Reading Comprehension and Academic Performance

7/27/2019 Reading Comprehension and Academic Performance

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READING COMPREHENSION

I've noticed that many books about reading, and specifically about comprehension for that matter, do

define what "comprehension" is. Perhaps it's assumed that we all know what it is; or

"comprehension" is a slippery term that we have trouble grasping, or "comprehending," if you will!

Webster's Collegiate Dictionary offers this definition: "capacity of the mind to perceive and underReading comprehension, then, would be the capacity to perceive and understand the m

communicated by texts. Simple, huh? Clear. Now we comprehend comprehension!

Ah! A closer look at reading shows that this issue is much more complicated than it seemsdefinitions coupled with the complicated nature of reading comprehension is what keeps u

understanding it fully, and from teaching it as well as we can.

Let me focus on a few issues to help explain successful reading comprehension:

Comprehension requires the reader to be an active constructor of meaning. Reading reseademonstrated that readers do not simply "perceive" the meaning that is IN a text. In fact, expert reaconstruct meaning WITH a text. The research base shows that reading is a "transaction" in which the

brings purposes and life experiences to bear to converse with the text. This meeting of the reader

text results in the meaning that is comprehension. Comprehension always attends to what is coded orin the text, but it also depends upon the reader's background experiences, purposes, feelings, and n

the moment. That's why we can read the same book or story twice and it will have very different m

for us. We, as readers, are an equal and active partner with the text in the meaning-making procomprehension.

What processes and strategies are required to be an active constructor of meaning as a reader? Ag

processes have been underarticulated. There is wide agreement among reading researchers that everyreader reads anything, they make use of the following strategies:

Activate prior knowledge, and connect the applicable prior experiences to the reading (if s

don't have the requisite background knowledge about a topic, they will be unable to comprehe Set Purposes

Predict

Decode Text identify word and sentence meanings

Summarize bring meaning forward throughout the reading, building on prior informa

create new and fuller meanings

Visualize see characters, settings, situations, ideas, mental models

Question Monitor understanding - the most salient difference between good and poor readers is th

readers know when and often why they are not comprehending

Use Clarifying and Corrective strategies where needed

Reflect on and Apply the meaning that has been made to new situations


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Three points:

1. Since these strategies are used every time anybody reads, if your kids don't use all these str

then these are the ones to teach them first. They have the greatest transfer value.2. We need to know HOW to teach these strategies and give them over to students (this is wh

featured techniques of think-alouds and action strategies come in). Simply explaining the tec

won't suffice. Students need help in the process of HOW to do it. Just as explaining how to skbe sufficient to get a novice down the hill, neither is explaining a text, or expla

comprehension strategy, going to do the job in promoting comprehension.

3. These strategies are necessary to reading comprehension in all situations, but they are

insufficient to comprehension. Readers of any text generally go well beyond these general

strategies as they use engagement strategies to create a textual world, move around in it, evaetc. As students get older and read more sophisticated texts they must also learn how to m

demands of making meaning with new text structures (argument, classification, satire, deffable, etc.) and new task-specific conventions (like those to tip off a reader to irony, sym

unreliable narrators, etc.). A reader who reads a satire or an ironic monologue or even a fa

that matter using only general process strategies will not comprehend it. She needs text, aspecific strategies to notice that a text is ironic, and to know what to do as a result.

Yes, comprehension and teaching it are more complicated than most of us think!

Finally teachers of reading have another big problem. We are expert readers ourselves. Tha

that we literally do hundreds of things every time they read that are automatic. This automaticity mewe are unaware of what we are doing as we read. And all of the stances and strategies that we use made available to our struggling readers. In fact, our struggling readers don't even know they are su

to be using all of these strategies.

The kids who most need our help are the ones who are the least like us. And the best way to help th

take off the tops of our heads, to become aware of and share what we are doing as readers. We nexplicitly model what we do, guide and nurture them to do the same things, and then create situatio

will encourage and help them to purposefully use the same strategies. I propose the teaching model o

Using think-alouds and action strategies, two rich sets of teaching techniques, are ways of doing ju

See the Think-Aloud Stategies page for guidelines to implement them.

