Comprehending Text
The old story about teach a man to fish and he'll
feed himself forever has a lot of merit. The
trouble is that the way it works out right now, it
just doesn't work. There isn't the time. ... Our
focus has to be to make sure that the kids are
getting through, and it is pretty difficult to do
something that is separate from helping my kid pass
the next test.
The
truth is I have to ask myself which is more
important: teaching them a strategy that they can
use in a lot of classes, or getting them through
the class they're in right now. And for me, the
answer has to be both.
--Special
education teacher in an interview with Jim Knight,
KU-CRL research associate
In
the quote above, one teacher's perception of the
"real world" captures the dilemma faced by many
special educators. That is, how can they address
the immediate needs of their students and ensure
that students learn strategies that support
independence and self-sufficiency?
Strategy Instruction
- The Strategies
- Explicit Instruction of ONE Strategy Or Skill
- Activity: The Power of Strategy Instruction :Please read this article and think about / discuss the sticky note questions with your neighbor.
Text Layout
Supporting Text
- Types of text in selection
- Sidebars/Pull Boxes
- Typography (font and styles)
- Color
- Symbols and Icons
- Images and Graphics
- Organization
- Headers and Footers
- Chapter Questions
Make strategies explicit, embedded, and second nature
Focus on ONE strategy at a time
Teach by Releasing Ownership
- Modeling
- Guided Practice
- Repetition
- Independent use
- Reinforcement
- Monitoring
- Feedback
Provide guided practice with easier text
Provide guided practice with lifted text
Assist in identifying when to apply it
Coordinate general and special education efforts.
- Text to speech
- Choosing good supplemental text using student’s reading levels (lexiles, okapi)
- Teaching vocabulary and their relationship to unit
- Graphic Organizers
