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There are three levels of text connections that students can make when reading new texts: text-to-self, text-to-text, and text-to-world.  Making authentic connections with the text is a skill that needs to be reinforced, and, with repeated exposure, will lead to improvement in reading comprehension.  Read more about text connections activities here.

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If your reading comprehension stations are centered around fiction text, utilizing a plot diagram works well for analyzing text structure.  Download a free plot diagram here.   Informational text gets a bit more complicated. Expository text is challenging for many students as it often deals with complex and unfamiliar content and is structured in a variety of ways.  Like the summary writing station, a graphic organizer can be used at this station as well.  Six ideas for graphic organizers are listed below.

Explanatory: Students identify the topic and list supporting details.

Informative: Students identify the main idea, supporting details, and textual evidence.

Problem/Solution: Students identify the problem and solution presented in the text.

Compare and Contrast: Students identify similarities and differences between two different topics or ideas.

Cause and Effect: Students identify the cause and effect (in either order) presented in the text.

Sequence of Events: Students list the events presented in the text in chronological order.

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Summary writing isn’t the easiest skill to master.  It takes a decent amount of time and practice to be able to craft an effective summary.  Students need to be able to summarize all types of texts, extracting only the main ideas and key details.  Utilizing a graphic organizer at the summary writing station will help students narrow down and focus on the appropriate information.  The inherent scaffolding a graphic organizer provides sets students up with a framework for picking and choosing content. Students can work from a pre-printed organizer or they can copy one you have drawn on the board.

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Visualization makes reading comprehension possible.  When readers visualize, there is no right or wrong answer.  Each reader will create a unique set of mental images based on the text.  Have fun with the visualization station.  You can provide your students with a plethora of creative options, or you can stick to the essentials. It’s up to you.  The options are endless – stickers, markers, construction paper, colored pencils, etc. It really depends on what you have access to, and what you are prepared to clean up when the activity ends!  You can also be flexible with the visualization requirements: will your students be required to draw one picture, several pictures, or include captions? Again, the structure and format is extremely flexible.

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Getting a chance to work with students in small groups is one of the reasons I love station activities.  Take advantage of the small group setting and focus on comprehension with a close reading. During a close reading, you will read the text three times, focusing on a different comprehension skill each time.  Completing the close reading in a small group will give you the opportunity to assess individual student progress and needs. Click here to read more about completing a close reading with your students.

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Engaging and Motivating Context to Teach Comprehension  ( number 5 ) 

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Engaging and Motivating Context to Teach Comprehension  ( number 5 ) 

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The practice guide states that students must actively engage with text to extract and construct meaning, and they will become better readers if they are taught reading comprehension in an engaging and motivating context. It’s important that you are intentional about establishing an engaging and motivating context in your classroom. Let’s explore the 4 how-to steps that can support establishing an engaging and motivating context now.

1. Help students discover the purpose and benefits of reading.

2. Create opportunities for students to see themselves as successful readers.

3. Give students reading choices.

4. Give students the opportunity to learn by collaborating with their peers.

Take 10 minutes to read about the 4 how-to steps on pages 35–38. Allow enough time for participants to read pages 35–38.

COLLABORATE

1. Understand how to help students discover the purpose and benefits of reading.

It’s important to model how the ability to read affects our daily life, provides enjoyment, and helps students learn about the world. Using examples of how reading affects your life, work, and leisure time can be especially interesting and motivating for students. Here are just a few examples of how to help students discover the purpose and benefits of reading.

Read a variety of content-rich texts, including fairy tales, realistic literature, information books, chapter books, biographies, poems, and joke and riddle books.

Connect reading to hands-on activities related to a theme.

Relate a new text to others that students have already read and enjoyed.

Create a literacy center with a variety of writing supplies to encourage students to share their thinking about books they have read. Let’s use a think-pair-share. Take a minute to think about ways in which you help your students discover the purpose and benefits of reading. Then, tell your colleague two specific things that you do. Allow participants about 5 minutes to discuss. Then ask for participants to share as you (or a designee) types/writes a list of responses. At the end of the session, you will have a long list of ideas to share with the group.

2. Create opportunities for students to see themselves as successful readers.

Here are just a few examples of creating opportunities for students to see themselves as readers.

Ensure that comprehension activities are challenging but realistic.

Help students recognize and learn from errors.

Use effective questioning techniques (e.g., ask why and how questions) to scaffold student thinking.

Help students set goals and monitor their own progress.

Provide frequent positive feedback as students’ comprehension improves.

What is an example of what you do in your classroom to create opportunities for students to see themselves as successful readers? Call on several volunteers to share as you (or a designee) types/writes a list of responses. At the end of the session, you will have a long list of ideas to share with the group.

3. Understand how to give students reading choices.

Reading choices should align with the instructional purpose. Here are some examples of giving students reading choices.

Allow students to choose from a variety of reading activities or centers.

Provide a variety of types of print, such as newspapers, magazines, and brochures.

Include books in students’ native languages.

Showcase many books by arranging them so that the covers are visible, especially those that are new, shared in read-aloud sessions, or theme-related.

Organize books on shelves within easy reach of students and have a simple system to check out and return books.

Provide a record-keeping system for keeping track of books read that may include a coding system to rate books.

Have a listening center for books that are recorded.

Create a variety of inviting places to read like a corner with pillows, a rug, or a beanbag.

What are examples of how you give your students reading choices? Call on several volunteers to share as you (or a designee) types/writes a list of responses. At the end of the session, you will have a long list of ideas to share with the group.

