It's been quite some time since I had to think about reading comprehension in terms of "meaning". To define a concept as broad as reading comprehension goes beyond the Webster's Dictionary or technologically driven Wikipedia. Instead, reading comprehension has deep roots in our education - ultimately coming from years of practice, preaching and purpose. Initially, I believed it was something that everyone just did - read, remember, understand, apply, connect and move-on. However, it wasn't until I was transformed into an elementary school teacher that I recognized the complexities of reading comprehension.
As a former secondary teacher (Macro/Micro Economics, World History, Psychology, etc.), it was a "given" that my students understand how to read, take what they read, applied it to comprehension assessments, and discuss their findings without any barriers. If a student "didn't get it", I'd simply direct them to re-read or to ask a friend. Wow - was I way off!
I used the term "transformed" because that's what I had to do in order to become a better educator of reading. I had my entire philosophy of learning flipped on it's proverbial head, so to speak, and woke me up to the realities of the needs of students. It was in one professional development training which was a catalyst for my Bruce Banner becomes the Incredible Hulk transformation - Comprehension Tool-Kit! I'll never forget the jaw-dropping learning that took place FOR ME in that PD! As mentioned in our text, Strategies that Work (Harvey & Goudvis, 2007), Comprehension Tool-Kit, written by the same authors, outlines the many ways in which we can teach our students how to track their thinking using strategies which seem basic to college educated adults, yet are foreign and new to our young adolescent learners. Strategies that will be their catalyst for improved reading comprehension throughout their school career (and beyond). This, along with text and problem solving coding, are the foundation for higher academic achievement - in my mind - and can be transformative for our students.
Additionally, I find that through my experience in education, concepts that I, as a learner thought were "automatic" are not so for most students (and even colleagues) when it comes to reading comprehension. Concepts such as "reading skill" vs. "reading strategies" - defined in detail in Close Reading of Informational Texts (Cummins, 2013) - in which "reading skill" is something a reader does automatically (which I thought encompassed all parts of reading) versus the reader being purposefully aware of his or her efforts to read and understand a text (pg. 11) utilizing "reading strategies". Why do you need strategies to read? Again, not every person can read and comprehend automatically, leading me to better understand how and why the need for intensive instruction in reading comprehension is crucial! Cummins (2013) further affirms the need to build background knowledge as well as use prior knowledge in order to be successful at reading informational text. A concept which is a big component in students making connections in Harvey & Goudvis (2007) work through Comprehension Tool-Kit (which applies to both fiction and non-fiction texts). One more thing about Cummins (2013) which drew an immediate connection for me is how, in my learning and practice of instruction (in reading comprehension) is the modeling component. "The conversation that occurs during modeling...serves to make clear what students need to do while reading a text. This process of thinking aloud is when we make our thinking maximally accessible to students, when they get to hear and see what we are doing as readers with a readily accessible image of an excerpt of informational text. The key to modeling is showing students what we do as readers, versus merely telling them" (pg. 38).
This is a HUGE shift, yet something I began to better understand after my Comprehension Tool-Kit Professional Development transformation. Modeling what real-readers do; modeling what real-writers do; modeling what real scientists, mathematicians, social scientists do is the most effective way for students to SEE and HEAR about the HOW and the WHY! I will never forget this as I teach new teachers how to teach!
The transformation of a classroom into a "workshop" was also a HUGE part of my transformation from a novice to experienced reading (comprehension) educator. As Keene and Zimmerman (2007) explain that "transforming [their] classrooms into reader's and writer's workshops...enhanced [a sense of] engagement from [their] students...teachers were beginning to understand the need to articulate and focus instruction on the mental processes that underlie reading...the study of literature in a workshop setting combined with deep, focused comprehension instruction - instruction that targeted thinking that occurs during reading, thinking that determines how deeply the text is understood." WOW! This is what I have needed to improve my own instruction - the focus on engagement - is transformative!
I am looking forward to exploring the connections I can make from the readings in the future.