For Other Professionals
e-mail
print
shareReading 101
Text Comprehension
Comprehension is the reason for reading. If readers can read the words but do not understand what they are reading, they are not really reading.
This Seattle school using a technique called Reciprocal Teaching to help students improve their reading comprehension.
As they read, good readers are both purposeful and active. They may read to figure out how to use a food processor, for example, or a magazine for entertainment.
Good readers also think actively as they read. They use their experiences and knowledge of the world, vocabulary, language structure, and reading strategies to make sense of the text and know how to get the most out of it. They know when they have problems with understanding and how to resolve these problems as they occur.
Related articles
By: Marcy Zipke (2008)
Riddles are the perfect medium for learning how to manipulate language for many reasons, including students' familiarity with them and motivation for reading them. Here's how riddles can be used in the classroom to stimulate student's metalinguistic awareness.
By: Sebastian Wren (2005)
This article illustrates the difference between being able to decode words on a page and being able to derive meaning from the words and the concepts they are trying to convey.
By: Roger Farr and Jenny Conner (2004)
Students need to think while they are reading. By using modeling, coached practice, and reflection, you can teach your students strategies to help them think while they read and build their comprehension.
By: C.R. Adler (2004)
Comprehension strategies are conscious plans — sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading comprehension. The seven strategies here appear to have a firm scientific basis for improving text comprehension
By: Michael Pressley (2000)
Without a strong background in basic skills like decoding and vocabulary-building, reading comprehension is impossible. This article offers research-based strategies for building on these and other skills to increase student understanding of what is read.
