Rationale

• 7 out of 18 students demonstrated limited comprehension during Fountas and Pinnell text leveling.

• 10 out of 18 students met the district benchmark on Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing.

• Some students lacked effort and uncertainty in answering comprehension questions after reading a text.

• Students showed misconceptions when answering comprehension questions during weekly reading activities. A common misconception noted was students using their personal experiences rather than text evidence to answer comprehension questions.

• Students lacked confidence when interacting with a text, finding key details, and transferring knowledge to other content areas.

• Regardless of Fountas and Pinnell reading level, all students struggled with comprehension at the beginning of the school year.

Questioning is important because it allows readers to demonstrate comprehension and metacognition.

To assess reading in my district, we use Fountas and Pinnell text leveling, which measures fluency and comprehension. Students are assessed 2-3 times each year - one time in the fall, winter, and generally in the spring. When text leveled, students read a portion of a story aloud, while the teacher conducts a running record. Then, they finish reading the story independently. After reading it, the teacher asks a series of comprehension questions. Some questions are within the text while others are beyond the text. We alternate between fiction and nonfiction text. Second graders show adequate growth by successfully reading and reflecting on Level M or N.

The other method of reading assessment is Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing. Some of the strands assess characteristics of text, vocabulary, and main idea and details. Students demonstrate proficiency in second grade by scoring 175 in the fall, 184 in the winter, and 189 in the spring. Currently, 10 out of 18 students meet the district benchmark for the fall, which is 66% of the class.

Reading comprehension is crucial for student success in all content areas. It is in students’ best interest to learn strategies to better understand text. As stated in my literature review, "Anytime a person 'makes-meaning,' comprehension takes place (Maine, 2013)." This will equip students for any content area. By learning comprehension strategies, students will be able to utilize their reading strategies during math, science, and social studies. It will not only prepare students for any content area but for their entire lives.

To learn more about questioning and reading comprehension please see my Literature Review.