Teresa K. Dawkins Strategy Share

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What are the Seven Reading Comprehension Strategies?

In this article, author Brenda Power describes seven reading comprehension strategies that I think would benefit educators. The seven strategies are as follows:  activating background knowledge, questioning the text, drawing inferences, determining importance (which is a good one), creating mental images, repairing understanding when meaning breaks down, and synthesizing information. These strategies are good because most of these strategies can be use during small group instruction and during the planning stage of the lesson for the educators.

For my guided reading groups, I begin using the strategy determining importance because I want my students to find the story interesting and then pinpoint the important details from the story that they will remember. I work with younger age students (kindergarten) so it is very important when I plan my lessons to choose what is important to keep the environment rich and so I can keep their attention as much as possible. Once the lesson has been fully taught, then the students can synthesize their thoughts from the story and create something new, such as a new ending. . Before I begin teaching, I ask questions that relate to the story to activate their background knowledge. This is important because it helps me choose different books week by week for my students based on what they already know. Then once we begin reading and begin questioning the text the comprehension gets deeper. Conference notes are taken and kept in my reading notebook behind each individual student tab. During word work, especially sight words or new vocabulary words the strategy repairing understanding when meaning breaks down.  I use this for vocabulary and to help the students understand what are reading. Resources are used as magnetic letters, word pieces, and picture cards. To make sure I cover most of these strategies, I type them in my guided reading plans weekly. 

Below is an example of the strategies used in my guided reading plan. 

Middle-High Group

3/6/18

A Dime’s Busy Day

Level C

Day 1	Day 2
Sight Word Review (1-2) a                       of                         out am                     the                         to go                      up I                       we me                     with	Sight Word Review a                        of                          out am                     the                         to go                      up I                       we me                     with
Background knowledge: Who has used money to buy something? Have you ever used a dime? How much is a dime worth? Preview and predict Open up with What do you see? Introduce a New Book (3-5) In A Dime’s Busy Day, readers see the world from the perspective of a dime as it is passed from one person to another during a normal day.	Reread Books with Prompting (8-10) Students read an independently while teach confer, then engage students in short conversations. After students have read yesterday’s book have them reread other books from previous guided reading lessons until time is up.
Read the Book with Prompting (8-10)	Discuss and Teach (3-5) Understanding the meaning with questioning Cross- check with meaning If a student doesn’t know a word, cover up the picture and have then make the first sound of the word. Then uncover the picture and ask does it match the picture? 1.       Who finds the dime at the end of the story? 2.       Give a dime, two nickels, and ten pennies. Write simple amounts on the chalkboard and have students use their coins to demonstrate each amount.
Discuss and Teach (3-5) Questioning the text What did we read? What was your favorite page? WHY? What did this book remind you of? What picture shows you have the character was feeling? Teaching point…. Pg. 4 (storekeeper) Use meaning and take risks 1.       At the beginning of the story, who has the dime? 2.       How does Maria get the dime?	Reteach the New Sight Word From Day 1 Again Give ·         Introduce the Word ·         What’s Missing? ·         Mix & Fix ·         Table Writing ·         Write It (and Retrieve It)
Teach a New Sight Word again give Make the word using magnetic letters or they can write the word with a dry erase marker	Guided Writing Students will write a sentence dictated by the teacher. Have students repeat the sentence. Write a sentence about what you learn this week. Level A: 3-5 words Level B: 5-7 words Level C: 7-10 words
Guided Writing Students will write about using a dime. I can use a dime to buy a pencil.
Word Study Activity Understanding the meaning with vocabulary   boys                                       storekeeper dime                                      toy store doll                                        yo-yo fall park picks pocket