Reading Comprehension

Group Work/Collaborative Learning: Learners use several advanced text comprehension strategies to analyse and interpret a variety of level appropriate texts.
1. Story map
- In mixed ability/mixed gender groups, learners work collaboratively to analyse and interpret given texts using story maps.
- Learners watch a video or a demonstration on how to use story maps to analyse texts.
- Text must be gender responsive to enable learners interrogate their own stereotype about gender.
- In small groups, learners use information from the brainstorming exercise to fill columns appropriately on the story map sheets.
- Groups transfer their findings on bigger sheets (e.g., flip chart sheets, old calendar backs, etc.) and paste them on the classroom walls for a gallery walk.
- Learners critique one another's work, giving constructive comments and taking feedback to help them (learners) develop problem-solving competencies and to understand their capabilities in relation to others.
- Encourage learners to work in groups to apply their knowledge of story mapping to analyse stories from a variety of texts including learners' Core Literature set books.
Talk for Learning (TFL):
2. Cooperative Learning with Jigsaw
- In mixed ability/mixed gender groups of four or five members, learners learn to use the Cooperative Learning with Jigsaw strategy to enhance their comprehension of text/passage (that can be divided into four or five parts). In their home groups (original groups learners belong to before they break into reading groups), each member is responsible for reading one of the text divisions.
- Learners break into their Expert Groups (reading groups made up of only those who have been assigned, by their individual home groups, to read a particular portion of the given text). They read and critically discuss only their assigned portion.
- Encourage learners to record their answers and use it to:
i. Complete graphic organizers
ii. Summarize the text or
iii. Answer text-based questions
- At the end of the reading session, each expert goes back to relay their analysis to their home group.
- After all home group members have relayed their message, the group proves their understanding of the text by answering high-level comprehension questions (inferential and evaluative questions).
- Learners should be encouraged to learn to embrace gender equality and to address injustice/inequalities through these group activities.
- Give learners enough practice in these strategies to enhance their text comprehension.
Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Video on how to do story mapping
- Blank Story map organizer templates
- A variety of texts for story mapping
- Books, including set books for Core Literature and other subjects areas
- Large sheets - flip chart or old calendar backs and gallery walk activities
- A variety of texts (fiction and non-fiction) for practising how to classify and answer the various types of comprehension questions
- A variety of passages for practising how to answer the lexical comprehension questions.
- Word and sentence cards
- Reading report charts.
- A variety of storybooks
- A collection of texts including Passages across curricular and from Core LiteratureinEnglish set books
- Videos on reading fluency
- Tape recordings on fluent reading.
Assessment (2.2.1.AS.1). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 2 Skills of conceptual understanding; Level 4 Extended critical thinking and reasoning.