More than anything, this chapter on comprehension strategies applies to the English Language Arts classroom and curriculum. More than that, I find that many of these practices have been already been instituted in various guises throughout my short teaching career. Gone are the days when students jumped at the chance to read something new or learn material because it is what the teacher wanted. Material has to mean something, anything to the students in some shape or form.
Activating prior knowledge is something that must be done in practically every lesson, no matter what the content area is. To be sure, the youth can gauge their level of interest and how much they know about the material based on whether they have seen it or read about it previously. It goes without saying, textual meaning demands bring aware of the material. As students go further into the material, they begin to shape feelings and thoughts of what the message means to them. The teacher aids in this process by selecting or providing material that appeals to the students’ interests and needs.
Moving on, I found that the strategies offered were most appealing, as they have been repeatedly throughout Reading and Language Arts/Writing classrooms. Content and process statements occur rapidly and seemingly all the time. Students unconsciously respond in this way. Other examples include visuals of what is expected to be taught and what is expected to be learned. The students have a visual of what they should do and what they should learn. This occurs everyday in content-area classrooms. Through objectives and informal assessments, the teacher can effectively gauge how the students master content.
Finally, text mapping and charts play a huge role in most classrooms. As most students, including my own, are visual learners, visual graphics are the biggest aid in expanding comprehension. These visuals apply to the senses. They are presented in an organized style that let students see the big picture, be it text, formula, or math problems.
In sum, comprehension has to unfold through a multi-layered process. In following the steps suggested in the text, teachers in varying areas can have success. Visual aids are a given in any class; few students retain information just through “teacher talk.” The only concern I struggled were the social dimension strategies. My students are upper elementary. I wonder if they can handle the activities meant to foster student learning. While I can try it, I am wholly unsure of its success in my classroom.
