I Can Comprehend: A Guide Through Comprehension Strategies

In this on-going course, students will have the opportunity to learn and practice a variety of comprehension skills and strategies. Students will learn, practice, and apply this skill/strategy while reading a variety of different readings and texts. Students will do this by using a variety of graphic organizers/thinking maps. 

Each week, we will focus on a specific skill and specific Thinking Map.  This will help students organize their thoughts.  When reading in school or on an assessment, if students can recognize what skill and/or strategy they are looking for, they can put their thoughts into a specific thinking map to organize their thoughts and come to a solution. Throughout the course, students will read nonfiction and fictional texts.

Week of 6/5-8 - Text Features
Thinking Map - Tree Map
Students will look through an informational text and not only find a variety of text features, but also understand why they are important. Each week, I will begin by asking students to find different text features in the text.  This skill is especially important to each comprehension strategy we will learn throughout the course. Students will be able to identify different text features by using a Tree Map.

Week of 6/12-15 - Make Predictions
Thinking Map - Circle Map
Students will look through a fictional text, read the title, look at the variety of text features to make predictions about the text.  Students will learn what to look at and how to properly make predictions about a story by using a Circle Map.

Week of 6/19-22 - Make Connections
Thinking Map - Tree Map
Students will learn 3 ways we can make connections to a text: text to self, text to text, and text to world. Students will read two texts in this class: fiction and nonfiction so they can make different connections to each one. We will discuss how making connections help us to be better readers and why it is important using a Tree Map.

Week of 6/26-29 - Vocabulary/Context Clues
Thinking Map - Circle Map
Students will learn how they can use context clues to determine the meaning of a word or sentences. We will read a fictional story so students can underline, highlight, and circle clue words to help them figure out definitions of words.  Students will understand why vocabulary and context clues are important to reading. We will use a Circle Map to help us with definitions. 

Week of 7/3-6 OFF

Week of 7/10-13 - Sequence of Events
Thinking Map - Flow Map
Students will read a nonfictional text and learn how to place main events in sequential order. Students will learn and use key words such as first, next, then, last, finally, etc. Students will be able to use pictures and clues to put events in order. Students will practice this using a Flow Map to help them with sequence of events.

Week of 7/17-20 - Main Idea and Details
Thinking Map - Tree Map
Students will use a graphic organizer/thinking map to organize their thoughts on main idea and details. Students will learn what clues to look for when identifying the main idea and details. For this skill, we will read nonfiction texts where students can highlight, underline, and circle clue words. We will use a Tree Map to organize our thoughts for main idea and details. 

Week of 7/24-27 - Compare and Contrast
Thinking Map - Double Bubble Map
Students will compare and contrast 2 text: informational (nonfiction) and fictional.  Students will be able to tell the difference and similarities between the two texts using a Double Bubble Map (similar to a Venn Diagram). Students will learn for and use clue words to compare and contrast.

Week of 7/31-8/3 - Cause and Effect
Thinking Map - Multi-Flow Map
Students will learn key words and phrases when learning cause and effect. Students will use a Multi-Flow Map to make predictions (what might happen next and why?) and look at the outcome of situations.  This will tie into problem/solution when reading, also. Students will read a nonfictional text to understand and practice this skill.

...After the 10th week, I will circle back around to restart this series with a different set of texts. I highly recommend staying in the course to get as much practice as possible. When I restart the series, I will use the same skills and strategies, but we will use different stories and texts. It is important to use a variety of texts for each skill to get the best, most effective practice. 

** This class is for students who have mastered fluency and ready to begin comprehension (usually end of 2nd grade or as early as 3rd grade).  Students must know how to read words. This class is intended for students 7 years old to 10 years old.  If you have a 9/10-year-old or older who is struggling to read and comprehend, this will be a great intervention/review. Students must be able to know how to write or copy from a teacher. **

** Students will be provided with a Thinking Map each class that must be printed. ** 

Note - Once school has started for the 2023-2024 school year, classes will resume however, days and times may be subject to change.