Reading Resources | Shining Readers

Comprehension

Comprehension is the heart of reading. We read to understand and learn about the world in which we live.

Fluency

Reading fluently means reading with ease. Fluency is directly related to comprehension.

Read Aloud

The building blocks of literacy begin with reading aloud and talking about books.

Vocabulary

To understand what we read, we need to understand the individual words and ideas represented.

Comprehension

9 Comprehension Strategies Active Readers Use

discuss/summarize a story or facts learned in a non-fiction book
check comprehension – they know that reading is supposed to make sense and use a variety of strategies to “fix” their reading. Slow down, reread, ask questions
ask questions during reading to clarify and make sense of the book
create a movie or picture in their mind while reading so they can see, feel, hear, and maybe taste or smell, the story
think as they read
bring what they already know to the reading experience – their knowledge, experiences, memories, beliefs, and opinions, and can make a connection Before reading, the reader asks What do I already know about this topic?
determine importance by thinking about the book and determining the big ideas while sifting through the details After reading, the reader asks, What’s really important here? What are the “magnet words” (or most important words or ideas) in this passage?
predict, infer, or draw conclusions before, during, and after reading
synthesize or interpret a deeper understanding based on what they read, know and conclude

Read about Dr. Kaye’s research on Second Graders’ Reading Behaviors

Draw a picture. Called Storyboarding, drawing quick pictures during reading helps children remember better the sequence of events in a story. Research shows that children who create a picture in their mind as they read, remember details of the story better. A picture is worth a thousand words.
Read and pause. Prior to reading, have child decide where to stop (while reading) and retell main points of the reading. Then read to that stopping point. If your child cannot remember, then have he/she reread. If this proves difficult, then back up and have child reread one paragraph and retell.
Ask questions. Prior to reading, have your child think about Why am I reading this? What do I think this will be about? What do I know about this topic? (making connections)
During reading, encourage your child ask questions to clarify understanding or revise predictions.
After reading, have your child ask What was this passage mostly about? What did I learn? What do I still want to know?
Leave tracks. During reading, encourage active thinking by having your child jot questions/comments in the margins (or use post-a-notes).

Family-friendly resource on comprehension, Zimmermann, S. & Hutchins, C.’s book, 7 Keys to Comprehension.
Resource to learn how the brain works and ways to encourage remembering, Brain Rules by John Medina.
How Do You Know When Someone Really Understands a Topic? Your child really understands a topic if he/she can teach another person about it and/or if your child can write about it and apply what he/she learned. More time needs to be spent after the reading (especially when reading non-fiction) because it helps us remember better what we just read.

Fluency

• words accurately and automatically without decoding
• in phrases
• with expression
• punctuation – stopping at periods and voice rising at a question mark
• at a good pace

model fluent reading by read aloud
reread familiar books
increase the number of sight words (high frequency words) read automatically
read poetry together – at least 3 times
- 1st time: to get the rhythm of the poem and how it goes
- 2nd time: to read effortlessly now that all the words are known
- 3rd time: to understand the poem
increase reading volume (time spent on reading)
echo reading – the fluent reader reads a line and the non-fluent reader echoes or repeats the same line
paired reading – a fluent reader and non-fluent reader read in unison YET the fluent reader sets the pace for reading
using fluency phrases

Learn more about fluency

Readers need high success texts in order to promote fluency with few adult interruptions.
Richard Allington

Read Aloud

Families: How Read Aloud Helps
Teachers: Interactive Read Aloud Supports Classroom Instruction

• encourages oral language development
• builds knowledge about the world we live in
• grows vocabulary (which enables a child to read these words later)
• increases attention span and listening skills
• develops comprehension skills that reading is supposed to make sense
• inspires, informs, and/or entertains, using print media
• creates “cuddle” time with your child
• sends the message that reading matters by being a reading role model
• models fluent reading (and how reading is supposed to sound)
• Book Lists (one of many lists; breaks down by grade level with classics listed at the end)

Vocabulary

High frequency words (sight words) make up 75% of what we read
High frequency words read automatically, accurately, and quickly, impact fluency and comprehension
Dolch word lists are lists of high frequency words
School district’s vocabulary word lists (formal or informal) and standardized test vocabulary words aid in student success

learn a few words at a time, using spaced-out practice sessions
read aloud, especially non-fiction books helps your child “grow” his/her vocabulary with oral language development (pronunciation/grammar), build background knowledge, and expose your child to material (books, genres, vocabulary) above his/her reading level
increase sight words read automatically, using flashcards and purposefully chosen books that contain those words
review words in different context, talk about the words and use these words when speaking
word association by connecting new word to an already familiar word or concept….illustrator – illustrate – illustration
teach prefixes which help readers decode or “chunk” longer words into parts which in turn, helps with pronunciation and meaning
illustrate/draw a picture or visual representation of the new word
teach context clues, clues the author gives readers to help them figure out the meaning of unknown words
encourage wide reading (different books and genres) and having purposeful conversations which build background knowledge and “grows” vocabulary

refer to previous list
direct vocabulary instruction and visual representation of new vocabulary
teach a few words well rather than many words
teach prefixes
teach context clues
provide interactive read aloud
require personal student word notebooks with self-selected words and required words
display and utilize word walls and anchor charts hung at students’ level
incorporate the Frayer Model
use word charts/table to show relationships between words, concepts, ideas
utilize semantic mapping of words to show relationships between words, concepts, ideas
model dictionary.com
read Marzano’s Building Academic Vocabulary and Beck, McKowen, & Kucan’s Bringing Words to Life: Robust Vocabulary Instruction (which words to teach)