Module 2 DB Post Question: Current research in reading stresses that comprehension occurs when a reader actively creates meaning from a text and that there are four conditions, the reader, the text, the task, and the context, that determine what meaning a reader will construct. • How will this definition of reading comprehension inform the types of literacy activities students will engage in while in your classroom? • Have you had any experiences with a comprehension breakdown due to one of the four conditions? What are some of the literacy skills students need to access the texts of your discipline? Use specific examples to illustrate your point. Preparations for this week’s discussion reminded me that there is a big difference between reading and comprehension. Students may be able to identify the words on the page, but may struggle to actually understand the meaning of the words they read. Comprehension tells us how the reader is making meanings from the written word. “Research reveals that proficient readers employ a host of comprehension processes as they read and learn. These comprehension processes provide the bedrock for learning in our classrooms, from the early grades through high school and college” (Buehl 4). The four conditions that determine what meaning a reader will construct from a text are: the reader, the text, the task, and the context. What the reader brings to the reading situation could mean both the reader’s ability to decipher the words on the page and his or her ability to apply the reading to their previous knowledge. As a teacher, I need to consider my students’ motivation and what knowledge and abilities they bring to the task so I can adjust my teaching accordingly. The text itself is also an important aspect to consider when thinking of how to best facilitate reading comprehension in the classroom. Qualitative factors like text structure are important to recognize as possible stumbling blocks for students. In a science book, pictures and diagrams are just as important to read as the actual words on the page, but students may not know that and may need to be taught this as a skill. Additionally, quantitative factors such as the Lexile score of the text can help me determine how challenging a specific piece of text may be for my students. For example, when we study organ systems, I may have everything from pop-up books to high school level texts for the students to read so that I can reach all of my students and meet them where they are in comprehending what we are learning from the text. The nature of the reading task plays a role in students’ comprehension during the activity. It is important to consider how the students will use the information from the reading activity so that they can better understand what to ‘do’ with the information gleaned from the text. Will they be tested on the material or is it just general knowledge? One reading task my students really seem to actually enjoy is current events. I frequently assign current events for the students to do whenever I must have a substitute. The students are can choose a recent science magazine from my desk and choose any article in the magazine that they’d like to write about. They have to write down how the topic affects them personally, our community, and our world. When I come back to school, the students are excited to ask me questions about the topics they read about when I was gone. They seem to enjoy the freedom of the task, and as a result also actually enjoy reading about science. Understanding the context in which the reading assignment occurs is also an important factor in determining how well students may comprehend the text. The context includes everything in the environment in which the students are doing the reading. This could include the temperature of the room, the time of day, and the openness of discussions around the text. In science, my students are always very concerned whether or not their interpretation of the text is “correct” and sometimes this causes them to refrain from giving any answer at all because they think they will be “wrong”. I’ve been working with them on this notion, and trying to help them understand that all scientists make mistakes or have different viewpoints – and when their ideas do need to be corrected I try to do it in the kindest way possible. Some literacy skills that students need in order to access texts in my science classes include making connections and visualizing. In life science, we study the characteristics of living things. To help them understand these characteristics thoroughly, I need to remind them of connections in the characteristics of living things to experiences in their own lives. In addition, I have them imagine different scenarios so that they can make better connections to the text. For example, I ask the students what they do when they touch something very hot – then we relate that to our understanding of response to stimuli. References Buehl, D. (2014) Classroom Strategies for Interactive Learning (4th ed.). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. McLaughlin, M. (2015). Content Area Reading Teaching and Learning for College and Career Readiness (2nd ed.). Pearson.