I+Read+It,+But+I+don't+Get+It.

Here is a link to Google Books for info about the text: [|http://books.google.ca/books?id=awCIngtgu4oC&printsec=frontcover&dq=i+read+it+but+i+don't+get+it&source=bl&ots=ihP0zbfwxk&sig=iAGkiFN0YaTKE5cmmM3J6Q36p2Q&hl=en&ei=v2WSTJKcHIL58AbA5eHSBg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBYQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false]

Our presentation is on January 10th, 2011 1. Alyson Gair - Chapter 9 and Part 3 Access Tools 2. Karen Krause - Chapters 1 & 2 3. Vanessa Sookdeo - Chapters 5 & 6 4. Kristen Leandro - Chapter 3 & 4 5. - need your summary and your discussion questions - see posted summary below - Karen and I did it.

Print out your dialogue that I scanned, and highlight the following for each person: Alyson - narrator explaining the context of the dialogue; page 23 Tony; page 97/98 Kadee, Cory Karen - Cris (teacher) Vanessa - page 5/6 Mr. Cantril; page 23 Kellie, Butch; page 97/98 "The boy dies", Ratiba, Keyan Kristen - page 5/6, Kandice; page 23 Chris, Brian; page 97/98 Kristi Behrad - page 5/6, Jeff; page 23 Stephanie, Josh; page 97/98 Tim, Sampson, Tyler

**Seminar ****// - I Read It But I Don’t Get It //****, Cris Tovani **

Karen - think of a book that has been influencial to you in your life and write down 2 reasons why. 5 minutes, class will be asked for some examples. Alyson - Review Silent Reading Record as a good strategy for any subject! - 2 minutes || 5 minutes
 * 1. Chapter summaries || 7 minutes ||
 * 2. Dialogue from the book || 6 minutes ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">3. Class participation

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">2 minutes ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">4. Critique, review, recommendation (see topics below) || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">5 minutes ||
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">5. Discussion questions – one from each person (see below) || <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13pt;">5 minutes ||

**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Background Theory - ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Karen ** · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Reading specialists used to teach struggling readers by telling them what they did poorly and then trying to correct it. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This doesn't work because it's negative and will add further frustration. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Based on the work of Donald Graves and Nancie Atwell, they discovered in the mid 80's that by teaching struggling students what Good students do is effective. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">-Other researchers who are referenced are Pearson, Roeller, Dole and Duffy, who, during the mid-1980s, explored the advantages of "mental modeling" as a teaching strategy. "Mental modeling" is thinking out loud in front of the students, making the elusive process of comprehension more concrete. Teachers should make a comment in response to the book that the class is reading, so that students can see a reader interacting with the text, which helps them to understand how good readers understand text.

**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Instructional Strategies - ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Alyson ** · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Gives kids various ideas of how to get meaning out of reading. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I liked this book because it showed me what it means to read something and not get it. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I think we are all "good" readers because we love English, and we subconsciously already use different strategies. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">This broke down the different problems kids have reading so I could learn to help kids understand without "just doing a book report". -The instructional strategies that are provided in this book will help students to overcome their difficulties with literacy. This book is addressing the topic of literacy, so anything in the curriculum that talks about literacy is being addressed by using these teaching strategies.

**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">What do you look for in a Professional Book - ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Kristen ** ·﻿ I think this book is easy to read, which is good, and I liked the dialogue which made it real because I could see from the kid's perspective what it looked like when they "didn't get it". · It is framed as a narrative, so it is much easier to read and understand (as well as more interesting), which complements the title of the book. · The author explains the layout of the book and how it is intended to be helpful. It is good for the readers to know the author’s intentions for a book, because it helps the readers to create meaning. · The author also includes advice about rethinking our instructional roles as teachers and about examining our current teaching methods and practices. Her advice is practical, encouraging and very helpful.

**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 110%;">Will this book be good for English Teachers? - ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Vanessa ** · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Yes, and for other subjects too. Literacy shouldn't just be limited to English, and it's nice that she uses examples from non-English teachables like History, Chem & Physics. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I liked that the method was modelled by the teacher; the teacher asked for feedback from the students for the methods used. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I liked the reader is warned that techniques and methods should be varied as they can become monotonous and students will find them tedious <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 18pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- In terms of equity, this book is inclusive for everyone. Using differentiated instruction, the teacher can assign different levels of difficulty of texts to students, depending on their reading ability or if they have an IEP.