Reading comprehension is defined as the level of understanding of a text/message. This unders

comes from the interaction between the words that are written and how they trigger knowledge out

text/message. .[1]
http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4464http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-0http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=4464http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-0


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Proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. [2] If word reco

is difficult, students use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words, which in

with their ability to comprehend what is read.

Many educators in the USAbelieve that students need to learn to analyze text (comprehend it) even

they can read it on their own, and comprehension instruction generally begins in pre-KindergKindergarten. But other US educators consider this reading approach to be completely backward f

young children, arguing that the children must learn how to decode the words in a story through before they can analyze the story itself.

During the last century comprehension lesson/s usually comprised students answering teachers' qu

writing responses to questions on their own, or both. [citation needed] The whole group version of this practoften included "Round-robin reading", wherein teachers called on individual students to read a po

the text (and sometimes following a set order). In the last quarter of the 20th century, evidence accum

that the read-test methods assessed comprehension more than they taught it. The associated pra

"round robin" reading has also been questioned and eliminated by many educators.

Instead of using the prior read-test method, research studies have concluded that there are muc

effective ways to teach comprehension. Much work has been done in the area of teaching novice re

bank of "reading strategies," or tools to interpret and analyze text.[3] There is not a definitiv

strategies, but common ones include summarizing what you have read, monitoring your reading tsure it is still making sense, and analyzing the structure of the text (e.g., the use of headings in scienc

Some programs teach students how to self monitor whether they are understanding and provide s

with tools for fixing comprehension problems.

Instruction in comprehension strategy use often involves the gradual release of responsibility, w

teachers initially explain and model strategies. Over time, they give students more and more respon

for using the strategies until they can use them independently. This technique is generally associatthe idea ofself-regulation and reflects social cognitive theory, originally conceptualized by Albert B[c

Teaching reading comprehension

One strategy for reading comprehension is the technique called SQ3R. This stands for Survey, Q

Read, Recite, and Review. In order to get an understanding of the text, you should survey the chapteconsists of quickly looking at the title, headings and any subheadings. Look at any end of chapter qu

as well. While surveying, you ask questions about the topics you have scanned, such as, "What

teacher say about this chapter?"

The next thing is to begin reading. In a chapter book, you would read the majority of the wor

textbook, just read quickly for the key words. These are words seen in the chapter questions, teache

questions and in the titles or subtitles of the chapter.

After reading a portion or section of the book, recite what you have read out loud. By orally summwhat you just read it helps to cement the content in your memory.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understandinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round-robinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-Pressley.2C_2006-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-regulated_learninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_cognitive_theoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Bandurahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQ3Rhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQ3Rhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wordhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Stateshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Understandinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round-robinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-Pressley.2C_2006-2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-regulated_learninghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_cognitive_theoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Bandurahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SQ3R


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The last technique is to review what you have read again. By writing down key facts from the chap

reviewing it, you will better understand the information.

Vocabulary

Several theories of vocabulary instruction exist, namely, one focused on intensive instruction of a fevalue words, one focused on broad instruction of many useful words, and a third focused on stratelearning new words.

The idea of focusing intensely on a few words was popularized by Isabel Beck, Margaret McKeow

Linda Kucan. They argued that words occur in three "tiers," the lowest (tier 1) being common words

eatandfish, the top (tier 3) being very content-specific words such as photosynthesis andgeopolitictier 2 words were what they considered general academicvocabulary, words with many uses in ac

contexts, such as analyze andfrequent.[4] Beck et al. suggested that teachers focus on tier 2 words a

they should teach fewer of these words with greater intensity. They suggested that teachers offer mexamples and develop activities to help students practice these words in increasingly independent wa

The method of focusing of broad instruction on many words was developed by Andrew Biemil

argued, contra Beck et al.,[citation needed] that more words would benefit students more, even if the ins

was short and teacher-directed. He suggested that teachers teach a large number of words before rebook to students, by merely giving short definitions, such as synonyms, and then pointing out the wo

their meaning while reading the book to students [5]. The method contrasts with the Beck et al. appr

emphasizing quantity versus quality. There is no evidence to suggest the primacy of either approach.

