Part 3: Even More Ways to Teach Reading Comprehension!

As promised, we are continuing our blog conversation on strategies to support reading comprehension instruction.  Previously we have talked big picture research and introduced three strategies: Monitoring, Metacognition, and Graphic Organizers.  Today we will proceed with our discussion with a few more instructional innovations, Question-Answer Relationships and Generating Questions!

• Monitoring
• Metacognition
• Graphic Organizers
• Question-Answer-Relationship
• Generating Questions
• Classroom Discussion
• Annotating Text

Question-Answer Relationship

The Question-Answer Relationship strategy encourages students to learn how to answer questions better by understanding what the question is asking and how to locate the information needed to answer it effectively. Students are asked to indicate whether the information they used to answer questions about the text was textually explicit information (information that was directly stated in the text), textually implicit information (information that was implied in the text), or information entirely from the student's own background knowledge. While implicit and explicit questioning aids in direct comprehension of text, questions pertaining to the reader’s experience can aid in reading enjoyment. 

When asking a question, the teacher can clarify what type of question is being asked prior to the question, or a teacher could ask the students to determine what type of question is being asked before they answer. 

Question-Answer Strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are found in asking and answering four types of questions:

·     “On-the-Surface”Questions:  Questions found right in the text that ask students to find the answer located in one place as a word or a sentence in the text.

·     “Under-the-Surface”Questions: Questions that require students to use the text to determine a response.  The text should be used to determine the response, but there may be more than one possible answer with evidence. 

·     “Author and You”Questions: Questions require students to use what they already know, with what they have learned from reading the text. Student's must understand the text and relate it to their prior knowledge before answering the question.

·     “On Your Own”Questions: Questions are answered based on prior knowledge and experiences. Reading the text may not be helpful to them when answering this type of question.

Generating Questions

By generating questions, students become aware of whether they can answer the questions and if they understand what they are reading. Students learn to ask themselves questions that require them to combine information from different segments of text. 

Generating questions helps to improve critical and creative thinking skills as students learn to ask questions about an assigned text. This technique encourages students to develop life-long learning skills. Generating questions is flexible and may be tailored to fit various types of information, and different skill-levels. Students may use this strategy with the help of a facilitator or they may generate questions on their own.

Before reading, during reading, and after reading teachers can model and students can generate different question types.  When students can ask On-the-Surface, Under-the-Surface, Author and You, and On Your Own questions, they understand all aspects of the text.  It is the combination of answering and generating questions that help a reader think like a competent and confident reader. 

Generating Questions strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

·     Anchor Posters for question types

·     Note-taking templates for answering questions

·     Note-taking templates for generating questions

·     Stump Your Buddy