Reading to Understand

In 4th grade I was assigned to read the The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien in my group reading circle. The majority of the reading within the group was done on an independent basis during class time while some reading was done at home. On the day we were to discuss the book with the teacher I vividly remember being called on to answer a question and having no idea what the answer was, despite having read all the assigned text. I remember being confused, but most of all embarrassed in front of all my peers. What had I done wrong? Had I not completed the assignment just as they had?

In the book Catching Readers Before They Fall by Pat Johnson and Katie Keier, the authors write, "The meaning of any text does not exist in the black marks on paper but is created by combining the words on the page with the thoughts of the reader." As a fourth grade student I wasn't working to make meaning of the text on each page of The Hobbit. Teachers can begin working with young readers to begin building reading comprehension systems that will grow with the students.

When teaching children how to develop a reading system it is important to remember that the system must be initiated by the child and not one comprehension strategy is one-size-fits-all. Effective strategies are integrated together and taught together so children can see how combining strategies will help them make the most meaning from text.

In the previous blog post A Solution to Sound it Out I wrote about world-solving strategies for early readers, as advised by Johnson and Keier. The same writers also recommend Meaning, Visual, and Structure strategies also be applied as comprehension strategies for young readers.

When teaching comprehension one of the most important things to keep in mind is the final goal:  helping the student achieve full independence in reading! Through a recipe of modeling, shared demonstrations, and guided practice lessons students can rise to reading independence. When determining the perfect recipe for success in terms of how many lessons are needed at each stage, it is important to take into account that no two students are the same. Reflection and observation of student work can gage how well the student is doing with each lesson.

Each student must learn to create meaning of text. Through the use of integrated strategies, teachers can guide students to reading independence!