Problem: Reading Comprehension
Most of the deaf/hard of hearing students that I have taught have
difficulty with comprehending what they read. They might be able to read
the words, but cannot answer comprehension questions about the text unless
the answer is directly in the passage, word for word.
Solution:
I incorporate classic stories as a supplement to my reading curriculum, along
with a computer software program called Quiz Works. These classic stories
are high interest, low readability, so it doesn’t look babyish. The series
comes in different reading levels.
We read a chapter of the story as a class. A chapter is consolidated into one
page.  The book includes comprehension questions at the end of each
chapter. Specific questions from the story are not just basic comprehension
questions. Some are inferencing, finding the main idea, asking what another
name for the story is, etc. The worksheets also include new vocabulary,
which are used in "fill in the blanks". It usually takes about two weeks,
reading a little bit every day, with my asking the students questions about
the story as we read.
Before I give them the comprehension papers to do, I take the same
questions and type them into the Quiz Works software program. Quiz
Works helps students review or be tested on the content they are currently
learning in class. The program can be customized to whatever I need. It is a
fun way for students to work in teams and get the reinforcement of the
material at the same time. It is a multiple choice game that has a time limit
per question. Teams get points for correct answers to questions. I connect
the computer with my classroom TV and my students sit in their teams
around it. Different captains are chosen every time we play, so that the
same people are not on the same team every time. After the game is over,
my students do their comprehension worksheets independently with no
problem.
Impact:
My students get really excited when they see we are going to read a classic
story being accompanied by Quiz Works. I believe that Quiz Works has
given them the confidence they need to answer the comprehension questions
at the end of the stories. They work cooperatively in groups; they focus
more on what the question is asking and try harder to answer the questions
correctly. In conclusion, they are building their comprehension skills while
having fun. 
Contact Information:
Christine Monroe
monroec@osceola.k12.fl.us