Hello again! A New Year is upon us and with it comes a plethora of opportunities for new literacy experiences. Madison elementary teachers began 2008 with a professional development workshop on comprehension strategies, presented by SCSU professor Nancy N. Boyles. Dr. Boyles is the graduate reading program coordinator for the university, and has written several books on reading and writing strategies. (I have also had the privilege of being taught by this dynamic instructor as I pursued my MA in remedial reading.) Teachers from grades K-4 found this workshop very useful, and are enthusiastic about integrating the instructional strategies Dr. Boyles suggested.
Dr. Boyles discussed the following “kid-friendly” labels for comprehension strategies: connecting, picturing, wondering, guessing, noticing and figuring out. As adults, we use and integrate these strategies automatically. However, it cannot be taken for granted that children will do the same. Explicit instruction in the application of comprehension strategies can be a tremendous help in facilitating a student’s understanding while reading, and aid them as they transition from “learning to read,” to “reading to learn.” When students become familiar with all six strategies, the goal is to gradually relinquish teacher support as students become more independent in choosing and integrating the strategies that work best for them, according to the particular text being read.
I will be working with grade one teachers, to support the implementation of comprehension strategies in the classroom. The initial focus for first grade students will be the “connecting” and “picturing” strategies. Connecting involves relating experiences a student already has to the story he/she is reading. For example, students may make connections to their own lives, to other books they have read, or to other issues in the world. Picturing, also known as visualizing, requires students to “make pictures in their minds” using as many of the five senses as possible, while reading or listening to a story. (This particular strategy is more useful now than ever, given today’s increasing “HD” technology!) It would be very helpful if you could support your child’s awareness of these strategies while reading together at home! See page 2 for some suggested read-alouds which lend themselves nicely to the connecting and picturing strategies.
Happy Reading,
Cindy Armor
SUGGESTED BOOK LIST*:
Books that facilitate student connections:
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.
Arthur’s Teacher Trouble by Marc Brown.
A Chair for My Mother by Vera Williams.
Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.
George and Martha by James Marshall.
Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon by Patty Lovell.
Umbrella by Taro Yashima.
What are YOU so grumpy about? by Tom Lichtenheld.
Books that facilitate the “picturing” strategy:
The Cow who Wouldn’t Come Down by Paul Brett Johnson.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night? by Jane Yolen.
More Parts by Ted Arnold.
No Jumping on the Bed! by Ted Arnold.
Snow Bear by Jean Craighead George.
Is That You, Winter? by Stephen Gammell.
Through Grandpa’s Eyes by Patricia MacLachlan.
Welcome to the Greenhouse by Jane Yolen.
*Taken from Constructing Meaning Through Kid-Friendly Comprehension Strategy Instruction, by Nancy N. Boyles, Gainesville, (FL): Maupin House, 2004
