Skip to main content

Home/ Content Literacy/ Group items tagged reading comprehension

Rss Feed Group items tagged

Roland O'Daniel

Strategies for online reading comprehension - 2 views

  • Colorado State University offers a useful guide to reading on the web. While it is aimed at college students, much of the information is pertinent to readers of all ages and could easily be part of lessons in the classroom. The following list includes some of the CSU strategies to strengthen reading comprehension, along with my thoughts on how to incorporate them into classroom instruction: Synthesize online reading into meaningful chunks of information. In my classroom, we spend a lot of time talking about how to summarize a text by finding pertinent points and casting them in one’s own words. The same strategy can also work when synthesizing information from a web page. Use a reader’s ability to effectively scan a page, as opposed to reading every word. We often give short shrift to the ability to scan, but it is a valuable skill on may levels. Using one’s eye to sift through key words and phrases allows a reader to focus on what is important. Avoid distractions as much as necessary. Readbility is one tool that can make this possible. Advertising-blocking tools are another effective way to reduce unnecessary, and unwanted, content from a web page. At our school, we use Ad-Block Plus as a Firefox add-on to block ads. Understand the value of a hyperlink before you click the link. This means reading the destination of the link itself. It is easier if the creator of the page puts the hyperlink into context, but if that is not the case, then the reader has to make a judgment about the value, safety, and validity of the link. One important issue to bring into this discussion is the importance of analyzing top-level domains. A URL that ends in .gov, for example, was created by a government entity in the U.S. Ask students what it means for a URL to end in .edu. What about .org? .com? Is a .edu or .org domain necessarily trustworthy? Navigate a path from one page in a way that is clear and logical. This is easier said than done, since few of us create physical paths of our navigation. However, a lesson in the classroom might do just that: draw a map of the path a reader goes on an assignment that uses the web. That visualization of the tangled path might be a valuable insight for young readers.
    • Roland O'Daniel
       
      Works great with diigo. Have students highlight the pertinent information and add a sticky note to share with their research group.
  •  
    We traditionally think of reading in terms of sounding out words, understanding the meaning of those words, and putting those words into some contextual understanding. f the kind of text our students are encountering in these online travels is embedded with so many links and media, and if those texts are connected to other associated pages (with even more links and media), hosted by who-knows-whom, the act of reading online quickly becomes an act of hunting for treasure, with red herrings all over the place that can easily divert one's attention. As educators, we need to take a closer look at what online reading is all about and think about how we can help our students not only navigate with comprehension but also understand the underlying structure of this world.
Jackie Miller

SRTrainingSummer09 / Chapter 6- Group 2 - 0 views

  • This way, each kid reads every fifth chapter, all the way through the book.
    • stephanie stobaugh
       
      I a little scared about this so far...:( I tried something like this once with not so great results...but let's keep reading.
    • Jackie Miller
       
      I felt the same way b4 starting Lit Circles
  • the expert for each chapter recounted the key elements of the chapter to the rest of the kids, who hadn’t read it After this round of highlights from each chapter, the groups transitioned into general discussion about the five-chapter segment of the novel.
  • (recognizing that reading doesn’t necessarily guarantee remembering)
    • Abby Dobie
       
      OK Students need to engage with the text in order to remember.
  • ...30 more annotations...
    • Denise Hamilton
       
      ok confirms what I thought
  • Chapter 8 in MacDougal-Little’s The Americans covers the reform movements between1820-1850. There are four distinct strands which emerged during this period- religious renewal, abolitionism, the early women’s rights efforts, and workplace reform
  • she did want them to sample Dickens’ voice and pick up some cultural background from the era.
    • Abby Dobie
       
      T-S i have had this same issue
  • under tough requirements to “cover” material
    • Jon Edwards
       
      OK, students become bored quickly with large reading assignments.
  • Tom’s Cabin, that connects the movements of the period in a vivid, powerful way.
    • Denise Hamilton
       
      T-T connection =similar to something
    • Matthew Albertson
       
      Ms. Hamilton is right on!
  • Or for teachers who worry, sincerely, whether hearing an oral summary from other students is as good as reading an expert’s version in print.
  • Jigsawing
    • David Underwood-Sweet
       
      I have not heard this term before
  • leapfrogging” jigsaw groups
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      ?: I wonder if this is effective for the majority
  • having every student read every page in the textbook may not be the only alternative
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      OK: i agree...reading is not always comprehension
  • Are kids actually working, thinking, and engaged with the text we assign- or are they just imitating a sentient life form while remaining functionally unconscious?
  • But textbooks frequently can be easily subdivided
    • Jon Edwards
       
