Strategies for Reading Comprehension

Big Ideas

A strategy is a careful plan or method. Synonyms include game plan, system, and scheme.

A skill is the ability to use one's knowledge effectively and readily in execution or performance. Synonyms include adeptness, craft, masterfulness, fluency.

Practice is important. As students practice strategies, they start to develop skills.

Reading Comprehension

Students must be able to demonstrate reading comprehension. Examples of skills we look for include:

the ability to repeat facts and then share implications of those facts in some type of context.
the ability to list characters in a story and then talk about the relationships between those characters.
the ability to restate ideas or concepts and then describe how they apply in a variety of settings.

There are three categories of language processing critical for students to demonstrate those types of abilities.

Input Processes (receiving information)
- - Reading
  - Listening
Integration Processes (making "sense" of the information)
- - Working Memory
  - Analyzing (sequencing, organizing, generalizing)
Output Processes (sharing what was learned)
- - Speaking
  - Writing

These processes are interrelated, working together and depending on each other. For example, information must be clear and understandable before it can go into working memory. Working memory and analysis skills are critical to effective speaking and writing.

In the next section are a variety of information processing strategies. To learn a strategy, students should:

Learn the vocabulary. Start using the vocabulary related to the strategy.
Practice and use. Practice the strategy often, especially with others. Be sure to use the vocabulary.
Reflect with others. Talk about whether or not the strategy is effective.
Teach the strategy. Be able to describe the strategy to others.

Strategies

Vocabulary is fundamental to language. It is key to comprehension and essential to reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

Have students give definitions in their own words, identify synonyms, use the vocabulary meaningfully in a sentence, and draw illustrations.

Word walls help students see patterns and relationships in words and concepts. They also support working memory and retention.

Word maps support understanding and higher-order thinking. They can help make connections between words, concepts, and prior knowledge.

Use word walls and word maps:

Before, during, and after reading, listening, speaking, and writing activities.
Preparing for and during presentations, data chats, and progress monitoring.

Make sure that word walls and word maps are easy to see. Use large letters, colors, and graphics to enhance understanding. Provide a variety of formats; poster size on the walls, notebook size so each student has a copy, and digital/online so each student has access anywhere.

Practice the use of word walls and word maps by playing vocabulary games. Then play the games without using the word walls and word maps. Have pictures, icons, and illustrations present that represent the given topic to prompt working memory and recall, word association, and creativity.

Linear arrays are great tools to use with word walls and word maps. Using a graphic organizer, students take two words that are opposite in meaning and then identify a progression of words that connect the initial words. If the two opposite words are stranger and confidant, then the progression of words that connect them could be acquaintance, ally, friend.

Students need to be able to chunk and analyze bits of information in ways that are persistent (don't depend on memory). This can include the use of outlines, advance organizers, diagrams, mind-maps, concept maps, timelines, charts, etc. Example uses include:

Map the big picture, noting the interconnected parts.
Highlight main ideas and important concepts.
Sequence, organize, and analyze curriculum content.
Analyze a text using mental models, such as K-W-L, Compare-Contrast, etc.
Practice elaboration to support writing and speaking.

The act of using these strategies supports working memory and retention. This can become increasingly effective as students work together, using their products to share with each other what they are thinking.

Mark-up tools, such as drawing or marking on a text, making comments, and using highlighters (assigning a specific purpose to each color) provide ways to organize information, but students need specific mark-up strategies to help them analyze, organize, and integrate the information in a way that will always make sense to them when they look at it again the next day or the next week.

Text Mark-up Strategies

This set of strategies includes a range of cognitive complexity so students can pick a starting point for interacting with the text and then increase the complexity of the information processing.

Relate to Senses - Mark text that relates to personal memories:

I can taste . . .
I can hear . . .
I can visualize . . .

Relate to Self - Mark text that relates to personal memories:

Past experience
Books, pictures, videos
Events, people, issues

Purpose - Mark text by words and phrases that point to the meaning of the text:

Specific word occurrence
Adjectives
Sequence (e.g. timeline)
Compare/contrast

Preview - Mark text by sections that have meaning. Examples include:

Titles
Sub-titles
Repeated words
First & last paragraph

ACID - Mark text by your interpretation of the meaning. This can lead to further analysis of the information. Examples include:

Agree
Confusing
Interesting
Disagree

Digging Deeper

Here are some strategies that you and your students can use to build upon some of the mark-up strategies listed above.

Predicting or Inferring - As students work through and visually organize the text they can start to predict or infer what the text is about, what the author is actually saying, or where the text is heading.

Questioning - As students work through the text they can start to record any questions. This works well with the ACID strategy. Vocabulary tools can be helpful if the student feels that a question may involve unfamiliar words and phrases.

Self-monitoring - Students can ask themselves how well they feel they understand the meaning of the text, making decisions on what areas they may need to target for further work.

Summarizing - Students start to identify main ideas, list topic-related words or phrases, then restate the text in their own words.

Text that has been marked and organized can be an important tool to help students share what they understand. Memory recall benefits from some type of visual or auditory cue. In addition, mark-up strategies can provide effective support for sharing what has been learned through speaking and writing.

Classroom Implementation

Using the classroom implementation document, do the following:

Select one or more strategies that you will model during the instructional activities and teach your students to use.

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