Chapter 8: Teaching Comprehension was a very interesting read. I have often noted how third graders will come in as fluent readers, but really struggle with comprehension. Often I think learning disabilities are overlooked because the child is very fluent, but when you delve deeper into their understanding you will see that they have very little knowledge of what they have read. While fluency is important, it is necessary to make sure that the students have a true understanding of the text.
The chapter noted that students are being held back by too much explicit instruction. I have to admit I have struggled making this shift in my classroom. This year I have worked very hard to let go and have the students explore more. I see that the interaction with the text is important, but it has been a lot more difficult planning and managing a classroom with centers going on. It is much easier to stand in front of the room and present basal material, but I do see that it isn't encouraging comprehension among the students. This year I feel that I have required the students to dig deeper into the reading and make connections that help them get a better understanding of the text. I have tried to provide many opportunities for multiple reading various sources rather than sticking to one story each week. The article pointed out some very useful strategies to help students with comprehension, but it also pointed out that a teacher shouldn't spend all of their time focusing on one strategy. I feel as though I have really tried most of the strategies but the strategy I don't use enough is the "surveying" technique. I have a hard time in seeing the value of surveying a text and often want students to jump right in. This is something that I need to incorporate in my own teaching.
For me, comprehension is one of the most difficult topics to teach because it comes for students at different levels and can be hard to pin point on an assessment. It is something that I will continue to improve in my classroom.
Crissy, you have come a long way in your instruction. I know it's hard to move away from direct instruction. It's encouraging to see that you're planning and conducting your class with more student led instruction. You're a great model for other teachers ready to try out this form of teaching. One point you've made that I think everyone here is on board with, is the idea that kids are coming to older grades fluent in decoding but with a difficult time comprehending text. I know younger grades are working hard to incorporate more comprehension strategies into their instruction. It's my hope that in the next few years, kids coming up will be better able to comprehend deeply instead of just word calling.
ReplyDeleteHi Chrissy,
ReplyDeleteI am glad that Routman's call for us to move away from whole group teacher directed instruction that dominates the majority of our time in literacy and move towards more student led structures that promote choice and differentiation in student reading.