Reading Comprehension Journal

Since understanding is the goal of reading, comprehension strategies are the underlying thinking processes that readers use when they attempt to understand text. Different texts make different comprehension demands on readers. For example, instructions require a reader to analyze the steps and follow the sequence of steps, while a poem often asks a reader to make connections with the images and infer by visualizing what the author describes. Although texts may require one or two reading strategies to come to the forefront, effective readers use all strategies in a seamlessly integrated way.

This year your child wi l l be responsible for handing in 9 reading journals. Each journal submission wil l require four separate entries, each focusing on the comprehension strategies. The reading strategies are interdependent. Highlighting and studying each one allows readers to recognize the contributions each strategy makes to effective reading, and helps develop metacognitive awareness of their own reading process.

The comprehension strategies are grouped into eight categories:

Self Monitoring (Checking It Out): This strategy helps readers to regulate comprehension, and decide when understanding is flowing smoothly and when they need to pause because something doesn't make sense. This process helps readers to ask questions as they read (e.g., When did I start to lose sense?), and to generate fix-up strategies (e.g., Maybe I need to reread that or check that diagram.) I t also helps the reader to decide which strategy to use for particular segments of text, so that they can move from analyzing facts to synthesizing them into an insightful summary.

Analyzing (Finding The Facts): This is the prime comprehension strategy to use for locating information that is stated specifically in the text. A student reads and learns specific details that the author provides. I t is the initial process that readers need to use before they can apply that information to predict, infer, make connections, or synthesize.

Sequencing (What's The Order?): This is an organizing strategy that readers use to order information. This strategy is essential for linking information in order, for example, the events in a narrative, recipes, directions, biographies, timetables, and timelines.

Making Connections (Connecting): Readers make associations between the text and their own background knowledge to help them understand content. They may link content to personal experiences, information that others have shared with them, other texts, things they have seen on TV, movies, and websites. Making these connections inevitably leads to comparing and contrasting where readers, with what they already know, make connections with the new information they have read.

Predicting (Thinking Ahead): Predicting is a look ahead' process, where readers use information from the text and from their own background knowledge to think about what might riappen. Readers then combine their predictions with self-monitoring and evaluating to see i f their prediction works out. I f not, they need to adjust their thinking.

Inferring (Using Clues); Readers infer as they ' f i l l the gaps' the author left. They use the clues the author provided in tandem with their own background knowledge to understand the author's intended meaning. Readers need to infer to visualize what is happening in a text by 'painting a picture' in their minds.

Evaluating (Giving an Opinion): Readers use this critical thinking strategy to form opinions, recognize viewpoints and bias, and modify their thinking when new evidence emerges. They also use evaluation to critique the author's craft and ask themselves how the author made a text scary of fun.

Synthesizing (Getting the Point): Readers use the synthesizing strategy when making summaries as they focus on the main ideas and omit the details. Higher level synthesizing occurs when readers shorten information to key points and add a new insight.

Due Dates: Friday October 14 t h

Friday November 18 t h

Friday December 16 t h

Friday January 13 t h

Friday February 10 t h

Thursday March 15 t h

Friday April 13 t h

Friday May 18 t h

Friday June 15 t h

Thank you for your support.

Happy reading!

Grade 5/6 Team Mrs. M. Delorme Ms. L. Laviolette Mr. P. Lee

Comprehension Journal Response Activities

Reader Response Comprehension Focus

Response Description

Character Viewpoints

Inferring & Analyzing

For this response you wi l l choose a main character to evaluate from another characters perspective. This means you wi l l write as i f you were a character in the book describing another character. Ask yourself, "what does my character think about the other character I have chosen?" You wi l l have to think about the book and use evidence for each of the opinions. Example: You may have written that your character thinks the other character is mean. You should give an example or two from the story to prove your point. You wi l l have to identify the characters in your opening sentence. You wi l l then split your response into two columns, one labeled What do I think about the character, the other labeled What is my evidence? Don't forget a concluding statement!

Picture I t Inferring & Analyzing

Think about what you have been reading. The author tells you about things in words. Your job is to 'Picture i t ' in your head and draw a picture to show what you think the author is describing. You wi l l have to re-read the part of the book that covers the information you wil l draw. Watch for the details that wi l l help you picture the information. Underneath your picture write a summary of the events that are taking place.

Sketch a Prediction

Predicting & Inferring

When you have stopped reading for the day, think of a prediction for the next part of the story. Draw your prediction at the top of your page. Underneath your drawing write a summary of your prediction using evidence from the story. Tip: Some of these prompts may help you find evidence:

• Why did I make that prediction? • What clues does the author give me? • Does the prediction make sense when I think about

what I've learned so far? • Would another prediction be possible?

Retell, Predict, Review

Synthesizing, Sequencing, Predicting

This response wi l l count as two separate entries. For the first entry choose an event, conflict, conversation or climax that interests you. Retell i t in a summery using your own words. In your next paragraph make a prediction of what is going to happen. Make sure you support your prediction with evidence from the story. Carry on reading your next section, when you are ready for your next entry you wi l l revisit your prediction and compare what actually happened with what you thought would happen.

Doing Research Analyzing & Synthesizing

As you read, you may discover a topic that really interests you. The authors tell some things about the topic but you'd like to know more. Write a paragraph using what you learned about the topic from the book. Then find out more about the topic and write a paragraph using the new information you learned. Remember an introduction and conclusion!

Making a Book Recommendation

Evaluating & Making

Connections

This response can only be used once you have completed a novel. Your response wi l l start off with a brief summary of the story. Next you wil l write about who you think would like to read this book. Example: "People who love horses would want to read this pony riding adventure story because...It would also appeal to readers who like mysteries because..." In the final paragraph write why or why you didn't like this book.

Picture Postcard Inferring Become a part of the story and write to your friends about one of your adventures or series of adventures. First you must select a section of the text you just read that appealed to you. Write to your friend about what is happening in your selected piece. Underneath your writing draw a picture illustrating the setting from your selected text.

Comic Strip Sequencing Select a favourite part from the section of the book you have just read. Think about how you could divide your selection into six sections to create a comic strip about this piece of text. Write a title for your comic strip. Include at the top of each box, a brief description of what is happening and/or use speech or thought bubbles to help tell the story.

Map It! Analyzing In your journal create a map of your story and label the key events that took place. Think about the setting of your story and sketch a basic outline representing the area where your story takes place. On the map draw key places such as houses, buildings, streets, rivers, mountains, forests that are in your story. Think about the main character(s) and how they travelled through this setting. Label where the story begins and ends. Use a different coloured pencil and trace the path the main character(s) travelled. Decide on a number of key events that occurred in the story. Place an asterisk (*) on the map where these events took place. Underneath the map write information about these key events. The events should be colour coded to show which asterisk goes with which event.

Back Cover Blurb

Synthesizing This response can only be chosen once you have finished a book. Examine the back cover blurbs of several books you have read. Now think about your text you have just finished reading. Sometimes, back cover blurbs include quotes or parts of reviews from other authors or groups who have read the book. Now write your own back cover blurb.

News Paper Article

Evaluating You are a newspaper reporter and your assignment is to write a news article about the latest text you have finished. Plan your article by answering the 5 W's (who, what, where, when, why) and H (how) of newspaper reporting. Think of a catchy headline for your article. Write the lead of your article by beginning with the most important details of the text you have read. Don't forget to end your article with a conclusion!

Visual Story Line (Timeline)

Sequencing Think about the sequence of events that occurred in your story and jot them down. Draw a line in your response journal. Make boxes alternating between the top and bottom of the line, draw a picture for each section of the text you listed. Write a sentence to describe each picture.