      OK, Often true for my text.
  • is covering material the same as understanding it?
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      !: very important question to ask when decided to go with this method
  • the language was just too hard for her kids to plow through.
    • Paul Webster
       
      I see this with R & J and Odyssey
    • stephanie stobaugh
       
      I think this would be really good with The Odyssey. Plus some art work.
  • But textbooks frequently can be easily subdivided.
    • Josh Corman
       
      OK - allows students to become teachers to other students, a role at which a lot of them excel.
  • Are kids actually working, thinking, and engaged with the text we assign- or are they just imitating a sentient life form while remaining functionally unconscious?
  • Or for teachers who worry, sincerely, whether hearing an oral summary from other students is as good as reading an expert’s version in print
    • David Underwood-Sweet
       
      Some students may have difficulty in summarizing or in conveying the key points.
  • Textbook Jigsaw Sheet
  • Textbook Jigsaw Sheet
  • whether hearing an oral summary from other students is as good as reading an expert’s version in print.
    • Jon Edwards
       
      !, learning from similar others has many advantages.
  • The Guide-O-Rama
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      New: Sounds like a useful tool for this process
  • it is much harder to “fake it”
    • Abby Dobie
       
      X I'm not sure I agree. Often with jigsaw when the "experts" get together students are more interested in "getting the answers" than truly engaging with that text (ie. asking questions, making inferences, etc) I suppose it depends on the follow-up activity and HOW they go about sharing their info.
  • imitating a sentient life form
  • The parents think the textbook is the subject,
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      :) interesting observation
  • activate their prior knowledge
    • Paul Webster
       
      !
  • The Guide-O-Rama lets you informally coach, support, and chat with kids as you steer them along.
    • Jon Edwards
       
      ? I wonder if mixing in questions with the guide will help ensure that students follow the guide.
  • the author is there to answer questions and talk to the students.”
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      :) good point
  • when you have to read, write, talk, and listen, it is much harder to “fake it” than it is to slide through a textbook assignment without understanding.  
  • “What’s on the Prairie State exam.”
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      = teaching to the test
  • real-life examples
  • No Secrets Education
    • Jessica Slaton
       
      NEW: interesting
david cook

Why Talk Is Important in Classrooms - 0 views

    • Roland O'Daniel
       
      Here is a sticky note
  • One student at a time is talking while the others listen or ignore the class. Second, the teacher is clearly using a lot of academic language, which is great
  • oral language plays in literacy development, defining it as "the ability to express oneself coherently and to communicate freely with others by word of mouth."
  • ...37 more annotations...
  • the ability to express oneself coherently and to communicate freely with others by word of mouth."
    • martha gajdik
       
      If you dissect the word and use the new word mapping strategy kids would have been able to guess the meaning of this word.
  • . Although Spanish is the most common second language in the United States, students in a given school district might speak more than 100 different languages. These languages differ in their pronunciation patterns, orthographic representations, and histories—and thus in the ease with which students can transfer their prior knowledge about language to English. Proficiency in the home language. Students who speak the same language and are in the same grade may have very different levels of academic language proficiency in their home language depending on such factors as age and prior education. The development of a formal first language facilitates learning in additional languages. Generation. There are recognized differences in language proficiency for students of different generations living in the United States. First and second generations of English language learners differ in significant ways, including the ability to use English at home. Because protracted English language learners born outside the United States attempt to straddle their old world and the new world in which they live, they experience greater difficulty in developing English proficiency. Number of languages spoken. Some students enroll in schools having mastered more than one language already and thus have gained a linguistic flexibility that can aid in learning additional languages. Others have spoken one language at home for years, and their exposure to English is a new learning experience. Motivation. Students differ in their motivation to learn English depending on their migration, immigration, or birthplace. Immigrant families leave their homelands for a variety of reasons—political and economic are perhaps the most common. Many of our students have left loved ones behind, along with a familiar and cherished way of life. Some even hope to return when a war is ended or when the family has enough money to better their life in their home country. These students may not feel a great need to become proficient in a language they don't intend to use for very long. Poverty. Living in poverty and experiencing food insecurity have a profound impact on learning in general and language learning in particular. Simply said, when students' basic needs are met, they are more likely to excel in school. Personality. Some students are naturally outgoing and verbal; others are shy or prefer more independent activities. Some are risk takers who are not afraid to make mistakes; others want their utterances to be perfect. These differences in personality can lead to differences in the rate at which students gain proficiency in listening and speaking or reading and writing.
    • sarah chaney
       
