References

Tompkins, G. (2011). Literacy in the early grades: A successful start for preK-4 readers and writers. (3rd edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.

1.A.10 Understand the role of formal and informal assessment of comprehension in making instructional decisions to meet individual student needs.

Assessments are critical in allowing me to identify strengths and weaknesses in your child’s education Like other elements in reading, comprehension is assessed both formally and informally. However, with comprehension I will be assessing students on a daily basis to determine strategies to use to further your child’s reading development. Some informal assessments  include

• Think Alouds- After students and I read a passage, we will orally discuss the passage and I will ask the students questions to gauge their understanding of the story. I will also allow students to have a piece of paper at their desk to use while we are reading the story in case they want to write down anything they would like to remember. (Tompkins, 2011, 223).
• Story Retellings- After reading a passage, students will tell me what happened in the story. I may ask them for the main idea or plot of the story or what happened in the beginning, middle and end of the story. The purpose is for the students to be able to read a passage and accurately recount the story as it occurred within the context of my question. I will use a rubric to score their storytelling (Tompkins, 2011, pg.222).
• Cloze Procedure- This activity will involve students fill in words that have been removed in a passage in order to demonstrate knowledge of the text. Students will use the content of the passage, vocabulary and sentence structure to construct their answer (Tompkins, 2011, pg, 223)

Students will also be given the following formal assessments to determine their level of comprehension.

• Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT)- Students will be assessed beginning in 3rd grade and the test will measure your students ability to comprehend.  It is administered once a year.
• Accelerated Reader(AR)- There are questions on the accelerated reader test that measure comprehension. Students will be tested on this every time they take an AR test.

1.A.9 Understand how English language learners' linguistic and cultural background will influence their comprehension.

English language learners have more of a challenge in every facet of reading. English language learners typically aren’t as strong in reading because they usually lack one or more of the foundational skills for reading. Linguistically, vocabulary suffers because English language learners don’t have the Tier 2 vocabulary necessary for comprehension. English learners are also going to have a problem with fluency because they will be so consumed with the decoding element of the word that they lose out the understanding concept. Since background knowledge plays an essential role in comprehension, it is important for students to have an idea of mainstream cultural knowledge in order to understand what they are reading.  An English language learners’ experience will be much harder than a native English speaking students, so it is important for me as a teacher to acknowledge the deficiencies to aid the ELL in becoming a successful reader.

1.A.8 Understand that effective comprehension processes rely on well developed language, strong inference making, background knowledge, comprehension monitoring and self-correcting.

In order for comprehension to take place many different factors are in play. Students with a well developed language will have a broader understanding of text because of their knowledge of words. Strong inference making allows students to think about a passage critically and analytically to comprehend what they're reading. Background knowledge may play the biggest role in comprehension because of all the information a child can bring with him prior to reading the story to make the passage relatable. A student who is aware of his/her strengths and weaknesses and has the ability to self-correct will become a more fluent reader. This reader will not be influenced or slowed down when he/she runs into a word they don't know the meaning of.

1.A.7 Understand the reading demands posed by domain specific texts.

Domain specific vocabulary is found within domain specific texts. Domain specific vocabulary is Tier III vocabulary that is explicitly used in the course in which it’s taught. For instance, you wouldn’t hear a lecture on the word photosynthesis in math class. The word photosynthesis is specific to science text. The words found in domain specific texts are highly specialized words that students will only hear in the domain specific texts, (i.e. history, math, science). The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) utilize domain specific texts which are found in the form of informational texts as well. The intention of the CCSS is to better prepare students for college so having that expanded vocabulary from domain specific vocabulary will aid in this process.

1.A.6 Understand reading as a process and constructing meaning from a wide variety of print and digital texts for a variety of purposes.

Students who read more than others doesn't necessarily mean that their comprehension is going to be better. Student's comprehension is more apt to be increased when they are reading something that they enjoy. A student will encounter various forms of texts while in the classroom because they read for various reasons. A student may be reading with a purpose, or simply reading during free time in the classroom, Some of the media will be print based stories, passages in their journals, or a story that I read to them in read alouds. Other times, students will be given a choice on what they choose to read, which greatly increases the chances of comprehension. Students will also be exposed to a number of technology based assignments that I will assign to be completed on the computer throughout the semester. It is important for students to realize that the words for both avenues convey the same menu.

1.A.5 Identify cognitive targets (e.g., locate/recall;integrate/interpret;critique/evaluate and the role of cognitive development in the construction of meaning of literary and informational texts.

