S CAFFOLDING
R EADING
C OMPREHENSION
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS
Before
During
After
Comprehension is the process of
simultaneously extracting and constructing
meaning through interaction and
involvement with written language. It
consists of three elements:

The reader

The text

The activity or purpose for reading
(Rand Reading Study Group, 2002)
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
What should
happen
before, during
and after
reading?
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
S CAFFOLDING READING IN
THE ELEMENTARY GRADES
The Scaffolding Reading in the
Elementary Grades modules
provide the instructional
routines and strategies teachers
need to help students extract
and construct meaning.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
B EFORE
Module
Contents
READING

Teach the pronunciation of difficult to
read words

Teach the meaning of critical,
unknown vocabulary words

Teach or activate any necessary
background knowledge

Preview the story or the article
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
D URING
Module
Contents
READING

Utilize passage reading procedures that
provide adequate reading practice

Ask appropriate questions during passage
reading

Teach strategies that can be applied to
passage reading

Use graphic organizers to enhance
comprehension
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
A FTER
Module
Contents
READING

Provide intentional fluency building
practice

Engage students in a discussion

Have students answer written questions

Provide engaging vocabulary practice

Have students write summaries of what
they have read
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
S NAPSHOTS
OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL
PRACTICES AND ROUTINES
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
B EFORE READING
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS,
EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
B EFORE
BIG
IDEA
READING
If students can read the
words in a passage accurately
and fluently, their reading
comprehension will be
enhanced.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
T EACH THE PRONUNCIATION OF
DIFFICULT TO READ WORDS .
Procedures for telling the word(s).
This word is ____________________ .
What word _____________________?
Spell and read the word. _________________
focus
inspector
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
glimpse
spectator
A S TRATEGY M ODELED
Decoding Instruction, 1st Grade
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
If students understand the
meaning of critical
vocabulary in the passage,
their comprehension will be
enhanced.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
T EACH THE MEANING OF
CRITICAL , UNKNOWN WORDS

Tier One: Basic words


Tier Two: Words in general use, but not common


Chair, bed, happy, house
Concentrate, absurd, fortunate, relieved, dignity
Tier Three: Rare words limited to a specific domain

Tundra, igneous rocks, weathering
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
K EY CONCEPTS IN TEACHING
CRITICAL , UNKNOWN WORDS

Select words that are unknown and
critical to passage understanding.

Select words students are likely to
encounter in the future


Tier 2 words

Academic vocabulary
Student-friendly explanations
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
E XAMPLE : TEACHING
CRITICAL , UNKNOWN WORDS
Select three words for robust explicit instruction.
Reading Level: 2nd
Series: Harcourt Trophies
Passage: Lemonade for Sale
announced
members
neighborhood
arrived
rebuild
lemonade
glum
squawked
clubhouse
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
S TUDENT - FRIENDLY
EXPLANATIONS

Dictionary Definition


Relieved – (1) to free wholly from pain, stress,
pressure. (2) to lessen or alleviate, as pain or
pressure
Student Friendly Explanation

When something that is difficult is over or never
happened at all, you feel relieved.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
S TUDENT FRIENDLY
DEFINITIONS
Dictionary Definition
Disgusting – to cause to feel
disgust; be sickening, repulsive, or
very distasteful to
Fragile – easily broken, damaged,
or destroyed
Gratitude – a feeling of thankful
appreciation for favors or benefits
received
Loitering- to linger in an aimless
way; spend time idly
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
Student-Friendly Definition
A CTIVITY: CREATING STUDENT FRIENDLY EXPLANATIONS

Gape - to open the mouth wide
involuntarily, as the result of hunger,
sleepiness, or absorbed attention

Glimpse – 1) momentary or slight
appearance, 2) a vague idea; inkling.

