Do we know what the goal is?

. 

We know the goal of a football game – to win! Ask a struggling reader what their goal is while reading, and they might say that it is to sound out the words. A reader having difficulty with reading comprehension may not know that they should think while reading. According to Cunningham and Allington, “the real danger is that they will not learn that thinking is the goal” (118). Without knowing the goal, it will impossible to achieve it.

In our Reading 430 class last week, we read a text aloud while being timed. The subject was biology, and described a process of cell division. While everyone read the text fluently, we agreed that we did not really understand what we read about, and would not be able to take a test over what we read. I feel that this issue in understanding is common in students.

To ensure that students are comprehending what they read, different approaches may be used. These differ depending on developmental level, learning style, and the type of text read. Consider the two following examples that I think are helpful:

1.      Literate Conversations: These are much more than traditional question and answer sessions. Comprehension improves when students engage in conversation about the text. To begin conversations, start with open-ended questions. Keene and Zimmerman (1997) suggest a framework that helps children think about making three types of connections; text to self, text to text, and text to world.

2.      Think-Alouds: These help young children see what good comprehenders do. To model thinking to your students, explain that there are two as you read. One voice says the words, while the other voice in your brain tells you what you think while reading. Begin your sentences with words such as “this reminds me of…” and “I wonder if…”

And this is important to remember!

Pinterest.com

Cunningham, Patricia M. and Richard L. Allington. Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write. Boston: Allyn and Bacon. 2011. 28-47. Print