      This chart shoes the levels for the students.
  • It's how we process information and remember.
    • R. Sandberg
       
      Does this apply to both written and oral language?
    • sarah chaney
       
      My thought on this beginning part addresses how limit some students are in expressing their ideas.
  • There are recognized differences in language proficiency for students of different generations living in the United States. First and second generations of English language learners differ in significant ways, including the ability to use English at home
    • martha gajdik
       
      You also have to keep in mind the differences in the changing social culture. The slang of a generation also changes making the transition for anyone with language barriers to keep up.
  • We know that teachers themselves have to use academic discourse if their students are ever going to have a chance to learn. Third, the balance of talk in this classroom is heavily weighted toward the teacher. If we count the number of words used, minus the student names, the teacher used 190 words, whereas the students used 11. This means that 94 percent of the words used in the classroom during this five-minute segment were spoken by the teacher. In addition, if we analyze the types of words used, half of the words spoken by the students were not academic in nature. That's not so great. Students need more time to talk, and this structure of asking them to do so one at a time will not significantly change the balance of talk in the classroom.
    • Ashley Perkins
       
      Would be interesting to track this with ourselves. How many words do I use verses my students? What is the complexity of word choice?
    • R. Sandberg
       
      I found this to be true about my own teaching when I completed the Hallmark regarding the use of the CREDE standards last spring - I had to rethink my own use of dialogue when I "heard" how much of the talk in the room was "teacher talk"...
    • Denise Finley
       
      This could be part of a peer coaching session. It could be something teachers do for each other. I did this when I was in the classroom
  • But think about the self-talk (inner speaking) you use when you complete independent tasks. Some of this self-talk occurs in your mind, whereas some is vocalized. Again, thinking occurs as we use language, and this type of talk is an important aspect to learning.
  • We have all observed that young children listen and speak well before they can read or write
    • Denise Finley
       
      My observations with my grandbaby that has difficulty with speech is that she is becoming more and more interested in reading and writing. She has learned to write her name and her sisters. Penelope isn't an easy name. She now is constantly asking and writing everyones name.
  • Students were expected to memorize facts and be able to recite them. Remember that in most classrooms of the late 1800s, the age range was very diverse. In the same classroom, teachers might have students who were 5 or 6 years old and others who were 15 to 18. Talking by students was not the norm. In fact, students were punished for talking in class, even if the talk was academic!
    • lj harville
       
      practicing to see if i am doing this correct...
  • it seems reasonable to suggest that classrooms should be filled with talk, given that we want them filled with thinking!
    • Karen Muench
       
      This is one of my frustrations - too many teachers still want their classrooms silent. We need to help the teachers understand quiet classrooms don't necessarily mean learning is happening.
  • Our experience suggests that these students will fail to develop academic language and discourse simply because they aren't provided opportunities to use words
    • Jill Griebe
       
      Unfortunately, this is how many of us were taught to be teachers. Why did it take so many years before educators realized that students needed to talk to each other in order to show comprehension?
  • Language permits its users to pay attention to things, persons and events, even when the things and persons are absent and the events are not taking place. Language gives definition to our memories and, by translating experiences into symbols, converts the immediacy of craving or abhorrence, or hatred or love, into fixed principles of feeling and conduct. (
    • Dawn Redman
       
      John McWhorter, a linguist, makes this point to distinguish animals' "speech" from that of humans.
    • sarah chaney
       
      This approaches the idea of how teachers form their questions.
  • children learn that language is power and that they can use words to express their needs, wants, and desires.
  • The problem with applying this developmental approach to English language learners and language learning in the classroom is that our students don't have years to learn to speak before they need to write
  • Vygotsky
    • Dawn Redman
       
      "zone of proximal development" guy
  • English language learners need access to instruction that recognizes the symbiotic relationship among the four domains of language: listening, speaking, reading, and writing
    • Sherri Beshears-McNeely
       
      important info for so many of our teachers
  • We know that opportunities for students to talk in class also take time. So, given the little instructional time we have with them, how can we justify devoting a significant amount of that time to talk? We would argue, How can we not provide that time to talk? Telling students what you want them to know is certainly a faster way of addressing standards. But telling does not necessarily equate to learning. If indeed "reading and writing float on a sea of talk," then the time students spend engaged in academic conversations with their classmates is time well spent in developing not only oracy but precisely the high level of literacy that is our goal.
    • david cook
       
      valuable point...TELLING DOES NOT EQUATE TO LEARNING
  • Classroom talk is frequently limited and is used to check comprehension rather than develop thinking.
    • sarah chaney
       
