1. Teaching Comprehension and Response in Elementary School
EDC 423:
Teaching Comprehension and Response in Elementary School
September 22, 2011
Dr. Julie Coiro
Chafee 615

2. As you begin today: Please take a sticky note and tear in half.
Put your first name on both sticky notes.
Review your homework assignment: Comprehension Self-Assessment
On one sticky note, write one area of strength in terms of your comprehension strategy use while reading your challenging text.
On the 2nd sticky note, write one area for improvement in terms of your comprehension strategy use.
Stick each note under the appropriate heading on the front board.

3. Objectives from last class
To explore aspects of key reading comprehension/thinking strategies and see how they are logically applied to diverse texts Before/During/After reading
A box of Cheerios! (Classroom Snapshot)
A narrative text selection (My Father’s Dragon)
An expository text selection (Gorilla Rescue)
To assess your own use of reading comprehension strategies with a challenging text (your homework)

4. Key Reading Strategies M+MDAAVISS
MAKE
CONNECTIONS M
SYNTHESIZE S
DETERMINE
IMPORTANT
IDEAS D
SUMMARIZE
MONITOR
AND
CLARIFY S M
ASK QUESTIONS A
INFER/
PREDICT I
VISUALIZE V
ANALYZE/CRITIQUE A

5. Today’s Objectives
To reflect on your use of reading comprehension strategies with a challenging text (individually and as a class to inform grouping & instruction)
To identify key physical and psychological classroom elements that support literacy learning
To practice identifying big ideas and transforming into essential questions with diverse texts

6. Moving through the semester with your graphic organizer
2 of 8 Big Ideas about teaching comprehension and
response in elementary school

7. ACTIVITY: Supportive Learning Contexts
Before - Brainstorm: What would you SEE and what would you FEEL in your classroom space?
During - Watch and Notice: What do you SEE and what do you FEEL in these classroom spaces that foster literacy and learning?
After - Discuss and Wrap Up: Big Ideas

8. Big Ideas Chapter 3: (p. 65-77) Supportive Learning Contexts
Support comprehension with an inviting culture (that LOOKS and FEELS interesting, engaging, and organized)
Consider your beliefs and dispositions as a teacher – How do you relay these to students?
Teach Inquiry based problem solving (CPS)
Focus on BIG IDEAS – turn topics and concepts into essential questions that can link texts and discussions and connect to the real world > ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

9. Big Ideas Chapter 3: (p. 68) Classroom Checklist
WHAT YOU SEE:
Comfortable and organized
Functional space arrangement (work areas)
Aesthetic contributions (plants, music, displays)
Print rich environment
WHAT YOU FEEL:
Teacher’s personality
Student-oriented (real jobs and spaces to share their important ideas)

10. Essential Questions

11. Essential Questions (Reframe topics to provide purpose and connections; to motivate and engage)
Habitats: What makes a good home? For us? For bears? For lobsters?
Community: How can we improve our school?
Science: How does flight influence and change behavior (for birds, for humans)?
Geometry: How can we use what we know about math to build a new playground? A doghouse?

13. Essential Questions: You Try…
Lesson/Big Idea:
Questions?

14. Essential Questions: You Try…
Lesson/Big Idea?
Questions?

15. Homework: Read Chapter 6: Classroom Culture and Motivation
Read Sweet & Guthrie (1996) (article on wiki)
Complete NGT Reflection #3