Good morning,  I've been following this interesting strand and I have one strategy I use that seems to work well with many of the others that have been mentioned.  I have students preview or survey a chapter in a text that they are going to read.  I ask them to look at headings and we discuss what might happen, they identify other items in the selection...italics (why might that be in italics...what does it mean...) bold faced items to indicate importance.....
 
Just thought I'd throw it in the mix 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Susan McShane
Sent: Wed 2/6/2008 9:42 AM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 983] Re:ComprehensionMonitoringStrategiesDiscussionBegins Today



More good ideas! I like the idea of "arguing." It really gets at the notion that the reader has to work with the text. Actually, those strategies sound like what's often called "thinking aloud"-mentioned in an earlier post-and "coding" or marking text. Both can be good comprehension-monitoring strategies. 

 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Smith, Karen
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 4:08 PM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 976] Re:ComprehensionMonitoringStrategiesDiscussionBegins Today

 

A colleague shared the concept of having student "argue with the text" with me.  Students are encouraged to write in the margins, respond to, opine, and question the text.  Comprehension is necessary to be able to do this, and it encourages critical thinking.  I think some students don't think they can "argue" with print. 

 

Of course, there is always the issue of the readability level and contextual relevance of the text. Both are critical, but I find it difficult to choose the right texts (looking at those two criteria) with a multi-level group.  

 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Moctezuma, Yvette T.
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 1:43 PM
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 955] Re: ComprehensionMonitoringStrategiesDiscussionBegins Today

 

Yes, those strategies work for me.  I sit with a group of 3 students at a time and they take turns reading out loud an article from a newspaper or magazine (3rd Grade level).  I ask them to underline any words they don't understand while we are reading.  We only read one paragraph at a time.   Then, I ask a volunteer to try to summarize what they just read in their own words.  We look at all of the words they underlined and look them up in the dictionary if they don't know it.  I also ask them to reuse the word in a new sentence.  By the time we analyze all of the words, they understand exactly what the paragraph was about and then we continue.  

 

Yvette Moctezuma

Parent Resource Teacher

Three Points Elementary

4001 S. Goldenrod Rd

Orlando, FL 32822

 

________________________________

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Gail Price
Sent: Monday, February 04, 2008 1:57 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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