“Understanding reading comprehension is a journey of understanding the human mind.” Siegal

 What is a RAC…really?  Read and keep track on the side of some of the reading skills or processes that you use to read and comprehend this fascinating article about something that is more than its name.

The Comprehension Process Research Best Practices Questions &Trends in Research Today’s Goal

 Literacy Timeline Literacy Timeline Take notes on discoveries you make on our journey.

Possesses positive habits and attitudesRead fluently enough to focus on meaningRead a variety of text for a variety of purposesUse schema Use a variety of skills and strategies flexibly and strategically

Card Sort  Activate prior knowledge  Make connections  Categorize  Select for importance

Attend, monitor accuracy, adjust pace, recall, Sustained effort, fluency, Micro Processes Building connections within the text Integrative Get the ‘gist’, see patterns of organization Seeing the big picture, summarizing Macro Processes Using schema, visualization, asking questions, determining importance, making inferences. Monitoring and repairing confusions, synthesizing Elaborative monitoring their thinking, qualitative thought self-initiated ‘fix up’ strategies Meta-cognitive

Evidence based recommendations on best practices from the Dept. of Education Seven Powerful Strategies Use Multiple Strategies at once Ongoing assessment Integrate across curriculum Model of Instruction demonstrate, explain, model, implement interaction Model of Instruction demonstrate, explain, model, implement interaction Choose texts carefully

 Elaborate rich conversations  Gradual release of control

Mini lesson Activate prior knowledge Front load knowledge Explain Think a louds Model Scaffold Support thinking Teacher feedback Guide Reciprocal teaching, CSR Continued modeling with genre changes Develop meta-cognition Independent Practice Independence Application to new situations

Process based Ability to interrelate processes Complex, flexible  Questioning the author Build motivation and engagement Assessment to reveal thinking Resources

Monitoring Comprehension Metacognition Graphic & Semantic Organizers Answering Questions Recognizing Story Structure Generating Questions Summarizing

Tools for Direct and Explicit Instruction

Intentionality is Everything Consider the purpose of the assessment carefully Making thinking visible Retelling Fountas and Pinnel Benchmark Conferring

 Integrated, Inquiry-based  Intervention  Visual literacy  Hypertext literacy What trends have you noticed in your reading?

 How do we promote independent thinking ?  How do we promote a more generative use of strategies?  What is the right mix of interventions for struggling readers?  How do we encourage and support engagement and motivation?  How do we support sustained, systemic improvement?

 Assessment  McKenna, Stahl. (2003) Assessment for reading instruction  Shea, M. (2006 ) Where’s the glitch?: How to use running records with older readers, Grades 5-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann  Instructional Strategies  Beers, K. (2003) When kids can’t read: What teachers can do: A guide for Teachers Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.  Dorfman, Capelli. (200 ) Nonfiction Mentor Texts: Teaching Writing Through Children’s Literature, K-6.  Gallagher, K. (2004) Deeper reading: Comprehending challenging texts,4-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse Publishers.  Gallagher, K. (2000) Reading Reasons: Motivational Mini Lessons for Middle and High School. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.  Harvey, S., Gouvis, A. Strategies that work 2: Teaching comprehension to enhance understanding. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.  Mc Gregor, T. (2007) Comprehension connections: Bridges to strategic reading. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.  Keene, E, Zimmermann, S. (1997) Mosaic of thought: Teaching comprehension in a reader’s workshop. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.  Thinking Maps   Rene’s Comprehension Binder – Comprehension section   Intervention  Beers, K. (2003) When kids can’t read: What teachers can do: A guide for Teachers Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.  Pinnel, G, Fountas, I. (2009) When readers struggle: teaching that works. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.  Shea, M. (2006 ) Where’s the glitch?: How to use running records with older readers, Grades 5-8. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann  International Reading Association  Reading Teacher   Clearinghouse of what works 

 Take five minutes to discuss, contemplate nd play with what has been covered today.  Create ◦ Analogy ◦ Visual ◦ Song ◦ You will not have to share if you don’t want to.