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Comprehension is understanding what is being read by actively making sense of the text with the help of various strategies. It is important because without comprehension, children gain no meaning from what they read.
strategy 1:
This strategy "Incredible Inferences" would help if your learner showed a need for using more evidence from the text to support thinking and comprehension. The objective of this activity is for the student to identify inferences.
Materials
Inference triangles
Inference cards
Answer key
Game pieces (e.g., counters)
Activity
Students identify inferences by reading clues.
1. Place inference cards face down in a stack at the center. Provide the student with an Inference triangle and game pieces.
2. Students draw a card from the stack and read it. For example, Mom made a cake, decorated it, and put candles on it. There are lots of balloons. Children came with presents. Everyone played games. What is going on?
3. Look for phrase on triangle that answers the question (i.e., a birthday party). Read phrase and place game piece on that spot. Place inference card in a discard pile.
4. If no phrase is found which matches clues, place trivia card at the bottom of the stack.
5. Continue activity until all matches are made.
strategy 2:
This strategy "Simple Summary" would help if your learner showed a need for summarizing overall message of text. The objective of this activity is for the student to summarize text.
Materials
Expository text
"Choose text within students’ instructional independent reading level range."
Summarizing student sheet
Sticky notes
"Place sticky notes throughout the text in places that it is appropriate to state main ideas."
Paper
Pencil
Activity
Students read expository text, record main ideas, and use that information to write a summary.
1. Place text at the center. Provide the student with a student sheet.
2. The student reads the entire text without stopping.
3. Goes back to the beginning of the text and rereads up to the first sticky and records the main idea.
4. Continues to reread to each sticky and records the main ideas.
5. Reviews recorded information and writes a summary of the entire text using 20 words or less.
strategy 3:
This strategy "Ask and Answer" would help if your learner showed a need for comprehending the text. The objective of this activity is the students will generate and answer questions to comprehend text.
Materials
Narrative or expository text
"Choose text within students’ instructional-independent reading level range and that students have some background knowledge."
Sticky notes
"Place sticky notes strategically throughout the text in places where it is appropriate to ask questions."
Question word cards
"Copy cards four times, laminate, and cut."
Small whiteboards
Vis-à-Vis® markers
Activity
Students generate and answer questions as they read text.
(If you're doing this activity at home, substitute "student two" with "parent.")
1. Place text at the center. Lay the question word cards face up in rows. Provide each student with a whiteboard and Vis-à-Vis® marker.
2. Taking turns, student one reads the text aloud until designated stopping point.
3. Chooses one of the cards and reads it aloud (e.g., who).
4. Poses a question using the word on the card that can be answered by the text just read. Uses whiteboard, if needed, to help compose question. For example, if the student is reading text about the discovery of Florida, the question might be “Who discovered Florida?” If student one has trouble developing a question, student two assists.
5. Student two answers (i.e., Ponce de Leon). If student two has trouble answering, student one assists.
6. Reverse roles and continue until entire text is read and all words are used at least once.
strategy 4:
This strategy "Character Characteristics" would help if your learner showed a need for making inferences about characters and topics. The objective of this activity is the student will describe characters.
Materials
Narrative text
"Choose text within students’ instructional-independent reading level range."
Character map student sheet
Pencil
Activity
Students describe a character by using a graphic organizer.
1. Place text at the center. Provide the student with a student sheet.
2. The student reads the text.
3. Names the main character in the story and writes the name on the head on the character map. Describes character by answering questions in each section.
strategy 5:
This strategy "Persuade, Inform, and Entertain Sort" would help if your learner showed a need for analyzing the author's craft and use text evidence to support inferential and critical thinking. The objective of this activity is the student will identify the author’s purpose.
Materials
Header cards
Passage cards
"If text in this activity is not appropriate for your students, use text that is more applicable."
Note: The numbers of the cards correspond to headers in the following manner: Persuade - 3, 8, 1, 5; Inform - 2, 9, 12, 7; Entertain - 10, 11, 4, 6.
Activity
Students determine author’s purpose by sorting passages.
1. Place header cards in a row at the center. Place passage cards face down in a stack.
2. The student selects the top card from the stack and read it aloud. Decide what the author’s purpose is.
3. Place under appropriate header card.
4. Continue until all cards are sorted.
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