Module+8+Questions

Participants: Ashly Call, Lori Jones, Audra Bull, PJ Parsons - Group 2

Module 8 Questions:

1. What does research say about the topic?

AC - There are six comprhension strategies worth teaching prior knowledge, text structure, summarizing, questioning, visual representations, and think alouds. Each of these strategies has been researched and been found to improve student comprehension. There are also routines such as reciprocal teaching and transactional strategy instruction that incorporate more than one comprehension strategy at a time. Research has also shown that teaching teachers how to teach comprehension is effective as well. More research needs to be done to determine the amount of comprehension strategies taught.

LJ - Most of what we know about comprehension has been learned since 1975 and we have learned so much since then because there is little to no controversy over how to teach comprehensio n. A lot of the information come sfrom good readers. Given this knowledge researchers and educators have found that we can teach students to engage in productive behaviors. This indicates that we can help students acquire the strategies used by good readers. There are several proven instructional techniques discussed in this chapter.

AB - Research has been conducted over a relatively short period of time, yet significant insight has been gained due to a lack of controversy. Research has ascertained specific characteristics of good readers and that these characteristics can be taught to struggling readers.

PJ--Research says children should be taught comprehension strategies in packages or groups, not in singleness. Three approaches are given in chapter 10: Direct Explanation, TSI, and reciprocal teaching. Six strategies were provided: Prediction, Think Aloud (teacher and students), Text structure, Summarization, Questions, and Visual representations. The approaches combined with the strategies to be taught are believed to be the best way to help students comprehend what they read and get them to use higher-order thinking skills and be metacognitive of texts they read. However, empirical evidence in the area of comprehension research does not have a wealth of accumulated data. Researching comprehension in the field is wide open for future research projects, especially longitudinal studies to follow up on the long-term effects of the strategies. Chapter 11 works in tandem with Chapter 10 because without highly prepared teachers to teach comprehension strategies, the delivery is ineffective. Learning how to teach comprehension strategies and methods is difficult and time consuming. I believe the teachers who use best practices, especially in the area of comprehension, have a passion beyond their degree and job to serve children and help them become readers. The lack of controversy, if I read it right, is due to the focus placed on research in the area of decoding over the last few decades. The authors of Chapter 10 were curious when the attention of researchers falls on comprehension if debates might ensue. Further research needs to be completed with students and in the preparation of teachers in the area of comprehension strategies and best practices. Also, more research needs to be completed to determine how many combined strategies is most effective versus least effective, for example, are three strategies better than two, or four better than three.

2. Why must teachers go through extensive preparation to teach comprehension?

AC - I think that teaching comprehension has not been a topic of concern for teachers. Most of the instruction involves questioning students about what they read. However, in light of new research it is important that students learn alternative ways to comprehend and monitor their understanding of what they read. Therefore, colleges and universities need to train future teachers in effective comprehension instruction.

LJ - I personally have learned from reading these chapters thatI stress over it too much. I know if I teach students to want to become good readers, provide them with lots of print, expose them to different type of texts, and teach vocabulary it will help me tremendously. Teachers often have been taught themselves that they are to read a chapter or book and answer questions. I think this is why it is so important for preparation to teach comprehension because of this.

AB- Becoming a fluent reader is a complex process. While there is a normal progression that holds true for a large percentage of the population, there are those whose reading process has not followed the normal progression. In order to aid children in becoming fluent readers, the teacher must have a firm undersanding of all the components in the reading process and of strategies to addess reading deficiencies. Teachers must be problem solvers. I liken it to being a doctor. More often than not, when someone goes to the doctor for an ailment, the doctor becomes a problem solver. The doctor cannot usually look at the patient and create a diagnosis and treatment plan. There is usually a discovery process. The doctor has the knowledge to create a treatment plan once the ailment has been discovered. If a teacher does not have the knowledge, the treatemt plan is faulty - like throwing darts in the dark.

PJ--Teaching comprehension, apparently, is a very specialized skill, even for reading specialists. On page 255, Williams states reading comprehension is extremely complex. Teacher preparation for teaching comprehension is a must. I think the reading specialists degree should encompass the first 4 non-negotiables and then an additional semester should be spent just on learning to teach comprehension as an additional endorsement to the reading specialist degree. Really, learning about how comprehension happens through research is in the inception stages (beginning). Teaching teachers best practices in teaching comprehension is difficult because so little is known about the event of comprehension. Educators need a lot of practice in teaching comprehension strategies in order to get to the spot known as cognitive clarity on the teachers' part before they can help students learn the strategies. Preparation of teachers is huge in the success of this type of teaching. As mentioned in an earlier module, getting administrators, reg ed teachers, and the specialists working in tandem for the good of the students is a change that needs to happen, but change is slow. On page 253, Williams talks of how administrators don't like research projects in their schools because it is too disruptive. That statement had an impact on me because we wouldn't have anything on the technology level we have today without research whether it be in the technology, medical, or educational fields. It's sad to think research is the way to make progress and some of the decision makers bury their heads in the sand in the name of what's easiest.

3. Why has the pendulum changed to balanced comprehensive instruction?

AC - It must have changed because educators have begun to realize that comprehension is not just an automatic skill developed through reading and writing. Students need to have strategies modeled and taught to them to increase their comprehension skills. Once strategies have been modeled, then students can practice these independently through authentic reading and writing tasks.

LJ - Like I said previously in question 2 it doesn't pay or stay in your long term memory when you answer a question about a section and then never hear it again. Students must realize how to respond to the text to be able to get something out of it. They also need to realize that comprehension is not just answering questions, but it is about understanding what is said whether through listening or reading.

