Instructional Challenge:
Erica, a fifth grader, reads grade level passages at a rate of 177 words correct per minute, or 30% faster than grade level norms. When asked to retell what she has read, Erica struggles and is able to give little to no information from about the text. Many other children in Erica's class also read well above grade level expectations for fluency rate (or automaticity), but the teacher laments that they struggle with comprehension and using appropriate expression and intonation while they read. What is going on here? What advice can you offer the teacher? Write a memo to the teacher from the viewpoint of the school's Reading Specialist. Give the teacher and explanation for the phenomenon and offer her advice on dealing with the situation. Please keep the memo to no more than 400 words. Post it to your blog and name the posting "Module 3: Mock Memo from a Reading Specialist."
From: C. Benton
To: Classroom teacher
Re: Comprehension and Fluency
Dear teacher,
I am really impressed with the fluency rate that Erica has while reading. However, I am very concerned that she does not comprehend what she reads. Reading's true purpose is to gain meaning and while Erica is able to read words correctly off of a page, she is not creating meaning. Erica does not understand the true meaning of reading and therefore thinks that true reading is fluency or accuracy in reading words out loud.
We need to take a step back and use a text that is on a lower level, possibly a picture book, or even a book that she knows very well and allow Erica to read this book and answer questions and retell the events of the story. We need for her to understand that being a good reader does not mean that all the words are said correctly. As she reads we need to record her and then let her listen and find any miscues she makes. If she can point out her miscues and describe the process she was going through as she read, we will be able to show her that a proficient reader makes miscues but those miscues do not affect the meaning of the text.
We then need to model and practice (over and over again) reading more difficult texts and answering comprehension questions and retells. This practice can be done during guided reading, independent reading, or shared reading times. Once again, if she able to see and hear a proficient reader make miscues on more difficult texts and answer comprehension questions and retell the story we will be able to change her perception of reading. We need for her to continuously ask herself "what did I read" and "how does this connect with my life, another book, or something I have learned" if she can do this effectively then she will increase her comprehension.
If these strategies are not successful, we need to evaluate the passage or text she is reading and determine if she has a significant amount of back ground knowledge on the topic, vocabulary, and language that is used in the text. If she does not have this background knowledge or is lacking an understanding of the vocabulary, we need to create schema for her in order for her to be successful in reading this passage and comprehending its meaning.
C. Benton
From: C. Benton
To: Classroom teacher
Re: Comprehension and Fluency
Dear teacher,
I am really impressed with the fluency rate that Erica has while reading. However, I am very concerned that she does not comprehend what she reads. Reading's true purpose is to gain meaning and while Erica is able to read words correctly off of a page, she is not creating meaning. Erica does not understand the true meaning of reading and therefore thinks that true reading is fluency or accuracy in reading words out loud.
We need to take a step back and use a text that is on a lower level, possibly a picture book, or even a book that she knows very well and allow Erica to read this book and answer questions and retell the events of the story. We need for her to understand that being a good reader does not mean that all the words are said correctly. As she reads we need to record her and then let her listen and find any miscues she makes. If she can point out her miscues and describe the process she was going through as she read, we will be able to show her that a proficient reader makes miscues but those miscues do not affect the meaning of the text.
We then need to model and practice (over and over again) reading more difficult texts and answering comprehension questions and retells. This practice can be done during guided reading, independent reading, or shared reading times. Once again, if she able to see and hear a proficient reader make miscues on more difficult texts and answer comprehension questions and retell the story we will be able to change her perception of reading. We need for her to continuously ask herself "what did I read" and "how does this connect with my life, another book, or something I have learned" if she can do this effectively then she will increase her comprehension.
If these strategies are not successful, we need to evaluate the passage or text she is reading and determine if she has a significant amount of back ground knowledge on the topic, vocabulary, and language that is used in the text. If she does not have this background knowledge or is lacking an understanding of the vocabulary, we need to create schema for her in order for her to be successful in reading this passage and comprehending its meaning.
C. Benton
Hi! I agree with you on the importance of modeling. I researched Regie Routman and she states that one of the most important reading strategies in modeling for students. I do this with guided reading with my class and read alouds, but I am going to try to find more ways to model reading next year. What do you do currently in your classroom?
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your letter as a reading specialist. I agree the teacher needs to take a step back and allow her student to read text on a lower level. I suggested the teacher actually re-test the student to determine the appropriate reading level. It's important to teach students at their instructional to ensure growth in reading. Modeling is also an important reading strategy to help increase reading comprehension. I model in my classroom every day, all day. I model in reading groups, read alouds, my thinking process, and most importantly I model appropriate social situations. (Not really reading related, but important for the younger kiddos)
ReplyDeleteYes, having the student take a step down and reading on a lower level is a great suggestion. If you think that this will hurt the student's confidence, this might also be a great opportunity for Book Buddies. The student could read the lower level text to a younger student in another grade and help them comprehend the text. That will force the student to slow down and make it a positive experience all around.
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