Montana RIB Update
http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/reading/rbindex.htm
3/4/08
RECAP OF FEBRUARY: READING COMPREHENSION
Have you had a chance to look at the reading comprehension resources that have been posted during the month of February? As usual, there are some good things there, but MT LINCS is always ready to post more. Send away!ResearchHow many of your students are unaware that they have a comprehension problem? Do they have difficulty understanding math story problems, reading charts and graphs, or following written instructions?#1... Sometimes discussion reveals their (the students) misunderstandings about a text or their lack of background knowledge in the subject matter. You can tell they are sometimes not aware that they aren't "getting it," or if they are aware at some level, that they don't know what's causing the problem. Your (the teacher) job is to figure out how to address the underlying causes of the comprehension breakdown.Applying Research in Reading Instruction for Adults: First Steps for Teachers (McShane, 2005, p.73)#2Trend 11ABE adults' knowledge about reading, or their meta-comprehnsion, is more like that of children who are beginning readers. They are less aware than good readers are of strategies that can be used to monitor comprehension, view reading as decoding as opposed to comprehending text, and are less aware of the general structure of paragraphs and stories. They are aware of the influence of motivation, interest, and prior knowledge on reading. (Gambrel & Heathington, 1981)Research-Based Principles for Adult Basic Education Reading Instruction (Krudenier, 2002, p.80)What are you doing to make your students aware of comprehension strategies? Share some of these ideas with MT LINCS.
WEBSITE DESIGN: CLICK AND GO
As always, all you have to do to review is look at the chart and just click on an item of interest. The link will take you directly to that part of the discussion. Remember -- the chart is fluid, so it changes with additional postings. See theFebruary sample below.
Reading Comprehension: February
Content Reading ESL Websites Family Literacy Discussion List hosted by Susan McShane Interviews: ABC News Living in the Shadow Request for Materials Strategies/Worksheets
ESL Resource and Strategies
Comprehension Teaching Strategy
Interview #1 Material Request Response to Material Request
Reading Comprehension Strategies
- Cloze Technique
- Directed Reading-Thinking Activity
- Signals of Confusion
- SQ3R
MARCH
Continuation of Reading Comprehension
Comprehension will continue to be the reading focus for March. But as usual before we do that, once again take a look February's postings to see if you have anything to add or share with your colleagues. There have been some requests for materials. Please let us know if you have any materials to recommend for reading comprehension.
You may also want to review what has been discussed in the past. Go to the MT RIB Homepage at http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/reading/rbindex.htm and click on Archives to review past postings, or go to the MT RIB Discussions page at http://www.nwlincs.org/mtlincs/opi/reading/discussions.htm to take a look at the February posts.
SUMMARY
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, we must take note of a wee bit of Irish wisdom by Yeats: Education is not filling a bucket, but lighting a fire. What are you doing to light the fire of reading in your students?
And finally, as Frank McCourt said in Teacher Man, "... if you hang on, you learn the tricks." So as we continue with comprehension, think about some of the stories, resources, strategies, and tricks you have learned that you can share with your colleagues.
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May you share your thoughts with others
To give MT LINCS what it lacks!
Stay tuned for a great story
about Riding the Rails of Literacy.
P.S. If you no longer wish to receive this mailing, please let me know! Thanks!
Norene Peterson
Adult Education Center
415 N. 30th
Billings, MT 59101
norenehp@bresnan.net