I enjoyed reading this chapter. This chapter gave several key points to teaching comprehension.
It is important to start with comprehension in mind if we are to end up with comprehension. Teachers need to begin teaching comprehension by thinking about the texts students are reading as well as the texts we want them to be able to read and write. Teachers may teach skills and strategies but it is important to provide students with the necessary support for creating, understanding, and enjoying worthwhile texts. We need to introduce students to challenging and interesting texts to create critical thinkers, inquirers, and problem solvers as they are becoming readers. Readers can use many strategies to become proficient readers. These strategies are making connections with the text, monitoring their reading for meaning, determining what's most important, visualizing the story in their mind, asking questions of the author, making inferences, and to synthesize ideas. Students need time for independent reading which will enable them to use and practice these strategies for comprehension.
I love how you connected reading and writing! Yes, to comprehend what we read, we also want to equip students to create their own writings. You mention lots of neat ideas in here--what are you already doing/want to try doing in your classroom?
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