**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Why isn't this a good book? - ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Behrad ** · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Sometimes the book is too chatty and not enough step-by-step instructions. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">For each worksheet, one side of page should have the blank worksheets, and the other side a completed exemplar. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Book is toooooo long and too repetitive. Too many lists and it's hard to tell what's important, and the lists are repeated. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The language seemed to be dumbed down and aimed at students at times instead of at teachers, who are her target audience. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Differentiated learning wasn’t really taken into consideration with the access tools. They all offer ways to infer meaning, but what about an ELL or ESL student who has difficulty with every word.

**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Wish List? - ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Behrad ** · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A simple table with a sample of the student's complaint - the problem - with a solution. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I wish the book was shorter. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">I'm looking for step-by-step instructions.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">__**Questions for Discussion**__ Karen How can teachers practically apply all these strategies in teaching struggling students how to read while teaching the content of the course? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">A. We don’t have to apply ALL of the strategies at once, but to choose a few to work on or even just work on one at a time. After students have learned a few strategies then they can switch back and forth between them as using just 1 strategy doesn’t work.

<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Kristen <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> What happens if a student misinterprets a text, yet is still able to have internal conversations with themselves? How can they realize that they have not comprehended the text effectively? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">A. If they are having internal conversations then they are interacting with the text and at least getting some meaning out of it. They will need to use more than 1 strategy to ensure they have meaning such as highlighting the text, writing questions in the margins, making predictions and wondering.

<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Alyson <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> Will this book be dismissed by other teachables as literacy only seems applicable to English? How can we apply these techniques to our "other" teachables? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">A. It is important that students understand ALL text that they are reading, from History textbooks, Math problems and Science papers. By modifying the worksheets at the back of the book, literacy can be ensured in all subjects.

<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Vanessa The text mentions the importance of connecting courses, how can this be completed in the secondary level when each student has a different timetable? <span style="color: #000000; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">2. Fix up strategies are open to interpretation, however how does a teacher ensure students are comprehended the material to get the most out of it?

<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt 36pt; text-indent: -36pt;">Behrad


 * __Chapter 1- “Fake Reading”__**

**Summary of main ideas:** · “I know that if I can just get them to class, I might have a shot at helping them improve their reading comprehension” (Tovani 1). · This book is about teaching reading to students who can read but can’t understand what they’re reading. · “Set expectations [for your class], make them clear, and keep them simple” (3). · Book reports are useless. Kids can cheat on them in many different ways. Teach the kids thinking strategies for reading, which they can actually use. · Based on the research of Donald Graves and Nancie Atwell, who taught students what good writers do when writing (as opposed to what bad writers do and how to correct their mistakes), Cris teaches students how to do what good readers do (5). · Her aim is to dispel the myths that “some kids are born good readers and some aren’t”, and there's nothing anyone can do to change it (7). · Many students don’t recognize the value of reading, so the teacher needs to help them to rediscover its purpose and pleasure. Using her “Important Book and Literary Histories” form, Cris encourages students to come up with at least one positive memory of reading that they have in their lifetime (their favourite or least favourite book and how it has shaped them), and to “use it as a cornerstone for future reading successes” (9). Teacher models the activity. Students bring in their books, or draw the cover of the book to show to the class, which makes them more confident while sharing. This task helps to remind the students that they want to be good readers. · Cris wants reading to compel the students to share their pasts, passions, and concerns, and to reveal strengths and expose weaknesses, as the students create meaning together. Books are the great equalizer (12). **What is good:** · It is framed as a narrative, so it is much easier to read and understand (as well as more interesting), which complements the main topic of the book. **What’s not very well done and needs to be improved:** · It seems to be written for the target audience of students who are having trouble reading because of the perspective from which it has been written, as well as because of the format. However, the real target audience is teachers who are trying to teach struggling students to read. **Chapter discussion question:** · What book has been influential to you in your life and has most shaped you, and why?


