Comprehension

Comprehension is a very important part of reading. I have seen this first hand from moving from a 5th grade classroom to a 2nd grade classroom. My second graders are more focused on the words than on what the words are saying. I have sat with many of them and stopped them to ask what they read. Some have no ideas, other can remember some points, and there are a few that can remember everything. The focus on my mini lesson is comprehension so I have done some reading on how to teach comprehension and I find some of the ideas quite interesting. I always forget how useful sticky notes are but I have found so many lessons using sticky notes. Also I talked to my CT about comprehension who informed me that when teaching comprehension to students we should use a book that is at a lower level that she knows the student will be able to read easily. This helps them focus on what the words are saying. If she was going to focus on fluency she would use a book at their level. This makes complete sense but I never thought of this before we talked! Some other tasks that my CT has the students do is they take a new book from their classroom library home every night to read to their parents and then discuss what they have read with her the next morning. She has them in different colored groups that represents the level at which they are at. Each morning they come up to her table and work with her. So far I have seen her work with comprehension and give them a fluency test. Working with my 2nd grade class has really made me see how comprehension is a struggle for students when they are young and how they have to focus on what they are reading not just the words.

As for my reading comprehension strategies, I have used them all in the book. As a young student I struggled with reading and was in a separate reading group with a different teacher. I am a slow reader but can tell you exactly what I read! I find that I am always making a picture in my head of what I am reading. This helps me remember because I already have the story in my head and can go back to it. I also find that my mind is always racing so sometimes I have to stop and think about what I just read! If I can't remember than I go back and reread to make sure that I get the whole picture in my head!