Reading Comprehension

(Rosie Robinson)

Sheena Cameron

Readers after 10 year of reading age can decode most things they are given,
but need to be explicitly taught reading comprehension
Recent research is supporting instructional level of reading to be a level
higher so that students need to draw on explicit strategies.
o Powerpoint on Inferencing (wiki site in downloads) google search
inferential examples
Inference = author and me (some answers in the book and some I
need to think about)
Focus on: I Do, We Do and You Do
Could use Comic Life to get students to read a segment of text
(something that all students have prior knowledge too), then annotate
through speech bubbles what they inferred from the text.
Reading To
o Ideas for Reading To
Sophisticated picture books
Novels
Short stories
Letters to editor
Biographies/autobiographies
Published work written by other students
When reading books look for trailer or downloads that can support
reading
Eg. Demon Dentist by David Williams
Once, Then, Now, After by Morris Glitzman
The Maze Runner
Jo Pigster by Jack
Wonder by
When the Kehua Calls by Kingi McKinnon
Whitebait Fritters by Kingi McKinnon
Friday Fights by Kingi McKinnon
The Reluctant Hero by Willie Apiata,
Lost Riders by Elizabeth Laird
Alabama Moon by Watt Key
Ties that bind, ties that break by Lensey Namiora
Trash by Andy Mulligan
Tuck Everlasing by Natalie Babit
A Wrinkly in Time by Madeline
Some good book sites
Bobs Books Blog (ex Librarian)
Create Readers Blog (National Library of NZ site)
Teen reads (teenreads.com)
Everyonesreading.org.uk can download as a resource or look online

Shared Reading
with reading
Why?
o To increase instructional time
o What reading material could you use?
Newspaper articles, poetry, song lyrics and Readers Theatre scripts
o Readers Theatre researched approach to increasing fluency. Small
groups to read character each.
o Songs are a great entry into oral discussions and learning
o Analysing song lyrics on wikispace is a range of appropriate videos
Descriptive language: metaphor, simile, alliteration
Summarising big ideas
Teaching vocabulary
Eg. Caught in the Crowd
Guided reading for those that are struggling in reading.
Shared Guided Reading on a Monday to start up week of literacy focus.
Guided Reading
o Modelling making learning visable
o Prompting/probing unlocking meaning
o Questioning teacher and encouraging student
o Telling
o Explaining
o Directiong
Need to access more informational text eg. timetables, graphs,
What do kids need to be able to do?
- read a whole book (novel)
- understand what a paragraph is and be able to write one
- write a character study
- become familiar with short stories
- understanding language features and using them.
What other resources can we use at the Senior Level for reading?
- take away either image or auditory on first watching of clip.
- current events
- www.kiwikidsnews.co.nz,
- www.stuff.co.nz,
- www.science.learn.org.nz,
- www.nzgeographic.co.nz,

www.bbc.co.uk/news,
www.teacher.scholastic.com,
www.lovereading4kids.co.uk (good place for examples of narrative.
www.dogonews - every article has a video to go with it. 3 facts then 3
opinions
www.teded - lessons worth sharing
www.bbcworld.service (podcasts)
famous lives (popcasts)

Reading comprehension is linked closely to listening comprehension

Ideas for guided reading:
Set up a teaching table
Use modelling books
- particularly with boys in their learning
- watch that modelling book is being used more than the delivery of
teaching.
Have questions and activities ready for when students finish their reading eg.
choose a starter sheet (from wikispace) I felt; I admired; I wondered.;
Stick its (from $2) students use them for a specific purpose eg. descriptive
adjective, unknown vocab..
Sociogram for those who finish early (character connections names of
characters and who they interact with in story)
Character web
Create a to do list for a character
tap and read teacher wonders around and when they tap the shoulder of a
student that student will read aloud.
Reading By (Independent Reading)
There needs to be something that the students want to read
R&R Relax and Read (10 mins). Practise reading time to use the strategies
that we have learnt about
Some research around this idea of R&R need to be a bit more active during
this time.
Text selection is a big issue for many readers (support book choice)
How could we make a different during this time
- 5 finger test (model this) www.mrspancake.com
- have to be careful not to annoy students that just want to read. For
those that need to be engaged place three post tic notes on a table
and have students write one sentence about what they are reading,
one vocab word that is difficult or unknown.
- Small groups for sharing back what they read in SSR and have
students explain what strategy they used to help them out.
- Read over shoulders to see what kids are reading and formulate three
questions then when back together as a class pose the questions and
those students who were reading that book would need to answer them
- Start and Finish postic note to show how much they have read
- Where in the world were you? When you were reading (where the
setting was)

Reading Interest Inventory

Reading Culture Ideas

- Stephen Lane
Need to set goals for reading (Teacher to model and show students eg. on
whiteboard). My reading goals
-

Reading Challenge for the fluent readers to expand their different

genre. Can have comprehension tasks that attach to this challenge for
students to complete when they are finished their book.

Classroom Library Corner

- Top 10 Reading Books
- Teacher Book on the table that has been read
Literacy Circles
- small group of kids all read the same book
- the students have some say in the choice of the novel/book
- student led discussions about aspects of the book (themes and book
ideas are important)
- a response of some sort once reading is completed.
Literacy Circles are
- reader response centred
- part of a balanced literacy programme
- good idea to start with top reading group
Why include Literacy Circles?
- allows students to apply what they are learning about reading and
writing
- promote a love for literature and positive attitudes
- its a balance between teacher guided and self-directed learner
How?
-

4-6 kids in a group

student book choice
ability to work with others who have chosen that book
students reading level
resourcing have we enough books to use
novel sets and short stories (could use school journals to practise Lit.
Circles roles but not deep enough for Lit. Circle)
Need to make sure that you read the book first.
Can take form 3-5 weeks
Lit Circle meeting 1-2 times per week (students monitor own reading)
For the purposes of Lit Circles students need to stay with each other
cannot read ahead as this means discussions are not even
Group Lit Book guidelines and rules for members of group

Exemplar rolesheet on wikispace

Role cards all on wikispace to download as a PDF
Appropriate texts are on wikispace