Part 4: Supporting Reading Comprehension With Strategies That WORK!

Here we go again!  We are continuing our blog conversation on strategies to support reading comprehension instruction.  Previously we have talked big picture research and introduced FIVE strategies: Monitoring, Metacognition, Graphic Organizers, Question-Answer-Relationship, and Generating Questions.  Today we conclude our discussion with a few more instructional innovations Classroom Discussions and Annotating Text.

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

Classroom Discussion

When students have the ability to engage in sustained classrooms discussions about texts, they think and talk about a text beyond its literal meaning. When asked questions that evoke discussion, ones that don't have a simple one answer, it encourages students to delve deeper into the text and listen to and respond to other students and their understanding. 

Classroom discussion is comprehension strategy that involves the entire class in a discussion. The teacher poses quality questions and students get together as a class to discuss possible responses. Classroom discussion allows students to improve communication skills by voicing their opinions and thoughts. Teachers also benefit from classroom discussion as it allows them to see if students comprehend the concepts presented in the text. Moreover, a classroom discussion creates an environment where everyone learns from each other.

Classroom Discussion strategies that have proven to be effective for reading comprehension are:

·     ACE the Question:  During classroom discussion, students are required to Answer the question, Cite evidence for their answer, and Expand their thinking to demonstrate their understanding. 

·     Expand (E4):  During the discussion, students are encouraged to build upon the responses of other students.  They are asked to Explain their thinking further, to Elaborate on their response, to provide an Example to support their thinking, or to ask a follow up question to Elicit more information. 

·     Point-Counterpoint: Teacher and/or students make a specific point about the text that could have potential perspectives.  Asking for a counterpoint that acknowledges the ideas of the original, but gives insight into another response is a great tool to liven classroom discussions. 

Annotating Text

Annotating is any action that deliberately interacts with a text to enhance the reader's understanding of, recall of, and reaction to the text. Annotating usually involves highlighting or underlining key pieces of text and making notes in the margins of the text.

By annotating a text, students understand what is happening in a text as they read it. As they annotate, the should note the author's main points, shifts in the message or perspective of the text, key areas of focus, and their own thoughts as they read. Annotating isn't just for students who feel challenged when reading academic texts. If students are competent readers, annotating will help them summarize a text, highlight important pieces of information, and ultimately prepare them for discussion and future writing prompts. 

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

READ with a PEN: Students can annotate by hand or by using document software. Students can also annotate on post-its if there is a text that cannot be marked up. 

• Use a key or legend that indicates what each marking is for, and use a different marking for each type of information. Example: Underline for key ideas, highlight for vocabulary, and circle for clarification.
• If using highlighters, consider using different colors for different types of reactions to the text. Example: Yellow for definitions, orange for questions, and blue for disagreement/confusion.
• Dedicate different tasks to each margin: Use one margin to make an outline of the text (thesis statement, description, definition #1, counter-argument, etc.) and summarize main ideas, and use the other margin to note your thoughts, questions, and reactions to the text.