Teachers
must remember that reading involves many parts. Eyes are a big part of reading,
but remember just because a student can read the words on a passage, does not
mean comprehension is also taking place. Nonvisual information is very
important when trying to comprehend a passage, it is not all what you see.
Context allows readers to identify letters and words more quickly, without
having to rely on visual clues. When visual clues are present this also allows
a reader to read at a quicker pace. Proficient readers can quickly identify a
word based upon syllables and letter placement, like word families, but does
this mean they really understand the words they are reading? I would say this
is the problem with your struggling students; they are great at recognizing words
based on visual clues, but struggle to define the meanings of the words.
The process
of comprehending includes many different aspects including visual aspects,
letter-sound relationships, schemas, context, and words and their meanings. All
of these interact with each other while the brain comprehends.
During a
guided reading time with Erica and students struggling with comprehension, I
would suggest asking them to read a page at a time quietly, and then discuss
what they read. If they have trouble discussing what they read, maybe they
should only read a paragraph at a time. You could make anchor charts as you
read, for each paragraph or page, write 2-3 key points that help them
understand what is going on, then at the end of the text, reread the key points
seeing if we missed anything or to make sure it makes sense.
A great idea would be to model this as a
teacher. You could read ALOUD, then after each paragraph jot down a key point,
if needed. Then students could either read silently at the same time, or allow
one student to read to you, or ask all the children to whisper read to
themselves. When students are whisper reading, the teacher listens and walks
around to monitor how they are doing. Shared reading can also be very powerful
to develop several skills proficient readers need, including comprehension.
Jaclyn,
ReplyDeleteI like how you explained the purpose of visual and nonvisual cues when reading. Your first paragraph helped me better understand the information presented in the Weaver text.
I also found your suggestions and strategies very enlightening. I particularly like how you suggest that the teacher models a reading passage aloud and then goes through the comprehension process with the class or small group. Anchor charts or graphic organizers are great tools to help students organize their thoughts or the events from a reading. You also included guided reading and shared reading as other excellent strategies for targeting the needs of this student. I like how you provided this teacher with a variety of suggestions for targeting this problem. As we know, there is not a “one size fits all” approach for reading, or any other discipline for that matter! Thanks for your insight!
Jaclyn,
ReplyDeleteI too found that the focus with the students seems to be too much on fluency and too little on comprehension. I liked how you suggested breaking the text down by paragraphs to establish meaning. This will not only help the children slow down, but truly begin to understand what they are reading. I also liked your suggestion of modeling this through shared reading. I agree that shared reading is a great time to model techniques effectively for students. I do think that if the students are having a difficult time comprehending what they are reading, it may be a good idea to reduce the reading level of their passages while focusing on comprehension.