Chapter 4: Comprehension Summary (Farrell/Williams/Lopez)


This chapter is about teaching comprehension utilizing small group instruction. Debbie Miller impresses upon the reader that “reading is thinking” and comprehension is critical for students to have true understanding of what is read. She differentiates between basic recall and deeper understanding, with explicit instruction into all areas of comprehension stressed. There is a lot of research provided to demonstrate the effects of quality comprehension instruction, which can serve as a guide into what we could do as teachers in our groups. Ms. Miller also provides thoughts into which students would need small group instruction in comprehension. Basically, it is her belief that every student can benefit from it. Comprehension is “the ultimate goal” each time she meets with a group.
Some helpful ideas include the type and difficulty of text to use with certain groups. Texts should be easily decoded so the real work and energy can be spent on the deeper thinking and extending the student’s understanding. Ms. Miller spells out instructional reading level, so if the teacher has an awareness of each student’s level (i.e. fluency and WCPM, and accuracy), then materials can be effectively selected. Interest is, of course, also very important when choosing texts.
Writing is also mentioned as a tool to deepen comprehension, with ideas and connections being important. Students writing their own questions, especially inferential-type questions that delve deeper. Vocabulary is also a consideration, as meaning is easily lost if there is a struggle.
There are some sample lessons provided to demonstrate different comprehension skills and lessons, such as Text Structure, Monitoring, and Schema/Characters. The author breaks each lesson down with some background, a “Before the Lesson” section, followed by “During the Lesson” and “After the Lesson” sections. (Farrell)

Monitoring Lesson Comprehension
Things to Think About
• Monitoring means checking
• Stop and Think about what you’ve read
• Monitoring is used in combination with other strategies

Before the Lesson
• Choose a book for which the students have lots of background knowledge (Families)
• It’s difficult for students to understand things that they don’t know about
• Use sticky notes to jot down their thinking as they read
• Limit the amount of sticky notes given students to avoid playing (limit 3)
• Model in a read-a-loud how to use the sticky notes.
• The goal of this strategy is to get students to stop and think about what they are reading.

During the Lesson
• Read the title and show the cover to the students
• Ask the student what they know about the subject
• Ask the student how is the family in the book like theirs
• Request as the student are reading, write down your thoughts.
• Helps students to understand what they have read.

After the Lesson
• After the lesson discussion revealed that comprehension was improved by jotting down what you are thinking

Schema/Characters We Know Lesson
Things to Think About• Books in a series work well for this lesson
• Students are anxious to read the next book after the first
• Some books have character listed in front with a sketch
• For lower grades choose books with fewer characters
• Scheme relates to anything students know that can help them better understand
• Use more than one strategyBefore the Lesson
• Guide the student in making a connection
• Have the student create character maps

During the Lesson
• Student will make predictions and discuss what they already know
• Complete character maps
• Discuss the book after readingAfter the Lesson
• Compare and contrast this book with the others
• Discuss the characters
• How did your schema help you understand the characters

Using Graphic Organizer Lesson
Things to Think About

Before the Lesson
• Discuss the Genre
• Read the title and make predictions
• Set a purpose for readingDuring the Lesson
• Create discussion question for the groupAfter the Lesson
• Discuss the characters
• How did you keep the characters straigh
• Share your graphic organizer

Asking Questions Lesson
Things to Think About
• Lesson will help student stop and reflect on the question in their minds

Before the Lesson
• Read and discuss the title
• Jot down questions you have as a reader
• Write captions for the photosDuring the Lesson
• Jot down questions as you read
• Did the author answer your questions
• What questions do you still haveAfter the Lesson
• What question did you have, how were they answered
• What do you still want to know
• How does asking question help you understand the book
P. Williams

How do I access check for understanding?The best way to find out if students comprehend what they read is to talk with them. Having a conversation about what they read gives valuable information about the depth of their understanding. Ask questions as needed, but try to avoid turning the discussion into a question answer session.

Struggling comprehenders often learn to sit back and let the teacher do all the talking. A teacher should patiently wait on students to discuss their understanding of the reading material.

The use of sticky notes can be used to check for understanding. Have students jot down their thoughts and after the small group session you can collect the notes and look over them.Multiple choice formal objective comprehension measures are time consuming and do not totally assess the comprehension of the students.

It is better to give students a worksheet with an on-grade level passage and comprehension questions that you haven’t already “taught with.” This will give you a better picture of their reading comprehension of on grade-level text.A retelling rubric can be used to access comprehension. One is included with the DRA.What to Look for and How to take Notes on Comprehension

A teacher might find it helpful to take anecdotal notes on comprehension.Some Prompts for comprehensionWhen a reader gets stuck, it is helpful to have some things to say to help prompt the child to take action (rather than the teacher just giving the student the word or the answer).

Links to Whole-Group InstructionSmall group lessons move faster when they are linked to lessons previously taught in whole group.A teacher should model for the students how to do activity.

MonitoringDuring reading or lesson, stop occasionally and have students to check for understanding by talking with a partner.

The teacher should model how to read a section and model how you think about what you are reading.

The teacher should model how to self-correct when an error is made.Using Schema/Making Connections

The teacher should share some connections being made with the text but not over do it.The teacher should model how to jot down notes about the text.

The teacher should explain how making connections helps a reader better understand the text.

Asking QuestionsThe teacher should model how you ask questions about the text during reading aloud.

Write question marks on sticky notes and post them on the page where reading where it made you ask a question. Remove the sticky notes when the questions are answered.Focus on questions with multi-layered response possibilities.VisualizingA quick sketch on the board will model what the teacher is visualizing.

Read aloud a page or two from a picture book. Have students think about what the pictures look like in their minds, and then compare illustrator’s pictures with thoughts of the students.Use poetry to teach visualizing. Highlight words that help paint a visual image while doing shared reading.InferenceInference is a combination of background knowledge, schema, and what the word or pictures say.Have kids infer using pictures with no words. Show them they used what they know plus the clues from the picture.

Model inferring and call it inferring when students help you do so.SummarizingWrite summaries together in shared writing to model the process.

Have students practice telling what happened in the story by pretending they are talking to someone that hasn’t read the book.

Have students summarize by telling a sentence about the beginning, a sentence about the middle, and a sentence about the end.

Using Text StructureModel for students how both fiction and nonfiction work by charting with students what each may include.Using Graphic OrganizersModel how you fill out graphic organizers as you read aloud fiction and nonfiction.

Think aloud about why it is beneficial to use a particular organizer.Deeper MeaningModel how to think at a deeper level by generalizing, determining importance, synthesizing, and analyzing what was read.Use quality questioning to push deeper thinking.Links to Literacy Work Stations PracticeIt is beneficial to give students additional practice with comprehension at literacy work stations.

Links to Standardized and State TestingLearning the academic language used in standardized tests can help some children comprehend better on those tests. This will help the students become familiar with the terminology they will encounter in tests.

Use release tests to help you prepare the students.Comprehension CautionStudent comprehension suffers when the student can’t decode.Reading fluency has been shown to increase comprehension.

Vocabulary has a huge influence on comprehension.Comprehension and vocabulary should be focused on simultaneously.