READING

•A COMPLEX COGNITIVE PROCESS OF

DECODING SYMBOLS IN ORDER TO
CONSTRUCT OR DERIVE MEANING
(READING COMPREHENSION)
READING
•A MEANS OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION,
OF COMMUNICATION, AND OF
SHARING INFORMATION AND IDEAS.
READING
•A COMPLEX INTERACTION BETWEEN THE TEXT
AND THE READER WHICH IS SHAPED BY THE
READER’S PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES,
ATTITUDE, AND LANGUAGE COMMUNITY WHICH
IS CULTURALLY AND SOCIALLY SITUATED
“THE READING PROCESS REQUIRES
CONTINUOUS PRACTICE,
DEVELOPMENT, AND REFINEMENT.”
COMPREHENSION
•A CONSUMING, CONTINUOUS, AND COMPLEX ACTIVITY, BUT ONE
THAT, FOR GOOD READERS, IS BOTH SATISFYING AND
PRODUCTIVE
•A PREREQUISITE FOR ACQUIRING CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND
EXPRESSING IDEAS AND OPINIONS THROUGH DISCUSSION AND
WRITING
COMPREHENSION
•THE ART OR ABILITY OF UNDERSTANDING. IT INCLUDES SEVERAL
INTERRELATED SKILLS WHICH MAY BE IDENTIFIED AS UNDERSTANDING
THE SUBJECT MATTER, MAKING GENERALIZATIONS, NOTING DETAILS,
DRAWING CONCLUSIONS, FINDING THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE
SELECTION, MAKING APPLICATIONS, IDENTIFYING TONE AND ATTITUDE,
UNDERSTANDING VOCABULARY IN CONTEXT, MAKING OPINIONS AND
PREDICTIONS, ETC.
 COMPREHENSION
•IT IS THE PROCESS BY WHICH READERS UNDERSTAND AND
RECALL IDEAS IN SINGLE SENTENCES; UNDERSTAND OR INFER
RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CLASSES AND/OR SENTENCES;
ORGANIZE AND SYNTHESIZE IDEAS RECALLED, STATING THEM IN
GENERAL TERMS, AND GO BEYOND WRITER’S INTENTIONS TO
ELABORATE.
COMPREHENSION IS EVIDENT WHEN
READERS CAN:
•INTERPRET AND EVALUATE EVENTS,
DIALOGUE, IDEAS, AND INFORMATION
•CONNECT INFORMATION TO WHAT
THEY ALREADY KNOW
COMPREHENSION IS EVIDENT WHEN
READERS CAN:
•ADJUST CURRENT KNOWLEDGE TO INCLUDE NEW
IDEAS OR LOOK AT THOSE IDEAS IN A DIFFERENT WAY
•DETERMINE AND REMEMBER THE MOST IMPORTANT
POINTS IN THE READING
•READ “BETWEEN THE LINES” TO UNDERSTAND
UNDERLYING MEANINGS
“COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES WORK TOGETHER LIKE A FINELY TUNED
MACHINE:
THE READER BEGINS TO CONSTRUCT MEANING BY SELECTING AND
PREVIEWING THE TEXT.
DURING READING, COMPREHENSION BUILDS THROUGH PREDICTING,
INFERRING, SYNTHESIZING, AND SEEKING ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS THAT
ARISE.
AFTER READING, DEEPER MEANING IS CONSTRUCTED THROUGH REVIEWING,
REREADING PORTIONS OF THE TEXT, DISCUSSION, AND THOUGHTFUL
REFLECTION. DURING EACH OF THESE PHASES, THE READER RELATES THE TEXT
TO HIS OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES.”
“COMPREHENSION IS POWERFUL BECAUSE THE ABILITY TO
CONSTRUCT MEANING COMES FROM THE MIND OF THE
READER. THEREFORE, SPECIFIC COMPREHENSION
INSTRUCTION—MODELING DURING READ-ALOUDS AND
SHARED READING, TARGETED MINI-LESSONS, AND VARIED
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRACTICE DURING SMALL-GROUP AND
INDEPENDENT READING—IS CRUCIAL TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF STRATEGIC, EFFECTIVE READERS.”
HOW TO TEACH READING COMPREHENSION
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
BY MELODY HUGHES, EHOW CONTRIBUTOR
•CHOOSE HIGH-INTEREST READING MATERIALS.
•TEACH READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS EXPLICITLY.
•MODEL READING COMPREHENSION SKILLS.
•TEACH VOCABULARY ROUTINELY AND THOROUGHLY.
•ALLOW STUDENTS TO DISCUSS TEXTS WITH YOU AND WITH THEIR
CLASSMATES.
•USE GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS TO HELP STUDENTS ORGANIZE THEIR
THOUGHTS.
HOW TO HELP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS STRUGGLING
WITH READING COMPREHENSION
BY GAVIN PRICE, EHOW CONTRIBUTOR

• CHOOSE RELEVANT PRACTICE READING MATERIALS.