 * __Chapter 2 – “The Realities of Reading”__**

**Summary of main ideas**: -Middle and high school teachers of all subjects need to make time and gain the expertise to teach students how to read. If they don’t, students will never learn to read, and will fake their comprehension and “just get by”. · Two types of struggling readers: o Resistive readers: -can read but choose not to. § As a teacher, don’t just give your students the answers, otherwise they won’t even try to read if they are struggling. “Many resistive readers survive by listening to the teacher and copying the work of others” (15). While they may be able to cope temporarily from lectures and class discussions, once they are out in the real world, they will face a rude awakening. o Word callers: - can decode the words but don’t understand or remember what they’ve read. They assume they only need to be able to pronounce the words, and then they fail when they are asked to use the words they read to think on their own. · Decoding is the first step to comprehension, but students must also employ reading strategies and understand **how** to construct meaning in order to truly understand what they are reading. -Decoding + understand concepts + register subtleties + determine what is important + connect their knowledge & experience to what they read = **reading comprehension.** · <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">L List of 8 reading strategies for comprehension compiled from different researchers: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Use existing knowledge to make sense of new information. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Ask questions about text before, during, and after reading. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Draw inferences from text. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Monitor their comprehension. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Use “fix-up” strategies when meaning breaks down. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Determine what’s important. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Synthesize information to create new thinking. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Create sensory images from reading the text. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">· List of 6 cueing systems that readers use to understand text: (All systems need to be functioning and working together, or much of the meaning will be lost. Teachers need to teach all systems.) o Surface structures: § //Graphophonic cues// relate to letters, combinations of letters, and the sounds associated with them. § //Lexical cues// relate to words, including their instantaneous recognition, but not necessarily the meaning associated with them. § //Syntactic cues// relate to the form & structure of words and sentences that make up pieces of texts, including whether they “sound right” and are organized cohesively. o Deep structures: (interpreting, analyzing and drawing inferences from text) § //Semantic cues// relate to the meaning(s), concepts, and associations of words and longer pieces of text, including understanding subtle definitions and nuances. § //Schematic cues//relate to the reader’s prior knowledge and/or personal experiences. -allow reader to understand and remember what has been read.(also group and analyze new information in memory) § //Pragmatic cues// relate to what the reader considers important and what he or she needs to understand for a particular purpose. (also include the social construction of meaning – readers arriving at shared meaning & increasingly abstract interpretations) · <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;"> A <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">text becomes inaccessible when students: <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Don’t have all the necessary comprehension strategies to unlock meaning. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Don’t have sufficient background knowledge about text. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Don’t recognize organizational patterns of the text, so don’t know what’s important. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">o Lack purpose, and therefore lose interest & fail to construct meaning. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%;">· High school teachers assume that their students are armed with the necessary reading strategies without teaching them to the class. They expect students: o To know how to read. o To read faster than they did in elementary school. o To read large amounts of text in short amounts of time. o To gain information by reading. o To read and understand increasingly difficult material. · Teachers can help their students’ comprehension by: o Becoming a passionate reader of what they teach. (If you don’t like to read the text that you are teaching from, your students won’t either.) o Modeling how good readers read. (Share your tactics to construct meaning with the students. Show them how to read the material you assign.) **What is good:** · The author explains the layout of the book and how it is intended to be helpful. It is good for the readers to know the author’s intentions for a book, because it helps the readers to create meaning. · The author also includes advice about rethinking our instructional roles as teachers and about examining our current teaching methods and practices. Her advice is practical, encouraging and very helpful. **What’s not very well done and needs to be improved:** · There are too many lists in this section. · There is a significant shift between the first and second chapter, in that the first chapter is mostly in narrative form. Although the second chapter includes some stories as well, it becomes much more instructional, and not as easy or interesting to read. **Chapter discussion question:** · How can teachers practically apply all these strategies in teaching struggling students how to read while teaching the content of the course? How can we as future teachers put this advice into practice?

