Comprehension Strategies and Metacognition Dr. Deeney EDC423

2 Remember readability formulas? Is estimating comprehension that simple? Mary heard the ice cream truck coming down the street. She remembered her birthday money and rushed into the house. Mary heard the bus coming down the street. She remembered her birthday money and rushed into the house. Mary heard the ice cream truck coming down the street. She remembered her gun and rushed into the house.

3 Our perception of a scene can differ dramatically based on changing only one word. So, although vocabulary (how many syllables in a word) is important part of comprehension, it’s not as easy as saying: Word meaning  sentence meaning  text meaning

4 Constructing Comprehension Transaction between the reader and the text Reader brings background experiences and knowledge to the text Text provides guideposts to prevent meaning from being random Constructing comprehension like constructing a theory—reader moves through hypotheses when reading, using schema

What Causes Misunderstanding?

6 Characteristics of the Reading Context –Purpose –Environment Characteristics of the Text –Organization –“Considerate” vs. “inconsiderate” –Readability Characteristics of the Reader

7 Reader’s Schema What is schema?

8 Why is Schema Helpful? Helps us to –Assimilate additional information –Determine what is important –Infer and elaborate meaning –Summarize by determining relevant from irrelevant –Remember information

Metacognition Thinking about thinking

10 What is Metacognition? The Literacy Dictionary: “an awareness and knowledge of one’s mental processes such that one can monitor, regulate, and direct them toward a desired end; self- mediation” Considered a combination of knowledge and control –Awareness: Ability to reflect on one’s thinking –Executive functions: Ability to manage one’s learning actions Monitor: Keep track of mental processes (know what you’re doing) Regulate: Control mental processes (make choices; strategize) Direct: Apply mental processes (use strategies) Developmental process

11 Metacognitive Knowledge About ourselves –“I drift off when I read.” About the task –Reading for information is harder than reading for enjoyment About strategies –I know what strategies I can use –I know how to use the strategies –I know when to use the strategies

Metacognition: Developmental Process Tacit learners/readers: Lack awareness of their thinking as they read Aware learners/readers: Know when meaning breaks down but do not have strategies to repair meaning Strategic learners/readers: Know meaning is lost and are able to use a strategy to regain meaning Reflective learners/readers: Reflect on their reading and intentionally apply a strategy, not only when meaning is lost, but to deepen understanding 12

Metacognitive Strategies

14 Skill or Strategy? Skills –Automatic –Effortless –Used without conscious control Strategies –Conscious activity to achieve desired goal –Not automatic –Can, with practice, become skills

Strategies Used by the Reader Making connections Questioning Inferring Predicting Summarizing Clarifying Visualizing Synthesizing Determining importance Can strategies become skills? 15

16 Things to Think About Before Reading: What do I already know about this topic? What are my purposes for reading? What do I think this passage will be about? What will I be doing with this information? What do I think I will learn about the topic?

17 What strategies are these? What do I already know about this topic? What do I think this passage will be about? What are my purposes for reading? What will I be doing with this information? What do I think I will learn about the topic? Activating prior knowledge Predicting Setting a purpose for reading

18 Things to Think About During Reading: Am I understanding? Does this make sense? Do I have a clear picture of what this is about? Is this consistent with my predictions? What parts are the same? What parts are different? What can I do to increase my understanding?

19 What strategies are these? Am I understanding? Does this make sense? Do I have a clear picture of what this is about? Is this consistent with my predictions? What parts are the same? What parts are different? What can I do to increase my understanding? Monitoring understanding Evaluating predictions Identifying difficulty and selecting a fix-up strategy

20 Things to Think About After Reading: What were the most important points in the passage? Where is the evidence in the text that supports my thinking? Do I agree with this information? Why? What new information did I learn? Does it fit with my existing knowledge? Should I reread sections of the text for better understanding?

21 What strategies are these? What were the most important points in the passage? Where is the evidence in the text that supports my thinking? Do I agree with this information? Why? What new information did I learn? Does it fit with my existing knowledge? Should I reread sections of the text for better understanding? Summarizing Evaluating Monitoring

22 A Good Reader: Knows many strategies –Activating prior knowledge –Setting purpose –Questioning –Predicting –Summarizing –Visualizing –clarifying –Inferring –Making connections –Integrating information –Using graphics –Using context –Adjusting rate Knows how and when to use strategies –Internalizes these cognitive processes: Activating Focusing Selecting Organizing Integrating applying –Becomes independent

Metacognitive Strategy Instruction Explicit versus Implicit Teaching

24 Teaching Metacognitive Strategies Independent Practice Provide ways for students to demonstrate using the strategy independently Explain The strategy and its components Guided Practice Work with students to help them use the strategy Cycle of Explicit Instruction Model/Think-Aloud Use the strategy as you read a text and “think out loud” to help students “see how you use it

25 Explicit vs. Implicit Instruction Explicit instruction –Explaining –Modeling –Practicing Implicit instruction –“Telling” students they should be using the strategy without telling them what/how/why/when –“Does that make sense?” How does a student Know what “makes sense” means Know whether the text makes sense Know what to do if it doesn’t make sense

26 Strategy Knowledge Declarative knowledge –Knowing “that” there are strategies –Knowing “what” strategies are available Procedural knowledge –Knowing “how” to use strategies Conditional knowledge –Knowing “when” to use strategies

27 Teaching “What” Explain –Tell students what the strategy is –Tell students why/how it is helpful

28 Teaching “How” Model –Use the strategy yourself, making your thinking apparent (“think out loud”) Provide guided practice –Give students a chance to use the strategy with your help –Provide gradual release of responsibility Provide independent practice –Give students a chance to use the strategy on their own

29 Teaching “When” Explain when the strategy is helpful Provide opportunities to think about when during guided practice Scaffold students’ identification of strategy need as they read

Inferring and Predicting 30

Are Inferring and Predicting the Same Thing? Inferring: Drawing conclusions, generating information not specified, based on observations/evidence or content from reading or from prior knowledge. Predicting: Suggesting what may happen based on available information 31