Supporting Beginning Readers in Reading to Learn: A Comprehension Strategy

Introduction

• Title: How can we support our early and emergent readers to read and understand informational texts?

• Aim: Improve students’ comprehension of informational texts in grade 1.

• Comprehension viewed as an active process of constructing meaning through interaction with the text.

• Emphasizes simultaneous learning to read and reading to learn (Robb, 2002).

Read, Stop, Think, Ask, Connect Strategy

• Purpose: Support beginning readers in understanding informational texts.

• Mimics the thought processes of proficient readers.

• Adaptable to varying text demands and reader abilities.

• Strategy involves cycling through its five steps multiple times.

Step 1: Read

• Focus: Recognizing challenges of informational texts.

• Importance of multiple information sources: text, images, labels, diagrams.

• Encourages recognition that different text features provide supplementary information.

• Questions for readers:

  • Where is the information on this page or in this book?

  • Have I looked at the pictures, labels, diagrams, and other features?

Step 2: Stop

• Focus: Stopping frequently due to dense writing and complex vocabulary.

• Allows time for processing unfamiliar terms and concepts.

• Questions for readers:

  • Do I think I understand the information?

  • Do I need to reread a section?

Step 3: Think

• Focus: Reflecting on text structure to enhance meaning comprehension.

• Encourages summary from various sources.

• Identification of keywords and structural elements improves understanding.

• Questions for readers:

  • Did the author give me any clues in text organization?

  • What do the words in the text mean?

  • How does this align with the information from pictures?

Step 4: Ask

• Focus: Engaging in dialogue with the text.

• Promotes deeper engagement by asking questions.

• Questions for readers:

  • What is the author trying to tell me?

  • Why would the author want me to know that?

Step 5: Connect

• Focus: Making connections to prior knowledge through various types of connections.

• Enhances comprehension by relating new information to what is already known.

• Questions for readers:

  • What does this information remind me of?

  • Have I seen something like this before?

Introducing the Strategy

• Recommended a scaffolded read-aloud/think-aloud process for introducing.

• Modeling the strategy using simple informational texts is crucial.

• Guided practice leads to independent use of the strategy.

Considerations for Implementation

Prior Learning

• Assess students' prior understanding to effectively make connections.

• Different levels of connection abilities (text-to-self, text-to-text, text-to-world).

Text Selection

• Choose simple texts with engaging topics and multiple text features.

• Emphasis on deep reading rather than quantity.

Multimodal Support

• Use visual aids (posters) and gestures to enhance understanding of each strategy step.

• Graphic organizers (T-charts, Venn diagrams) could aid comprehension.

Conclusion

• The Read, Stop, Think, Ask, Connect strategy is effective in aiding beginning readers navigate informational texts and foster deep meaning construction.

• Encouragement for educators to implement this strategy to help children read and learn simultaneously.