It is wonderful to see that your students are fluent readers reading above the grade level norms. In the early years of elementary school, it is our goal as teachers to get our students to become fluent readers. As they get into upper grades, like third grade, we must put more time into teaching comprehension strategies and encouraging students to focus on the meaning of the text. The purpose of reading is to comprehend the text rather than to finish it quickly with few errors. I have a few suggestions on ways to encourage your students to focus on the meaning of the passage, while still reading quickly and efficiently.
First, encourage your readers to slow down. They are above grade level norms, so slowing down a bit will not hinder them in any way. Actually, slowing down is going to allow them to focus more on comprehension and less on speed. Make sure they know that their goal is to see who finishes the quickest, but rather who understands the most from what they read.
Second, model "thinking aloud" to your students as you read. Allow them to hear the questions you are asking as you read. Here are some examples of questions to ask aloud as you read. I wonder what the main character is going to do next? I predict ... is going to happen next. I wonder why the character acted in that way. Why does the character feel ....? These are questions that will have your readers constantly thinking about the plot of the text. This will make it easier to grasp the entire meaning once the reader finishes reading. Encourage the reader to stop and ask herself similar questions to the ones you model for her.
Lastly, make comprehension fun. I love using comprehension cubes or dice to make asking comprehension questions more exciting. Make a game out of it or allow two readers to ask questions to each other. Your readers need to know the importance of comprehension rather than speed. Make your readers feel proud of their fluency, but focus in on comprehending the text by incorporating games and make reading fun!
Happy Reading!
Ms. Boyd
Madison,
ReplyDeleteGood strategies. I agree with all of your strategies. Students should be taught to read at a normal rate. Some students get so focused with trying to read the correct number of words per minute that they speed read. They fail to realize that comprehension is what it is all about. Think aloud questions are fantastic. That allow the reader to stop and think about what they read. I try this strategy constantly in my classroom. Also, I loved the idea about the comprehension cubes. The students would love that. That is a very engaging and fun strategy to help students comprehend.