AB - It is not enough to just learn the strategy. The reader must also practice and be able to transfer the strategy to a variety of texts and content areas.

PJ--I agree with you, Ashly, educators and researchers have seen a trend that after all the work completed with children towards learning to read, children can become great word callers and not understand a thing they've read. Comprehension isn't an automatic skill that happens after children learn to decode with fluency, which is what I believed before taking these reading specialists courses. I was shocked there's so much more to learning to read! In my opinion, the increased attention towards high stakes testing, NCLB, and the NRP report on reading has brought to light children have difficulties with comprehension, along with a full continuum of persons from grade school through adulthood. I believe the term "highly qualified teacher" needs to be redefined regarding teaching children to read and new parameters set forth so even regular ed teachers get a full semester of college added to their degrees in education in teaching children to read. Alternatively licensing persons to become teachers should also include the same semester of college for teaching children to read along with some required courses in child psychology and educational theory.

4. Your questions from your group.

AC - 1. What did you learn about teaching comprehension in your preservice training? 2. Which strategies do you use most often to teach comprehension?

AB - One of my favorites is to have a debate or trial. Before we have the debate we really have to disect the text for the evidence to support our stance. This year we put some common fairy tales on trial. I liked using the fairy tales because they were definitely at the recreational level of reading, very familiar text. This way we could really focus on the details. My favorite was the case of the wolf vs. the three little pigs. There was a prosecution, defense, and a jury. All sides really had to carefully look at the evidence for what was being stated and what wasn't. Great activity!!!! I can't take credit. I found a great book with the idea and then tweaked it to make it fit my classroom situation. By the way, the wolf said it wasn't his fault the houses blew down. He huffed and he puffed because he had the "swine flu". So creative. :)

LJ- With my 4th graders I often used a strategy that after we read we would create a summary through hands on activities to capture the high points of what was read. 3. Which strategies do you think would help English Language Learners most?* MS: IF YOU HAVEN'T READ MUCH ABOUT THE SIOP MODEL FOR HELPING ELL STUDENTS, YOU SHOULD. THIS MODEL GIVES THE TEACHER A FORMAT FOR STRUCTURING LESSONS AND HELPING THE ELL STUDENTS KNOW THE INFORMATION AND RELATE IT TO OTHERS. THEN I ALSO LIKE THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF GROUP COLLABORATION AND LEARNING TO HELP THE STUDENTS. I ALSO FEEL STRONGLY ABOUT THE INTEGRATION OF READING AND WRITING FOR AUTHENTIC AUDIENCE AND PURPOSE.

LJ - * 1. What are some of the best ways to teach comprehension to primary ages? MS: COMPREHENSION IS SO IMPORTANT AT ALL LEVELS. I FEEL STRONGLY TWO ASPECTS WILL IMPROVE COMPREHENSION AT THE LOWER LEVELS. THE FIRST IS THE USE OF BLOOM'S TAXONOMY QUESTIONS TO STIMULATE READING AND THOUGHT AT THE CREATIVE AND CRITICAL LEVELS. THE SECOND IS THE INTERTWINING OF READING AND WRITING INTO EVERYTHING. 2. What strategies can I teach as mini lessons on a daily basis to help my students?

AC - I think for kindergarten I would begin with a focus on prior knowledge (KWL charts, visuals, word webs, predictions) and summarizing (graphic organizers, acting out the story, retelling to a partner). I like to use the Guided Reading Four Blocks book as a guide for what to teach. Also, Debbie Diller's small group instruction book (don't remember the name of it) has lots of great ideas on what to teach in all the major areas of reading (phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, comprehension).

3. How can I make a difference in how children read to comprehend beyond the walls of my classroom?

AB - This program has been an epiphany for me. I think we wrongly go about teaching. We have to teach the kids to think so now matter where they are or what they are asked to read or do, they can think their way through. That means we have to teach them strategies and directly tell them what the strategy is, how to use it and why. And then, keep revisiting the strategy over, and over, and over and keep teaching the strategy and reinforcing it until the strategy becomes automatic.

AC - Audra, very well put. I agree with you especially on the repetition part. Kids need lots of exposure to good comprehension strategies.

AB - *1. Why has there not been any controversy surrounding comprehension like there has been surrounding phonics versus wholeworld?

AC - Maybe because all comprehension strategies are too similar for there to be any real controversy. It might also be because it has not been researched as much as phonics and whole language. It would be interesting to find out.

2. In the section about a supportive classroom context, of the important factors listed which ones do you feel you have control over and which ones do you nt have control?

AC - I feel that I have a lot of control over most of the components such as time spent reading, vocabulary rich environment and high quality talk about text. What I don't feel in control over is reading out of real texts. I feel that I do not have much access to these materials or if I do, no way to provide copies for all students.

3. Do you recommend a single or multiple strategy approach and why?

PJ-- 1. I wonder how many years experience does it take to become proficient at teaching comprehension strategies to students?

AC - I know it's more than three. I've taught for three years and each year I find more effective ways of teaching comprehension.

2. Why don't education degrees, that aren't reading specialist degrees, and alternative licensure plans require future educators to have at least one semester dedicated to teaching children to read? If we could all work together, science teachers, math teachers, social studies teachers, elementary teachers, even administrators, we could make a difference!

AC - PJ, I totally agree with you. As an early childhood major, I was required to take 3 reading courses. I was very dissatisfied with the quality of the classes. I don't feel like I learned anything at all. Fortunately, I have more than made up for that knowledge while getting my master's degree.


 * 3. Does NSU offer classes dedicated to the teaching of teachers, or reading specialists, the art of teaching comprehension strategies?

Step 6 - Case Study #6 is due. See Wiki Swansomf.