Betsy,

It was originally for precis writing and taught for chunks of a chapter of expository texts (ex. subheadings = general topic/about). Still working with non-fiction/expository texts with high school students, it was taught as a strategy for main idea (about) and supporting details (point) of paragraphs. Generally, students were taught to find the topic sentence of a paragraph which was usually the first or last one. So, it works for both on an "economy of scale". For study techniques learners benefit from organizers that go from general to specific, but finding that organization in written texts which build details to form main ideas (common in science texts) is difficult.

Looking at this discussion with fresh eyes, the real benefit Betsy is getting a concise rendering of meaning or simply put, "what's this about? What was the main point?"

This is fun.

Jeri Levesque, Ed.D.
Evaluator, LIFT
St. Louis, MO


 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: Betsy Rubin - Literacy Works <literacyworksmer at ameritech.net>
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List <familyliteracy at nifl.gov>
Sent: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 2:44 pm
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 994] Re: Comprehension monitoring
















I've been following the discussion with 
interest. 


?


Here's a very specific question. Posts 993 and 986 
seem to define "About" and "Point" differently:


?


About - Is this for general topic 
(986)?OR main idea (993)?


?


Point - Is this for main idea 
(986)?OR supporting details (993)?


?


Thanks for the clarification (and sorry if I've 
missed something!).


?


Betsy Rubin


Literacy Works


Chicago


www.litworks.org


?


?


?



  
----- Original Message ----- 

  
From: 
  jalsails at aol.com 
  

  
To: familyliteracy at nifl.gov 

  
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 12:52 
  PM

  
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 993] Re: 
  Comprehension monitoring

  



  
That's right, Susan. We use it 
  in Content Reading courses at the university for working on Main Idea (About) 
  and Supporting Details (Point). We also incorporated drawing a triangle. Broad 
  side on top showed the key words in the main idea sentence. The bottom of the 
  triangle went to Points or significant details (more than one phrase or 
  sentence). This way students could monitor paragraph structure in a science 
  book vs a history book, capture the pattern and determine whether they could 
  build comprehension sequentially. Just for fun, I often had students use the 
  strategy to diagram one of their own essays. That's when we introduced the 
  circle diagram: the words just go round and round but never have a 
  point!? Ah ha, back to the key point of the discussion on Comprehension 
  Monitoring - struggling readers often don't understand that they are not 
  making meaning as they read along ("It's all Greek to me."). Therefore, they 
  don't execute fix-up strategies such as re-read, look up key words in the 
  glossary, ask another person if they have a clue to meaning and use a study 
  guide (if available). The crunch comes when they can't remember what they just 
  read, can't summarize or paraphrase in their own words, and of course as noted 
  throughout the discussion, answer questions about the text.

Jeri 
  Levesque, Ed.D.
Evaluator, LIFT
St. Louis, MO


  



  


-----Original Message-----
From: Susan McShane 
  <smcshane at famlit.org>
To: The Family Literacy Discussion List 
  <familyliteracy at nifl.gov>
Sent: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 11:46 am
Subject: 
  [FamilyLiteracy 991] Re: Comprehension monitoring


  

I've used this one to teach how to identify main ideas--a typical question that 

students are asked. I never saw it called About-Point but I've used the 

approach: What is the topic/subject? What is the author saying about the topic?



I'll be interested to hear any experience with dialogic reading. I know it's 

used with children, and the NCFL FACE (Family and Child Education) programs that 

work with Native American families have had very good success with it.





-----Original Message-----

From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] 

On Behalf Of jalsails at aol.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 06, 2008 10:39 AM
To: familyliteracy at nifl.gov
Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 986] Re: Comprehension monitoring

Another strategy that fits with these suggestions for 
paraphrasing/summarizing is About - Point. Read a paragraph. In one to 
two words answer the question, What is this about? (topic). In one to 
two sentences answer the question, What is the point (main idea).  
Example, What is it about? Answer: Dogs. What is the point? Answer: All 
dogs go to heaven.

Is anyone having success with the dialogic reading strategy?

Jeri Levesque, Ed.D.
Evaluator, LIFT
St. Louis, MO


-----Original Message-----
From: Susan McShane <smcshane at famlit.org>

To: The Family Literacy Discussion List <familyliteracy at nifl.gov>

Sent: Wed, 6 Feb 2008 8:38 am

Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 982] Re: Comprehension monitoring























































Great suggestions! Thank you. And it's

worth repeating that strategy instruction has lots of research support 

with

individuals who have LD. To me that suggests that anyone who, as an 

adult, still

has limited reading comprehension (regardless of whether there's a 

formal

diagnosis) could probably benefit.



?













------------------------------------------------------------









From:

familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov 

[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of 

Geriteaches22963 at aol.com

Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2008
7:51 PM

To: familyliteracy at nifl.gov

Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 975]
Comprehension monitoring



?



Comprehension is the sole objective of reading.? In
order to arrive at a level of comprehension, many levels or facets
(intertwined) of reading need to be developed.? Students who have
difficulty comprehending should be informally assessed to determine 
areas less
developed while enhancing listening comprehension opportunities.? Many 
of
the comprehension suggestions discussed in this forum work well for all
students including LD.? I have found gaps, primarily with less developed
vocabulary, so I teach a variety of context clues strategies.? Later,
these strategies aid in monitoring comprehension.





?





For passage comprehension monitoring, one of my favorite
strategies was developed by the University
 of Kansas...Paraphrasing
Strategy, RAP,where students Read a paragraph, Ask what the paragraph 
is about
(main idea) and, Put the main idea and details in their own words.? This
strategy has been researched with adolescents with Learning 
Disablities, and I
have found it successful in my classroom.?





?





Geri Hayden





Virginia Department of Correctional
Education





Special Education Coordinator





?














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