The final vocabulary technique, strategies for learning new words, can be further subdivided into inson using context and instruction on using morphemes, or meaningful units within words to lea

meaning. Morphemic instruction has been shown to produce positive outcomes for students read

vocabulary knowledge, but context has proved unreliable as a strategy and it is no longer consiuseful strategy to teach students. This conclusion does not disqualify the value in "learning" mor

analysis" - prefixes, suffixes and roots - but rather suggests that it be imparted incidentally and in c

Accordingly, there are methods designed to achieve this, such as Incidental Morpheme Analysis.[6]

Professional development for students and small children

The National Reading Panel noted that comprehension strategy instruction is difficult for many te

particularly because they were not taught this way and because it is a very cognitively demanding tassuggested that professional development can increase teachers' willingness to use reading strateg

admitted that much remains to be done in this area.[citation needed] The directed listening and thinking acti

technique available to teachers to aid students in learning how to un-readand reading comprehensialso difficult for students that are new.

Reading difficult texts

Some texts, like in philosophy, literature or scientific research, may appear more difficult to read bec

the prior knowledge they assume; they may assume the tradition from which they come, or assume
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-Beck.2C_2002-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphemeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphemeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed_listening_and_thinking_activityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacyhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academichttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-Beck.2C_2002-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-4http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-Beck.2C_2002-3http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morphemeshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-5http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_neededhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directed_listening_and_thinking_activityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy


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read a text which the author is criticizing or parodizing. Such knowledge is assumed rather than resta

economic reasons, for saving time and space.

Philosopher Jacques Derrida, whose texts are considered difficult even by fellow scholars, explain"In order to unfold what is implicit in so many discourses, one would have each time to make a peda

outlay that is just not reasonable to expect from every book. Here the responsibility has to be shamediated; the reading has to do its work and the work has to make its reader."[7]

Reading comprehension and hyperlinks

Text with embedded hyperlinks makes different demands on the reader than traditional text. This ha

popular subject of recent articles and books by authors such as Nicholas Carr and psychologists

Maryanne Wolf. Their concerns revolve around the detrimental effect the internet may have on attenreading comprehension.[8]

Some studies have examined the increased demands of reading hyperlinked text in terms of cognitiv

which may be thought of as the amount of information actively maintained in ones mind (also see wmemory).[9] While the research in this area is ongoing, it is clear that too many hyperlinks cancomprehension. One study, for example, showed that going from about 5 hyperlinks per page to a

per page reduced college students understanding (assessed by multiple choice tests) of article

alternative energy.[10]This can be attributed to the decision-making process (deciding whether to clic

required by each hyperlink,[9] which may reduce comprehension of surrounding text.

Other studies have pointed out that the way hyperlinks are presented is important. If a short summar

links content is provided when the mouse pointer hovers over it, then comprehension of the

improved.[11] Also, providing navigation hints about which links are most relevant imcomprehension.[12] Finally, the background knowledge of the reader can partially determine th

hyperlinks have on comprehension. In a study of reading comprehension with subjects who were famunfamiliar with art history, texts which were hyperlinked to one another hierarchically were ea

novices to understand than texts which were hyperlinked semantically. In contrast, those already fwith the topic understood the content equally well with both types of organization. [9] In interpretin

results, it may be useful to note that the studies mentioned were all performed in closed

environments, not on the internet. That is, the texts used only linked to a predetermined set of othwhich was offline. Furthermore, the participants were explicitly instructed to read on a certain to

limited amount of time. Reading text on the internet may not have these constraints.

