Private: Teaching Reading: 3-5 Workshop

Professional Development > Private: Teaching Reading: 3-5 Workshop > 3. Building Comprehension

Building Comprehension

Comprehending text is one of the main goals of reading. In this session, literacy expert Nell Duke discusses what good readers do and strategies teachers can use to help students build comprehension skills. Classroom footage provides examples of comprehension strategies.

How can teachers advance students’ comprehension before, during, and after reading? In this session, literacy expert Nell Duke defines comprehension and reviews the multiple strategies proficient readers use. You will learn how to use explicit instruction that promotes active, thoughtful learning.

Learning Goals

At the end of this session, you will understand how to:

identify the components of effective reading comprehension
support students’ comprehension before, during, and after reading
provide opportunities for reading and responding to text
encourage critical and thoughtful response to text

“I don’t think there’s any goal we have for students that’s greater than the goal of having them be able to make meaning from, and critically evaluate, the text that they’re going to experience and encounter throughout their lives.”

Nell Duke
Associate Professor of Education
Michigan State University

Meet the Expert

Nell Duke is associate professor of teacher education and learning, technology, and culture at Michigan State University, and has been a principal investigator with the Center for Improvement of Early Reading Achievement (CIERA). In addition to her teaching duties, Professor Duke speaks and consults widely on literacy education, and is an active member of several literacy-related organizations. Her work focuses on early literacy development, particularly among children living in poverty. Professor Duke is the recipient of several research awards, including the National Council of Teachers of English Promising Researcher Award and the International Reading Association Outstanding Dissertation Award.

Related Resources

Print Resources

Barton, J., and D. M. Sawyer. “Our Students Are Ready for This: Comprehension Instruction in the Elementary School.” The Reading Teacher 57, no. 7 (Dec. 2003/Jan. 2004): 334-347.

Block, C. C., and M. Pressley. Comprehension Instruction: Research-Based Best Practices. New York: Guilford Press, 2002.

Cazden, C. Classroom Discourse: The Language of Teaching and Learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1988.

Clark, K. F., and M. F. Graves. “Scaffolding Students’ Comprehension of Text.” The Reading Teacher 58, no. 6 (March 2005): 570-580.

Harvey, S. Strategies That Work. Portland, ME: Stenhouse, 2000.

Hoyt, L. Spotlight on Comprehension: Building a Literacy of Thoughtfulness. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2005.

Pardo, L. S. “What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Comprehension.” The Reading Teacher 58, no. 3 (Nov. 2004): 272-280.

Pressley, M. “Metacognition and Self-Regulated Comprehension.” In What Research Has to Say About Reading Instruction, edited by A. E. Farstrup and S. J. Samuels, 291-309. Newark, DE: International Reading Association, 2003.

Web Resources

The Literacy Web
This site, from the University of Connecticut, provides resources on how the Internet can assist teachers in understanding and using best practices in literacy instruction.

Read, Write, Think
This site, sponsored by the International Reading Association (IRA) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), includes information and lesson plans for research-based literacy instruction in comprehension and response to reading.

ReadingLady
This site provides lessons, graphic organizers, and instructional support in teaching the literacy strategies of proficient readers.

Assignments

If you are taking this workshop for credit or professional development, submit the following assignments for Session 3: Building Comprehension.

1. Examine the Literature

In this assignment, you will read two articles on comprehension and complete the Examine the Literature Response Chart.

back to section

2. Develop a Home Reading Program

In this activity, you will develop a home reading program to encourage reading at home and to support students’ reading skills.

back to section

3. Foster Authentic Reading and Writing

In this activity, you will identify and develop authentic reading and writing activities that support comprehension and active learning.

back to section

4. What Did You Learn?

In this activity, you will write a summary of the ideas and strategies you explored in this session.

back to section

5. Create a Literacy Practices Portfolio

If you are taking this workshop for credit, you will continue constructing your portfolio of instructional practices.

Series Directory

Private: Teaching Reading: 3-5 Workshop

Credits

Produced by WGBH Educational Foundation. 2006.

Closed Captioning
ISBN: 1-57680-815-7

Related Materials

Sections

3.1 Before You Watch | Building Comprehension

3.2 Analyze the Video | Building Comprehension

Watch the video, "Building Comprehension," taking notes as you watch. After you watch, jot down your answers to the questions below. If you prefer to watch the video in segments, pause the video when you see the next chapter heading.

3.3 Extend Your Knowledge | Building Comprehension

3.4 Put It Into Practice | Building Comprehension

3.5 Reflect on Your Learning | Building Comprehension

Supplementary: Components of Comprehension Instruction Chart

Handout

Supplementary: Examine the Literature Response Chart

Handout

Supplementary: Effective Practices for Developing Reading Comprehension

Handout

Supplementary: What Every Teacher Needs to Know About Comprehension

Handout

Workshops

Workshop 1 Creating Contexts for Learning

This session examines how classroom organization, routines, and grouping practices can enhance literacy skills in the middle grades. Literacy expert Jeanne Paratore discusses teaching strategies that foster reading and writing skills. Classroom examples illustrate the research.

Workshop 2 Fluency and Word Study

This session focuses on how students in the middle grades develop vocabulary and reading fluency. Literacy expert Richard Allington discusses specific teaching strategies that help build fluency and vocabulary, illustrated by classroom examples.

Workshop 3 Building Comprehension

Comprehending text is one of the main goals of reading. In this session, literacy expert Nell Duke discusses what good readers do and strategies teachers can use to help students build comprehension skills. Classroom footage provides examples of comprehension strategies.

Workshop 4 Writing

This workshop examines the relationship between reading and writing in the middle grades. Literacy expert Nadeen Ruiz discusses the connections, conventions, and inventions that provide a framework for teaching writing, illustrated by classroom examples.

Workshop 5 New Literacies of the Internet

This workshop focuses on the evolving use of networked technology in education. Literacy expert Donald Leu discusses strategies that help students effectively read, write, and communicate on the Internet. Classroom examples illustrate strategies for using Internet resources in the classroom.

Workshop 6 Teaching English Language Learners

Changing classroom demographics call for a range or teaching strategies. In this session, literacy expert Robert Jim�nez discusses strategies teachers can use to create a successful learning environment for all students, while supporting English language learners. Classroom examples illustrate the research.

Workshop 7 Teaching Diverse Learners

In this session, literacy expert Dorothy Strickland discusses how teachers can meet the diverse needs of readers and writers in their classrooms. Classroom examples and teaching strategies address different aspects of diversity, including culture, language, background, ability, and learning approaches.

Workshop 8 Assessment and Accountability

This session explores assessment, standards, and outcomes. Literacy expert Kathy Au discusses the strategies teachers can use to assess students' understanding in reading and writing. Classroom examples illustrate how students can participate in their own assessment.