__** Chapter 3: Purposes for Reading: Access Tools **__ - <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 120%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">An important aspect of reading comprehension is what the student considers to be the purpose for reading “According to researchers Pichert and Anderson (1977), readers determine what is important based on their purpose for reading.” - Lots of times, not to the teacher’s fault apparently (because the teacher’s intent it too vague), teachers tell students to read certain sections and get from it the main points. However, a lot of the time the students don’t know how to interpret the main pts. - Many students have difficulty setting their own purpose - Highlighting everything that seems remotely important isn’t helpful - The key for students is to find points in the texts that are connected to class lectures and discussions. - ‘ Thinking Aloud’ helps students discuss their thoughts with fellow students or educators and helps them organize their thoughts. - Again, by doing things step-by –step in the thinking aloud activity, students are able to see how they can get from one train of thought to another in a logical fashion. - “Thinking aloud in front of students takes away some of the comprehension guesswork they encounter. As you describe your thinking clearly, students can see how a good reader makes meaning out of difficult texts.” - ‘ Marking Texts’ – use sticky notes or highlighters to indicate sections of reading where a certain method of thinking should be implied - ‘Using Double-Entry Diaries’ – useful way to take notes. Page is divided into half. On the left side students copy down exactly what the text says. On the right side, students jot down what they think the text means and any questions they have from it. - ‘Using Comprehension Constructors’ – - It’s extremely important to model how to use each of these strategies for the students. Also, it’s important to offer constructive feedback whenever possible (//assessment as learning//), so that students can pinpoint where mistakes were made and how to correct them. WHATS WORKS: - “Share real-world reasons for reading and why it is important to set a purpose.” - “Watch yourself make meaning when you read. Notice what you and others do to make sense.” - “Experiment with using access tools in your own reading. Try marking texts or using a double –entry diary.” - “Model your thinking as you read in front of your students. Share everything from confusing text and how you repair meaning to text that moves you emotionally.”

What’s good: I think all of the access tools can be pretty effective What’s not-so-good: Differentiated learning wasn’t really taken into consideration with the access tools. They all offer ways to infer meaning, but what about an ELL or ESL student who has difficulty with every word? Chapter Question: Do you feel a teacher has time during every lesson to utilize each of these strategies? If not, how can a teacher make the time?

__** Chapter 4: Tracking Confusion to its Source **__

<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- It’s not the teacher’s responsibility to pinpoint when a student is not comprehending what he or she is reading. . . it is the student’s responsibility: students have to learn how to help themselves. <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- 2 questions students were asked: <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 90pt; text-indent: -18pt;">1. How do you know when you are confused? <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 90pt; text-indent: -18pt;">2. What do you do when you are confused? · <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The responses to these questions revealed that students didn’t realize they didn’t understand what they were reading until it was time to do something with the information. <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">- <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Students who experience confusion when reading often just accept this, thinking that it is too late to improve their reading/comprehension skills <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 14pt;">. <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- Constantly asking questions and reflecting helps students with comprehension <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- If students realize at the exact moment when they stop understanding what they are reading, they can take the necessary steps towards comprehension - Six signals students should use to realize confusion: 1. The voice inside the reader's head isn't interacting with the text. 2. The camera inside the reader's head shuts off. 3. The reader's mind begins to wander. 4. The reader can't remember what has been read. 5. Clarifying questions asked by the reader are not answered. 6. The reader reencounters a character and has no recollection when that character was introduced. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- Students often focus on the words that they’re reading, but not the meaning <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- Sometimes teachers have to teach the //reader//, not the //reading// <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- A teacher can help students by asking them to pinpoint a particular part of the text that they didn’t understand and explain what about it was confusing. <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- Facilitating a class discussion where students can share where their confusion started helps the teacher address the issues in a time-friendly manner. <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- Asking students to use two highlighters, one for parts of the text that they understand, and the other for what they don’t will help students pinpoint exactly where they stop understanding what they are reading. – this shouldn’t be done too often because it can become monotonous <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- Students should be having conversations with themselves about the text as they are reading – this signals comprehension. <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: -18pt;">- Students have to distinguish between conversational voices and distracting voices in their head while reading.

<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt;">What I Liked: <span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt;">**I like the fact that the method was modelled by the teacher** I like the fact that the teacher asked for feedback from the students for the methods used **I like the fact that each the reader is warned that techniques and methods should be varied as they can become monotonous and students will find them tedious** I found this chapter very helpful with a lotof useful information. There wasn't anything I didn't like

Question: What happens if a student misinterprets a text, yet is still able to have internal conversations with themselves? How can they realize that they have not comprehended the text effectively?

