Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:
A connection is when As you read this passage, The Relatives Came “I noticed…”
Connections the reader connects did anything remind you of The Stray Dog “I have a connection…”
something from a your own life? All the Places to Love “This reminds me of…”
book to their own life,
How does thinking about If I Were in Charge of the World “I remember when…”
the world, or another what you already know help Sheik! “I read another book that reminds me of…”
text. you understand this part of Goodnight Moon
the reading? Little Bear’s Visit
T-S T-T T-W Does this sound like an Crow Boy
experience you have had? Grandfather’s Journey
May include emotions, Does this remind you of Today Was a Terrible Day
previous experience, another book you have Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last
knowledge and read? Sunday
understandings. Why is it important to use Lily’s Purple Plastic Purse
your understanding about David Goes to School
one book to get the meaning
of another book?
Can you think of something
that is similar to this in the
world?
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:

When making a How would you support Tuesday “I predict…”

Predicting prediction a reader that prediction? Sleeping Ugly “I predict…based on…(support of text, events, background
uses background On what evidence did you The Ghost-Eye Tree knowledge, specific examples, schema)”
knowledge and clues base your prediction? Sylvester and the Magic Pebble “This prediction is realistic because…”
from the text to What makes you say that? Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughter “I am going to change my prediction because…”
predict what might What were your clues? Sam Bang and Moonshine “Based on… ( the cover, title, pictures, headings) I predict…”
happen next. After reading this section, Lon Po Po “I think I know what is coming next…”
Predictions must be what would be your next The Missing Mitten Mystery “I think we will learn…because…”
logical and supported prediction? 50 Below Zero “The clues I used in my prediction are…”
by text. What background The Red Wolf “I bet…because…”
knowledge helped you Too Much Noise
make that prediction? Bedhead
Is that prediction realistic I Know and Old Lady
/reasonable? Goggles
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:

Questioning opens the Did you have a question Owl Moon “I wonder…”
Questioning door to understanding even before you started to The Relatives Came “My question is…?”
and engagement. read this book? No! David “I am curious about…?”
Thoughtful readers Do you notice yourself Officer Buckle and Gloria “I wonder who (what, when, where, why)…?”
ask themselves asking a question when The Three Questions “How come…?”
questions before, reading doesn’t make Chrysanthemum “Why…?”
during, and after they sense? The Butterfly
read to help them I wonder what you are Dear Mr. Blueberry
understand the text. thinking right now. Chartreuse Leotard
(They also realize not How could that be?
all questions will be Why do you think?
answered by the text.) Who? What? When?
Where? Why?
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:

Visualizing is when What did you see, hear, Annie and The Old One “The picture in my mind…”
Visualizing the reader creates an feel, smell, taste, when you Give Maggie a Chance “The movie…”
image in their mind read those words? My Teacher Sleeps in School “I can see…smell…taste…feel…hear…”
from the text utilizing What did you notice about My Great -Aunt Arizona “When I read… I got a picture in my mid that…”
all 5 senses. The text how your visualization Night Tree “I visualized…”
becomes a movie in helps you remember what The Paperboy “My mind picture shows…”
their mind. you read? A Quite Place “I imagined…”
What did the author say to Salmon Creek “I can almost see (description)…”
help you form the picture in Silver Morning “The picture I painted in my mind…”
your head? “I can picture in my mind…”
What does it look like in “I can almost taste…”
your mind? “I can imagine what is like to…”
What are you feeling right
now?
Have you ever (tasted,
smelled, seen) something
like this?
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:
The reader uses what Authors leave clues for us Where the Wild Things Are “I noticed…”
Inferring they know (schema) as we read. Did you put Three Little Pigs “When I read between the lines…”
and what they read in them together to figure out The Polar Express “I had to think about what the author said and…”
Schema Author’s the text to form a the big idea? Seven Blind Mice “I think what the author really means is…”
conclusion. What message do you think Annie and the Old One “I think …because the author gave clues about…”
the author wanted you Frog and Toad Together “The author wrote… but I know…”
Inferring is reading understand? The Tree Story of the Three Little Pigs “When I read… I think it means…because…”
between the lines. Are you making any Mysteries of Harris Burdick “The author’s words mean…to me.”
clues predictions as you read? Have you Seen My Duckling? “Maybe this means…”
Can you lift out an idea out Good Dog Carl
of this text and add your Dandelions
own ideas? Don’t Need Friends
This is a tricky word. What Give Maggie a Chance
Inference word would make sense Little Scarecrow Boy
here? Night Noises
A Present for Mom
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:
Retelling Comprehension can be
Tell me about the story as if
I had never heard it before. Goggles! “The characters are…”
assessed by having the Tell me in your own words Alexander and thee Wind-up Mouse “The setting must be… because I see...”
child retell the story what happened in the story. The Story of the Jumping Mouse “The problem is…”
after reading. Who are the main The Great Kapok Tree “The solution was…”
characters? Chicken Little “First…then… after that…finally…”
Where did the story take Giggle, Giggle, Quack “Some important details in the story…”
place? Frog and Toad Together “The story ended by…”
Can you include the 'Twas the night Before Thanksgiving “In the conclusion…”
language and special Goldilocks and the Three Bears “The solution to the problem was…”
vocabulary from the story in Mr. Grumpy’s Outing “Let me tell you what happened as if you had never heard the
your retell? What important My Friend Rabbit story before…”
details can you include in Hattie and the Fox
your retell? Miss Nelson is Missing
What was the problem? King Bidgood’s Bathtub
How was it solved?
How did the story end?
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:
A good summary Did you take out the Hansel and Gretel “… wanted…but…so…”
Summarizing gives only the key information what was not Inch by Inch “First…then…finally”
points related to the important? Seven Blind Mice “Let me tell you in my own words…”
story and is told in How did you decide what to Annie and The Old One “… happened …and... then…”
your own words. include/ leave out in your First day Jitters “In summary…”
summary? What key words Giggle, giggle, Quack “I will say that in my own words…”
would you include in your Gasp! “In one or two sentences I would summarize…”
summary? Grandpa’s Teeth “This text is about…”
What words did you Hooway for Wodney Wat “This part is about…”
replace? Ira Sleeps Over “This paragraph is mostly about…”
What are the key concepts? I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More
How will you keep it short Liar, Liar Pants on Fire
and avoid just repeating the Mama, If you Had a Wish
author’s words? Missing: One Stuffed Rabbit
The Pan and the Great One
The Stray Dog
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:

Synthesis is like Has your thinking changed Respond to any texts “I really liked how the author…”
Synthesizing throwing a rock into a since reading this passage? “I wish I could…”
pond. First there is a Are you keeping track of “AHA!”
splash, and then the what this means? “WOW! That is…”
water ripples out, What is your plan for this “It was interesting to learn…”
making little waves information now? “I would like to say something about…”
that get bigger and “I discovered…”
bigger. Basically, you
are putting all the
strategies together and
doing something with
it.
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:
Determining As you read the passage, What will the Weather Be? “I think… is interesting, but I don’t think it is part of the big
Determining importance depends what was most important When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, idea.”
on the purpose of the here? Really, Angry… “I kept thinking about…because it said…”
Importance reading and is used What is essential to “The details point me to the big idea of…”
mainly with nonfiction remember? Nonfiction texts “I would say the most important details are…”
reading. The reader Do you think this author “The most important thing I learned so far is…”
has to determine the was for or against this idea? “This is really important…”
difference between What information did “I need to remember…”
what they need to he /she present to build “The 3 golden nuggets in this are…”
know and what is just evidence for the case?
important. What do you think the
author is trying to tell you?
What do you think the
audience is going to learn
from this?
 Comprehension Strategies

Comprehension Definition: Questions you Read aloud mentor books Stems for teacher
Strategy: might ask: to model the think- aloud and
comprehension strategy: student conversation:

Fix-up Strategies are Tell me what the voice Model and practice using rich texts. “I wonder what it means to…”
Fix-Up the tools we use to inside your head is saying. “I don’t get…”
monitor and repair What does the movie look “It didn’t make sense when…”
Strategies comprehension of the like in your head? “I am confused about…”
text. Some possible Have you come up with any “I think I will reread to check…”
strategies would questions while reading? “I need to clarify…”
include: go back & Are you discovering any “… is a difficult word because…”
reread, read ahead, answers? “A difficult idea in this is…”
identify what is Describe what you “I figure it out by…”
understood, remember reading. Please, “I had trouble understanding…”
summarize up to this point to the spot you last “I don’t understand…”
point, ask questions remember reading.
and clarify. Summarize what you have
read so far.