"I'm All Done!" (But I Didn't Understand It)
Fifth-grader Justin stared intently at his book, reading about the aftereffects of World War II. He started answering the first short-answer question but then flipped back and re-read one section. When class was over, he turned in his book with completed, well-thought answers.
"I'm all done!" Sarah said and handed her book in to be graded. But when the teacher looked through the completed pages, she saw that Sarah had not answered three of the questions about the 1940s. The pages that Sarah had finished had incomplete answers for the short-answer section.
What was the difference between the two students? It may have been simple carelessness on Sarah's part. But it may have been that Justin comprehended what he read, and Sarah did not. Reading comprehension is vital, not only for reading or literature class, but for any text-based course. So how can a teacher help her students to understand what they are reading?
Susan Zimmermann and Chryse Hutchins offer some specific strategies in their book 7 Keys to Comprehension. While some of these may work best for the reading teacher, subject-area teachers (such as social studies or science) can also implement the techniques.
Make connections. Lead your students in discussion that applies what they are reading to their own lives. Encourage the students to connect their reading to their own lives, to other things they have read, and to the broader world. In the example from above, Justin and Sarah could have discussed with the class how their grandparents (or great-grandparents) lived in the 1940s. By connecting their background knowledge to the text, they remember and understand better the content. "Background knowledge is like Velcro," Zimmermann and Hutchins say. "It helps new information adhere" (50).
Ask questions. While students are reading, they may have questions or want to investigate a specific concept further. Provide them with post-it notes or paper to jot down the questions. As they continue reading, they may find the answer to the question and write it down. Any unanswered questions at the end can be researched or discussed with the class. Of course, the teacher can lead a discussion and ask the questions of the class as well, such as these:
What did the author mean when he said ____?
What were some key words in this paragraph?
How could you summarize this portion of the reading?
Has your thinking changed since you read this?
Distinguish what is important. Reading can feel overwhelming, especially in a world where we are inundated with data. Students who work through the process of determining importance can weed through their reading to look for specific facts and seek answers to questions. Using the layout, such as bold print, size of text or graphics, timelines, etc., also aids the student in deciding what matters most. The teacher can also guide the students in using glossaries, indexes, and maps that include vital information.
In today's educational climate, much emphasis is placed on reading decoding with the science of reading. While being able to read the actual words is vital, understanding what they mean is just as important. "Being a mindful reader involves not only reciting the words, but also understanding what those words mean in context," say Zimmermann and Hutchins (155). So if Sarah turns in incomplete and uncomprehended activities about World War II aftereffects, the teacher may need to re-teach the lesson, guiding her through comprehension activities.
Source Cited: Zimmermann, Susan and Chryse Hutchings. 7 Keys to Comprehension. New York, Three Rivers Press, 2003.
