My two biggest thrusts in working with students in the content area, especially those who are challenged by the denseness of so many content area texts, is understanding text structure and, as Carol said, really front loading vocabulary and background knowledge. I find so often that we want them to determine importance or understand main ideas or author's bias, when the foundational understanding of text structure is missing. Without that understanding, they're lost. Martha
-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, Jul 21, 2010 11:43 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Fw: Comprehension in Content Areas Recently I had a conversation with some colleagues about determing importance and finding the main idea. Many struggling kids give equal weight to all info contained in text no matter what genre. If kids can't find what important, how can they solve a math word problem, take notes, maintain a focus idea in their writing, or even study for a test? Many can't so they struggle in every content area. I'm not saying this is the only reason they might struggle but it can answer a lot of questions. Sue -----Original Message----- From: C McLoughlin <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, Jul 21, 2010 1:25 pm Subject: [MOSAIC] Fw: Comprehension in Content Areas My favorite approach to reading in the content areas is SQ3R. It incorporates previewing, questioning, monitoring for comprehension, and summarizing. It gives students a method with which to break down difficult texts. It does need to be directly and explicitly taught and reviewed a few times before students can apply it independently, but that is true for all strategies. It can be very effective for expository text, and I've used it successfully in teaching social studies and science. A graphic organizer that leads them through the steps can be helpful for students who find it difficult to assimilate the process. Also very important - and this is more a teaching strategy than a reading strategy per se - is explicitly teaching key vocabulary upfront, with pictorial support where possible, so that the students have the best opportunity to comprehend the major concepts, which are assumedly associated with the vocabulary. Carol Mc Reading Specialist/ESL Teacher ----- Forwarded Message ---- From: Lascelia Cadienne Dacres <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Wed, July 21, 2010 10:30:12 AM Subject: [MOSAIC] Comprehension in Content Areas Hello Everyone, I am a Learning Team Facilitator (curriculum specialist) and I work with other teachers in the various content areas such as social studies, math, and science etc. At my middle school, we want our students to use the same strategies in their different classes.We believe it will be easier for students to see how reading strategies are relevant outside of their reading class. As Reading Specialists, teachers with a reading background, your suggestions are very important. What are some comprehension strategies that you think will work well in the content areas described above? and why? Thank you in Advance for your Responses, Lascelia Dacres _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
