Comprehension Activities

Reading comprehension is the understanding of what has been read. Listening to and talking about books on a regular basis provides students with pleasurable and beneficial reading experiences. Reading comprehension depends upon the reader's understanding of word meanings, ability to extract meaning from groups of words, and ability to draw inferences.

By previewing stories, teachers should decide which elements of a story might hinder student comprehension and plan to teach those items as explicitly as possible. In teaching comprehension, choose text that all students can read easily. Comprehension skills also can be taught as listening comprehension by reading a selection out loud and doing activities orally.

 

Listening Comprehension

Comprehension instruction can begin with four- and five-year-olds by having students listen to stories with the goal of retelling them. In this way, young students become aware of narrative elements.

1. Structured Reading

After students have read a story together or listened to it on tape, ask them to retell the story, including the 5 w's (who, where, when, what, why ). Model this many times for the group before letting students do it alone.

2. Draw a story

Students illustrate the beginning, middle, and end of a story that has been read to them. Then, they do a retelling using the pictures they have drawn.

• Strong 1st grade readers should be able to read 60 words per minute accurately. A student who reads 40 or fewer words per minute is not fluent and needs extra practice in reading words accurately at a normal rate.
• Good 2nd grade readers should be able to read 90 words per minute accurately. Second graders who read 60 or fewer words per minute are struggling and need additional practice in improving their reading rate and accuracy.

The following activities can be used to build fluent reading:

3. Echo Reading

Students need to hear the model of a fluent reader in order to improve their oral reading fluency. The goal of Echo Reading is to help students increase fluency.

Steps:

You read the first line of the text orally, accentuating appropriate phrasing and intonation. If the student is unable to read a full line of material, experimentation should determine the appropriate amount of reading with which he/she is comfortable. For example, the student might need to start by hearing and reading prepositional phrases and gradually increase to hearing and reading complete sentences.

Have the student read the same line immediately, following the reader's example.

The reader and the student read in echo fashion for the entire passage, increasing the amount of text that the student can imitate and model.

4. Repeated Reading

Students might benefit from working on fluency through Repeated Readings, with charting of their progress on rate and word recognition. To use the Repeated Readings technique, the student should be timed reading a short passage (possibly from a book or dictated story). Record his/her time, while an adult records miscues. These miscues should be brought to his/her attention before rereading the passage. Then, the student should set a goal. Initially, a goal of no more than 3 seconds faster than the first time should be set. Then, reread the same passage, and compare the first and second times. Then, the student should repeat the process a third time. Fluency rates should improve using this method. The student should then proceed to the next passage in the book or to a different passage.

5. Jump in or Popcorn Reading

Select a piece of interesting literature that the students are able to read independently. Tell the students that you will begin reading the selection aloud, but that any class member is welcome to jump-in and continue the oral reading whenever they wish. At least three sentences should be read by you and by each student before someone else jumps in.

6. Do You Read Me?

While students listen to audio tapes (commercially or independently produced), they follow along with the printed text. This activity enables the students to get phrasing, fluency and meaning. They read the selection orally the next day, during class. This is a good prereading activity for struggling readers.

7. Take A Bow

Choose a piece of literature with a lot of dialogue, interesting characters, and rich language. Folk tales and basal readers are especially good sources. Copies of the story should be available for all students. Students should highlight the parts they will read.

8. Peer Reading

To build speed of word recognition, have students read instructional text to a capable peer or teacher. The listener provides corrective feedback on words miscalled and keeps a list of miscalled words. Later, the student practices writing and reading the words on the list until the text is reread without error. The student can put these words on cards for use in word sorts by sound to spelling pattern (e.g. /oo/-> blue, chew, through, too, two, to) or meaningful units (e.g. prefixes, suffixes, plurals, verb tenses, possessives). This is a good center activity for reading groups.

