1. Gail E. Tompkins California State University, Fresno
Literacy in the Middle Grades Teaching Reading and Writing to Fourth to Eighth Graders, 2e Second Edition
Gail E. Tompkins
California State University, Fresno
Prepared by
Helen Hoffner
Holy Family University
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2. Comprehension involves 4 levels of thinking:
Chapter 7
Comprehension involves 4 levels of thinking:
Literal
Inferential
Critical
Evaluative

3. Chapter 7
Comprehension is dependent upon the interaction of reader factors and text factors.
Reader Factors
Background Knowledge
Vocabulary
Fluency
Comprehension Strategies
Comprehension Skills
Motivation

4. Chapter 7
Comprehension is dependent upon the interaction of reader factors and text factors.
Text Factors
Genres
Text Structures
Text Features

5. Students use these strategies to comprehend texts they are reading:
Comprehension Strategies
Chapter 7
Activate Background Knowledge
Predict
Connect
Question
Determine importance
Repair
Draw inferences
Set a purpose
Evaluate
Summarize
Monitor
Visualize
Students use these strategies to comprehend texts they are reading:

6. Readers Make Connections
Chapter 7
Readers Make Connections
Readers make 3 types of connections between the text and their background knowledge:
Text-to-Self
Readers link ideas in the text to their own lives.
Text-to-World
Readers relate a text to their “world” knowledge.
Text-to-Text
Readers link the text to another text they have read.

7. Scaffolding English Learners
Chapter 7
Scaffolding English Learners
To assist English learners, teachers can:
Carefully choose appropriate books
Introduce key words in advance of reading
Explicitly teach comprehension strategies
Provide guided practice with students
Provide time for independent practice

8. Assessing Comprehension
Chapter 7
Assessing Comprehension
Informal Daily Methods
Conferences, Grand Conversations, Reading Logs
Cloze Procedure
Running Records
Think-Alouds
Tests

9. Motivation: The Teacher’s Role
Chapter 7
Attitude
Teachers show excitement.
Community
Teachers create nurturing communities.
Instruction
Teachers plan authentic activities.
Rewards
Teachers offer positive feedback.

10. Motivation: The Student’s Role
Chapter 7
Motivation: The Student’s Role
Expectations
Students who feel they have little hope for success are unlikely to be engaged in literacy activities.
Collaboration
Students are often more engaged when working with peers.
Reading and Writing Competence
Students who read well are more likely to be motivated to read.
Choice
Students want to select their own books and writing topics.

11. Reading Web-based Texts
Chapter 7
Reading Web-based Texts
Students use traditional strategies in new ways:
Activating Background Knowledge
Readers need knowledge of websites & search engines.
Predicting
Readers predict which links will be useful.
Evaluating
Readers determine the accuracy of the websites.
Monitoring
Readers decide whether the links they selected are useful.
Repairing
Readers correct poor navigational choices.