Literacy StrategiesLiteracy Strategies

What is comprehension?What is comprehension?

��Simply put, comprehension is the act of Simply put, comprehension is the act of

understanding what you are reading. understanding what you are reading.

Reading is a Complex ActivityReading is a Complex Activity

• A skilled reader rapidly decodes words,

attaches meaning to words, connects

text information to relevant background

knowledge, maintains a mental

representation of what they have

already read, forms hypotheses about

upcoming information and makes

decisions based on their purpose for

reading – all at the same time!

Why is reading comprehension Why is reading comprehension

so important?so important?

��Without comprehension, reading is Without comprehension, reading is

nothing more than tracking symbols on a nothing more than tracking symbols on a

page with your eyes and sounding them page with your eyes and sounding them

out. Imagine being handed a story written out. Imagine being handed a story written

in Egyptian hieroglyphics with no in Egyptian hieroglyphics with no

understanding of their meaning. understanding of their meaning.

This is what it is like to read when you This is what it is like to read when you

have serious comprehension difficultieshave serious comprehension difficulties

�� Blinka lilla stjBlinka lilla stjäärna, rna,

�� Hur jag undrar vad du Hur jag undrar vad du äär. r.

�� Upp Upp ööver vver väärlden srlden såå hhöögt, gt,

�� Som en diamant i skyn. Som en diamant i skyn.

�� NNäär den gassande solen r den gassande solen äär borta,r borta,Can you guess what it says?

Reading StrategiesReading Strategies

��Before readingBefore reading……

��KeywordsKeywords

��Analyse the title & pictures Analyse the title & pictures

accompanying the textaccompanying the text

��Build background knowledgeBuild background knowledge

��Encourage students to make predictionsEncourage students to make predictions

��Read questions before reading the textRead questions before reading the text

During ReadingDuring Reading

��Paired Reading Paired Reading –– pair up a weaker pair up a weaker

student with a student of higher reading student with a student of higher reading

ability.ability.

��They read one page each in turns and They read one page each in turns and

help each other with difficult words.help each other with difficult words.

��They must discuss what they have read They must discuss what they have read

afterwards.afterwards.

During ReadingDuring Reading

��Highlighting important wordsHighlighting important words

��Ask students to identify problems and Ask students to identify problems and

solutionssolutions

��Encourage students to monitor their own Encourage students to monitor their own

comprehension while reading i.e. write comprehension while reading i.e. write

down any words they do not understanddown any words they do not understand

��Get students to close their eyes and Get students to close their eyes and

visualise what they are reading aboutvisualise what they are reading about

After ReadingAfter Reading

��Ask students to summarise in their own Ask students to summarise in their own

wordswords

��Create graphic organisersCreate graphic organisers

��Make a storyboardMake a storyboard

��Generate questions for other studentsGenerate questions for other students

��Ask students to write a different endingAsk students to write a different ending

Visual Organiser SampleVisual Organiser Sample

Make a newspaper articleMake a newspaper article

THE DAILY GISTTHE DAILY GISTTHE DAILY GISTTHE DAILY GIST

Write a 20/30 word summary of today’stopic/lesson.

YOUR HEADLINE/HEADING HEREYOUR HEADLINE/HEADING HEREYOUR HEADLINE/HEADING HEREYOUR HEADLINE/HEADING HERE

Summary picture

55--44--33--22--11

��Get student to write:Get student to write:

��5 Keywords from the pages5 Keywords from the pages

��4 Facts related to the main topic4 Facts related to the main topic

��3 New words3 New words

��2 Facts they already know2 Facts they already know

��1 Question they still have1 Question they still have

Pyramid StrategyPyramid Strategy

��Put the most Put the most

important important

information at the information at the

top & work your top & work your

way down.way down.

Pyramid Strategy ExamplePyramid Strategy Example

Titanic luxury ship that sank

Collided with an iceberg - April 14

1912.

Shortage of lifeboats

1,500 people died, including passengers and crew

ReadRead--CoverCover--RememberRemember--RetellRetell

��This strategy slows down the reading This strategy slows down the reading

process and reminds students to focus on process and reminds students to focus on

remembering the content of the passage.remembering the content of the passage.

�� It is a really good revision technique for It is a really good revision technique for

any subject.any subject.

�� It is also a good way to monitor a students It is also a good way to monitor a students

comprehension levels.comprehension levels.

Key Word StrategyKey Word Strategy

�� The teacher selects the keywords from the text The teacher selects the keywords from the text

and gets the students to rewrite it in their own and gets the students to rewrite it in their own

words using these keywords.words using these keywords.

Student QuizStudent Quiz

�� Students compile a set of questions based Students compile a set of questions based

on the information they have gained from on the information they have gained from

reading the textreading the text

�� The questions may be written on a card and The questions may be written on a card and

placed in an envelope for use by other placed in an envelope for use by other

readers.readers.

Reading Bookmarks

Thanks for listeningThanks for listening……....