9. Using Decodable Text to Build Reading Fluency

Another way to improve speed and fluency is to practice with decodable text. Have the students read these books in small groups or take them home as home readers. The more practice the students have with reading this type of text, the more they will develop fluency in their reading.

10. Paired Reading

Pair two students of differing achievement levels. The two students sit side-by-side, so that one can follow while the other reads out loud. The students correct each other's oral reading mistakes. Text should be chosen that will allow them to practice reading words and word structures they have been taught. After reading orally, students retell the selection they have just read. Retelling is a way to monitor comprehension. Both readers can read out loud in five-minute intervals. The more fluent reader acts as a model for the weaker reader by using the correct reading rate.

The teacher pairs an older, fluent reader with a younger student. The older student reads out loud for 5 minutes, while the younger one reads along silently. The younger student then continues with new text and reads out loud to the more fluent reader, who follows along silently.

11. Choral Reading

The teacher reads in unison with a small group of students. The students focus on reading at the same normal reading rate as the teacher. Sentences and paragraphs may be read several times for fluent reading.

12. See it and Say it

The teacher places newly learned words or words that students will read in the future on flash cards. It is important that the new words contain structural elements that students already know. The students will earn a point for each word they can see and say without hesitation or extended thinking time when the word is flashed.

We tend to comprehend what we know. Therefore, building prior knowledge about a topic and the associated vocabulary will facilitate comprehension.

13. Charade Cards

This activity can be done with the whole class or in a small group. One of the students must be a good reader! On index cards, write spelling or vocabulary words you are studying. One student chooses a card, reads it silently, and whispers the word to the good reader or the teacher to be sure that it is correct. Then, the student acts out the word and the others guess what the word is. Words can be read to non-readers.

14. KWL Chart

This activity is a good prereading activity that taps into background knowledge before reading text. The K stands for what the readers already know about the story from studying the title and any pictures. The W stands for what the reader wants to know or find out from reading the text. The L stands for what the readers learn from reading.

Procedure :

Discuss the title and any pictures with the students. From this information, you should record under the K column what things the class decides they know about the subject. Next, brainstorm what kind of things the students want to learn from reading the book. Record this information under the W column. Read the story. Discuss what the class has learned, and record this information under the L column. After modeling this activity for the class several times, this makes a good independent activity for students to do in their reading groups.

KWL CHART

WHAT WE KNOW	WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW	WHAT WE LEARNED

15. A Modified Version of the KWL Chart

Topic:

What I Already Know	What I Have Read

In this activity, the students list what they already know in the first column and then, as they read, write what the text actually says in the What I Have Read column. Students can then compare their knowledge with statements made in the text. This activity is followed by a class discussion.

16. Anticipation/Reaction Guide

This activity accesses prior knowledge about a subject. Select a story and write 5 or 6 statements about the subject on the graphic organizer. Some of the statements should be true, and some should be false. Have the class discuss each statement and decide whether they think it is true or false. Have students give reasons why they think this fact is true or false. After reading the story, go back and reread the statements to determine whether you should change the answers.

Stellaluna is a good book to use because you can write facts about bats.

Now One Foot, Now the Other is a good book from which to write facts about older people.

Anticipation/Reaction Guide Before reading the story, read each statement carefully. Put a plus (+) if you agree with the statement and a minus (-) if you disagree with the statement. After reading the story, go back and review the questions to see if you still agree with your original statement. ____________ 1. Owls are friends of bats. ____________ 2. Bats are mammals. ____________ 3. Bats sleep at night and hunt for their food during the day. ____________ 4. Bats sleep by hanging from their feet. ____________5. Some bats eat fruit as a source of food. This can be used with: Stellaluna by Janell Cannon.

17. Vocabulary Map

This activity should be used to introduce new vocabulary in a story and to activate knowledge about the words. Make a chart with three columns, like the KWL chart. The columns should be entitled (1) Word, (2) What I Think It Means Before Reading, and (3) What It Means After Reading. Present the word alone or in a sentence, and ask the students to tell you what they think it means. Record their answers on the chart. After reading the story, return to the chart and discuss the meanings of the words again. Record these answers in the third column, and compare the answers to the second column.

