This chapter is important because reading doesn't serve a purpose if you can't understand what you've read. While learning to read is important, even more important is being able to comprehend what has been read. All students won't get the same meaning from the same text however that is okay. What is important is that they recieve some meaning from it. Personal meaning from liteature is based on individual beliefs and experiencs however educators also want to be sure students gain the basic meaning behind the text as well as comprehension.
The textbook talks about the steps to building better reading comprehension which are:
1. Activating or supplying prior knowledge
2. Guiding reading
3. Reinforcing concepts
4. Encouraging critical thinking and inquiry
In order to guide the student's understanding teachers should choose books that are at the student's appropriate reading levels. It is important to have different literature so that each reading level has materials available.
Another way to work on reading comprehension is to have discussions before and after the reading to get a better undestanding of the story and vocabulary. The teacher should ask literal as well as other types of questions, such as asking them to compare, predict, and infter parts of the story. For example in the story of the three little pigs the teacher could ask:
- How did the pigs feel after their house was knocked down?
- What do you think would happen next in the story?
- Why did the wolf blow their houses down?
I like the idea the text had about doing a "picture walk" for younger students to look at photos and predict what they think will happen. It causes them to think and makes the story more exciting to them.
Acting out stories or using puppets is also a good idea to encourage comprehension and understanding. Both are activities students of all learning levels even special ed can participate in.
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