Supporting+Comprehension

Initiated by Lauren VanTassel Reading aloud to children is beneficial in that it has calming effects on children, develops an interest in books, and is essential in reading development. However, further research has shown that read-alouds are most effective when students are given the opportunity to ask questions, make predictions, and respond to questions. Encouraging discussion provides students with opportunities to focus and learn more than if they were passively listening (Ceprano, 2010, p. 2). Barrentine (1996) further notes that students interact with each other and the teacher, and begin to internalize the ability to use process and strategy information (p. 38).
 * __Supporting Comprehension and Modeling Reading Behaviors through Interactive Read-Alouds__**

Through introducing the text, the teacher opens up an opportunity for students to activate their schema, an important part of the comprehension process. Schema theory states that reading is an active process where readers develop ideas and concepts based on prior knowledge (Morrison and Wlodarczyk, 2012). Students interpret the information they are listening to and relate it to what they have experienced, either personally or through literature. Interactive read-alouds can be used to integrate the cultural backgrounds and personal knowledge of the students, therefore using their own lives to shape their knowledge. Students can use their own background knowledge to extend and build understanding, which is important to learning and developing literacy (Wiseman, 2012, p. 259).

The teacher can also encourage students to make predictions based on illustrations within the book. Teachers then should continue along with the read-aloud, encouraging interactions. These interactions help students notice parts of the story that they might otherwise overlook (Barrentine, 1996, p. 39). According to Barrentine (1996), “Because read-alouds are rich opportunities for literacy demonstrations, teachers can direct student responses when teachable moments arise. Teachable moments are opportunities for providing children with insights about process or content knowledge” (p. 40).

Because comprehending information is the principle of reading or listening to literature, it is important to teach effective strategies. According to Morrison and Wlodarczyk (2012), “Meaningful conversational discussion has enormous value to the learning process as it stimulates and extends students' thinking while building and supporting social learning communities” (para. 30). Additionally, Morrison and Wlodarczyk (2012) note that discussion allows for sharing of ideas, alternative perspectives, and problem solving. It also allows students to revisit, question, and clarify text ideas, which promote higher cognitive abilities (2012). Another strategy involves the discussion web, which calls for students to think of individual ideas based on their knowledge of the text, then work as a pair to record and discuss their ideas before meeting with another pair of students to share these ideas. It allows for all voices to be heard, and further develops the students’ ability to think, discuss, read, and listen (Morrison and Wlodarczyk, 2012). Teachers can also help students make connections. Making connections not only encourages students to engage with the text, but it also encourages them to take their newly acquired information beyond the current lesson. The teacher can help encourage making connections by providing examples throughout the lesson, focusing on the three types of connections: text-to-self connections, text-to-text connections, and text-to-world connections (Morrison and Wlodarczyk, 2012). As children respond to texts, they are informed by their own experiences, drawing from their own ideas to build and create knowledge (Wiseman, 2010, p. 432).

The teacher can make comprehension explicit by modeling how to read, understand, and analyze a story. By thinking aloud, the teacher can show an understanding of the text, as well as model ways of understanding, which is important to teach beginning readers how to find and make meaning. According to Wiseman (2011), “Read alouds are important learning opportunities for students as teachers and peers can model and scaffold comprehension strategies and textual features in an active process” (p. 432). During classroom conversations, the teacher can guide the instruction while the students build meaning. Meaning making is based on a series of exchanges and relies on all members of the classroom. Interactive read alouds help form dialogue and classroom interaction, which provides an important opportunity for children to respond to literature, and build on their strengths to create knowledge (Wiseman, 2011, p. 432). Research has shown that students reading text with teacher guided discussion has the most positive effects. There is evidence that comprehension increases when students have opportunities to be part of the conversation. Conversations surrounding the text have an impact on reading instruction because they have a relationship to the children’s development of comprehension strategies. Additionally, when students have opportunities to explore ideas, they make the story relate to their own lives, which increases the learning of the student (Wiseman, 2012, p. 259).

According to Wiseman (2012), “When teachers hold high expectations and engage students in active and challenging reading activities, students are more productive and motivated to learn” (p. 260). Engaging students in the reading process through interactive read-alouds helps to keep students motivated. Allowing students to be an active part of the reading process, including using techniques to build comprehension, will not only strengthen a student’s reading ability, but will also foster a love of reading.


 * Interactive Read Aloud with Thinking Partners:**

media type="youtube" key="qYoeVkf3s7E" height="315" width="420" Video from: http://youtu.be/qYoeVkf3s7E

__References__ Barrentine, S. J. (1996). Engaging with reading through interactive read-alouds. //The Reading Teacher, 50//(1), 36. Retrieved from @http://search.ebscohost.com.libproxy.clemson.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=tfh&AN=9706160250&site=ehost-live Ceprano, M. (2010). Examining the benefits of interactive read-alouds on young children’s vocabulary development: Pre-service teachers as researchers. //Journal of Inquiry & Action in Education//, 3(2). Retrieved from [] Heinemann Videos. (2010, August 16). Strategies for teaching reading: Thinking partners [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/qYoeVkf3s7E Morrison, V. & Wlodarczyk, L. (2012). Revisiting read-aloud: Instructional strategies that encourage students' engagement with text. Retrieved from [] Wiseman, A.M. (2010). Interactive read alouds: Teachers and students constructing knowledge and literacy together. //Early Childhood Education Journal//, 38:431–438. Retrieved from [] Wiseman, A.M. (2012). Resistance, engagement, and understanding: A profile of a struggling emergent reader responding to read-alouds in a kindergarten classroom. //Reading & Writing Quarterly: Overcoming Learning Difficulties//, 28:3, 255-278. Retrieved from []