- when I get stuck, I quit reading – Luke, Grade 9 - fix up strategy is something you use to help yourself get unstuck when you are reading confusing text - kids don’t care whether their reading makes sense or not - most struggling readers weren’t going to love reading enough to choose it as a leisurely pastime - will have to read apartment leases, car-loan contracts, income tax forms, and material associated with their jobs - quite a different matter to quit reading an income tax forms and miss out on a refund - abandoning a text because it doesn’t make sense is going to make life for a stuggling reader even more difficult - rereading often takes too long - thinking harder about something that is not understood is not a strategy - reading is like driving a car in relation to having a destination in mind and adjusting speed, technique for varying conditions - students should select their own fix up strategy based on their abilities - can use a variety of strategies as well - to assess students comprehension strategies use the comprehension constructor (page 59) - important to demonstrate each strategy so students can relate - fix up strategies: - read out each of the 11 strategies - just the first line. 1. make connections to the reading - background knowledge can be a powerful tool - using knowledge will help understand the reading better 2. make predictions - good readers anticipate what is coming next - also allows readers to think about the reading when predictions are wrong - when readers predict, they are aware meaning is breaking down 3. stop and think about what you have read - think about the reading in sections -allows readers to synthesize information - can ask questions, visualize and pick out important points 4. ask yourself questions - can be about the text or for further thoughts - can be answered in the text or after more reading - how and why questions are important - answers can be found in the reading or by thinking 5. reflect, by writing about what you read - allows clarity in reading - reflection is beneficial 6. visualize, create images in your head - images can relate to background knowledge as well 7. use print conventions - help to state important points - will assist in their writing as well 8. retell what you read - activates background knowledge - readers should be able to retell what they read - important to do this as it will create background knowledge 9. reread - don’t have to reread everything but instead look at various sections of the text - enhances comprehension through creating connections to the reading 10. look for patterns - helps readers locate important information - figure out the organization of the piece to save time 11. adjust reading rate - adjust rate to meet the demands of the task - rate should change in order to construct meaning - rate is based on difficulty, purpose of text, and background knowledge
 * Chapter Five – Fix it!**

- thinking about my life helps me understand what I read – Becky, grade 12 - model connections between subjects so students realize their importance - many students do not consider their background knowledge from other courses - information in their head is a powerful resource - teachers do not take the time to blur the boundaries between subjects as their concern is about content specific information - ignoring background knowledge puts readers at a disadvantage - limit themselves by not using everything they know or what is available to them - background knowledge is defined as the information a reader has in their head - storehouse of knowledge that provides the reader with an assortment of information - using background knowledge, readers will be more likely to draw inferences, ask questions and make comparisons and contrasts - use information from one class to help in another - model how students can make connections between new and known knowledge/information - two way to make connections are: 1. Venn diagram showing the subject overlap and differences 2. brainstorm about the topic before reading about it - students can bring in knowledge from movies, tv, stories, books, etc - show readers they have something in common with the text - encourage student to mark a text - three types of connections: 1. text to self – use something from their personal experience or memory to help them understand 2. text to world – connects are associations the reader makes between the text and their storehouse 3. text to text – think about other written texts; enhance understanding of the reading - connections help readers call on their background knowledge - provides a richer experience - more connection = better comprehension - personal connections helps students understand content - connections can help repair confusion and read from a different perspective - teach students to look for logical connections
 * Chapter Six – Connecting the New to the Known**

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">Reading strategy: //Self-questioning the text// <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">-If students create their own questions, not only will they remember the information better, they will be more interested in the reading. If teachers don’t permit students to wonder, they restrict discovery. Questioning is a strategy that can be taught in connection with any subject, to students of all abilities. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt;">-Teach students to ask questions about the world around them, and once they have started, move on to teach them how to begin questioning the text. In conjunction with the gradual-release-of-responsibility model, the teacher plays the main role in the learning process at first by modeling how he or she asks questions, but then he/she gives the students the responsibility to ask their own questions. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">- Asking questions will improve their understanding in four ways: 1) Readers who intentionally ask questions establish a purpose for their reading and tend to be more focused. 2) Questioning fosters curiosity and encourages the reader to continue reading. 3) It helps to clarify information in the text. 4) Questioning helps readers go beyond literal meaning in order to engage in inferential thinking. <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: normal; margin: auto auto 0pt;">The author includes five main ideas that will be helpful in teaching the students to question.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Chapter 7 Summary **

