Reading Comprehension

Group Work/Collaborative Learning:
Learners use advanced text comprehension strategies to analyse and interpret a variety of texts for enhanced comprehension.
Reciprocal Teaching as a Collaborative Strategy
- Learners work collaboratively to read a text or section of a text together as a class.
- The text must be devoid of gender bias language and characters to enable learners to interrogate their own stereotype about gender.
- Start with a short, simple-structure text and move to complex and lengthy texts as learners become familiar with the strategy
- In mixed ability/mixed gender groups of four, learners work collaboratively to analyse a text with each group member being assigned a specific task: 1. The Questioner (responsible for formulating two questions based on the text) 2. The Clarifier (responsible for finding two unknown words or ideas in the text) 3. The Summarizer (responsible for drawing a picture that represents the main idea of the text) and 4. The Predictor (responsible for predicting what might happen if the text was to continue).
- Learners listen to the teacher walk them through the Reciprocal Teaching Worksheets and without talking to any member of the group, each learner works independently on his/her worksheet to complete their portions of the first part of the worksheet.
Talk for Learning:
- Learners work collaboratively to critically discuss and complete the second part of the worksheet.
- Groups start with the questioner box, finding answers to the Questioner's two questions.
- Next, the groups work together to define or explain the Clarifier's unknown words or ideas.
- The Summariser then shows the group his or her picture. The rest of the group works together to draw a similar picture on their worksheets.
- They collaboratively write two or three-sentence summary under the picture.
- The group learns to tolerate and respect one another's views.
- Finally, the Predictor reveals his or her prediction and the group members record the prediction on their own papers.
- Then the group works together to find evidence in the text that supports the prediction.
- Leadership roles should be assigned to both male and female members to enable learners to challenge traditional gender roles and advocate for inclusion.
- The groups share their work with the rest of the class for peer review and to reflect on what they have learnt as well as how they have learnt it.
Talk for Learning (TFL):
Metacognitive strategies
- Learners apply metacognitive strategies to critically analyse complex texts.
- Learners practise this close reading activity on short but complex texts. They read the text three times.
- Text must be devoid of gender bias language to enable learners embrace gender equality.
- Learners do the first reading independently and silently focusing on key ideas and details by using metacognitive markers in the margin of the text (to indicate what is not clear and how it will be made clearer, e.g. it will be reread, the preceding paragraphs will be read for a clue, etc.).
- Learners do the second reading by focusing on the craft and structure of the text.
- They listen to the teacher read the text aloud. Learners in turn circle unknown words, highlight main ideas and underline key details as examples of activities for focusing on meaning
- In mixed ability/mixed gender groups, learners do the third reading to synthesise and apply information from the text by answering text-based questions, connecting the text to other sources of information (self, another text or the world) or analyse specific literary devices as examples of text analysis activities.
- Learners share their work with other members of the class for peer feedback (to enable learners develop problem solving competences).
Experiential Learning:
Learners use a combination of reading and text comprehension strategies learnt in the lower classes to interact with a variety of texts appropriately.
- Learners read a variety of texts (fiction or nonfiction), ranging from simple to complex and more complex structures silently using a combination of text comprehension strategies learnt earlier to enhance their comprehension.
- Learners can predict a text, skim the text for the gist; scan for specific answers, read the text closely for deeper understanding, visualize the text as they read to enhance their understanding, etc.
- Learners identify and classify questions asked on each of the passages according to their types; and work in pairs to answer each question appropriately.
- Ask questions that will make learners answer a variety of questions: literal, inferential, critical (evaluation) questions as well as vocabulary and lexical questions on given texts.
Teaching and Learning Resources:
- Copies of a variety of texts for collaborative annotation activities
- A variety of coloured markers or pens
- A variety of texts including drama and poems
Assessment (3.2.1.AS.1). The document marks these depth-of-knowledge levels for this indicator: Level 2 Skills of conceptual understanding; Level 3 Strategic reasoning; Level 4 Extended critical thinking and reasoning.