Tag Archives: comprehension

Retelling

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My feature this week is on retelling, an important skill which demonstrates comprehension of a story. Reading requires three different processes: decoding (reading the words correctly), fluency (reading the words smoothly so that reading sounds right), and comprehension (understanding the story). imgres-1When a reader is reading well, all three of these areas are working and a book is easy to read and makes sense. When a book is too difficult, it is because a reader is struggling with one or more of these areas. When a reader struggles to read the words, it is very apparent to the listener that a book is too difficult. However, when a reader cannot remember important details about the story after reading, this also indicates that a book is too difficult. Sometimes this lapse of memory is due to a reader “taking a vacation” during reading. I find myself doing this sometimes. I am thinking about my grocery list while I’m reading, and my eyes have “read” an entire page! My brain was not concentrating when I was reading, so I couldn’t remember what I had read. This skill of staying engaged during reading may need to be practiced so that a reader can remember the story and can effectively talk about the details afterward.

First and second graders are still developing this skill. To support your child’s comprehension, stop several times while reading, and see if he/she can tell the Who? and the What? for the story. HandRedWhen the story is finished, guide your child through retelling the important events of the story across his/her fingers, using specific details (characters’ names and places) and remembering what happened first, next, then, etc. Can your child do this without looking back into the book?

Retelling provides an important foundation for readers to recall details and to support their answers in discussions or in writing. Above all, we need to teach children that reading is not just about reading the words. Reading is also about being mindful so that we know what we have just read. With brains fully engaged to read the words and think about the story, readers can experience that moment when they fall into a book… that is when reading really happens!

Happy reading!

Ready to Read

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imagesThank you for completing the reading survey. If you haven’t had a chance to complete it yet, it’s not too late! Here is the link: reading survey. This is a look at the week ahead.

First Grade: We have learned a total of seven reading strategies. These now include using smaller word chunks to figure out longer unknown words (Chunky Monkey) and always self checking to make sure that the reading makes sense (Wise Old Owl). We are ready to start applying these strategies with different books. This week we will practice a book that is just one level above your child’s reading level. This will give plenty of opportunity for us to problem solve unknown words together. After lots of practice and discussion about the story, this book will come home on Friday in a special Book Box. You can encourage your child’s reading by listening to him/her read this book to you at home. While reading, he/she should point under the words while reading. This ensures that words are not skipped or added. This is just the first book of many which will come home from our reading class. These important books should be stored in the Book Box so that they can be practiced frequently.

Second Grade: After our review of decoding strategies and vowel sounds, we are starting our first book together. We will practice using good problem solving skills with unknown words and also work on strengthening comprehension. We will also spend time reviewing details from the story and discussing characters. In our group, we will look for clues in what the characters do, say, and act. On Friday, this book will come home in a special new Book Box. Please make sure that our reading class books are stored in this box so that they can be practiced regularly. After your second grader reads this book to you, ask about the interesting facts that we have discovered while reading.

Enjoy this reading time with your child! 

Top 12 Comprehension Apps

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For the next few weeks, I will highlight some great resources from one of my favorite websites, Reading Rockets. This website is funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Education and is a national multimedia project that offers research-based and best-practice information on teaching kids to read and helping those who struggle.

This week, I found these Top 12 Comprehension Apps that provide valuable practice in sequencing, vocabulary, or retelling details.

Explore and enjoy!

Rereading

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Previously, I have written about rereading as a way to figure out tricky words. Rereading is also a powerful way to build comprehension. I recently read a blog post by Vicki Vinton, a writer and literacy consultant in NYC schools. She describes the importance of rereading as a “drafting and revising” process. The first time through a story, readers are figuring out words and getting the feel of a story. Reading that same story a second or third time allows new understandings to unfold. Readers discover details that are significant that they hadn’t noticed before. This comprehension is extremely valuable to developing readers.

You can encourage this comprehension by having your child read books two or three times, stopping throughout to discuss “Why” or “How” questions. You can also make comparisons between characters and other stories that you have read together. This will help strengthen their comprehension and model how readers ask these questions before, during, and after reading. Rereading a story is like visiting with an old friend, you may find out things that you never knew before!

Happy reading!

Reading Goals

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First Grade: Learning gains occur when there is a specific area on which to focus. This week, the first graders approached their reading with a targeted reading goal. These reading goals are based on strengthening accuracy (reading the words correctly) or comprehension (remembering the story). As readers, there are certain reading aspects that we do well and others that can be improved. Increasing awareness of these areas helps students to take ownership of their reading skills and provides goals for improvement. Each student has a reading goal on a green (Accuracy) or purple (Comprehension) bookmark. Most first graders are working on using strategies to read words well. As a result, many students have an Accuracy reading goal (checking the middle/ends of words, or reading without skipping words). Other readers who are already strong in Accuracy have a Comprehension goal (remembering the Who? What?) while reading. The reading goal is written on a reading bookmark which is used whenever they are reading books. Students are encouraged to continue focusing on this goal in the regular classroom and at home. This weekend, ask your child about his/her reading goal.

Second Grade: Close reading is a new term in education with the introduction of the Common Core State Standards. Close reading is a method for uncovering layers of meaning which leads to deeper comprehension. At this time in second grade, this comprehension is essential to becoming a strong reader. Taking time to read and reread stories helps students to understand ideas and details, as well as how characters change throughout the story. After reading through the whole book, we reread the book together, stopping frequently to discuss interesting words, the events of the story, or the author’s purpose in using certain words or phrases. As you can see, this is DEEP work. You can do some close reading at home with your child, discussing the story in detail. By doing this you will be helping to build some great reading habits!