      We want to develop students' thinking.
  • Questioning is an important tool that teachers have, but students also need opportunities for dialogue if they are to learn
    • Gina Wright
       
      Students need opportunities for academic dialogue in all classrooms
    • Jill Griebe
       
      It seems that with the dialogue examples as well as what I do and see in classrooms is that we need better questioning skills in order to allow the students to show their thinking.
  • Our experience suggests that these students will fail to develop academic language and discourse simply because they aren't provided opportunities to use words.
    • Randy Casey
       
      How can students learn academic language when they aren't provided an opportunity to use the words in an academic setting?
  • , teachers talked for most of the instructional day while students were quiet and completed their assigned tasks.
  • We've divided the opportunities for talk into four major categories. These categories are consistent with a gradual release of responsibility model of instruction, which acknowledges that students must assume increasing responsibility if they are to learn (
  • our brains are wired for language.
    • Dawn Redman
       
      Chomskey's "universal grammar"
  • Teacher Modeling
  • questioning can be used during teacher modeling, but teachers can also activate their students' background knowledge during this time
  • After modeling, students can reflect on what they learned through both writing independently and talking with a partner.
  • Guided Instruction
  • teachers use talk to determine what students know and what they still need to know. This is an opportunity to use questions, prompts, and cues to help students complete tasks.
  • key is for students to talk with one another, in purposeful ways
    • R. Sandberg
       
      The purposeful ways can be the academic dialogue activities that we are sharing with our teachers - PVF, cafe conversations, etc...
  • Collaborative Tasks
  • Talk becomes critical when students discuss tasks or ideas and question one another, negotiate meaning, clarify their own understanding, and make their ideas comprehensible to their partners. It is during collaborative tasks that students must use academic language if they are to focus on the content. Here again, their understanding grows as they talk with their partners to reflect on their learning.
  • Put simply, talk, or oracy, is the foundation of literacy.
    • Catherine Rubin
       
      How does the evolve for children with hearing loss?
  • teachers of high-achieving students spent about 55 percent of the class time talking, compared with 80 percent for teachers of low-achieving students
  •  
    the power of the arts!
  • ...2 more comments...
  •  
    Amazing breakdown of teacher talk versus student. Something to pay attention to in class observation & in caoching conversations
  •  
    relationship between thinking and speech
  •  
    I have seen an academic dialogue activity of a modified socratic seminar that the teacher sent home questions for the students to be ready to discuss the night before and then the discussion was designed to be completely led by the students the following day. It was a wonderful way to see students engage in reading materials and have their own thoughts
  •  
    I still see this happening in isolated classrooms - in spite of all the training that has been provided...
Roland O'Daniel

http://www.GoogleLitTrips.com - 1 views

  •  
    I've bookmarked and suggested Googlelit Trips multiple times, and I keep coming back to this tool as a great way of engaging students, helping make connections, creating a multi-media experience for students to develop their reading comprehension skills, as well as, provide opportunities to extend their knowledge.
Roland O'Daniel

Reading is a Problem-Solving Process. Why Not Try the Thumb Method? « Co-Crea... - 2 views

  •  
    Reading is a Problem-Solving Process. Why Not Try the Thumb Method? New blog post by Denise Finley about supporting students while they learn to read scientifically!
Roland O'Daniel

How to Read Mathematics - 0 views

  •  
    Discusses the differences in how you read differnt kinds of text with a focus on the processes you use when reading mathematics text.
Angela Cunningham

ReadingQuest | Reading Strategies for Social Studies - 0 views

  •  
    A website for teachers that explores comprehension and content reading strategies and when to use them in social studies.">
Roland O'Daniel

Striving Readers Coaches Corner - Reading Comprehension - 1 views

  • Mathematics textbooks and standardized tests contain an increasing number of word problems that students need to be able to solve. As students progress in their education, word problems increasingly demand greater reading skills (Miller & Mercer, 1997).
Roland O'Daniel

wchsread [licensed for non-commercial use only] / WCHS READS - 2 views

  •  
    Washington County Library/reading wiki. Lisa Burkhead has done a fantastic job of integrating the wiki into her literature course and her library work. There is lots of student voice and apparently a lot of reading going on at Washington County High School!
Roland O'Daniel

