Analysis and Critique “What’s a Teacher to Do: Suggestions for Comprehension Strategy Instruction”

Techniques Paper focuses on reading comprehension Visualizations Journal Partners

Visualization Help students create –Mental images –Associations Improves student’s comprehension

Visualization Choose small portion of text –Text has strong images Picture book Short story Poetry –Ask students to create mental images –Ask for feedback What kind of mental images

Visualization Students can –Draw and sketch 2 dimensions –Mold clay 3 dimensions

Journal Partners Read out loud journal partners Student works with a partner –Interpreting text –Pausing to reflect –Engaging in retrospection

Journal Partners Choose books –Contain mature themes –Social issues Comment – mature themes? –This is for school

Journal Partners Instruct students to read their partners’ written texts and then take a moment to reflect Then think about how they might reply –This could be useful Think Debate Critique

Business Mental Images Has little application to economics and business –What kind of mental images –Students should already know how to read at this point

Business Mental Images Profits are green –Dollar signs Losses are “red” –i.e. bleak future, if company bankrupts Lay offs Unemployment Searching for new employment

Conclusion Authors said –Teachers read a text and then answer the questions at the end –Teachers were taught this way –Traditional approach –No interaction; which is quite common

References 1.Onofrey, Karen A. and Joan Leikam Theurer. April “What’s a teacher to do: Suggestions for comprehension strategy instruction.” The Reading Teacher 60(7):681-4.