Comprehension Pillar : Definition

What is it?:

Why is it important?:

ELL Considerations:

Reading comprehension is defined as the ability to read text, process it and understand its meaning.

Reading comprehension is an active process in which the reader interprets and constructs meaning about what
he or she reads based on prior knowledge (schema) about the topic.

The goal of reading to derive meaning. Without reading comprehension, reading is following words on a page
from left to right. The words on the page have no meaning.

Without comprehension, a student cannot gather the information in a text and use it to efficiently answer
questions. Comprehension of a text is the cornerstone in all subject areas including science and math.

All children including ELL students need to have multiple experiences with a variety of texts and levels of text
on a daily basis to learn to comprehend.

ELL students at all levels of English proficiency and literacy will benefit from explicit instruction of
comprehension skills along with other skills as a part of reading instruction.

Comprehension Pillar: Theoretical Foundations

Important
Comprehension
Research : Schema

Important
Comprehension
Research :
Metacognition

Schema theory states that all knowledge is organized into units. Within these units of knowledge or
schema is stored information.

Students have schema for everything. Long before students come to school, they develop schema about
everything they experience. Schema affects the way information is interpreted by a student. Schema can
affect comprehension because students use what they already know when they read a text. As students
gain new knowledge, schema continue to change as new information is received.

All children including ELL students need to have multiple experiences with a variety of texts to develop or
build schema or prior knowledge.

Metacognition is the practice of thinking about ones own thinking.

Students are aware of what they understand and what they dont understand or strengths and weaknesses as
learners. In the act of recognizing ones knowledge or limits, a student can learn to apply strategies to figure
out text, capitalize on what they already know or extend their ability to read.

Teachers and parents can model and teach students to actively monitor their understanding while reading a
text.

Developing oral language in both English and the childs native language will develop the schema needed for
reading comprehension. ELL students should be encouraged to talk about unknown words and ideas to
broaden the students vocabulary in both languages, thereby developing schema in the process.

ELL students should have multiple experiences with a variety of texts. Teachers and parents should encourage
their students to read at school and at home. ELL students benefit from being read to as well as reading
independently. Student schema and metacognition are supported as the student is exposed to new ideas and
are able to ask questions about things they do not understand.

ELL students need constant support with metacognition. ELL students learn best when teachers and parent
model when, where, how and why to use metacognitive strategies. It is important for ELL students to practice
these strategies independently, however support from peers and in small groups help ELLs as they grow in
confidence.

ELL Considerations :

Comprehension Pillar: Characteristics

Skillful readers exhibit specific traits/factors including:

Indications of skillful
readers using
comprehension skills:

prior knowledge about the subject

well-developed language skills
the ability to make inferences
the ability to self-correct to solve comprehension problems
awareness within the student of how his or her learning is taking place metacognition
motivation/purpose/goals/engagement
vocabulary/word knowledge/background knowledge
automaticity of decoding
fluent reading
understanding and use of strategies employed by effective readers
the nature of the text itself (difficulty and interest)
the type or genre of text (e.g., fiction, nonfiction, poetry)
the amount of reading done

There are several different ways to assess a students reading comprehension. These assessments can be
informal or formal. Examples of informal assessments are observations, questioning after reading, and the use
of tools like graphic organizers. Formal assessments are district or state assessments that evaluates all students
on important skills and concepts

Causes for poor reading comprehension are varied and complex. The following bullets are some of the indicators
or signs for struggling students. Not all students will display all of these signs at the same time or in the same ways.

Indications of
challenged readers
needing
comprehension skills:

ELL Considerations:

Difficulty reading out loud: Students who struggle to read age appropriate texts almost always struggle to
comprehend similar texts when reading silently. Indications such as skipping words or struggling to
pronounce familiar words or phrases suggest possible comprehension interventions are warranted.

Spelling errors: Students who struggle to decode words almost always struggle with spelling too. Poor
spelling is also an indicator that a child may be struggling to remember letter sounds and combinations.
Students who struggle with decoding may also struggle with comprehension because most of their efforts are
going to deciphering or recognizing the words on the page.

Limited vocabulary. Students with reading comprehension problems are slow to learn new words. Students
with limited knowledge of a subject (schema) will find it more difficult to comprehend texts than a student
with a larger knowledge base because their vocabulary on the subject matter is more precise and varied.

ELL students need additional steps to ensure reading comprehension. Teachers need to introduce
comprehension strategies through examples. They need to know how, when, where and why a strategy is to be
used.

Teachers can help ELL students by discussing each strategy individually. Discussions should include examples.
Teachers should also compare good examples with poor examples to help ELL students as they prepare to use
the comprehension strategies independently.

Teacher must make available texts that are at the students instructional level. Texts that are too difficult or
too easy will impede student comprehension.

ELL students need adequate practice and support while working with text. ELLs need to read constantly.

ELL students need to practice reading independently, in small groups and in pairs with stronger, English
speaking readers. Listening to teachers and parents read out loud is also beneficial for ELL students.

Comprehension Pillar: Strategies

There are a number of approaches to improve reading comprehension. Teachers need to explicitly instruct
students how to be good readers.

