A Parent’s Guide to the A Parent’s Guide to the 7 Metacognitive Reading 7 Metacognitive Reading

StrategiesStrategies

Why worry about comprehension?Why worry about comprehension?

Reading is more than saying wordsReading is more than saying wordsIT’S THINKING!IT’S THINKING!

Successful readers are able to comprehend Successful readers are able to comprehend textstexts

Research-based strategies that help them to Research-based strategies that help them to gain understandinggain understanding

Strategies transcend school and grade levels - Strategies transcend school and grade levels - used by readersused by readers

Good readers and those who love reading use Good readers and those who love reading use these strategies subconsciously when they these strategies subconsciously when they encounter textsencounter texts

As a parent, how can I help?As a parent, how can I help?Think Oprah Book Club – engage in “book Think Oprah Book Club – engage in “book

talks” with your childtalks” with your childShould be casual conversation where Should be casual conversation where

each of you share what you are reading each of you share what you are reading and what you think about itand what you think about it

Should be FUNShould be FUNShould NOT be a daily ‘skill and drill’ Should NOT be a daily ‘skill and drill’

sessionsession

MetacognitionMetacognitionThinking about your own thinkingThinking about your own thinkingThis is the highest level of thinkingThis is the highest level of thinking

““When I read this part, I was thinking…”When I read this part, I was thinking…”

Determining ImportanceDetermining ImportanceReaders need to prioritize as they readReaders need to prioritize as they readEspecially important in nonfiction texts – Especially important in nonfiction texts –

which they will encounter frequently in which they will encounter frequently in schoolschool

Nonfiction conventions – draw the readers Nonfiction conventions – draw the readers eye to important informationeye to important information

Sorting important and non-important Sorting important and non-important informationinformation

Identifying main ideas and themesIdentifying main ideas and themes

Activating Prior Knowledge Activating Prior Knowledge (schema)(schema)

Good readers connect what they are Good readers connect what they are reading to what they already knowreading to what they already know

Making ConnectionsMaking ConnectionsText-to-Self Text-to-Self

Text-to-TextText-to-Text

Text-to-WorldText-to-World

Schema cont’dSchema cont’dHelping students identify when they have Helping students identify when they have

a lack of schemaa lack of schemaThis can happen when a child is unfamiliar This can happen when a child is unfamiliar

with an author, or the subject which makes with an author, or the subject which makes reading hard and difficult to make reading hard and difficult to make connectionsconnections

Good readers plan for this by building Good readers plan for this by building background knowledge before continuing background knowledge before continuing with the text.with the text.

Creating Mental ImagesCreating Mental Images ““A movie in your mind”A movie in your mind”This is what makes reading fun!This is what makes reading fun!When readers use their senses to help When readers use their senses to help

them imagine as they read, they get them imagine as they read, they get deeper into the text.deeper into the text.

Most kids or adults who don’t like to read, Most kids or adults who don’t like to read, aren’t getting mental images!aren’t getting mental images!

QuestioningQuestioningWhen readers question the text before, When readers question the text before,

during, and after they read.during, and after they read.Sometimes the most interesting questions Sometimes the most interesting questions

we ask (On Your Own questions) aren’t we ask (On Your Own questions) aren’t always answered in the text, we have to always answered in the text, we have to INFER the answers…INFER the answers…

InferringInferringThis is “reading between the lines”This is “reading between the lines”A conversation between you and the A conversation between you and the

authorauthorPredicting is only part of inferringPredicting is only part of inferringYou infer to draw conclusionsYou infer to draw conclusionsSCHEMA + TEXT + PICTURES = SCHEMA + TEXT + PICTURES =

INFERENCEINFERENCE

SynthesizingSynthesizingTEXT + OWN THINKING = SYNTHESIS TEXT + OWN THINKING = SYNTHESIS

(new meaning)(new meaning)Good readers summarize important Good readers summarize important

information and add their own thinking as information and add their own thinking as they synthesis to come up with new they synthesis to come up with new meaning.meaning.

This is putting all the comprehension This is putting all the comprehension strategies together!strategies together!

Fix-Up StrategiesFix-Up Strategies

Good readers are aware when they Good readers are aware when they understand something and when they understand something and when they don’t.don’t.

If comprehension breaks down, they have If comprehension breaks down, they have strategies to draw from – retelling, strategies to draw from – retelling, stopping to think, reading ahead, figuring stopping to think, reading ahead, figuring out unknown words, asking questions, out unknown words, asking questions, seeking help from an outside sourceseeking help from an outside source

Share what you do when you lose your Share what you do when you lose your way!way!

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews Hi Parents,Hi Parents, This is a very good site.You can type in the This is a very good site.You can type in the

name of a book your child is reading, and it will name of a book your child is reading, and it will rate it according to what age it is appropriate for. rate it according to what age it is appropriate for. You can read reviews, and see why it was rated You can read reviews, and see why it was rated the way it was. This is really neat, especially the way it was. This is really neat, especially since you don't have time to read every book since you don't have time to read every book your child is reading, and because some student your child is reading, and because some student have high reading levels but the content isn't have high reading levels but the content isn't age appropriate. age appropriate.