Comprehension strategies

Comprehension strategies

A guide to reading comprehension strategies

Hi, I am so yeong

I moved to the United States two years back with my parents and little brother from Korea. I am in fourth grade and I love my new school here. I must admit that I struggle with my reading and general comprehension in English. Due to that I spend one hour each day in an ESL program in school to receive English support from my teachers. I spend the rest of my day with my classmates in regular classrooms. My teachers think I am very smart and that my math skills are very advanced for my fourth grade but my reading skills are just below grade level. I am very good at memorizing isolated facts and reciting them. However, I struggle when asked to synthesize information from texts I have read using my own words. My parents do not speak English but encourage me to speak it and support me to do well in school.

Metacognitive comprehension strategies

Metacognition is one's knowledge concerning one's own cognitive processes and outcomes or anything related to them. Metacognition comprehension strategies would be a perfect way to enable So Yeong to take corrective action and engage effectively with the text when her reading comprehension begins to decline.

'In my head' Metacognitive strategy

A concrete tool that So Yeong can use to record her thoughts on a handout to document her thoughts and help her in understanding the text better. She can write her thoughts about the text in native language or draw a picture of what she is thinking or even have someone else record her thoughts on the handout.

'in my head' handout

내 머리에

이름

책 이름

읽으면서 무슨 생각을 하고 있니

제 생각에는

Info

'in my head' is a great strategy for so yeong for reasons listed below:

- She seemed to understand what was being asked but struggled to articulate her responses in English. This handout can help her respond using other ways like drawing or writing in her native language about her understanding of the text. - She can add to her mind maps throughout the lessons, and use visuals and words from both her native language and English to help her remember the new vocabulary words. -So Yeong is very good at memorizing isolated facts and reciting them and can decode words in English. - Ms. Jenkins also had So Yeong develop a bilingual dictionary, in which she recorded words in her native language at the same time she wrote them in English. The dictionary can also include pictures and translations in Korean and all other information that can help her comprehend and remember new words as she progresses.

cognitive comprehension strategies

Cognitive strategies are those a reader uses to manipulate the material being read mentally (like making images when elaborating) or physically (like grouping items to be learned or taking notes).

'V-I-P' Cognitive strategy

Visualize-Interact-Predict strategy is a cognitive strategy that can enable So Yeong to make the words on a page real and concrete using different visual cues. Visualization can be achieved by starting with a discussion about the text and then asking her to quickly draw what she has visualized on a piece of paper. Once she visualizes, she can refer to the visuals and extend her knowledge through discussions and activities associated with the visuals like sharing her thoughts about the text with a peer. The peer who speaks Korean and is a more proficient English language speaker would be a perfect choice for her since both of them can interact freely and exchange their thoughts about the text without struggling to explain their thoughts in English. Hearing how her peer interpreted the information in the text can help her understand the concept in a different way and reinforce her own understanding.

V-I-P strategy using a book

Spaghetti and Meatballs For All!A book by Marilyn Burns.

- Since So Yeong is very good at Math the teacher can use a story book which has a mathematical background and can engage So Yeong better than any other topic or subject. - The book uses wit and humor to draw children into thinking about area and perimeter.

sample page from the book

Sample page from the book

'V-i-p' is a great strategy for so yeong for reasons listed below:

- She has already developed strong phonemic awareness and phonemic skills and is able to self correct if she decodes a word incorrectly. - Her teacher Ms. Jenkins placed her in different groups to promote vocabulary development and provided her with opportunities to interact with peers. This startegy also stresses on interaction among peers to promote exchange of thoughts and to thereby broaden students' understanding of the text. - When reading with her peers, So Yeong and her partner completed the Paired Fluency Rubric and the Paired Fluency Rubric Follow-Up in her classroom assignments. This promotes prediction of the text meaning and improves comprehension.

Social/Affective Comprehension Strategies

Social/ affective comprehension strategies are those that use interaction with others as a vehicle for lowering the learner's anxiety about academic concepts and tasks, providing opportunities to share perspectives, and enhancing comprehension through opportunities for questioning and clarification.

'through my eyes' social/affective strategy

Through my eyes is an interactive comprehension strategy that can be done in pairs or small groups. By working together students can extend their own understanding, work collabortively to understand the main points of the text, and receive immediate feedback in an individualized setting. It encourages elaboration of student's knowledge through experiences shared by peers.

'Through my eyes' is a great strategy for so yeong for reasons listed below:

- She can interact with peers who also speak Korean and thus be more comfortable sharing her thoughts without the burden of using the right words and being grammatically correct at all times. If the peer is at a higher level of English proficiency than her, it can also help her improve her own English skills and get better at expressing herself over time. - Since So Yeong moved to the U.S. recently from Korea, she might have different opinions and perspectives about some things than her peers. This exchange of thoughts can help her understand the new perspectives or ways of thinking of others that have grown up differently than her. - The discussions can also help her form personal connections to the text probably after listening to what others have to say and she might get a whole new perspective about the topic that she might never have thought of before.

I'm Bilingual.. What's your Superpower?

ELPS

ELPS (c) Cross-curricular second language acquisition essential knowledge and skills. (3) Cross-curricular second language acquisition/speaking. The ELL speaks in a variety of modes for a variety of purposes with an awareness of different language registers (formal/informal) using vocabulary with increasing fluency and accuracy in language arts and all content areas. ELLs may be at the beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high stage of English language acquisition in speaking. For the ELL to meet grade-level learning expectations across the foundation and enrichment curriculum, all instruction delivered in English must be linguistically accommodated (communicated, sequenced, and scaffolded) commensurate with the student's level of English language proficiency.