Scrutinize - to examine in detail with
careful or critical attention
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
C OLLINS C OBUILD S TUDENT
D ICTIONARY
http://www.elearnaid.com/coconewstdis.html
A S TRATEGY
Vocabulary Instruction, 2nd Grade
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
If students have the
background knowledge
required by a passage, their
comprehension will be
enhanced.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
T EACH OR ACTIVATE NECESSARY
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE .
Strategy #3 Example

Prior to passage reading,
select and read aloud a book
that provides necessary
background knowledge

Passage: Me and Uncle
Romie

Background knowledge
needed: Life in a big city
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
A CTIVATING B ACKGROUND
K NOWLEDGE
Activate background knowledge using a
research validated strategy
Ask students
questions and
engage in a
discussion
Brainstorm the
Activate
topics/questions
knowledge using
that might be
the KWL strategy
covered
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
B-K-W-L-Q
Background
Knowledge
What we want Language
to know
needed for
writing
Questions we
can now
answer
Front load, front load, front load!!
(Adapted from Ogale’s KWL by J. Allen)
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
If students preview a
passage, their
comprehension is
enhanced.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
D URING READING
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS,
EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
Asking students questions
during passage reading has
proven effectiveness in
improving the comprehension
of students.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
Q UESTIONING THE AUTHOR : A N
APPROACH FOR ENHANCING STUDENT
ENGAGEMENT WITH TEXT
( B EC K , M C K EOWN , H AMILTON & K UC AN , 1 9 9 7)

Comprehension strategy to teach
students to construct meaning during
reading

Queries, or discussion questions,
encourage students to engage with ideas
in text to build meaning

Queries help teachers facilitate group
discussion and student-to-student
interaction
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
Q UERY
EXAMPLES

What is the author
trying to say?

Why do you think
the author used the
following phrase?

Does this make
sense to you?
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
Instruction in specific cognitive
strategies can improve reading
comprehension for all students
and, most particularly, can assist
struggling readers.
(RAND Reading Study Group, 2002)
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
C OGNITIVE
STRATEGIES

Competent Readers Strategies

Text Structure Strategies

Fix-Up Strategies

Reread

Look back

Read ahead

Restate in your own words
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
The ability to identify and take
advantage of text
organization can contribute
to students’ comprehension.
(Dickson, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1998)
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
T EXT

Story Grammar


ORGANIZATION
Title, author, setting, main characters, conflict
resolution, events, conclusion
Patterns of Expository Text

Each paragraph is a body of knowledge

Determine topic of paragraph

Determine critical supporting details
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
S TRATEGY E XAMPLE

Paragraph Shrinking

Name the who or what.

Tell the most important thing about the
who or what.

Say the main idea in 10 words or less.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
The main effect of graphic
organizers appears to be on
the improvement of the
reader’s memory for the
content that has been read.
(Dickson, Simmons, & Kameenui, 1998)
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
G RAPHIC
ORGANIZERS

Narrative Text (Story Maps)

Expository Text (Flow charts,
compare/contrast)
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
A FTER READING
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS,
EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
Fluency is related to
reading comprehension.
(Cunningham & Stanovich, 1998; Fuchs, Fuchs, & Maxwell, 1988)
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
FLUENCY

Repeated Reading

Cold-timing

Accuracy Practice

Fluency Building

Hot-timing
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA
Engaging students in a
discussion can increase
their depth of text
processing and subsequent
comprehension.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
DISCUSSION

Teach discussion behavior.
Looks Like
Sounds Like
Facing peers
Using a pleasant voice
Making eye contact
Sharing opinions and
supporting facts
Participating
Sharing positive
comments
Listening
Staying on topic
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA

Writing about what you have
read can improve your
comprehension.

Expressing your ideas in
writing helps the reader
organize ideas.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
BIG
IDEA

Writing about what you have
read can improve your
comprehension.

Expressing your ideas in
writing helps the reader
organize ideas.
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
Students must

Read,

And read,

And read,

And read,

And read some more!
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
WVDE L ESSON PLAN TEMPLATE
Reading Lesson Plan
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING
C ONTACT I NFORMATION
Phyllis Veith, Assistant Director, Office of Special
Programs
pveith@access.k12.wv.us
Linda Palenchar, Coordinator, Office of Special
Programs
lpalench@access.k12.wv.us
OFFICE OF SPECIAL PROGRAMS, EXTENDED AND EARLY LEARNING