P6 English Workshop for Parents

                     Answering                          Cloze  and  Reading                                        Comprehension    

Comprehension    ‘the ability to understand something’ Longman Dictionary

1.  Read the whole passage to obtain a general idea first. 2.  Identify the Text Type. ØDescriptive text - Narrative ØInformative text - Newspaper Article ØInstructive text - Manual, Recipe ØPersuasive text - Advertisement

Cloze and Reading Comprehension

3.  Identify the main character/s and main activity / activities to get the main idea. 4.  Identify the topic / theme.

5. Make use of prior experience to Make Connections ØText to Self – Personal Experience ØText to Text – Books read ØText to World - News

Cloze and Reading Comprehension

Cloze and Reading Comprehension

Making Connections When we apply our background knowledge as we read, we guide students to make connections between their experiences, their knowledge about the world and the text they read. Connecting what readers know to new information is the core of learning and understanding.

(Harvey and Goudvis, 2000)

6. Identify the main points in each paragraph – Topic Sentence Ø annotate 7.  Visualise ØCreate a mental picture 8.  Sequence the events

Cloze and Reading Comprehension

9.  Use Subject Specific, Thematic Vocabulary (Semantics)

Words related to ØAccident (collision, casualties, wreckage) ØFire (smoke billowed, raging blaze) 10. Be sensitive to Word Choice – Word Cline Ø  big, huge, enormous, gigantic Ø  scared, horrified

Cloze Comprehension

11. Be aware of Word Collocation - Collocations are words that habitually or typically occur together.

ØNoun + Noun à law and order, leaps and bounds, pros and cons ØNoun + Verb à lions roar

ØAdjective + Noun àavid reader, cold sweat, narrow escape

ØVerb + Noun àcommit a crime, pay attention, seize the opportunity ØVerb + Adverb à wave frantically ØAdverb + Adjective à completely satisfied

Cloze Comprehension

12. Know your Parts of Speech well

Ø Noun Ø Pronoun Ø Adjective Ø Preposition Ø Verb Ø Adverb

Ø Conjunction

Cloze Comprehension

13. Know your Phrasal Verbs

ØVerb + Preposition blow up – to explode run out – is used up or finished ØVerb + Preposition + Preposition

stand up for – to support or defend look up to – to admire or respect

Cloze Comprehension

14. Know your Figures of Speech (metaphors, similes, idioms, proverbs) 15. Use the correct Grammar (Syntax)

ØTense ØConcord (Subject-Verb Agreement)

16. Spell correctly ØSyllabication ØPhonetics ØPhonics

Cloze Comprehension

Use  of  Contex89al  Clues  in  Answering                                                                

Cloze  Comprehension    

Contextual Clues – What Are They?

- information from the text - help us to find the unknown words

in the passage

CONTEXTUAL CLUES THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF CONTEXTUAL CLUES:

1. Definition 2. Restatement or Synonym 3. Contrast or Antonym 4. Comparison 5. Example 6. List or Series 7. Cause and Effect 8. Description or Inference

Where are the Contextual Clues? Three different levels: 1.  Word – within sentence before/after a blank. 2. Sentence – in the preceding or following

sentence of the blank. 3. Paragraph (Passage)

1. Definition - the unknown word is equated to a more familiar

word or phrase - usually verb to be is used

EXAMPLE: ______ is the study of the life and structure of plants and animals.

2. Restatement or Synonym - meaning is usually right after the unknown word - often separated from the rest of the sentence with commas,

dashes, that is, or in other words EXAMPLE: Meat eaters, _________, hunt and eat other animals to survive.

3. Contrast or Antonym - the unknown word is shown to be different from or unlike

another word, and is often the opposite - words such as but, however, although, otherwise, unless,

instead, on the contrary, on the other hand, while, never, or not may be used to signal contrast

EXAMPLE:

Joe was reluctant to be the captain. On the other hand, Billy was _____ to be given the chance to be the captain.

4. COMPARISON - the unknown word is shown to be the same as or like another word - words such as too, like, as, similar to, or in the same way may be used to signal the comparison

EXAMPLE:

My brother is __________ similar to the way that I am brave when faced with danger.