• ASSIGN STUDENTS PRE-READING EXERCISES BEFORE REVEALING THE TEXT OF
THE PASSAGE.
• PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH NOTE-TAKING STRATEGIES TO EMPLOY WHILE
READING THE PASSAGE.
• ASSIGN STUDENTS A POST-READING EXERCISE.
• REVISIT THE PASSAGE THROUGH A COMPREHENSION QUIZ.
READING COMPREHENSION ACTIVITIES
FOR HIGH SCHOOL
BY KYRA SHEAHAN, EHOW CONTRIBUTOR

•FIRST LINE PREDICTION

•PICTURES TELL THE STORY
•VOCABULARY CROSSWORD PUZZLES
•IMPROVISATION SCENES
THERE ARE SIX MAIN TYPES OF COMPREHENSION
STRATEGIES (HARVEY AND GOUDVIS; 2000)

•MAKE CONNECTIONS •DETERMINE TEXT

•ASK QUESTIONS IMPORTANCE
•VISUALIZE •MAKE INFERENCES
•SYNTHESIZE
COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES
• MAKING CONNECTIONS PURPOSE AND POINT OF VIEW
•FORMING AND TESTING HYPOTHESES•IDENTIFYING AND SUMMARISING
ABOUT TEXTS MAIN IDEAS
•ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT TEXTS •ANALYSING AND SYNTHESISING
•CREATING MENTAL IMAGES OR IDEAS
VISUALIZING •EVALUATING IDEAS AND
•INFERRING MEANINGS FROM TEXTS INFORMATION
•IDENTIFYING THE AUTHOR’S
WHAT DO GOOD READERS
DO WHEN THEY READ:
1. GOOD READERS
ARE ACTIVE
READERS.
2. GOOD READERS TYPICALLY LOOK OVER
THE TEXT BEFORE THEY READ, NOTING SUCH
THINGS AS THE STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT
AND TEXT SECTIONS THAT MIGHT BE
MOST RELEVANT TO THEIR READING GOALS.
3. AS THEY READ, GOOD READERS
FREQUENTLY MAKE PREDICTIONS
ABOUT WHAT IS TO COME.
4. “READING” ITSELF HAS
COMMENCED, EVEN AFTER THE
“READING” HAS CEASED.
5. WHEN READING EXPOSITORY TEXT,
THESE READERS FREQUENTLY
CONSTRUCT AND REVISE SUMMARIES
OF WHAT THEY
HAVE READ.
6. WHEN READING NARRATIVE,
GOOD READERS ATTEND
CLOSELY TO THE SETTING AND
CHARACTERS.
7. GOOD READERS READ
DIFFERENT KINDS OF TEXT
DIFFERENTLY.
8. THEY EVALUATE THE TEXT’S
QUALITY AND VALUE, AND REACT TO
THE TEXT IN A RANGE OF WAYS,
BOTH INTELLECTUALLY AND
EMOTIONALLY.
9. THEY MONITOR THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT,
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS IN
THEIR READING AS NECESSARY.
10. THEY THINK ABOUT THE
AUTHORS OF THE TEXT, THEIR
STYLE, BELIEFS, INTENTIONS,
HISTORICAL MILIEU, AND SO
ON.
11. WHEN READING EXPOSITORY TEXT,
THESE READERS FREQUENTLY
CONSTRUCT AND REVISE SUMMARIES
OF WHAT THEY
HAVE READ.
12. WHEN READING
NARRATIVE, GOOD READERS
ATTEND CLOSELY TO THE
SETTING AND CHARACTERS.
13. GOOD READERS READ
DIFFERENT KINDS OF TEXT
DIFFERENTLY.
14. THEY EVALUATE THE TEXT’S
QUALITY AND VALUE, AND REACT TO
THE TEXT IN A RANGE OF WAYS,
BOTH INTELLECTUALLY AND
EMOTIONALLY.
15. THEY MONITOR THEIR
UNDERSTANDING OF THE TEXT,
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS IN
THEIR READING AS NECESSARY.
16. THEY THINK ABOUT THE
AUTHORS OF THE TEXT, THEIR
STYLE, BELIEFS, INTENTIONS,
HISTORICAL MILIEU, AND SO ON.
17. THEY DRAW FROM,
COMPARE, AND INTEGRATE
THEIR PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
WITH MATERIAL IN THE TEXT.
18. GOOD READERS TRY TO
DETERMINE THE MEANING OF
UNFAMILIAR WORDS AND
CONCEPTS IN THE TEXT, AND THEY
DEAL WITH INCONSISTENCIES OR
GAPS AS NEEDED.
19. GOOD READERS CONSTRUCT,
REVISE, AND QUESTION THE
MEANINGS THEY MAKE AS THEY
READ.
20. THEY READ SELECTIVELY,
CONTINUALLY MAKING DECISIONS
ABOUT THEIR READING—WHAT TO
READ CAREFULLY, WHAT TO READ
QUICKLY, WHAT NOT TO READ, WHAT TO
REREAD, AND SO ON.
“FOR GOOD READERS, TEXT PROCESSING
OCCURS NOT ONLY DURING “READING” AS WE
HAVE TRADITIONALLY DEFINED IT, BUT ALSO
DURING SHORT BREAKS TAKEN DURING
READING, EVEN AFTER THE “READING” ITSELF
HAS COMMENCED, EVEN AFTER THE “READING”
HAS CEASED.”
“THIS MEANS THAT GOOD COMPREHENSION
INSTRUCTION INCLUDES BOTH EXPLICIT
INSTRUCTION IN SPECIFIC
COMPREHENSION STRATEGIES AND A
GREAT DEAL OF TIME AND OPPORTUNITY
FOR ACTUAL READING, WRITING, AND
DISCUSSION OF TEXT.”
SOME PROVEN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR HELPING
STUDENTS ACQUIRE PRODUCTIVE COMPREHENSION SKILLS AND
STRATEGIES
•A SUPPORTIVE CLASSROOM CONTEXT
•EXPERIENCE READING REAL TEXTS FOR
REAL REASONS.
•CHOOSING WELL-SUITED TEXTS
SOME PROVEN INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES FOR HELPING
STUDENTS ACQUIRE PRODUCTIVE COMPREHENSION SKILLS AND
STRATEGIES
•SUBSTANTIAL FACILITY IN THE ACCURATE AND
AUTOMATIC DECODING OF WORDS.
•AN ENVIRONMENT RICH IN HIGH-QUALITY TALK
ABOUT TEXT.
•CONCERN WITH STUDENT MOTIVATION