Comprehension

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Comprehension of Expository Text

• Chapter 13

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Expository Text

• Expository text is composed to communicate
  information.
• Its main goal is to transmit new facts and ideas.
  
• Expository material is more challenging than
  narrative.

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Types of Expository Text Structures

• analysis
• cause and effect
• classification
• comparison and contrast
• definition
• description
• enumeration
• identification
• illustration
• problem and solution
• sequence

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• There are many reasons why expository text is
  more difficult and may require some processes not
  used with narratives.
• content area materials are more difficult to
  comprehend
• written to convey new information which requires
  background information
• specialized vocabulary is used
• high-density material for students to read and
  remember
• high readability levels

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Introductory Transactions
As with comprehension instruction with narrative
materials, teacher guidance with expository
reading tasks should begin with activities
before the text is read.
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Building Background Knowledge
Employ K-W-L

• Assess What I Know
• Determine What I Want to Know
• Check What I Learned From My Reading

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Use Audiovisuals
It has been found to be more effective to view
filmstrips or movies before reading the text.
It will increase student background knowledge,
thus help comprehension, word recognition, and
vocabulary.
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Prequestioning
Questions asked before students read expository
text may boost comprehension rather then merely
testing it, as is sometimes the case when
questions are only asked afterwards.
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Provide Practice With Cause and Effect

• Teach cause-effect concept
• Use TV programs to emphasize the concept
• Prepare cause-effect cards
• Next move to cause and effect from the text
• Select passages that contain only a cause
• Use exercises where students need to determine
  which statement is a cause or effect
• Use interactive stories
• Discussion about the test
• Use cut-out arrows as manipulatives to label
  cause-effect
• Predict outcomes indirectly related to cause and
  effect

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Provide Prepractice with Sequence Pattern
A good activity directly related to the text is
to list the sequence of events from the text on
sentence strips, mix them up, and then have
students work in groups to rearrange them into
their correct order.
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Methods to Assist with Reading Expository Text

• Use a hierarchical summarization strategy
• form of outlining
• students attend to text cues such
• as headings and subheadings

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• 2) Insert questions into text
• typed copies of text are given with questions
  inserted
• questions will either help prompt a
  prediction of upcoming text or serve as a
  reflection of details

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Strategies that can be used with a variety of
texts

• a. Engage students with reciprocal teaching
• b. Use schematic diagrams and charts of
• text structure
• semantic mapping
• classification boxes
• sequence stair steps

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• c. Use learning journals
• d. Generate questions
• students generate questions based on what they
  have read, selecting important facts and concepts
• VIP - - - students must be taught how to
  generate questions

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Studying
Purpose of studying is to be able to recall data
for test-taking, written assignment, to
explain, oral presentation, job-related material.
Thus, studying is definitely tied to
comprehension. Studying involves
interpretation, constructing meaning, and the
knowledge brought to the text.
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Students' difficulty in studying is a result of
the encoding process---not getting any meaning
from text and retention.
Learning Skills includes skills in writing,
reading, locating and organizing information.
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Learning Strategies

• the process of selecting and using appropriate
  materials

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There is no one correct system to studying
but deep processing is the key.
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Goal is to induce the learner to concentrate and
expend more cognitive effort.
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Some examples of systems for studying are
Note-Taking, Outlining, Underlining, and Using
Study Guides
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Key to effective studying is for the student to
transfer the strategies taught in one class to
others when needed.
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Strategies for Enhancing Comprehension After
Reading Expository Text

1. Learning Journals Students are asked what they
   have learned from the material and are asked to
   personally respond.

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• Learning Journals
• In journals, students simulate roles
• Students make inferences about events
• Students share journals with peers
• Teacher replies to entries

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• Journal writers scored higher than others when
  assessed on immediate comprehension, also having
  higher recall of knowledge. This was attributed
  to engagement and interest derived from personal
  writing.

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1. Generating Questions When students compose
   questions, it is thought that they will
   concentrate on ideas they think the teacher deems
   important. Students need instruction in how to
   generate questions

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1. Before-and-during-reading expository text
   questions.

1. Previewing
2. Self-questioning
3. Making connections
4. Visualizing
5. Knowing how words work
6. Monitoring

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1. After-reading expository text questions

1. Summarizing
2. Evaluating

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Super Strategies for Comprehension of Expository
Text

1. Summarizing 101

1. Demonstrate how to omit non-essential info
2. Show how to leave out repeated details
3. Assist students in developing overarching labels
   for specifics
4. Help identify main idea and use it in summary
5. Show how to use main idea when not explicitly
   stated

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Extended Summaries

1. Compare material in connected chapters
2. First summarize chapters, then create a super
   summary

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Looking Back to teach use short expository
passages, then

1. ask 5 literal questions using look-backs
2. after reading next selection, ask questions
   requiring literal comprehension (look-back) and
   others needing background knowledge

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1. with next sample, read and ask only literal
   questions, guiding students to remember where
   answer was in the passage

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Critical Reading Concepts evaluating the
credibility of material read

1. Teach seven techniques of propaganda
2. Use magazine articles, newspapers

1. compare several accounts of the same incident

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1. identify fact and opinion
2. recognize quoting out of context
3. note false causality
4. identify writers purpose/bias
5. look for adequate proof/factual support

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What is metacognition?

• Metacognition is the knowledge individuals have
  about their own thinking.
• The control or regulation individuals have over
  their own thinking. (Control means doing
  something with the thinking processes if a need
  for change arises)

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Metacognition also refers to being aware of what
you are thinking and doing at any given time.
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The awareness may not be at the conscious level
. . . . .

• GOOD READERS JUST GET IT AND MOVE ON!

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• Poor readers tend to be inferior in the area of
  metacognition.
• Students can be taught metacognitive strategies
  but often students do not generalize those
  strategies to other reading situations.

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Metacognitive strategies involve planning

• thinking about the purpose for reading
• determining and focusing on what is important

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Other strategies involve monitoring

• being alert to when understanding occurs but also
  being aware of problems
• taking corrective actions

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• Metacognition requires complex processes. There
  are too many strategies to teach them all.
• Teachers should focus on one or two strategies
  that are most needed or relevant for their
  students
• Students can be taught to approach text
  metacognitively and can achieve proficiency!