I'm sure the comprehension-monitoring strategies are appropriate for
adolescents. After all, the National Reading Panel included
comprehension monitoring among the categories that had significant
research support, and they were, of course, looking at the research with
school-age children.

 

As to games, I'm afraid Donna and I are drawing a blank! I hope other
readers have some good suggestions.

 

My only thought regarding computer-based activities is the wonderful
website developed by the Marshall, Minnesota adult education program. It
has a huge number of different kinds of texts ranging in difficulty from
.7 (below 1st grade level) to 8th grade equivalence. It was developed to
provide opportunities for guided repeated oral reading to build fluency,
and the user can hear the stories and articles read. Some of the texts
would seem to be appropriate for adolescents, and could be used for pair
reading. Perhaps you already know about this site, Kallen, but for all
our readers, I'll give you the link here. You can go first to the home
page and then click on 'Reading Skills for Today's Adults." 

 

Marshall (MN) Adult Education http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/

            

            Reading Skills for Today's Adults
http://www.marshalladulteducation.org/reading_skills_home.htm

 

 

Susan McShane

 

Senior Reading Initiative Specialist

National Center for Family Literacy

502-584-1133, Ext. 175

smcshane at famlit.org 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Kallen Tsikalas
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 5:00 PM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 959] Re:
ComprehensionMonitoringStrategiesDiscussionBegins Today

 

Hello All...

 

I work with low-income adolescents who often find themselves
tutoring/helping younger siblings or other family members with reading,
though they themselves may be less than proficient at decoding and
comprehension.

 

I am looking for:

a) Two-person *game-like activities* that I can use to promote
comprehension monitoring in these sibling pairs.  

b) Computer-based, *pair reading activities* suitable for adolescents.  

 

Does anyone have any thoughts or suggestions?

 

Thank you.

--Kallen Tsikalas :)

 

 

Kallen Tsikalas | National Director of Research & Learning Services
Computers for Youth (CFY)
ktsikalas at cfy.org | www.cfy.org <BLOCKED::http://www.cfy.org/>  

 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Gail Price
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 2:01 PM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 954] Re: Comprehension
MonitoringStrategiesDiscussionBegins Today

 

Thanks Susan. That certainly makes sense. I know I have asked my
students to read a passage and highlight words they don't know or aren't
sure of. I have also asked them to write question marks if there is a
statement that doesn't make sense to them. The students have never
objected to this or acted unwilling-perhaps this is a pretty
non-threatening way to admit to not knowing something.

 

What are some things others have tried? What do you do to help your
students when their comprehension breaks down?

 

 

Gail J. Price

Multimedia Specialist

National Center for Family Literacy

325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

Louisville, KY 40202

gprice at famlit.org

502 584-1133, ext. 112

 

 

Join us for the 17th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy!
"Literacy Grows Families and Communities"
March 30, 31, & April 1, 2008-Louisville, KY
Register online at www.famlit.org/conference

 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Susan McShane
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 11:44 AM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 953] Re: Comprehension Monitoring
StrategiesDiscussionBegins Today

 

Hello Everybody! Since there are so many possibilities in the broad
category of comprehension monitoring, Donna and I think that it's
probably best to start with something that makes sense to the learner
and isn't  too complicated. 

 

One possibility is restating-that is putting what they've read into
their own words. You can explain that it's a good way to stay focused on
the meaning and to "test" their understanding.  Ask them to stop after
the first section or paragraph (or even the first couple of sentences)
and try to put what the writer said in their own words. If they can't do
it, that's a clue that they may need to re-read and think about it more
carefully.

 

Another possibility is a variation on the "coding text" strategy. The
book includes an example that has several different kinds of marks to
indicate questions, mark important facts, and make other responses to
the text. You might start with something much simpler that introduces
the idea of marking the text. Maybe they could just underline any words
they don't understand or put a check mark by any important or
interesting facts or bits of information. If they begin with just one or
maybe two kinds of "codes" it may be less intimidating. 

 

Starting with one of these simple approaches also makes it easier for
you/the teacher to demonstrate and model the strategy.

 

Does this sound reasonable? Has anyone done anything like this or used
any other comprehension-monitoring strategies?

 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Gail Price
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 11:19 AM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 952] Comprehension Monitoring Strategies
DiscussionBegins Today

 

Good morning, List members,

 

I am very pleased to welcome Susan McShane, Reading Initiative
Specialist at the National Center for Family Literacy, and Donna Elder,
Reading Specialist at the National Center for Family Literacy, to our
List. They will be leading the discussion on comprehension monitoring
strategies for adult readers. I know many of you have been looking
forward to this discussion and I hope you are prepared to join in with
your questions, comments and experiences. 

 

I would like to get us started by asking Susan and Donna how they
introduce the comprehension monitoring strategies on pages 80- 82 of
Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults: First Steps for
Teachers, to students. Is there a particular strategy that you introduce
before the others? How might you present the strategy to maximize
learner buy-in? 

 

 

 

 

Gail J. Price

Multimedia Specialist

National Center for Family Literacy

325 W. Main Street, Suite 300

Louisville, KY 40202

gprice at famlit.org

502 584-1133, ext. 112

 

 

Join us for the 17th Annual National Conference on Family Literacy!
"Literacy Grows Families and Communities"
March 30, 31, & April 1, 2008-Louisville, KY
Register online at www.famlit.org/conference

 

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