5. EXAMPLE - the unknown word is cleared up by giving an example - For instance, such as, and for example may be used as

signals

EXAMPLE:

The hunter found different ______ such as tigers and lions in the forest.

6. LIST OR SERIES

- the unknown word is included in a series of related words that give an idea of the word’s meaning.

EXAMPLE: The different ______include circles, ovals, rectangles, squares and triangles.

7. CAUSE AND EFFECT - the meaning of the unknown word is signalled by a cause-and-effect relationship between ideas in the text

EXAMPLE: Due to the heavy rain, there were ____ in many parts of the country.

8. DESCRIPTION OR INFERENCE - the meaning of the unknown word can be inferred from the description of a situation or experience

EXAMPLE: The boy’s loud voice made me cover my ____.

5 Steps in Answering Cloze Passages Step 1 : Look for main idea(s) in the passage. Step 2 : Read the words/sentence before and after the blank to look for clues. If clues are found, go to Step 3. If clues cannot be found, read the whole passage to look for other clues. Then, go to Step 3.

Step 3 : Draw arrows to link the clues to the blanks.

Step 4 : Fill in the blanks with suitable answers.

Step 5 : Read the whole passage to check all the answers ‘ICAAC’

I Can Achieve an A in answering Cloze comprehension

Answering                                                                Reading  Comprehension    

How to Nurture Reading Comprehension Read and talk about stories Eg STELLAR, newspaper articles What types of questions do we ask? -  Literal -  Inference -  Evaluative

Literal Questions They are a good way to assess the student’s memory and understanding of the story. Examples 1.  Summarise the main events in the story 2.  Recall comparisons between characters/

events/places Science

Inference Questions They help the student to look beyond the text and provide information that was implied. Examples 1.  What do you think happened next? 2.  Why do you think she did that?

Evaluative Questions They require the students to evaluate information within the story based on their own personal knowledge and experience. This will require them to give their opinion about a part of the story. Example 1.  Do you think the captain should have

done that?

Types of RC Questions 1.  Asking for Quotation of

Phrases or Sentences

Which eight-word phrase in paragraph 1 tells us that the writer’s father had built a bicycle from recyclable materials?

Types of RC Questions 2.  Asking for Details In what way did the writer’s father make the wardrobe special for her?

Types of RC Questions 3.  Asking for Extended Details State the two feelings the writer’s father had after presenting her the wardrobe he had built.

Types of RC Questions 4.  Asking for Inter-Intra Link What does ‘it’ in line 12 refer to?

Types of RC Questions 5. Asking to Explain Clearly From paragraphs six and seven, explain clearly how the writer had offended her father.

Types of RC Questions 6.  Asking for Inference Did the writer discard the doll house? How do you know?

Types of RC Questions 7. Asking for Comparison/Contrast Compare the feelings of the writer’s father when the writer showed him the oak wardrobe in the shop and when she said that the wardrobe he had made was beautiful.

3 Steps to Answering RC Questions

1.  Analyse the Question Look for… Subject Verb tense Question word Focus

3 Steps to Answering RC Questions

2. Refer to the Passage Look for… The correct paragraph/s with the ideas mentioned in the question.

3 Steps to Answering RC Questions 3. Check the Answer •  Precise •  Adequate •  Logical •  Language •  Specific

Other Types of Questions 1.  Vocabulary Choose one word from the passage that has the same meaning as the following. bunch of flowers - _________

2. Sequencing Write 1,2 and 3 in the blanks below to indicate the order in which the events occurred in the passage. ___ I kept my jewellery in the secret compartment. ___ My father made his own toys. ___ He presented me with a self-made wardrobe.

3. True/False Based on the passage, state whether each statement in the table below is true or false. Then give one reason why you think so.

True/False Reason The writer played with the doll house well into her college days.

4. Then & Now The changes the writer went through in her life are listed below. Based on your understanding of the passage, give a suitable reason for each change.

Initially Subsequently Reason The writer lived with her parents.

The writer lived on her own.