18. Semantic Web

This is a graphic way to present concepts or a theme that can set the stage for understanding the story better. For example, before reading Danny and the Dinosaur, a book about a little boy who goes to the museum and is befriended by a dinosaur, one might orally discuss the following and write answers under each heading.

 

Comprehension monitoring strategies involve summarizing the main idea, predicting events and outcomes of upcoming text, drawing inferences, and monitoring coherence and understanding.

19. Reading Strategy Questions

This questionnaire is useful in making students think about the strategies they use as they read. It should reflect the strategies you have taught them to use. After students have finished reading a particular selection, ask them to think about the strategies they used during reading. Ask each student to complete questions similar to the ones below:

Before I begin reading, I _________________________

When I get stuck on a word, I _________________________

When I don't understand what's happening, I _________________________

After I finish reading, I _________________________

20. Story Chart

Use a story map graphic organizer to model to the class as you discuss the story/selection. It helps students organize information as they read. You should model the use of the story map by completing each part as the students respond. When applying this organizer, assist students in skimming the piece first to determine the actions, characters, setting, and the end. Students may work in pairs or small groups to refine their responses. Afterward, you will discuss information on graphic organizers with the whole class. A summary of the story can be written as a class.

21. Giving Reasons for Predictions

This activity reinforces prediction strategies, while also forcing students to think of reasons for their predictions. It should be done orally the first several times to model the thinking. Later, it becomes an independent or group activity.

Directions: Select some text (basal story, short picture book, etc.). Determine ahead of time where you want to stop and predict what will happen next in the story. Be sure to make the first prediction based on the title. Each time you stop, list all of the predictions and reasons for predictions students make on the chalkboard or on chart paper. Each prediction made must include a logical reason why the prediction was made. Stop before the end of the story, and predict the ending.

22. Predicting

This is a prereading activity where students predict what part of the story words or sentences fit in before they read the story. Make a class chart with the story structure headings for characters, setting, problems, and events. Put names of characters, setting words, and events from the story on sentence strips or index cards. Make up some words that don't fit. Students place a sentence strip under the story structure section where they think it belongs. After they read the story, they can check themselves to see if they need to make any changes.

Predicting Outcomes

Predict-o-Gram Predict how the author will use these words in the story to tell about:
The Characters	The Setting	The Goal / Problem	The Actions	Other Things

23. Complete the Text

In this activity, students are given a piece of text with words missing. To make the task more challenging, the text can include the first letter of the missing word. Using comprehension and spelling strategies, students fill in words that make sense in the sentence.

24. Star Story

This activity helps the student summarize the main parts of a story. After reading the selected story, the class can use the star graphic organizer to fill in the main events from the story. This organizer is also helpful in creating a summary sentence.

25. Indian Hat

This is a hands-on way to practice main idea and supporting details. It works best with a non-fiction text. After reading a section of text together that has a clear main idea and supporting details, make an Indian headband. Write the main idea on the headband and supporting details on the feathers. You may have to start with choices written on sentence strips. For second grade, after practicing frequently in a small group, divide the students into cooperative groups. Give each group a piece of text and some headband patterns. Ask each group to make a headband for their text. Again, you might need to start with main ideas and supporting details before asking them to come up with their own.

26. Visualizing the Story

Students are asked to close their eyes and create a movie in their minds of what was read aloud or of what they read. Teachers need to model this activity. For example, the teacher says, "I am going to think aloud so that you can hear my mind movie after I read Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Then, the teacher describes her mind movie for the story. Later, students are asked to read a selection and see the scenery, hear the noise, taste the foods, and smell the odors in that selection. They create a mind movie as they read and are read to by others.

