Topic: Comprehension

10-second review: Author charts the sequence of activities students use in reading.

Title: “START comprehending: Students and Teachers Actively Reading Text.” TD Scharlach. Reading Teacher (September 2008), 20-31. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).

Summary: Here is the chart showing how students can read successfully:

Before Reading: ………. predicting/Inferring………”In this chapter, I think….”

During Reading: ………. Visualizing………. “In my mind I see….”
………………………… Making connections………. “This reminds me of….”
………………………… Questioning………. “I wonder….”

After Reading: ……... Main idea………. “I think the most important thing….”
………………………. Summarizing………. In 10 words or less….
………………………. Checking predictions………. “My original prediction…..”
……………………….. Making judgments………. “My favorite part….”

Comment: I would add to “Before Reading”: building background knowledge of the topic; pre-teaching unfamiliar vocabulary; survey: read the first paragraph, first sentence of each intermediate paragraph, and the last paragraph. Formulate questions to read to answer, and then prediction. In "After Reading," I would add applying or extending what has been read. RayS.

The purpose of this blog, English Updates, is to review interesting contemporary (2008-2009) articles from professional English education journals at all levels—elementary, middle school, junior high school, high school and college.