Chapter 4: Explicit Instruction in Comprehension

If the purpose of reading is to gather meaning, I suppose it is rather important to teach students how to comprehend text. We sometimes confuse explaining to students what is happening in a text with teaching students how to comprehend a text. In order to really enhance our students’ comprehension abilities (as opposed to explaining the meaning of one individual text) we must teach explicitly and directly. One how to show students how to do it, instead of just instructing them to do it, is through a read-a-loud. My experience with read-a-louds have been wonderful. I think they are very beneficial to developing readers. However, they do take careful planning by the teacher. You really have to plan exactly how to explain to children what different reading strategies are, and which parts of the story are good parts to stop and model the reading strategy you are teaching. Another great method of teaching, if you are a fan of a workshop style, is through mini-lessons. I have found mini-lessons to be beneficial in my past. A mini-lesson will focus on one reading strategy and then the students will practice this strategy in a workshop style classroom. This may be better for more advanced readers.

I absolutely agree that there is indeed a difference between direct and scripted instruction. I also agree that almost all of the time direct instruction is going to be most beneficial for the students. Anybody can set foot inside a classroom and read a lesson plan that tells them exactly what to say. It takes a good teacher to understand her students’ needs and plan accordingly. I see it very difficult to follow a scripted lesson, especially when you never know what may come out of some students’ mouths. It is important to be able to adjust to individuals needs and make accommodations for those who may be struggling.

I also enjoy how Beers explained the difference between skills and strategies. Strategies will help you learn the skill. A skill is the end product. Her analogy of bike riding was of great help. Beers includes a very in-depth example of a new teacher who learns that you cannot just explain to students, you indeed have to teach them the strategies necessary to comprehend a text. Overall, this chapter was great in explaining why it is important to teach the strategies that will lead to our students’ obtaining a skill necessary for fluent reading.