Research indicates that we build comprehension through the teaching of comprehstrategies and environments that support an understanding of text. It is important for edu

and parents to teach children active strategies and skills to help them become active, purpreaders. Teaching reading comprehension is an active process of constructing meaning, napplication. The act of constructing meaning is:

Interactive It involves not just the reader, but the text and the context in which readingplace.

Strategic Readers have purposes for their reading and use a variety of strategies aconstruct meaning.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Derridahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-Derrida87-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlinkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_G._Carrhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryanne_Wolfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryanne_Wolfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-DeStefano.2C_LeFevre.2C_2007-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-DeStefano.2C_LeFevre.2C_2007-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-DeStefano.2C_LeFevre.2C_2007-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Derridahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-Derrida87-6http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperlinkshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicholas_G._Carrhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maryanne_Wolfhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-7http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_memoryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-DeStefano.2C_LeFevre.2C_2007-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-DeStefano.2C_LeFevre.2C_2007-8http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-10http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reading_comprehension#cite_note-DeStefano.2C_LeFevre.2C_2007-8


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Adaptable Readers change the strategies they use as they read different kinds of texthey read for different purposes.

What Do Good Readers Do?

Before reading, good readers tend to set goals for their reading. During reading, good readers read words accurately and quickly, while dealing with meof words.

Good readers are selective as they read. Good readers use their background knowledge (schema) to create mental image

questions, and make inferences. Good readers monitor their comprehension as they read.

How Do Poor Readers Differ From Good Readers?

Poor readers do not have sufficient awareness to develop, select, and apply strategie

can enhance their comprehension. Poor readers rarely prepare before reading. During reading, poor readers may have difficulty decoding, reading too slowly, an

fluency. Poor readers often lack sufficient background knowledge and have trouble

connections with text. Some poor readers are unaware of text organization. After readin

g, poor readers do not reflect on what they have just read.

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies Standard

Grades 4-7

Ohio Benchmarks

Grades 4-7

Grade-Level Indicators

Grade 4

Grade-Level Indicators

Grade 5

Grade-Level

Grade 6


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A. Determine a purpose forreading and use a range ofreading comprehensionstrategies to better understandtext.

1. Establish and adjustpurposes for readingincluding to find out, tounderstand, to interpret, toenjoy and to solve

problems.

6. Select, create and usegraphic organizers tointerpret textualinformation.

1. Establish and adjustpurposes for reading,including to find out, tounderstand, tointerpret, to enjoy and

to solve problems.

6. Select, create and usegraphic organizers tointerpret textualinformation.

1. Establispurposeincludingunderstainterpret

to solve

5. Select, cgraphic interpretinformat

ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

Define Academic PerformanceBy Melissa J. Bell, eHow Contributor

In educational institutions, success is measured by academic performance, or how well a studen

standards set out by local government and the institution itself. As career competition grows evefierce in the working world, the importance of students doing well in school has caught the atten

parents, legislators and government education departments alike.

Significance

Although education is not the only road to success in the working world, much effort is m

identify, evaluate, track and encourage the progress of students in schools. Parents care abo

child's academic performance because they believe good academic results will provide morechoices and job security. Schools, though invested in fostering good academic habits for th

reason, are also often influenced by concerns about the school's reputation and the possib

monetary aid from government institutions, which can hinge on the overall academic performthe school. State and federal departments of education are charged with improving schools

devise methods of measuring success in order to create plans for improvement.

History

In the past, academic performance was often measured more by ear than today. T

observations made up the bulk of the assessment, and today's summation, or numerical, me


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determining how well a student is performing is a fairly recent invention. Grading systems ca

existence in America in the late Victorian period, and were initially criticized due

subjectivity. Different teachers valued different aspects of learning more highly than othealthough some standardization was attempted in order to make the system more fair, the p

continued. Today, changes have been made to incorporate differentiation for individual s

abilities, and exploration of alternate methods of measuring performance is ongoing

Function

o The tracking of academic performance fulfills a number of purposes. Areas of achie

and failure in a student's academic career need to be evaluated in order to foster impro

and make full use of the learning process. Results provide a framework for talking abo

students fare in school, and a constant standard to which all students are held. Perforesults also allow students to be ranked and sorted on a scale that is numerically o

minimizing complaints by holding teachers and schools accountable for the compon

each and every grade.

