Comprehension:

• Process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and involvement with written language 

• Students actively interact with text through participatory approaches in the classroom

• Students use texts as tools for learning and constructing new knowledge

• Includes both oral language and reading comprehension

• Consists of teaching strategies / skills to support understanding of text (Comprehension strategies are more complex than comprehension skills)

Comprehension Framework Exemplar:

Before Reading

• Activate students’ background knowledge and/or build background knowledge to ensure success for reading

• Introduce new vocabulary (key to comprehension), including decoding, word patterns, word structure, and spELing

• Connect purpose for reading to daily objective

• Make a prediction

During Reading

• Teacher is actively supporting students

• Students use active reading strategies (sticky notes to annotate, two-column notes, graphic organizers)

After Reading

• Check for purpose

• Discuss for understanding

• Review skills and strategies related to the reading (with examples)

• Administer formative assessments

Strategy / Skill Framework Exemplar:

• Teacher identifies focus strategy/skill

• Teacher models the strategy/skill for the class

• Teacher guides students in practice in small groups and pairs

• Teacher provides time for students to read independently

• Students practice using and applying the strategy / skill and reflecting on their use of the skill / strategy

• The goal is for the student to use the strategy independently

Scaffolding Comprehension Skills / Strategies for Informational Text:  

1. Determine Key Ideas and Details

• Preview text features and text structure to make predictions about the content of the text

• Connect background information and activate prior knowledge about the topic

• Ask questions, make predictions, and set a purpose for reading

• Read to determine the main idea

• Determine the important ideas that support the main ideas

• Recall details

• Summarize

• Draw conclusions and make inferences about the ideas in the text and their relationships

• Use evidence from the text to support conclusions and inferences

1. Examine Craft and Structure

• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text and examine their impact of the word choice on the development of ideas

• Consider how the text structure supports the development of ideas in the text

• Determine the author’s point of view or purpose

1. Examine the Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

• Trace the development of ideas

• Evaluate the soundness of the author’s arguments and ideas to support his point of view or purpose

• Analyze how this author’s development of ideas compares to other author’s treatment of the same topic/main ideas