4. Provide students the opportunity to learn by collaborating with their peers.

The panel recommends that in order for collaborative activities to be productive, students should perceive their role as valuable and teachers should motivate students to help their peers learn rather than simply giving peers the answer. Here are a few examples of providing students opportunities to learn by collaborating with their peers.

Encourage students to read to and with classmates, younger students, or other adults at school.

Pair students strategically so that struggling readers read and discuss a text with a more proficient reader. Guide students in how to provide constructive feedback.

Have students work in partners or mixed-ability groups to discuss texts using guiding questions or complete graphic organizers.

What are examples of how you provide students the opportunity to learn by collaborating with peers? Call on several volunteers to share as you (or a designee) types/writes a list of responses. At the end of the session, you will have a long list of ideas to share with the group.

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Recommendation 1: Teach students how to use reading comprehension strategies.

Teach students how to use several research-based reading comprehension strategies.

Teach reading comprehension strategies individually or in combination.

Teach reading comprehension strategies by using a gradual release of responsibility.

Recommendation 2: Provide direct and explicit comprehension strategy instruction.

Select carefully the text to use when beginning to teach a given strategy.

Show students how to apply the strategies they are learning to different texts.

Make sure that the text is appropriate for the reading level of students.

Use a direct and explicit instruction lesson plan for teaching students how to use comprehension strategies.

Provide the appropriate amount of guided practice depending on the difficulty level of the strategies that students are learning.

Talk about comprehension strategies while teaching them.

DEFINE SESSION GOALS

Understand how to teach students how to apply research-based reading comprehension strategies.

Understand how to teach reading comprehension strategies individually or in combination.

Use the gradual release of responsibility to teach reading comprehension strategies.

LEARN ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATION AND HOW-TO STEPS
Recommendations from the practice guides for grades K-3 and adolescents are similar, and Recommendation 2 from the Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention practice guide support Recommendation 1 from the Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade. This session will address the “how-to” steps from Recommendation 1 of the K-3 practice guide. Activities apply to grades K-12. You may wish to review pages 16-20 of the Improving Adolescent Literacy: Effective Classroom and Intervention Practices with teachers of older students.

1. Teach students how to use several research-based reading comprehension strategies.

Reading comprehension is defined as the “process of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning through interaction and engagement with written language” (RAND Reading Study Group, 2002, p. 11). To help students “extract and construct” meaning of written language, we provide opportunities for them to interact and engage with text, or read text, and teach them how to apply strategies when comprehension becomes difficult.
COLLABORATE
Let’s review Activity 1.1: Do One, Pick One, and Plan. For this activity, you will select one of the comprehension strategies from Table 3 of the practice guide that is appropriate to teach using a text of your choice. You can use a text you brought today or borrow one from me. Describe how you would teach that strategy using your book and develop a “think aloud” that incorporates how to model using it for your students. Remember that a think aloud allows students to hear and see your thinking as you apply the strategy while modeling for them. So, be sure to include task 1 (explicit description) and task 2 (model) from the gradual release of responsibility. Share your think aloud with a partner as if you are teaching the strategy to students. Respond to the reflection questions. Allow 20 minutes for this activity and then ask for volunteers to share their reflections.

Who would like to share with the whole group?

Which comprehension strategy and text did you use?

How did your “think aloud” compare to your current practices?

What did you learn about teaching comprehension strategies as a result of this activity?

Are there any strategies that you may want to focus on more explicitly with your students?

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Selecting Texts to Support Comprehension (number 4) 

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Selecting Texts to Support Comprehension (number 4) 

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In the comprehension practice, there is some evidence regarding selecting texts purposely to support comprehension development. Let’s explore the 4 how-to steps for this recommendation now.

1. Teach reading comprehension with multiple genres of text.

2. Choose texts of high quality with richness and depth of ideas and information.

3. Choose texts with word recognition and comprehension difficulty appropriate for the students’ reading ability and the instructional activity.

4. Use texts that support the purpose of instruction.

Take 5 minutes to read about the 4 how-to steps on pages 31 and 32. Allow enough time for participants to read pages 31–32.

COLLABORATE

Let’s look at Activity 4.1: How Do I Select Texts to Support Comprehension Instruction? The goal of this activity is for you to reflect on how you select text for comprehension instruction in light of the how-to steps in the practice guide. We will take about 15 minutes for you to complete this activity independently.

First, you will list your favorite texts you use for comprehension instruction. Be sure to include 2–3 titles in each column: literary, informational, and digital. Then record a few notes about the differences in providing instruction for comprehension of a digital text versus a printed text. Finally, select one text you use and describe how you chose that text, the purpose of instruction, and how you teach a lesson using that text.

Allow 10 minutes for participants to complete the activity independently. Remind them that they can use the comprehension practice guide as a resource.

In pairs, review Activity 4.1: How Do I Select Texts to Support Comprehension Instruction? Share your list of favorite texts to use for comprehension instruction, the differences you noted in teaching comprehension using digital versus printed text, and how you use one of your favorite texts for comprehension instruction.

Allow 5-10 minutes for pairs to discuss the activity and then use the following questions to facilitate a discussion with the whole group. Who would like to share something that you discussed with your colleague?

1. What are some of your favorite literary texts to use for comprehension instruction? Informational? Digital?

2. What differences in providing instruction for comprehension of a digital text versus a printed text did you discuss?

3. Who would like to share how they use a text for comprehension instruction? How did you select the text? What is the purpose of instruction (e.g., which comprehension strategy is taught using this text)? How do you teach a lesson using the text?

REFLECT AND NEXT STEPS