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Paula Gallagher

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What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Comprehension

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What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Comprehension

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The purpose of this article is just as it appears in the title, to inform teachers of what is involved in comprehending and how the factors or reader, text and context interact to create meaning in order to teach their students to become more effective comprehension. This article focuses on comprehension as a complicated process, which can be defined in a series of ways. However, we as teachers, know it is one of the most important skills to develop, especially for young readers. Teachers are to use their knowledge and understanding of how one learns to comprehend to inform classroom practices to effectively help readers develop. This article was applicable to Diagnosing Reading Difficulties because it focuses on each necessary aspect of comprehension, the reader, text, context and transaction.

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In Motivational Attitudes Towards Reading, students are asked questions about their feelings towards reading in general, and their feelings towards specific types of reading (in the classroom, on rainy days, etc). Students are to circle a tiger showing expression to reflect their feelings towards each question. Although it missed the conversational piece spoken about in MRP, the elementary reading survey remains a reliable source in determining the level of student motivation.

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The Motivation to Read Profile was designed to guide the teacher in determining students’ perceived value of reading and self-concept as readers such that appropriate instructional decisions could be made. The MPR is used widely as a measure of student motivation. It is believed that there is a strong connection between reading motivation and reading achievement. Prior to beginning the CRI, we administered either the MRP or the Elementary Reading Survey to the student we chose to test. The MPR was the reading survey I chose to administer to my student, Ry’lei. What made me choose MPR exactly? MRP includes a written survey feature to build rapport with the student. I felt as though the MRP really helped me in getting to know more about Ry’lei and her feelings about reading prior to administering the CRI.

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The interactive theory of reading has been seen several times over the course of our program at Holy Family University. The interactive theory of reading combines the processes of the “top down” and “bottom up” approach. The top-down reader approach is a text based approach which states that readers have automatic recognition of words and ideas that tap into their lower-level comprehension processing but eventually bring in the logic and knowledge if the topic and the world that tap into their higher-level comprehension processing. Along with context clues, readers must also use background knowledge on topics in order to get the full knowledge of the text.

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In our test review project, we analyzed the Developmental Reading Assessment which is a reading assessment designed to help teachers systematically observe, record, and evaluate changes in student reading performance. It features tools to assess reading engagement, fluency, and comprehension, allowing you to identify reading strengths and weaknesses and target instruction to meet individual needs. It is considered an informative process done in a one on one testing. During this assignment, we were able to analyze a reading test based on its validity, steps of administration, reliability, and its strengths and weaknesses.

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A large portion of course work in Diagnosing Reading Difficulties was administering a Critical Reading Inventory, a test developed to assess a reader’s ability to respond thoughtfully to text. All the steps for administering, scoring and interpreting the CRI are very clear cut, out lined by tutorials on the Thougthful literacy website. By administering, scoring and interpreting the CRI in 603, we were able to profile a reader’s performance and differentiate instruction based on the information attained in the CRI.

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We compiled a PowerPoint presentation based on the use of three types of questions the CRI uses to assess reading comprehension.  These questions include Text-based items, Inference items and Critical Response Items. In addition to discussing these three types of comprehension questions, we were asked to create comprehension questions, which fell into each category of questions. This assignment pushed us to understand the types of questions focused on in the CRI, and challenged out understanding to creating questions in line with the requirements in each category.

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In Diagnosing Reading Difficulties, we gave intensive descriptions and analysis of two different individuals. Each of these students analysis were great opportunities to apply our understandings of course material. We applied our knowledge of the CRI and its results in Tamika’s Case Study, as well as planning instruction and supportive reading materials for John in his Case Study.

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Profiles of Comprehension: Levels of Thinking

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Profiles of Comprehension: Levels of Thinking

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In Profiles of Comprehension, The authors identify eight common profiles of thinking that surface when students are given higher order questions and suggest strategies to improve comprehension. The keys to effective instruction are believed to lie in the teacher’s keen observational skills and the expansion of teaching repertoires to directly address the needs of students. The profiles of question answerers include: literalists, fuzzy thinkers, left fielders, quiz contestants, politicians, dodgers, authors, and minimalists.

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Elementary Reading Survey
Motivation to Read Profile
Interactive Theory
DRA 2
Critical Reading Inventory
Types of Comprehension Questions
Case Studies
Profiles of Comprehensions: Levels of Thinking
What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Comprehension
Comprehension Strategies