Week+Eight

What is necessary for effective comprehension instruction? What do we need to think about?

Comprehension defined: process and product IF comprehension is a problem solving process used to take and make meaning from texts, THEN teachers should... IF comprehension is the end product of the problem-solving process (the content or ideas learned), THEN teachers should... IF comprehension varies based on learner, text, task, teacher/teaching, and context, THEN teachers should...
 * problem-solving process used to take and make meaning from print and non-print texts (Cornett, 2010, p.6)
 * product: end product of the problem-solving process- the content or ideas learned from reading, listening, or viewing a text (Cornett, 2010, p.6)
 * varies based on learner, text, task, teacher/teaching, and context

Stuff we are not going to spend a lot of time on but are important to consider:
 * 1) Teacher's vision, knowledge, and beliefs of and about comprehension
 * 2) Supportive learning context
 * 3) Time
 * 4) Attention to "skills": decoding, word analysis, text structure, fluency, vocabulary
 * 5) Texts (we'll spend a bit of time here)

Stuff we'll spend more time on:
 * 1) Comprehension strategies
 * 2) Motivation and Engagement
 * 3) Response
 * 4) Literacy "main events" such as interactive read alouds, independent reading, small group work

Explicit Teaching
Discussion: "Watch me do it" versus "Listen to me tell you how to do it" (Wiggins, 2007) Dana Explicit instruction involves demonstration accompanied by a clear explanation of the purpose of the task. Explicit teaching leaves no doubt about what to do and think. Should be reserved for key concepts, strategies, and processes of great consequence that should not be left to discovery (Cornett, 2010).
 * Plan teaching time and focus (5-10 minutes)
 * Model thinking
 * Provide scaffolded practice
 * I do (Explanation and modeling), We do (Scaffolded or coached group practice), You do (Coached or scaffolded independent practice), Re do (Cued independent use/debriefing)