I have some experience with comprehension strategies and K kids. In fact, two other colleagues and I did several lesson study cycles where we planned an introductory lesson to each strategy together, taught it while the other two observed and then adjusted the lesson plans to make them better before another of us retaught the lesson. I can tell you that K kids and their level of thinking surprised me again and again! They can do it! you just need to think about a few things... 1. The right text... many picture books for the younger set do not allow for much thinking. Most of the comprehension teaching I do is with read-alouds rather than using the little books they might be learning to decode with. 2. Consider how can you make thinking demonstrable for our littlest ones? I found that the ideas in the book Starting with Comprehension are very helpful. You can have kids act out what they are thinking or draw what they are thinking... I use drawings, props, every pupil response techniques to make the lessons appropriate for kinders. 3. Be aware that you have to give kids the language they need to express their thinking. They think wonderful things but don't always know what words to use to share what they are thinking. They need us to model how we use words to describe what is going on in our heads. 3. Beware of the moniker :" developmentally appropriate." Sometimes that is used to hold kids down rather than move them forward. While I definitely believe that we must consider developmental stages and needs, don't think for a minute that all K kids cannot make inferences or that because they are fiver years old they think completely concretely all the time. And don't think for a minute that they must decode well before they can learn comprehension and thinking strategies. My K teachers and their students amaze me regularly with extremely high levels of thinking. I believe we should be teaching comprehension and thinking from the very beginning. Jennifer Maryland In a message dated 1/4/2009 3:11:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, lmkna...@aol.com writes:
2. Having said that, how much can we expect from the 5/6 year old Kindergarten kids?? How high should we raise the bar?? Does anyone out there have experience with the K kids? **************Stay up-to-date on the latest news - from fashion trends to celebrity break-ups and everything in between. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000024) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
