The purpose of this chapter is to provide a comprehensive review of literature on reading comprehension, more specifically understanding literature genres, and literature circles. The intent is so show research that supports the argument that literature circles impact reading comprehension. A well known definition of comprehension states that comprehension is a process a reader takes to construct meaning of a text through prior knowledge, past experiences, direct information from the text, and the attitude the reader has toward the text (Pardo, L.S., 2004). Students reading abilities is a wide range and students read at different reading levels; therefore, students need strategies to help improve reading comprehension (Taylor, 2010). Implied by Burns (1998), students who engage in literature circles are able to verbalize, listen to …show more content…
Duke (2008/2009) explains two forms of graphic summaries. One, visual representation which connects with an old saying of "pictures are worth a thousand words", and in regards to comprehending this visual display helps the reader organize information into a visual form to remember the information presented in a text. Another form of a graphic summary is a semantic map. A semantic map allows the reader to represent information from a text into a web format. By actively transforming information from memory into a semantic map helps improve comprehension (Duke, 2008/2009). Three-step freeze frames. A strategy of visualizing what a text is communicating helps the reader comprehend the text. A visualizing strategy described by Mills (2009) is Three-Step Freeze Frames. This strategy is performed during and after reading to enhance reading comprehension. The students work in groups to develop three action shots of what they read and then transmit it into dramatic movement without using words (Mills, 2009). Students are enriching their comprehensions skills through actively creating a series of events and
reader is reading literature that they can relate to. An example of this is coming of age stories.
Reading is on the decline and our reading skills are declining right along with the amount of reading we do. This is happening right across the board through both genders, all age groups and education levels, people are busy and they just do not have time to read books that they are not required to read for school or work. There are serious consequences to this neglect of reading that will continue to worsen if ignored. We need to take notice of what is happening to our culture and stop this situation from continuing, we must act to correct these issues that we are faced with. These things are discussed in the essay “Staying Awake’’ by Ursula K. Le Guin who uses the NEA essays “To Read or Not to Read’’ and “Reading at Risk’’ to support her argument that there is a decline in the amount of time that we are spending on reading and our ability to understand what it is that we are reading.
Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Fiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to:
By using words such as “mediocre,” and other words, Prose shows that in her own reasoning, the literature is not so much literature, but a waste of time that is taking attention away from actual good books that have content will instill a love for reading. Prose destroys the idea that the books provided to the students in the educational system should be deemed best sellers because she explains that the only reason this books are so well know, is because of the fact that they are forced down the throats of innocent teenagers. She also explains that teenagers are incapable of reading such stories because of the “overuse” of metaphors, and that we cannot read line for line books. If we cannot read a book line for line, than what should we
During the past twenty years there has been much debate over topics regarding literacy and literature in America. In June 2004, based on their comparison of literary reading surveys from 1982, 1992, and 2002, the National Endowment for the Arts released the following statement.
Prose has noticed through her experience that college students are unable to read even the basic pieces of literature. Some are also “incapable of doing the close line-by-line reading necessary to disclose the most basic information.” This is due to the little concentration and focus on the writing of a book. These students are also the ones who loathe literature. The students are quick to make judgements about books and their character because they have been taught that in high school. This is taught to them through reading questions asking about the student’s opinion on a certain character or even the author. This diverts their minds totally from learning about literature to learning about how to judge a character or story.
Ackley, Katherine Anne, ed. Perspectives on Contemporary Issues: Reading across the Disciplines. 6th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage learning, 2009. Print.
Haas and Flower write about “examining reading as a meaning-constructing activity shaped by rhetorical principles”(Haas and Flower 1988). The authors more specifically discuss rhetorical reading strategies with the use of tables, figures, and examples. They also discuss a method to provide “a good way of capturing of what’s going on in peoples heads”, (Haas and Flower 1988) that may
(c) Learners’ cognitive strategies employed in learning, memorization and comprehension. Different cognitive strategies such as practicing, illustrating
While I believe every child is a reader, I do not believe every child will be enthralled with reading all the time. All students have the capability to read and enjoy reading, but just like any other hobby, interest will vary from student to student. The students in my classroom will be encouraged in their reading, be provided with choice, taught how books can take you into another world but, my students will not be forced to read. This paper will illustrate my philosophy of reading through the theories I relate to, the way I want to implement reading and writing curriculum, and the methods I will use motivate my students to read and help them become literate.
The electronic reader is encouraged to think of the text as a collection of interrelated units floating in a space of at least two dimensions. Her movement among units does not require flipping pages or consulting the table of contents; instead, she passes instantly and effortlessly from one place to another (Bolter 175.)
Such views influence both L1 and L2 reading studies. Kern (2000) explains the importance of the social and personal interpretation of reading, he says that readers have the freedom to interpret texts in any way they like if they do not deviate from the so-called interpretive constraints. In terms of fo...
The corresponding Internet site for this textbook greatly improves the overall effect on the education of students. Students have quick access to any part of the text. They also receive visual and audio stimulation, which has been proven to increase the amount of information the student remembers. Some students are simply not strictly audio learners. Listening to a professor or teacher lecture sometimes just isn't enough for students. With the site they can review material quickly and easily and see the multimedia imagery at their own pace. Students can even take practice tests to see if they have learned the material.
Literature has many purposes, and opens doors to unique worlds. Through Literature, we discover ourselves and world time and again.
In this information–driven age, preparing students to read a variety of texts with complete understanding should likely be one of our educational system’s highest priorities. Understanding is more than just the ability to produce information on demand (knowledge) or the ability to perform learned routines (skills). “Understanding is the ability to think and act flexibly with what one knows.” (Active Learning Practice for Schools, n. d.) A review of the literature in the area of reading comprehension of elementary-age students shows two principle areas of focus. There is a body of literature that examines the development of proficient vs. struggling comprehenders and another body of literature that compares methodologies for teaching reading comprehension.