Comprehension Constructors

Lesson Introduction:

Use the following guiding questions to clarify students’ understanding/background knowledge: What do you know about making inferences? How do we make inferences? Why do we need to draw from our background knowledge and question the text? Allow students to respond to and discuss responses to these questions and offer input or feedback as needed.

Explain that the activity that we will be doing involves making inferences and that we will also demonstrate other basic reading skills including monitoring and clarifying, using background knowledge, and questioning the text.

Guided Practice:

We will be working as a whole group. The students will be given a copy of the reading passage "The Butterfly" and the comprehension constructor to use with it. These will also be displayed using the overhead projector or Smart Board. Allow students to help with completing this activity as much as possible so that they are actively involved in the lesson. The students should also follow along with your demonstration of completing the comprehension constructor by filling in their copies.

Step by step explain and follow the instructions for the tasks listed on the comprehension constructor for "The Butterfly" as follows:

1. Think of any background knowledge related to butterflies and write it down.

Prompt students for responses and record them on the projected comprehension constructor.

2. Read the passage: "The Butterfly"

Read the passage aloud with the students.

3. As you read the passage, you should have a number of questions. Write down your questions in the margins near the text that causes them. (I want to see at least three.)

Prompt the students to question the text. Give examples if needed to get the started. Record the questions in the margins.

4. At the end of the passage, write a response. It should be a paragraph of at least four sentences.

Ask the students for their insights about the text. Write a brief response to the text using student input.

5. Look back at the questions you asked. Write the three best questions below and then decide where the answers can be found: in the text, in your head, or in another source.

Ask the students for their opinions of the three best questions that were asked and write them down. Ask them where they think the answers can be found and to explain their reasoning. Write this down as well.

Question 1:
The answer can be found:

Question 2:
The answer can be found:

Question 3:
The answer can be found:

Independent Practice:

The students will be given a copy of the reading passage "The Monster in the Barn" and the comprehension constructors to use with it. They will be given time to independently complete the activities listed on the comprehension constructor as modeled and practiced before with the whole group for "The Butterfly". Check for understanding of the activity and begin when students are ready to proceed. The teacher monitors the students’ effective use of the comprehension constructor.

Small Group Work:

The students will now work in their assigned groups of 3 to 4 students and discuss their questions about the text and responses to the text. This will provide opportunities for those who need additional support in the learning to get help from their peers and for all students to check for understanding of the text. The teacher again checks for understanding before beginning this activity and monitors the activity to check for student progress with the successful completion of the activity and for productive discussions.

Lesson Closure:

The class comes back together as a whole group to review and share some of the processes that took place individually and in small group work (i.e background knowledge of the reading topic, questions that were asked about the text, answers to these questions, responses to the reading, checking for understanding of the text). Tie into this conclusion of the activities the importance of making inferences while reading text. Allow students opportunities to explain the importance of inferences and give examples of how and why they believed we used them in this lesson. Again, offer input and feedback as needed. The overhead/Smart Board projector may be used to display the reading passage and/or comprehension constructor if needed.

Assessment:

Assessment will take the form of student participation, teacher observations, and a written activity. Moreover, small group and whole group discussions and writing to communicate what was learned from the reading activities will provide assessment opportunities.

Adaptations/Variations to the Lesson:

Allow peer teaching/modeling to offer support for struggling readers and provide a challenge for the stronger readers, provide reading passages on each individual student’s reading level for the independent practice to challenge those who are on higher reading levels and/or support those who are on lower reading levels; work in small groups with students who need additional help; and/or cover the lesson over two days instead of one by introducing the lesson and completing the guided practice on day one and completing independent practice and the lesson closure on day two.