REFLECTION LOG #1

Written response to Chapter One.

Abstract
For this reflection paper you will find me discussing the reasons why reading is so
important. Chapter one stresses the importance of reading comprehension. The
whole reason of reading is to be able to understand the meaning of the text. This
chapter lists seven different strategies to help any readers become better at
reading comprehension.

Lainey Losekamp
September 3, 2014
E301 Emergent Literacy

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For my Emergent Literacy class we were assigned to read Chapter One of 7 Keys to
Comprehension and the teaching comprehension from the start: One First Grade Classroom by
September 3. For this reflection paper I chose to reflect upon chapter one in 7 Keys to
Comprehension. Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins wrote this book to help parents and
teachers help their children to become better readers. This book provides information and several
different strategies to help children with reading comprehension.
The main focus emphasized in this chapter is the importance of reading
comprehension. Reading comprehension goes further than sounding out or solving the words.
Reading comprehension is deciphering the meaning of message written in the text. This chapter
lists different keys that are beneficial to emergent readers as well as advanced readers. The
seven important keys for reading comprehension are listed in the following order: creating
mental images, use background knowledge, ask questions, make inferences, determine the most
important ideas or themes, synthesize information, and use fix-up strategies (Zimmermann,
2003, pg. 5-6). Creating mental images means that the readers use sensory images as they read
which include, visual and auditory (Zimmermann, 2003, pg. 5). According to Zimmermann and
Hutchins, using background knowledge before, during, and after helps enhance the readers
understanding (Zimmermann, 2003, pg. 6). Asking questions is another strategy used to have
the readers explain what they have read, make predictions, and focus on the main idea of the
reading material (Zimmermann, 2003, pg. 6). When a reader makes inferences they use
background knowledge and evidence from the reading material to make predictions, answer
questions, and create an analysis (Zimmermann, 2003, pg. 6). Readers who can comprehend the
written material can identify the main idea or theme of the text (Zimmermann, 2003, pg. 6).
Readers who can synthesize the written material are able to track their thinking while they are

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reading and be able to understand the text (Zimmermann, 2003, pg. 6). The last key of reading
comprehension strategy is to be able to use fix-up strategies. Fix-up strategies are what
readers use when they do not understand the material they read (Zimmermann, 2003, pg. 6).
Good readers use all the strategies they learned before in order to help decipher what they read
before to help completely understand what they are reading. This chapter also lists additional
approaches you can use early on to help children become better readers which are telling stories
to your child, take time each day to read a book, sing nursery rhymes, and many others to help
children become quality readers.
After reading chapter one, I feel that I do have a better perception on reading
comprehension. From this chapter I have learned reading comprehension does not happen overnight nor does it happen over a month. It takes months and years to teach students until they
have the full understanding and are able to use the strategies taught to unlock the meaning of
what they are reading. Just like it said in the book, the students are our seeds and we are the
farmer. It is up to us the farmers to make sure the seeds (students) get the nutrients they need
to help them grow and blossom. The seven keys listed in this chapter have given me a better
understanding of how I need to teach reading comprehension. Before reading this chapter I
thought teaching reading comprehension would be to use a few worksheets that hinted about the
main idea of the reading material; that is not the case. To teach young readers to become lifelong comprehensive readers you must use an engaging process that include the seven keys that
involve students as they read.

This engaging process helps young readers to understand when

to use these strategies when reading. I would like to explore different examples on how to teach
this interactive process in the classroom to my future students. I also would like to further my

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knowledge about what is developmentally appropriate for each age group I am teaching reading
comprehension to as well.
In conclusion, I do have a better understanding of the seven keys of reading
comprehension. I learned a few different strategies that I never considered to be classified as a
comprehensive skill such as synthesizing the information. My knowledge for reading
comprehension has already deepened and I am very intrigued about learning more ways to teach
reading comprehension to my future students.

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Works Cited

Zimmermann, Susan and Chryse Hutchins. (2003). 7 Keys to Comprehension. Three Rivers
Press, New York, New York.