What do good
readers do?
Reading Comprehension
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Activating and Connecting Prior Knowledge
Vocabulary
Questioning
Visualizing and Inferring
Determining Importance
Summarizing and Synthesizing Information
Monitoring Comprehension
Activating and Connecting Prior
Knowledge
• K-W-L Chart
– What do you know about post-its in the classroom?
• Noticing and Thinking about New Learning
• Color-coded connections (T-T, T-S, T-W)
– Example Oh, How I Wished I Could Read, by John Gile
Vocabulary
• Mark unknown words in texts
• Hot potato Vocabulary
Hot Potato Vocabulary
1. Students play "hot potato" with a canister to music.
2. When the music stops, the student holding the
canister opens the canister and pulls out a tongue
depressor with a Post-it® tab on the top. They have to
define the word written on the tongue depressor in
any way they want (act it out, illustrate, etc.). Words
can be taken from previously read texts.
3. If they get it right, they place the post-it on a chart
next to their name. If they don't get it right, they have
to pass the stick to the next person.
Adapted from Post-Its Activity Center
Questioning
• Model questioning with adult text
• Ask-it question (during read aloud or shared
reading)
• QAR Strategy
• Thick and Thin questions
– Read Write Think Lesson
• What a Question!
Question-Answer Relationships (QAR)
QAR Activity
• After a lesson on Question-Answer-Relationships,
students come up with their own questions based on
the QAR. An example is shown here:
Mrs. McCumbee’s Class
What a Question
1. Distribute a post-it note to each student.
2. Instruct them to read the text (or do it during
shared reading).
3. Ask each student to write one question about
the text (using a Questioning-Stem as a guide)
and post it on the board.
4. Each student will select a question to answer
about the text. If the question is answered
correctly, the student that wrote it stands up. If
the answer is not answered correctly, the class
will work together to find the answer.
Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Stems #1
Bloom’s Taxonomy Question Stems #2
Activity adapted from Post-It Activity Center
Visualizing and Inferring
• Identify specific features in non-fiction texts
• Powerlines
• Lines that contain vivid imagery
• Wordless Picture Books (activity)
• Drawing a picture from a vivid passage
Determining Importance
• Finding Important Information vs. One Main
Idea
Finding Important Information vs One
Main Idea
• Each student has a copy of the same text
• Three sticky notes each, students mark what
they consider to be the three most important
ideas in the text with a (*)
• Students discuss and defend their important
information; there isn’t always just ONE main
idea
Summarizing and Synthesizing
Information
• Simple book review/critique
• Page-by-Page summary during shared reading
• Post-it Summary
• Story sequencing (B-M-E)
Synthesizing
Monitoring Comprehension
• Inner Conversation
• “Huh” strategy (knowing when you don’t know)
• Noticing and Exploring Thinking
• Read, Cover, Remember
Read, Cover, Remember
• Have students monitor their comprehension
while reading by covering the page, writing
the gist of what they read, then checking their
understanding.
Story Elements
The Picnic Pals
Responding to Literature and
Extending Learning
Reaction Wall
Following the reading of a text, students will
write their reaction to a text and post it on the
wall. After each student has reacted to the text,
they will share their reaction with other students
and discuss them.
Wondering Wall
Have students write questions they have about
various subjects on a sticky note. Visit the wall
throughout the year and research the answers.
This is a great way to extend learning.
Food For Thought
“When readers interact with
the text, they are more apt to
stay on top of the meaning as
they read.”
–Harvey and Goudvis, Strategies that Work
References
•http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/literacy/comprehension_strategies.html
•Http://www.readinglady.com
•http://teachers.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post-it-Teachers/Home/
•Strategies That Work, Harvey & Goudvis, Stenhouse