1) Connect how the act of questioning is applicable in the real world (for example: when wanting to learn a trade or an instrument, or when learning to drive.) 2) Create “I wonder” poems, in which the students write down a bunch of questions they may have about a specified topic, starting with the words “I wonder”. 3) Demonstrate that good readers ask questions throughout the reading process: before, during, and after reading. a. Before: Brainstorm questions you may have about the text. Recording their questions validates their thinking. b. During: It is important for the teacher to model the strategy that he/she is trying to teach the students, and to do so, while reading a text. So at this stage, the teacher is asking questions which the students might have. c. After: Model lingering questions which remain once you are done reading the text. Usually, these are the more complex, inferential questions.  4) Teach students that answers to their questions can be found in three places: in the text, in their head, and in another source. Give examples of each. 5) Teach students how to mark text in the margins with their questions, and if what they are reading cannot be marked, the students can use sticky notes with their questions <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">to insert into the pages.  **__<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Chapter 8 Summary __**   · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">When teachers use phrases like //read between the lines//, //make an inference//, //draw a conclusion, think harder,// they are not showing students how to infer, they are merely //telling// them to infer.    · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">A reader’s background knowledge plays a significant role in his or her ability to infer. However, background knowledge alone is not enough. Readers must also use the text to support their thinking. Claiming “it’s my opinion” doesn’t automatically make the thinking correct or acceptable. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Inferring is abstract thinking, something readers do in their head when they are reading beyond the words. When struggling readers are asked inferential questions, they have a tendency to return to the text, hoping to find the answer directly stated. They search in vain, not sure how much thinking they need to supply. · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">“An inference…is a logical conclusion not directly confirmed by the author. It is based on clues from the text and personal connections made by the reader. Inferences are sometimes hard to make because the author doesn’t come right out and confirm the reader’s conclusions.” · <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Students are using clues from the //seen// text as well as the //unseen// text. Seen text is anything the reader can see: words, pictures, charts, graphs, any visual cues that can be used to make meaning, anything actually on the page. Unseen text is the information that resides inside the reader’s head: ideas, opinions, essential background knowledge. · When readers infer, they need a healthy dose of textual evidence combined with a moderate measure of background knowledge.

1) Read aloud short pieces of fiction and nonfiction that require the reader to infer. I often use picture books because they can be read in a single class period. 2) Distinguish differences between an opinion and an inference. 3) List textual evidence and next to the evidence demonstrate how background knowledge helps you interpret what the evidence means. 4) Teach students how to infer. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">a. Ask yourself a question. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">b. Consider textual evidence that may represent important clues. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">c. Think about what you know about the evidence. (background knowledge) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt; text-indent: -18pt;">d. Using the clues in the text and your background knowledge about the topic, try to answer the original question.
 * What Works: **

__Chapter 9__ - Readers need to construct their own meaning - use different reading strategies for different books - flexibility is important - Strategies are intentional plans that enable readers to construct meaning - some people don't think they need strategies until they start reading very difficult texts - in order to read well, one must use a variety of strategies, most of which overlap.

Some of the worksheets are excellent, they provide structure for the kids to help trigger meaning for them The Silent Reading Record (page 127) could easily be applied to other teachables, e.g. Biology, History
 * What is good**

Most can be adapted to other subjects if word "the piece" was changed to "chapter" or "article" could be applicable to many subjects

coding worksheets ask kids to identify background knowledge, and they would need practise to understand what this means (knowledge they have in their heads or knowledge from other subject areas). Worksheets would make more sense if there was a completed one included in the book so we would know what it looked like filled in. Most worksheets seem geared to English only and literacy is so much more than just English class!
 * What is bad**

! Will this book be dismissed by other teachables as literacy only seems applicable to English? How can we apply these techniques to our "other" teachables?
 * Chapter discussion question:**

__Benefits of strategy instruction:__**GOOD!** 1- entire class can work on the same strategy using different levels of text material 2- strategies are applicable to all curriculum areas, not just English 3- Teachers don't have to be reading specialists to teach comprehension strategies

- by dividing up the book for our literature circle, we are actually already using a strategy we can apply to the classroom! Have each group look at a section and identify the 5 key things to report back to the class.

__Worksheets are all about:__ //making connections// - what does it remind you of or what do you think of //making predictions// - what do you wonder about, what questions/answers come to mind, what is going to happen next, what it is about //visualizations// - make a picture in your mind of what is going on //identifying confusion// - identify places where you are stuck or don't understand //Short summary// of what is read - using textual evidence versus background knowledge