Comprehension Strategies
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Throughout the school year we will be learning and using a variety of comprehension strategies. Good readers are able to understand and use these strategies while they read, therefore creating a deep understanding of the story.
Predicting: readers use their clues (from pictures or text) to predict what is going to happen next. Furthermore, good readers make sure to confirm or change their prediction as they read. For example: I predict that the principal will talk crazy like Lulu because everytime Lulu has talked to someone, they start talking crazy.
Connecting: readers connect what is currently being read to prior knowledge.
- Text-to-Text Connections: Making a connection between what you are reading and a story you've already read. For example: "I can make a connection between The Recess Queen and Chrysanthemum because there was a bully in both stories.
- Text-to-Self Connections: Making a connection between what you are reading and something that you can personally relate to. For example: I can connect to Chester in Chester's Way because I once wrote over my sister's story just like Chester did.
Questioning: readers ask questions before, during, and after they read. By doing so, readers are engaged as they read which boosts comprehension. For example: While reading a book about sharks, the reader may ask "How are sharks able to swim when they weigh so much?"
Summarizing Fiction: readers are able to read a fictional story and summarize what has happened. An effective summary is less than a minute and involves who the main characters were, where they were, what the problem was, how the problem was solved, and the ending to the story.
Summarizing NonFiction: readers are able to read nonfiction text and determine what the topic is, find the main idea, and recall important details. Often, children just say as many facts as they can in a minute or less instead of determining which information is most important.
Visualizing/Creating Mental Images: readers create images/pictures in their mind as they read. This helps engage them while reading. For example: While reading Charlotte's Web, the reader can create mental images of the farm, the fair, or a close-up of Charlotte's infamous web.
Inferring: readers use clues from the text as well as their prior knowledge to form conclusions. It's all about reading between the lines. For example: I can infer that David's Mom is mad because I see her hands on her hips, and that's something that I've seen people do when they get mad.