Comprehension

Instruction

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Teaching Strategies and Examples: During Reading


1. Identify Text Structure Elements


Text Structures

Narrative Expository
  • Tell stories that usually follow a familiar story structure.
  • Usually include the following story elements:
    • Characters
    • Setting
    • Problems
    • Solutions
    • Theme
  • Informational books
  • Contain structures that can differ from one text to another and within a single passage (e.g., compare-contrast, description).
  • Help students understand content area textbooks.


An Example of Narrative Text Structure

Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night Book Cover In August, Henry and Henry's big dog Mudge always went camping. They went with Henry's parents.

Henry's mother had been a Camp Fire Girl, so she knew all about camping. She knew how to set up a tent. She knew how to build a campfire. She knew how to cook camp food.
Henry and Mudge and the Starry Night by Cynthia Rylant (1998, see References)


An Example of Expository or Informational Text

Scanned newspaper article Common Types of Expository or Informational Texts:
  • Descriptive
  • Sequence
  • Cause/Effect
  • Problem/Solution
  • Compare/Contrast
  • Enumerative


Narrative and Expository Texts

Listening to and reading both types of texts helps students:


How to Teach Text Structure: Design Considerations


Conspicuous Strategies


Mediated Scaffolding


Story Maps


First Grade Story Map Second and Third Grade Story Map

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2. Literal, Inferential, and Evaluative Question Answering



Literal, Inferential, or Evaluative?


Puppies are very small when they are born. They cannot see until they are about two weeks old. During this time, they stay very close to their mothers.
  • What are puppies like when they are born?
  • Are puppies born blind?
  • Why do they stay close to their mothers?
  • Would you like to have a puppy?


Teaching Literal Question Answering: Design Considerations


Conspicuous Strategies


Stuart Little by E. B. White (1973, see References)

Mediated Scaffolding




Teaching Inferential Question Answering: Design Considerations


Conspicuous Strategies



Mediated Scaffolding




Teaching Evaluative Question Answering: Design Considerations


Conspicuous Strategies



Mediated Scaffolding



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3. Retelling Stories and Main Ideas




Teaching Retelling: Design Considerations


Conspicuous Strategies



Mediated Scaffolding