Thinking Notes to Improve Reading Comprehension

Question Questions can be effective because they: -Give students a purpose for reading -Focus students' attention on what they are to learn -Help students to think actively as they read -Encourage students to monitor their comprehension -Help students to review content and relate what they have learned to what they already know

4 Types of Questions The Question-Answer Relationship strategy (QAR) encourages students to learn how to answer questions better. Students are asked to indicate whether the information they used to answer questions about the text was textually explicit information (information that was directly stated in the text), textually implicit information (information that was implied in the text), or information entirely from the student's own background knowledge.

There are four different types of questions: #1 "Right There" Questions found right in the text that ask students to find the one right answer located in one place as a word or a sentence in the passage. Example: Who is Frog's friend? Answer : Toad

#2 "Think and Search" Questions based on the recall of facts that can be found directly in the text. Answers are typically found in more than one place, thus requiring students to "think" and "search" through the passage to find the answer. Example: Why was Frog sad? Answer: His friend was leaving.

"Author and You” Questions require students to use what they already know, with what they have learned from reading the text. Student's must understand the text and relate it to their prior knowledge before answering the question. Example: How do you think Frog felt when he found Toad? Answer: I think that Frog felt happy because he had not seen Toad in a long time. I feel happy when I get to see my friend who lives far away. #3

#4 "On Your Own" Questions are answered based on a students prior knowledge and experiences. Reading the text may not be helpful to them when answering this type of question. Example: How would you feel if your best friend moved away? Answer: I would feel very sad if my best friend moved away because I would miss her.

Connect Generally, we make personal connections with the text by using their schema (background knowledge). There are three main types of connections we make while reading text. Text-to-Self (T-S) refers to connections made between the text and the reader's personal experience. Text-to-Text (T-T) refers to connections made between a text being read to a text that was previously read. Text-to-World (T-W) refers to connections made between a text being read and something that occurs in the world.

Predict Why do we Predict? Gets our mind ready to read Gives us a purpose to read When do we Predict? Before and during reading How do we Predict? Think about title, look at cover and pictures Think about the text structure Use what you know Ask questions ~ I wonder..., Who is..., Why is.... Change your predictions as you read Can be proven or not

Clarify Why do we Clarify? To make sense of our reading When do we Clarify? When the reading no longer makes sense When we are stuck on a word’s meaning How do we Clarify? Reread all around the word or area in question. Make substitutions, use picture clues Use your schema Study the structure Predict, infer, make connections, ask questions, summarize

Reflect Reflecting simply means thinking about what you’ve read. If you take a few minutes to think about it, you’re more likely to remember it. Did you enjoy the passage or article? Did you find it interesting? Do you agree or disagree with the author’s views?

Evaluate Why do we Evaluate? --Our thinking evolves --We infer --We connect to a larger and more meaningful whole by finding the “big idea” --To see relationships between ideas ~ do we agree or disagree with the author? Why? --Makes the reading more memorable

When do we Evaluate? --When there is something to think about, such as an unfamiliar point of view, new information, a new theme --When making connections Before, during and after reading

Before: What connections am I making? What does the author want to teach me? What is the message going to be? What am I thinking? During: Now what do I wonder? What are my connections? How have my opinions, ideas, feelings, and thoughts about the characters, ideas, or problems in the reading change? After: What did the authors want me to learn? What was the theme? How have my ideas, thoughts, and feelings about the characters, ideas, or problems change? What visual images will I remember? What thought will I take with me?

How do we Evaluate? By filling in these blanks: At first I thought but now I think.... At first I felt but now I feel.... I have been changed by this text in this way.... From reading this text I will remember.... The theme in this text was.... An “aha” I got from the reading was.... A light bulb went on in my head and I realized.... My opinion on this topic now is.... I will remember the visual I built in my mind for.... I now agree/disagree with the author because.... I feel the author’s style is.... Start by synthesizing fables Use your schema or background knowledge