P.O.S.S.E.P.O.S.S.E.

5 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE READING 5 STEPS TO EFFECTIVE READING

COMPREHENSIONCOMPREHENSION

Comprehension in Comprehension in ContextContext

Reading Comprehension is one of the most fundamental skills Reading Comprehension is one of the most fundamental skills for academic success. Without it students will have difficulty for academic success. Without it students will have difficulty in:in:

* Following Directions* Following Directions

* Test Taking* Test Taking

* Completing homework assignments* Completing homework assignments

* Keeping on task in classroom activities.* Keeping on task in classroom activities.

WHY IS IT A PROBLEM?WHY IS IT A PROBLEM?

-Many teachers do not feel it is their responsibility to teach -Many teachers do not feel it is their responsibility to teach reading comprehension strategies, they feel it should fall reading comprehension strategies, they feel it should fall solely to the Language Arts/English teachersolely to the Language Arts/English teacher

-Students are not provided adequate training in reading skills -Students are not provided adequate training in reading skills and strategiesand strategies

What is P.O.S.S.E.?What is P.O.S.S.E.? POSSE is a reading comprehension strategy POSSE is a reading comprehension strategy

designed to model habits of strong readers to designed to model habits of strong readers to students and teach them how to utilize these students and teach them how to utilize these strategiesstrategies

Developed by Carol Englert and Troy Mariage in Developed by Carol Englert and Troy Mariage in 19911991

Most effective when taught at an early age, Most effective when taught at an early age, though can be introduced at any grade levelthough can be introduced at any grade level

Most useful in English or Social Studies classes, Most useful in English or Social Studies classes, though can be used in all contentsthough can be used in all contents

Provides opportunities to implement other Provides opportunities to implement other organizing tools such as note cards or graphic organizing tools such as note cards or graphic organizersorganizers

What it Stands ForWhat it Stands For

PP- Predict Ideas- Predict Ideas O-O- Organize the Ideas Organize the Ideas (can use note-taking (can use note-taking

or graphic organizers)or graphic organizers)

S- S- Search for the StructureSearch for the Structure S- S- Summarize the IdeasSummarize the Ideas E- E- Evaluate your UnderstandingEvaluate your Understanding

-POSSE provides steps for before, -POSSE provides steps for before, during and after readingduring and after reading

It’s all about “P”It’s all about “P”

Studies conducted with POSSE by Studies conducted with POSSE by Nicole Pesa and Sarah Somers with Nicole Pesa and Sarah Somers with 77thth and 8 and 8thth Grade Classrooms drew the Grade Classrooms drew the following conclusions:following conclusions:--Students actively use most of the steps of POSSE, except for Students actively use most of the steps of POSSE, except for the “Predict” step.the “Predict” step.

-Possible Reasons: Students do not remember to use the P -Possible Reasons: Students do not remember to use the P step without a teachers prompting or they do not have step without a teachers prompting or they do not have enough time to utilize all the steps. In this case, the study enough time to utilize all the steps. In this case, the study found the Predict step was most likely to be skipped.found the Predict step was most likely to be skipped.

-This is the step that must be emphasized most to students -This is the step that must be emphasized most to students for this reasonfor this reason

More P’s, PleaseMore P’s, Please

Students tend to automatically utilize Students tend to automatically utilize the final four steps of POSSE, but not the final four steps of POSSE, but not the first.the first.

This causes problems with Socratic This causes problems with Socratic Questions after reading (questions Questions after reading (questions that require background knowledge in that require background knowledge in order to make real-world connections)order to make real-world connections)

Provide practice with Prediction Provide practice with Prediction processes wherever possibleprocesses wherever possible

How do you teach it?How do you teach it?

• RECIRPOCAL TEACHING- can be used to RECIRPOCAL TEACHING- can be used to teach students how to comprehend teach students how to comprehend material by providing teacher and peer material by providing teacher and peer models of thinking behavior and allowing models of thinking behavior and allowing them to practice with their peers.them to practice with their peers.

• Steps: Steps: Teacher should lead this dialogue first, Teacher should lead this dialogue first, demonstrating how the strategies can be used in reading.demonstrating how the strategies can be used in reading.

• Gradually, students should be given more and more Gradually, students should be given more and more responsibility to maintain the discussionresponsibility to maintain the discussion

• Eventually, the students should be leading the discussion Eventually, the students should be leading the discussion and the teacher serving as a facilitator.and the teacher serving as a facilitator.

• The most important part of the instruction is the teacher’s The most important part of the instruction is the teacher’s releasing control of the discussion to the studentsreleasing control of the discussion to the students

Does it Work?Does it Work?

Pesa and Somers (2007) conducted Pesa and Somers (2007) conducted research at a Chicago Middle School research at a Chicago Middle School with 2 Separate Classes with several with 2 Separate Classes with several reading strategies. What they found:reading strategies. What they found:

**Students do not properly implement all steps Students do not properly implement all steps of the POSSE reading strategy without prompting. of the POSSE reading strategy without prompting. This lead to only 21% of the students being able to This lead to only 21% of the students being able to properly identify the main ideas of the passages they properly identify the main ideas of the passages they were provided to read. Because they do not take the were provided to read. Because they do not take the time to familiarize themselves with the text before time to familiarize themselves with the text before reading or organize information they have difficulty reading or organize information they have difficulty determining what information is most important.determining what information is most important.

Study, ContinuedStudy, Continued The Study taught several strategies over a 16 week period to two The Study taught several strategies over a 16 week period to two

classrooms, including predicting, questioning, visualizing and classrooms, including predicting, questioning, visualizing and evaluatingevaluating

Through this, students developed higher critical thinking skills Through this, students developed higher critical thinking skills about texts, demonstrated the ability to both formulate and answer about texts, demonstrated the ability to both formulate and answer Socratic questionsSocratic questions

Advanced students demonstrated a firmer grasp on structure than Advanced students demonstrated a firmer grasp on structure than other students in the studyother students in the study

By the end of the program, the two classrooms both overall By the end of the program, the two classrooms both overall demonstrated increases in their responses to questions concerning demonstrated increases in their responses to questions concerning self-monitoring, (3.2 and 5 % increases respectively), visualizing self-monitoring, (3.2 and 5 % increases respectively), visualizing (4.9, 4.0 %) and making connections (3.8 and 4.4%)(4.9, 4.0 %) and making connections (3.8 and 4.4%)

Without the cooperation of content area teachers, students will Without the cooperation of content area teachers, students will most likely not transfer strategies to areas outside of the Language most likely not transfer strategies to areas outside of the Language Arts classroom.Arts classroom.

Content area teachers responsibility to align methods of instruction Content area teachers responsibility to align methods of instruction with reading strategies taught in the English classroom.with reading strategies taught in the English classroom.

Tying it all TogetherTying it all Together

POSSE should be taught to students at POSSE should be taught to students at the beginning of the school year, and the beginning of the school year, and practiced continuously throughout the practiced continuously throughout the yearyear

Will greatly help students in areas such Will greatly help students in areas such as standardized testingas standardized testing

Tovani (2004) “With explicit instruction Tovani (2004) “With explicit instruction that demonstrates what good readers that demonstrates what good readers do, struggling readers can be taught do, struggling readers can be taught HOW to comprehend the text.”HOW to comprehend the text.”