Pre, During, and Post Reading / Aiding Comprehension

Before Reading Activities

Purpose:

· To encourage the student to activate their background knowledge and experience

· To have the student make predictions about what the text will be about

· To set the purpose for reading

· To improve comprehension

Pre-Reading Strategies:

1) Graphic organizers or brainstorming to determine what the child knows already about the topic, wants to learn about the topic and later about what they learned once instruction was provided

2) Preview text – looking at the titles, subtitles, photos, etc.

3) Make predictions based on previewing of the text

4) Set a purpose for reading

5) If answering questions – read the questions first "prep the brain for its purpose"

6) Research general information about the topic to develop a basic understanding that more detailed information can later be attached to

7) Preview difficult vocabulary

During Reading Activities

Purpose:

· To assist a student in constructing meaning from text

· To develop connections to the real world

· To encourage a student's active participation, thinking and self-monitoring as they read

During Reading Strategies:

1) Graphic organizers

2) Reading response (journal, taking notes, highlighting, post-it notes in text, etc)

3) Check predictions and adjust them as new information is learned

4) Reading text aloud

5) Retell the text / information in your own words

6) Reread for meaning

Post – Reading Activities:

Purpose:

· To bring a sense of closure after reading

· To increase long-term retention of the material

· To apply new knowledge to already existing knowledge

· To draw conclusions

· To prepare for assessments

Post Reading Strategies:

1) Organizers

2) Writing connections

3) Assessments

4) Projects

5) Compare and contrast to other material/novels

6) Retellings

Reading Comprehension Strategies

Being a skilled reader is an important component of learning. A good reader follows certain steps along the way to increase their comprehension. Comprehension strategies aid students in being active participants in the process. Below is an outline providing strategies for improving text comprehension:

http://www.paec.org/fdlrstech/9SixComprehension.pdf (adapted from the work of Beal, Keene, and Tovani)

Graphic Organizers

A graphic organizer is a valuable tool for students. This tool is a visual diagram designed to assist students in developing / organizing their ideas, providing details and visualizing the connections between different ideas. Organizers also allow students to brainstorm prior to writing a full-length piece. It can also be used as a tool to study. An organizer can be used in any subject; it is just a matter of finding the right layout for a specific assignment. To help with the search for just the right organizer, I have compiled a list of my favorite websites which contain numerous types of visual layouts.

Valuable Websites for Graphic Organizers

http://www.thinkport.org/technology/template.tp

http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/

http://freeology.com/graphicorgs/

https://bubbl.us/ (mind mapping organizing software)

Some Basic Questions About Reading Comprehension

Dear Friends,

     Our students are working hard reading books in the classroom and outside of the classroom with the Accelerated Reader program.  For some students, reading comprehension comes easy and for others a more structured approach helps them to navigate, understand and retain the details.

     Below are some very basic questions students and parents can ask each other when working on a book, or any kind of reading.  Often times these simple questions will lead to a discussion where more details of the story can come to light.

Thank you for all that you do and best wishes for great reading!
Kimberly Borin
Learning Specialist

1.  What was your reaction to the story?  Why?
2.  Who were the characters in this story?  Which ones did you like and why?
3.  What was the main problem in the story?  Did the problem get resolved?  If so, how was it resolved?
4.  When and where does the story take place?
5.  What did you enjoy most about the story?  Why?
6.  How does the story begin and end?
7.  Was there anything that you found confusing about the story?