Getting at Language: Words, Writing, and Reading Like a Writer
"If a reader sounds out a word but does not consciously think of how the word fits in the sentence or paragraph, that reader is not comprehending...he is simply decoding." -Linda Hoyt
Word level comprehension is the foundation for broader story understandings. We know how important decoding and fluency are, but we need to remember to include comprehension when teaching these skills. When learners are carefully coached and supported, they can simultaneously develop strong skills as decoders, excellent fluency, AND comprehension.
It's important to celebrate when a reader self-corrects a word that he or she is decoding. It's also important to remind students to think about meaning, in order to self-monitor understanding. To the right is a list of coaching questions to consider when teaching Word-Level Understanding.
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Coaching for Word Level Understanding
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Word-Level Comprehension Equation
Letters and Sounds Plus Meaning = Comprehension
Letters and Sounds Plus Meaning = Comprehension
Strategies to Support Word Level Comprehension
- Oral Cloze: As you read aloud, stop occasionally mid-sentence to ask, "What might come next?"
- Cloze at the Overhead: Place sticky notes over a page from a literature selection. Engage in conversation about what meaningful words might be under the sticky notes.
- Cloze in a Guided Reading Selection: Place strips of sticky notes over key words in a guided reading selection and discuss.
- Word Substitution: Place a sentence on a chart and cover a word. Students think of words that might fit.
Vocabulary and comprehension have a powerful relationship! Below are some vocabulary support systems to help students find joy in word investigations and to develop their vocabulary learning skills.
- Vocabulary teams: Divide class into teams to find two words, their meanings, and why they are important.
- Personalizing vocabulary: Write or draw personal connections.
- Vocabulary mapping: A visual display to link words and meanings
- Word theater: Teams dramatize words for others to find in the text.
- Word wizards: Students focus on using vocab outside of the classroom and report back.
- Sketch a word: Pictionary with vocab words!
- Word replacement: Students replace words on an overhead with other words that would make sense.
- Use inference to focus on vocabulary
- Text talk: Write 3 focus words from a book on the board. Tally any time the words are used in other books or in conversation.
- Exploring prefixes and suffixes
- Word sorts: Can take many forms (categories that make sense to the student)
Two great ways to support vocabulary and promote content understanding are: Alphaboxes and the Two-Word Strategy (both below).
Alphaboxes (left): Can be used in many ways to enrich vocabulary and comprehension. Example: students write down as many words as they can in the alphaboxes that relate to a specific topic in the book they are reading. A class discussion is held, in which students add words to a whole-class large alphaboxes chart.
Two-word strategy (right): Again, can be used in many ways. Example: students choose two words from a book that they feel to be the most powerful. They write an explanation of why they chose the words.
Alphaboxes and Two-word strategy, important things to remember:
1. Choose the most important words for the unit of study or lesson.
2. Incorporate the vocabulary into activities that build background knowledge and broaden connections.
3. Create active learning situations that allow students to engage with vocabulary in a nonthreatening way.
Two-word strategy (right): Again, can be used in many ways. Example: students choose two words from a book that they feel to be the most powerful. They write an explanation of why they chose the words.
Alphaboxes and Two-word strategy, important things to remember:
1. Choose the most important words for the unit of study or lesson.
2. Incorporate the vocabulary into activities that build background knowledge and broaden connections.
3. Create active learning situations that allow students to engage with vocabulary in a nonthreatening way.
When students read like a writer, they are more likely to notice the words a writer uses.
Lessons to emphasize reading-writing connections:
- Finding powerful verbs
- Similes
- Figurative Language
Below are 8 strategies that authors use. These strategies help students increase their awareness of author's craft, while improving their reading comprehension.
1. Describe something so clearly the reader can see it.
2. Use precise, vivid language and strong action words.
3. Show your readers what is happening, bring them into the action.
4. Use humor, drama, or suspense to grab the reader's attention.
5. Show your feelings and emotions.
6. Give a slow-motion, play-by-play of a main event.
7. Use selected monologue or dialogue.
8. Let your reader know your characters.
1. Describe something so clearly the reader can see it.
2. Use precise, vivid language and strong action words.
3. Show your readers what is happening, bring them into the action.
4. Use humor, drama, or suspense to grab the reader's attention.
5. Show your feelings and emotions.
6. Give a slow-motion, play-by-play of a main event.
7. Use selected monologue or dialogue.
8. Let your reader know your characters.
Above are 5 books with wonderful language! Click on the book cover to see a description on amazon.com.
1. Toad by Ruth Brown: great adjectives
2. Tessa's Tip-Tapping Toes by Carolyn Crimi: verbs
3. Possum Magic by Mem Fox: alliteration
4. What a Wonderful Day to Be a Cow by Carolyn Lesser: great verbs
5. Dogteam by Gary Paulsen: figurative language, sentence fluency
1. Toad by Ruth Brown: great adjectives
2. Tessa's Tip-Tapping Toes by Carolyn Crimi: verbs
3. Possum Magic by Mem Fox: alliteration
4. What a Wonderful Day to Be a Cow by Carolyn Lesser: great verbs
5. Dogteam by Gary Paulsen: figurative language, sentence fluency
References
L. Hoyt, (2005). Spotlight on comprehension: Building a literacy of thoughtfulness. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.
(Part 4, Chapters 17-23)
L. Hoyt, (2005). Spotlight on comprehension: Building a literacy of thoughtfulness. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann.
(Part 4, Chapters 17-23)