Features

o Performance in school is evaluated in a number of ways. For regular grading, s

demonstrate their knowledge by taking written and oral tests, performing presen

turning in homework and participating in class activities and discussions. Teachers ein the form of letter or number grades and side notes, to describe how well a stud

done. At the state level, students are evaluated by their performance on standardiz

geared toward specific ages and based on a set of achievements students in each agare expected to meet.

Considerations

o The subjectivity of academic performance evaluation has lessened in recent years, bu

not been totally eliminated. It may not be possible to fully remove subjectivity frcurrent evaluation methods, since most are biased toward students that respond

traditional teaching methods. Standardized testing is best responded to by students th

in reading, mathematics and test-taking, a skill that is not in itself indicative of acworth. The tests reward visual learners, and give no chance for kinesthetic or a

learners to show their abilities. The standardized test fails to recognize students with l

and physical disabilities that do not allow them to complete the test in the same maamount of time as other students. Evaluations from classroom teachers, though they most detailed information, may still retain bias if individual differentiation and l

styles have not been taken into account.


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Theses and Dissertations

Abstracts of thesis and dissertations of Colleges and Universities in Naga City as part of the Raul Library Collection

LEARNING STYLE AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

AGUIRRE, Lemuel O. Unpublished Master's Thesis, University of Nueva Caceres , City of Naga

Keywords: Elementary Pupils learning Styles

This study aimed to look into the learning style of Grade IV and VI pupils in San Juan Elementary S

Libmanan, Cam . Sur, S/Y 2000 2001 and its relation to academic performance in three tool su

Specific questions put forward were: 1) What are the learning styles of pupils in relation to pe

physical, and physiological elements?; 2) What is the level o fachievement of pupils in English, ScieMathematics?; 3) Are the learning styles significantly associated with academic achievement?; 4)

learning styles of Grades IV and VI pupils significantly differe

Learning styles investigated and their significant association with the students' academic performanc

physical elements, personal elements and physiological elements. The study used the desc

associational method to descrive various aspects of learning styles of Grades IV and VI pupils and acperformance was described in terms of percentages using a scale categorized as satisfactory, fair,

and failed. A questionnaire was designed as the main tool in gathering needed data. To quantity the l

styles percentage was used and Chi square was also used for the association of the various elemlearning styles with academic performance.

Major conclusions of the study were: In the spirit of teamwork, pupils study for self-satisfaction,

derived from logical accomplishment of tasks, under the teacher's guidance; most of the pupils lequiet and brightly lighted place at night and for the rest of them lessons are learned by discussing inf

with others; and predominantly active learners the style used is the multi-sensory type to achiev

results. Pupils were poor in English; poor in Mathematics and average in Science. Poor acperformance in Mathematics; and fair performance in Science and English are partially associat

pupil's learning style along personal elements with achievement in mathematics as the most signi

associated among the three subjects, followed by Science and English, respectively; light, design analong physical elements significantly influence the academic achievements of Both the Grade IV

pupils; and physiological elements in terms of visual, tactile, and intake were significantly associat

Mathematics performance in Grade IV, while visual and tactile for Grade VI were significantly ass

with fair performance in Science and English Respectively. Learning styles of Grade IV and V

differed significantly in terms of structure, responsibility and intake and level of mental age accouthe significant difference; learning styles physical, personal and physiological elements were prove

the determinants of academic performance which provided partial answers to the difference in acperformance of Grades IV and VI pupils at San Juan Elementary School.
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Reading Comprehension and Academic Performance

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