Comprehension+Shouldn't+Be+Silent

Comprehension Shouldn't Be Silent: From Strategy Instruction to Student Independence
Michelle J. Kelley & Nicki Clausen-Grace International Reading Association, 2007

Chapter 1: Introducing the Metcognitive Framework

 * Effective readers are aware of mistakes and self correct
 * Metacognition is the active monitoring and regulation of the cognitive processes
 * Metacognition ids an internal procedss and is hard to see
 * There are four levels of metacognitive knowledge:
 * 1) Tacit learners/readers - lack awareness of their thinking
 * 2) Aware learners/readers - they know when meaning breaks down but don't know what to do about it, they lack the strategies
 * 3) Strategic readers/learners - know when meaning breaks down and have some strategies to fix meaning
 * 4) Refelctive readers/learners - they reflect on their reading and intentionally apply strategies, not only when meaning is lost, but also to deepen understanding
 * Metacognition can be taught and can be integtrated into subject matter.
 * Mental strategies need to be modeled, then the responsibility is transfered from the teacher to the student.




 * Teaching strategies alone does not promote thoughtful literacy, We need to inform students the goals of an activity or strategy.
 * The goal of teaching is for student to be indepenent and self-reliant learners.
 * The goal of comprehension instructionshould be "on the development of transferable strategoies" that promote the "independent use of effective thinking while reading" (Allington, 2006. p.20)
 * The MTF allows students to define, recognize and apply variuous strategies and components. It is developed to make students gain a deeper understanding of what, how, and when they predict, connect, question, visualize, and summarize
 * 5 strategies are of main focus:
 * 1) **Predicting** - Readers use clues from the text and their background knoweldge to predict what will happen of what information the text will supply. Students confirm, reject, and adjust their thinking based on what they are reading, text evidence, and their own experiences.
 * 2) **Making Connections** - Readers relate or make connections to something they have experience, read, or viewed (through other media). Three types of connections are created - text to self, text to text, and text to world.. Connections help readers to understsand the text.
 * 3) **Questioning** - Before, during nad after reading questions are posed and created. Students actively wonder and questions a text.
 * 4) **Visualizing** - Using the reader's senses allows them to experience the text (picture, smell, taste, hear, feel).
 * 5) **Summarizing** - Readers can grasp the essesnse of the text and report the essential parts, identify the main ideas and supporting details


 * These strategies are best taught in a comprehensive literacy block (balanced literacy).
 * The teaching and learning of the strategies is scaffolded, beginning first with explicit strsategy instruction.

Instructional structures of balanced literacy used to teach strategies:
 * 1. Think aloud -** teachers describe hte strategy as they read the text aloud. These lessons are highly focused, explicit, and ell planned. Teachers model their thinking out loud.
 * 2 Shared Reading and Cooperative Read Aloud** - As the teacher read ths text aloud, student can jump in and share their thinking as they read along.
 * 3. Interactive Read Aloud** - Teachers read to the students a well written text. Learning is spontaneous, students gain an appreciaition for various genres, authors, titles, and have opportuities for discussion. Daily Read alouds allows opportunity for think alouds focusing only one or two strategies per session.
 * 4. Guided Reading** - Teacher are working with a small group of students on specific skills using a text at the student's instrucitonal level. guided reading is strategy focused. Small group instrcution may be used for strategy, skill, or comprehension. See differences betwee nthe two.
 * 5. Literature Circles** - Student led peer dicsussion is focused on student selected text based on interest.
 * 6. R5** - Read, Relax, Reflect, Respond and Rap is a structured independent reading time. Students practice reading strategies. Three phases of scaffloding is present - Read and Relax (students read independently), Refelct and Respond (students think about strastegy used and record) Rap (students share strategies used with a partner and whole group with teacher facilitation).

Digging Deeper into the Metacognitive Teaching Framework

 * Think Aloud**
 * Think alouds are broken into three parts:
 * 1) Introducing, explaining, and defining strategy components
 * 2) Noticing and applying strategy components
 * 3) Clarifying strategy purpose.

Students are introduced to the components of the strategy in focus. Discussion ocurrs on the components of the strategy Teacher modelss the strategy during a read aloud. the teacher has preselected a text and thought about places where you will pause to point out the strategy in focus and talk about hte mental processes. Tallying of the components can be conducted at this poinbt by using a large poster of the Tally Sheet. Wrap up the lessons(s) by restating the purpose of the think aloud and clarify the students strategy use.
 * Phase 1: Introducing, explaining, and defining strategy components**
 * Phase 2: Noticing and applying strategy components**
 * Phase 3: Clarifying strategy purpose**


 * Refining Strsategy Use**
 * Students begin to identify and record their strategy use on their personal tally sheets, complete with a self assessment of the strategy use.
 * Another whole group shared reading lesson may be used to get students familiar with the strategy. Small group instruciton may occurr for reinforcement, close up practice and continued modeling.


 * Letting a Strategy Gel**
 * The purpose is to move students from a superficial level by simply noticing the strategy into purposeful and automatic application of the strategy.
 * As students gain familiarity with the strategy components, they can use their tally sheets during content area reading, independent reading and small group instuction or guided reading.


 * Self Assessment and Goal Setting**
 * Only once students have practiced the strategy and have become familiar with the components, then they can reflect on their personal strategy use.
 * Students can use the self-assessment scaffolding sheet and choose and identify an area they need to work on and identify areas they do well in.
 * Teacher scaffolding is minimized at this point.
 * How do I Impliment //Comprehension Shouldn't Be Silent//?**
 * A sample year plan is located on page 23-24 of //**Comprehension Shouldn't Be Silent**//.

For Grade 6-8, please visit the Middle Years wiki