Charts Help students think about what they have read, summarize what they have read, and make connections. TitleAuthor/IllustratorCharacter with description ObservationsConnections

Stop and Think About It Skim the contents of the final unit in the Teachers’ Edition Complete the graphic organizer How does your reading program incorporate graphic organizers to improve comprehension? Handout 17 Activity

Before Reading Activate and use background knowledge Preview text to make predictions about the content

Before Reading: Activate and Use Background Knowledge Help students make connections between the content of what they read and their real-life experiences Brainstorming Webbing Handout 18

Before Reading: Preview Text to Make Predictions Before reading, set a purpose for reading and make predictions about the content of the text Then, read, stop, check predictions, and make more predictions Directed Reading Thinking Activity (DRTA) Handouts 19 & 20

During Reading The goal of comprehension- monitoring is to develop students’ awareness of their own understanding of what they are reading Students: know if they are understanding what they read know what they can do to correct comprehension difficulties

During Reading: Self-Monitoring Comprehension Strategies Think alouds... can help students learn how to monitor or check their own understanding Handout 21

Using Self-Monitoring Comprehension Strategies Choose one of the children’s books you brought to the Institute Fold your Thinking Aloud sign in half Take turns reading one page at a time Use the Reading for Understanding strategy card VIDEO 6:25 Handouts 22 & 23/Activity

After Reading: Determining Main Ideas and Summarizing Determining main ideas involves recognizing the most important ideas of paragraphs or sections of a text Summarizing links the main ideas together Graphic organizers can help students remember and organize important information

After Reading: Get the Gist Explain what “get the gist” means Have students read one paragraph or section of a text at a time Help students determine the main idea: Who or what is the paragraph about? Tell the most important thing about the who or what Tell the main idea in 10 words or less

After Reading: Summarizing Summaries are brief, concise statements of the main ideas and most important information Summarizing requires readers to: First, identify the main ideas of individual paragraphs or sections of a text Then, link the main ideas together into a summary of what was read VIDEO 9:05 Handout 25 Activity

Consider Diversity: Limited English Proficient Students Activate prior knowledge Preview new vocabulary and concepts Scaffold students’ learning Summarize frequently Plan structured oral language activities Frequently monitor comprehension

Monitoring Comprehension Progress Administer early reading inventories Provide opportunities for discussions that include open-ended, complex questions about texts Ask students to retell stories Ask students to summarize Handout 28 Activity

Remember... “Comprehension is the reason for reading.... Research over 30 years has shown that instruction in comprehension can help students understand what they read, remember what they read, and communicate with others about what they read.” -National Institute for Literacy, 2001, p. 48