Cognitive targets set the framework for constructing questions for formal assessments. Locate/ recall, are questions that are often referred to as “right there questions.” Students will be able to read a question and go right t0 the part of the story where the answer is located. Integrate/Interpret is the way a student makes comparisons in the text to determine the answer to a question. Teachers refer to this method as a “seek and find” answer. It demands a student analyze the text more to determine the answer. Critique/evaluate is when students have to review a book critically and answer questions about the book. For instance, I may ask “Why did you like this book?” Students will then give a critique on why they liked the book.  When a student can identify these targets they are demonstrating their knowledge in understanding and answering what is being asked of them. In a literary text it might be describing a character’s role in a particular book or perhaps they are recalling specific dates from an informational text. The reader should be able to construct meaning to whatever it is they are reading.

1.A.4. Understand how the interaction of reader characteristics, motivation, purpose of reading, and text elements impacts comprehension and student engagement.

When we begin to read, we will be talking about the cover of the book,, getting students engaged into the reading process before it we ever read a word. I will also assess the students' background knowledge and activate background knowledge before we begin to read. I will get the students excited and motivated to read because students’ comprehension is enhanced when they are eager to begin reading. Engagement and motivation play a key role the older students get. I will keep students engaged and excited about reading. Setting a purpose makes a difference in students’ comprehension because it offers the students a clear understanding in what they are looking for in a story.  I will also be setting a clear purpose of reading and properly guide students on what it is their reading, and as their reading increases I will be able to lessen the amount of guidance (or scaffolding) provided. Depending on the purpose for reading, we may use several different formats. We may use independent reading to look for cause and effect, or we may use shared reading to work on students’ fluency where they read in a group setting or with partners. All of these activities impact comprehension because the student is actively engaged and reading is meaningful.

 

1.A.3 Understnad the impact of text upon reading comprehension (e.g., genre, readability, coherence, text structure and text complexity

The genre of a story has an important impact on comprehension. If a student is forced to read something he doesn’t want to, the knowledge that the student retains is going to be very little. This is because the reader is not actively engaged in the story.

Readability also plays a huge factor, if a student selects a text which is more advanced for him at the time, he may be able to pronounce the words, but it is more likely that the student just says the words but has no idea at the meaning the convey. If a student is discouraged from reading he may develop a negative outlook on reading.

Coherence in a story are the logical connections a reader associates with print. If a reader is unable to read without a logical understanding, it will make it very difficult for them to understand what they’re reading.

 An author uses text structures to organize texts and emphasize the main idea of the story (Tompkins, 2011, pg. 230). The reader is going to be able to understand what he is reading when it is presented in a clear concise way. If the author’s thoughts are all over the place, the reader is going to have a hard time keeping up with the main purpose of the story.

 Text complexity has an impact on comprehension. The more complex the text is the harder it is read and navigate and understand the material being presented to the reader. The end result will be a student who has not fully comprehended what he is reading.

1.A.2 Understanding the importance of learning syntax, semantics, pragmatics, vocabulary, and text structures required for comprehensions of formal and written language of school, often called academic language

 

The four components of oral language all have a direct impact of the message a student is trying to communicate. They components all have to work in harmony in order for the message convey meaning and for the student to understand or comprehend what they are reading. Within each component, a different trigger is sent for the student to consider allowing the reader to process all of these elements together in what we understand as reading. The student must have all of the pieces of the puzzle in order for comprehension to make sense. Background knowledge has a very large impact on comprehension. Having something to relate to allows them understand what they are reading in a meaningful way. If students have a larger vocabulary, they will understand more words to help them understand what they are reading. If a student does not know the meaning of a word it is very difficult for students to understand what it is they are reading. It is also important to know about text structures in order to make sense of what they are reading. If a student is given a passage that isn’t grammatically correct, how will the student be able to understand what they are reading? More than likely, the student will be confused by the sentence structure. The semantics of the passage play a huge role in comprehension.

1.A.1 Understand that building oral and written language facilitates comprehension

From the time a student enters school they have some varying degree of understanding of oral language. Those who demonstrate a lack of or deficiency of oral language will need more help to develop it just as those students who have a broader understanding of oral language will have that understanding strengthened. Words whether written or spoken facilitate comprehension as the student begins to associate meaning with the word. Oral language is the basis for a student to be able to recognize and say words they see in print. Since it is a foundational building block for reading, when students can master it, they begin to advance in their reading level.

Comprehension Development

Comprehension is a creative, multifaceted process in which children engage with and think about text “ (Tompkins, p. 203). Comprehension begins with activating prior knowledge. It helps the student connect with what they are reading. Comprehension doesn’t just happen! There is a purpose behind reading that is an intentional process. I would like to take the time to introduce you to some factors and influences of comprehension development. The following posts are structured to help you understand the basis of what we will be doing in class.