https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi Helping students increase their comprehension before, during and after reading en-us 2019-08-01 11:20:28 UTC 2019-08-07 19:22:11 UTC hello@padlet.com marisajames01 https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373088901 Imaging is an elaboration strategy that calls upon students to create a mental picture of the text or a portion of the text based on their unique perspectives. Students' images will vary based on their prior knowledge and perspectives. Students can orally describe their mental images or draw them on paper and discuss them with their peers. Gunning (2016) explains that, "creating images serves three important functions: fostering understanding, retaining information, and monitoring for meaning" (p. 319). 

I would begin instruction for this strategy by reading a short paragraph. Then, I would use a think aloud procedure to model how to create a mental image of the paragraph. As Gunning (2016) suggests, during guided practice, I would begin by reading sentences to my students and then asking them to close their eyes and create mental images of the sentences. Students would then turn and talk to a partner about their mental images and explore how they were similar and different. After students are comfortable creating images at the sentence level, I would move on to paragraphs and then lengthier texts. Students who struggle with comprehension would benefit from performing the action in the text using manipulatives first and then advancing to creating mental images. This strategy could also be utilized during a guided reading discussion.  Students oral descriptions of their images could be assessed in the form of anecdotal notes and their drawings can also be assessed. 

]]> 2019-08-02 19:26:13 UTC https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373088901 marisajames01 https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373090927 This strategy allows students to research a topic and then share their new knowledge with their peers. Jigsaw encourages collaboration and students are motivated by the task of becoming an expert and teaching their peers. The strategy requires a great deal of of preparation by the teacher, but I feel that the effort is worth the outcome. First, the teacher decides on a topic to be studied and then locates books written at a variety of levels that reflect the students' range of reading levels. Then, students are divided into home groups that should be differentiated by ability. Each student in the home group researches a different aspect of the topic using a book written at his or her instructional reading level. Students should be provided with a graphic organizer or note taking sheet to record their information. Next, students researching the same aspect of the topic meet as an expert group to share their findings. Lastly, students return to their home groups to share the information they learned about the topic after collaborating in their expert groups. 

I would introduce this strategy by first modeling how to use a book to collect information pertaining to a topic Then, I would model how to work in a cooperative group and share information with others. Before splitting the class into home groups and expert groups, we would first work in partners to research the same aspect of a topic and then share the information as a whole class. we would repeat this process until all aspects of a topic were discussed.  This process would serve as guided practice and allow my students to gain an understanding of their responsibilities in both home and expert groups before attempted to use jigsaw in small groups. I plan to use the jigsaw strategy when we are writing nonfiction books about different animals. My struggling readers could listen to books about the animal on epic in order to scaffold their learning and give them access to the content. Students completed all about books would serve as a formative assessment of their learning. I would also observe the students as they worked in their home and expert groups and note any areas of difficulty. ]]> 2019-08-02 20:03:22 UTC https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373090927 marisajames01 https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373090928 This strategy guides students as they determine which information is needed to answer varies comprehension questions. Students with weak comprehension skills may  only use information in the text when answering higher level questions or may answer literal comprehension  questions using their background knowledge apposed to the text.  This strategy includes four levels of questioning as described by Gunning (2016). "Right there" questions are , "found within a single sentence of the text" (p. 313). "Put together"questions require students to combine information from several sections or sentences in order to generate an answer. "On my own" questions require students to use their background knowledge and experience to generate and answer and "writer and me" questions require students to combine information presented in the text with their background knowledge in order to arrive at an answer. 

As Gunning (2016) suggests I would begin by introducing only two categories of questions to my first graders which include "in the book" and "in my head" Once my students are skilled in identifying these two types of questions, I will introduce "put together" and "writer and me" questions.  I would begin by modeling my thought process as I determine the type of question being asked using a think aloud procedure. during guided practice, student volunteers would determine which type of question is being asked and then use the appropriate sources of information to answer the questions. Students' ability to use this strategy independently could be assessed with a comprehension quiz which requires students to label each question with one of the four levels and then answer the questions orally or in writing. As students become more skilled with using the QAR strategy they can generate their own questions for each level of questioning. ]]> 2019-08-02 20:03:22 UTC https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373090928 marisajames01 https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373090971 This complex technique combines four important comprehension strategies including predicting, questioning, summarizing, and clarifying and calls upon students to lead the comprehension conversation.  Instead of answering the teacher's questions, students are challenged to ask and answer their own questions and read to confirm or deny their predictions. This strategy can be utilized in a whole class setting or in small groups. Students are assigned one of four roles during the reading which include  predictor, questioner, summarizer, and clarifier. The students facilitate the comprehension conversation and the teacher's role is to offer guidance and prompting if and when needed. 

It is important to note that students should be taught the four comprehension strategies included in the process of reciprocal teaching individually before they are expected to utilize them together.  I would begin by modeling each role during a read aloud lesson. during guided practice, student volunteers could assist me  with each role. During independent practice, I will pick sticks from my fairness basket and assign four students a role at various stopping points throughout the read aloud.  I will note their contributions on a class chart and rate their abilities to fulfill each role on a scale from one to five. This strategy can also be utilized in small groups during guided reading with students reading on or above level. ]]> 2019-08-02 20:04:12 UTC https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373090971 marisajames01 https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373182424 Picture or text walks can be used  to introduce a guided reading lesson with struggling readers who need extra support. Before students read the text independently, the teacher and students go through the text page by page and discuss the illustrations. Students may make predictions about the text using the illustrations.  The teacher draws attention to unfamiliar concepts or difficult words. This front loading of vocabulary and concepts will set students up for success when it is time to read independently. 

This strategy would work best in a small group setting during guided reading with students reading below level. It would be especially beneficial when moving up a level. Sometimes one level is independent, but the next level is a little too difficult so students need extra support as they transition to reading higher level text. The effectiveness of this strategy could be assessed with a running record and noting if students' number of errors decreases. Students responses can also be assessed during the comprehension conversation to see if front loading vocabulary and difficult words lead to increased comprehension. ]]> 2019-08-04 18:48:49 UTC https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373182424 marisajames01 https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373182464 Anticipation guides can be used with fiction and nonfiction texts to activate students' prior knowledge as they make predictions about the text. Reading Rockets suggests that teachers should begin by creating an anticipation guide with four to six statements about key details in the text. It is important to choose statements that will lead to discussion. After a brief introduction of the text, students us their prior knowledge to decide if each statement is true or false. After reading the text, students return to their anticipation guides and reevaluate their responses based on their experience with the text.  This strategy provides students with a purpose for reading; to confirm or deny their predictions. 

I would utilize this strategy in order to introduce a read aloud or to facilitate discussion during small group guided reading. I would begin by modeling how to complete an anticipation guide using a think aloud procedure. All students would benefit from the implementation of this strategy and the statements could be read aloud to accommodate struggling readers. The effectiveness of this strategy would be assessed by observing students as they discuss the statements with peers and noting their ability to use their prior knowledge to evaluate each statement as true or false. students' ability to use the text to reevaluate their predictions after reading could be assessed through grading a completed anticipation guide. 

]]> 2019-08-04 18:49:52 UTC https://padlet.com/marisajames01/w5n78m16kfgi/wish/373182464