Supporting
Comprehension Sills at
School :

Reading comprehension strategies include:

Monitoring comprehension
Good readers monitor or are aware of what they do understand.
Good readers are able to identify what they do not understand.
Good readers use appropriate fix up strategies to resolve problems in comprehension. Fix up
strategies include: rereading a text, using picture or context cues, asking questions about the text,
making predictions and summarizing what they have already read.
Metacognition Good readers think about their thinking.
Good readers use metacognitive strategies before, during and after they read.
Good readers identify where and when a difficulty occurs and can restate the difficulty.
Good readers look back through a text and reread to clarify meaning.
Good readers look forward in a text for information that might help clarify meaning
Using graphic organizers Good readers learn how to use graphic organizers to illustrate concepts and relationships between
concepts in a text.
Graphic organizers can help readers to focus on concepts and how they relate to other concepts.
Answering questions By answering questions related to a text, a good reader can:
o Set the purpose for reading the text
o Focus their attention to what they are about to learn
o Actively think while they are reading
o Review the content of the text to determine what they have learned and what the already knew
Making Predictions By answering question about a text, a good reader can:
o Anticipate what they are about to read
o Make connections to the text
o Monitor their understanding by comparing their predictions to what is occurring in a text at
various points in the text
Activate Background Knowledge Good readers constantly try to make sense out of what they read by seeing how it fits with what they
already know. Students make those connections before, during, and after they read. Students can make
different types of connections including:
o Text to self
o Text to text
o Text to world
Visualizing Good readers create pictures in their heads based on the text that is being read. These mental images
create a richer reading experience for the student and helps students recall what has happened in a text.
Generating questions The ability to ask questions about their reading makes students aware of the whether or not they
understand what they are reading.
Recognizing story structure Good readers are aware of story structure including characters, setting, events, problem and resolution.
Summarizing Summarizing requires good readers to determine what is important in what they are reading and to put it
into their own words. Instruction in summarizing helps students:
o Identify or generate main ideas
o Connect the main or central ideas
o Eliminate unnecessary information

Remember what they read

Effective comprehension strategy instruction is explicit. Teachers tell readers why and when they should use
strategies, what strategy to use and how to apply them. The steps of explicit instruction include:

Direct explanation
Modeling
Guided practice
Application

Instruction in comprehension strategy use often involves the gradual release of responsibility, wherein teachers
initially explain and model strategies. Over time, they give students more and more responsibility for using the
strategies until they can use them independently.

How parents can help their child at home:

Supporting
comprehension skills
at home :

ELL considerations :

When you read with your child, ask them questions as they move through the book
Help your child make text-to-self connections. Ask them how they feel about a situation in the book or what
they would do if they were the character in the book.
Help them make text-to-text connections. Ask them: What other stories have you read that talk about going on
a trip?
Make sure they are reading at their level. A book that is too hard frustrates a child. A book that's too easy
doesn't challenge him.
Set aside at least 20 minutes to read every day.
Help your child find books that they enjoy. This keeps them motivated.
Make reading more important than TV.
Model reading yourself. Children need to see parents read for fun.
Encourage writing. Have children write about what they have read or keep a daily journal.

Encourage ELL students to use their native language at home. Talking and reading in a language that is
comfortable for the ELL student will build the childs speaking, listening and understanding skills. These skills
will later help the student speak and read in English.

Teachers and parents should preview texts to identify vocabulary words that may be unknown or difficult for
the ELL student to understand. Simple definitions provided before the time of reading may help ELL
students. Simple definitions can also be given at the time of reading as long as they are brief and easy to
understand.

Teachers can model think-alouds for ELL students. By verbalizing how the teacher or model reader works
through a confusing point or uses comprehension strategies, ELL students will learn how to apply these same
strategies in similar situations.

Teachers can model strategies like rereading a passage to clarify meaning. Other fix up strategies such as
reading ahead in the text, asking questions, and using context and picture cues. Just like all students, ELL
students benefit from listening to others demonstrate when and how to use these strategies.

Teachers can partner ELL students with more dominant English speaking readers. The partners can take turns
reading short passages. By reading together ELL students can learn from their peers how to use think aloud
strategies or fix up strategies. Cooperative learning opportunities with a partner allow ELL students time to
practice these strategies with the support from their peers.

Comprehension Pillar: Visual Resources

Key Elements in
Comprehension
Strategy Instruction:

Morrow, L. M., & Gambrell, L. B. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction. (p. 259). New York, NY: Guilford
Press

Reading comprehension strategies bookmark was retrieved from www.teachthought.com

Comprehension
strategy bookmark for
student use while
reading independently

Adler, C. R. (2001). Seven strategies to teach students text comprehension. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/seven-strategies-teach-students-text.
Colorado, C. (2007). Reading comprehension strategies for English language learners. Retrieved from
http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/14342/.
References

Duke, N. K. & Pearson P. D. (2001). Reading comprehension: strategies that work. Retrieved from
http://www.hand2mind.com/pdf/miriam/grades_1_2.pdf.
Hall, S. (2009). Helping your child become a good reader. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/.../helping-your-child-become-good-reader.
Hall, S. (2009). Early signs of reading difficulty. Retrieved from http://www.readingrockets.org/article/early-

signs-reading-difficulty.
Morrow, L. M., & Gambrell, L. B. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
Morrow, L. M. (2012). Developing comprehension of text and concepts about books. In Literacy development in the
early years helping children to read and write. (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Pressley, M. (2015). Comprehension instruction: what works. Retrieved from
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/comprehension-instruction-what-works.
Texas Educational Agency. (2002). Comprehension Instruction, 9-12. Retrieved from
http://www.netxv.net/pm_attach/67/TRI-Comprehension_Instr.pdf.

Morrow, L. M., & Gambrell, L. B. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction. (p. 259). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
References for Visuals

Comprehension instruction visual was retrieved from:

Reading comprehension strategies bookmark was retrieved from www.teachthought.com