Topic: Comprehension

10-second review: “Interest and background knowledge are two factors that enable students to read beyond what is considered their normal reading level.”

Source: K Ganske, et al. Reading Teacher (October 2003), 121. A publication of the International Reading Association (IRA).

Comment: The more students know about a topic, the more they comprehend. Building background knowledge about the topic that is the subject of the students’ reading assignment really helps them to read beyond their so-called reading level. Add a purpose for reading and their chances of completing the assignment successfully increase measurably.

In my book, Teaching English, How To…. I spent a lot of time on the directed reading assignment, important activities of which are building background knowledge and setting purpose for reading. Pre-teaching unfamiliar vocabulary to be found in the assignment is another big help to the struggling reader as is having the students apply or extend what they have learned from reading after they have completed the assignment. Much better than “Open your books to page 35, read and answer the questions at the end of the chapter.”

The worst teacher I ever encountered was a high school biology teacher who gave a group of struggling readers the same textbook she was using with honors students, assigned them chapters to read and, without providing any assistance, tested them on what they could not understand. For her, it was the students’ fault that they could not read difficult material. Blah! What’s a teacher for? RayS.