27. Using Your Five Senses

In literature, settings are made real through the author's use of precise words and phrases that appeal to our senses. This strategy will help students to identify and appreciate how word pictures can be used. Ask students to close their eyes and form images of the setting of a book or story. Help students to suggest words and/or phrases that they see, touch, hear, smell, and/or taste in the story. Students will write summaries using words that make the story or article real to them.

28. Reciprocal Reading, Reciprocal Questioning

This strategy is to help students formulate their own questions about a given piece of text. It involves students and teacher taking turns asking and answering questions. The teacher's role is central to the success of this strategy. Answer students' questions, and serve as a model by asking thought-provoking questions that extend students' developing concepts.

You should:

1. Have students read the title of the piece of text. Provide any necessary background information.

2. Instruct students to read the first sentence. Stop and ask if there are any questions.

3. Ask the students to continue to read. Stop them to ask higher-level questions.

4. Take turns with the students asking questions.

5. Ask students to predict the outcome of the selection.

6. Ask students to read silently to justify their predictions.

7. Discuss predictions, with the focus being the validation of students' predictions.

29. Response Questions

This strategy encourages students to discuss text in small groups. Struggling readers can hear ideas about the story from others. Cards need to be made with questions about the author, characters, setting, plot, and mood. These cards are given to small groups to discuss. Ideas can be presented to the class or can be written in journals.

Ideas for the questions are as follows:

Author – What do you know about this author from reading the author information?

Characters – Choose a main character. Tell what he/she is like. Give examples from the story that prove this.

Setting - Where does the story take place? Tell me what it is like there.

Plot - Tell the main things that happened in the story.

Mood - Tell how this story makes you feel.

30. Understanding Character Traits

The use of the Polar Opposites Chart helps students to analyze character traits of people in the stories they read. After reading a selection, the class decides where the character fits on the Polar Opposites Chart. Reasons for the answers are written under each part. This activity should be modeled often before being done in small groups or alone. (The Art of Inquiry)

Polar Opposites Chart Name______________________________Date__________ Book Title________________________________________ Where do you think __________would fit on this chart for each of these traits? brave _____ _____ _____ _____ fearful cautious _____ _____ _____ ____adventurous wise _____ _____ ______ ______foolish happy _____ ______ ______ _____sad generous _____ _____ _____ ____ greedy a leader _____ _____ _____ _____ a follower

31. Compare and Contrast

Use of graphic organizers is also a good way to compare and contrast how things are alike and different. One column should be labeled alike and the other column should be labeled different. Read two books by the same author and compare the books (e.g. books by Chris Van Allsburg). This activity can also be used to compare main characters, settings, character traits, or genres. This prepares students for planning compare and contrast writing.

32. Cause and Effect Relationships

A good way to teach cause-effect relationships is through literature and the use of a graphic organizer. Make a chart with two columns entitled cause and effect. First, read the book with the class. When beginning to teach this concept, write the causes and effects from the book on sentences strips and ask the students to match the causes and effects on the chart. Start with books with one cause and several effects (e.g. My Mom Can't Read by Stanek or Imogene's Antlers by Spinelli) before progressing to ones with several causes and effects.

Cause and Effect

Bibliography

Adams, M.J., Foorman, B.R., Lundberg, I., Beeler, T. (1998). Phonemic Awareness in Young Children: A Classroom Curriculum. Baltimore, ML: Brookes.

Bear, D.R., Invernizzi, M., Templeton, S., & Johnson, F. (1996). Words Their Way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling Instruction. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall

Catts, H. (1993). Sounds Abound. East Moline, IL: LinguiSystems.

Cecil, N.L. (1995). The Art of Inquiry: Questioning Strategies for K-6 Classrooms. Winnipeg, MB: Peguis Publishers.

Cunningham, P.M. (1995). Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing. New York, NY: Harper Collins.

Fox, B.J. (1996). Strategies for Word Identification: Phonics from a New Perspective. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.

Ogle, D.M. (1986) KWL. The Reading Teacher, 39, 564-570.

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