Google News Timeline - 0 views

  •  
    I think this is a GREAT resource with massive potential. If you teach any current issues/sociology/modern history courses then this tool is a must. Even if you teach courses like 'algebra' then this tool has potential. I spent less than five minutes looking at the query 'regression analysis' and found two valid content related applications of regression analysis that I could easily use with an algebra I, II or precal course. As an example in the first resource I came across this http://web.sny.tv/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090424&content_id=1499716&vkey=1 article from SNY.tv that mentions "each (interception) in the minus column costs you approximately six points on average over many years of regression analysis." I can see just having an algebra I course examine/explain what that means mathematically, I can see allowing some students to group, decide what data they would need to confirm that analysis and if you wanted let them analyze the data or look for the analysis that has already been done by contacting the author/NFL. If I can find that kind of information within 5 minutes then imagine what someone with imagination could do! Great resource, a must share with your core content teachers and I firmly believe this tool could quickly vault up the list of most useful very ,very quickly. I can't let this go without thinking about differentiation in the classroom, I search for a topic, let groups look at the timeline and choose their own reading (if I have a group that will be challenged by their choice, I might point them to another reading that might scaffold their understanding), but I've built in choice, built in the ability to manage the sources, opened up the ability to quickly find multiple types of sources (video, blogs, primary sources).
Roland O'Daniel

MSP:MiddleSchoolPortal/Teaching With Trade Books - NSDLWiki - 1 views

  • As a middle school science or mathematics teacher, you probably feel like you don’t have enough time to teach all of your content wi
  •  
    ...benefits of using trade books is increasing student engagement. High quality trade books are written as to spark interest and create a desire to read. Many contain colorful, interesting illustrations, photographs, and diagrams, all of which draw students into the text and improve comprehension.
Roland O'Daniel

TheDotProject.org -- iPad Artwork Inspired by The Dot - 2 views

  •  
    The storybook "The Dot" became the inspiration for this art project.
Roland O'Daniel

I AM A LIAR!: March 2010 - 1 views

  •  
    As I read this blog, I immediately thought of the article Never Say Anything a Kid Can Say. It is a very similar set of lessons for students and teachers.  If a student can say it, then why am I? B/C I am the expert... but who is learning in that situation? Me of course b/c I am the expert!!  Also, if a kid says it, it builds their confidence/understanding and allows the teacher to probe to help the student develop their analytical skills rather than their passivity and incompetence skills.  This blog is worth a very long read and analysis. I also, think everyone should look for the article mentioned above and see if they couldn't learn a few things by saying less!
Roland O'Daniel

Amazing Space: Hubble Is Back in Business - 0 views

  •  
    Always looking for reading resources to share with the Striving Readers group. Here is a great online resource that has short readings that are applicable and topical. May not be user friendly for students 2 years or more behind grade level, but very applicable to the content area classrooms! Very interactive, combine pictures with text, updated constantly.
Roland O'Daniel

Half of Americans use social networks - Technology Live - USATODAY.com - 0 views

  •  
    Killing two birds with one stone. Here are some interesting facts about social networking and use among 35-54 yo age group growing by 60% recently according to Forrester. Also, if you are looking for a read-aloud to do with math students, here's a great example to use with them. The topic is social media, the content is proportional reasoning, data analysis, and interpreting real-world data. For example if usage among 35-54 yos has grown by 60% what does that mean among the sample of 4500, what does that mean among the sample of the US population, if previous usage was 15% of that age group, what percentage of that age group now use it? Etc. Good math/science reading is as close as your local USA Today/Yahoo homepage/iGoogle/news RSS
Roland O'Daniel

Teaching with Technology in the Middle: Research Writing 101, 2.0! - 1 views

  •  
    I'm not an English teacher, but this approach to writing with middle schools students makes great sense to me! I love the tools he is using with his students. It doesn't do the work for them but lets the students focus on figuring out the important information instead of how to format the paper! 
Roland O'Daniel

plus.maths.org - 2 views

  •  
    Plus is an internet magazine which aims to introduce readers to the beauty and the practical applications of mathematics.  Interesting topics and free for now. Take advantage of the short topics to have students reading in mathematics and even some science topics!
Roland O'Daniel

FlipSnack | PDF to Flash page flip - flipping book software - 0 views

  •  
    Great new site for creating flipbooks. Students can create their own or teachers can create them for students to read and take notes. 
Roland O'Daniel

Getting It Wrong: Surprising Tips on How to Learn: Scientific American - 1 views

  •  
    Not a research article itself, but more evidence that supports the approach of activating prior knowledge, having students anticipate answers before reading a piece of text.
Roland O'Daniel

ATOS Readability - ATOS for Text - 1 views

  •  
    Quantitative analysis for readability from the makers of Accelerated Reader. Compares nicely to the Lexile Reading Levels, and is in the Common Core for use in analyzing text. 
1 - 20 of 33 Next ›
Showing 20 items per page