17 FUN Comprehension Strategies
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From left to right: Amanda Hunley, Heather Waild, Kristen Roth |
At The Guided Reading Table
Here are some comprehension ideas that you can use at the guided reading table with your small groups.
This activity is called "FLAG IT when you READ IT". The two above are differentiated for ability and grade level(s). It's a great use for the flags that are used for page markers in college. I have a laminated version of this page for my reading table. Each student receives a set of flags with different colors. When they are reading and they find one of the identifiers they grab a flag and stick it in the book. When I see a student reaching for a flag I usually stop my readers and say, "Oh! Did you find something? Tell us!" There have been wonderful 'light bulb' moments using this idea. Students also are more aware of a purpose for reading when this is introduced.
This fun game/activity is called "Roll a Response". After being guided, you could put this activity into a listening center for an 'after-reading activity'. There are four included here (two for fiction and two for non-fiction). The teacher can choose which one to use depending on the text given. If you are sensitive to noise, please use the foam dice that you can find at the dollar stores. A student simply rolls the die and answers a question that correlates with the number rolled. If you laminate these boards they can be used year after year!
Some students struggle with learning how to wonder. It seems as if it would be very natural but that is not always true. When I saw this book about the Inupiaq people, I knew that it would be a great cover to introduce 'wondering' with. You can see that one of my students wondered, "Is she in bed?" After all of the students verbalized what they wondered, they wrote them in the bubble portion of the activity sheet. As we were reading, students were encouraged to let us know if they found out the answer to what they just wondered. This student wrote about the fur that the Inupiaq people wear when she found out that the girl was not in bed, she was wearing a fur coat.
As we sit at the guided reading table we know what kinds of questions to ask. BUT wouldn't it be nice to have someone write them all down for you? These guides are full of differentiated questions to ask students. You can also use them as a "pick-a-card" activity during reading.
Your students will have so much fun with these spinners! Make your own spinning mechanism with a paperclip and a pencil. A paperclip is the spinner and the point of the pencil holds the paperclip in the center. If a student is holding the spinner with his/her left hand they can spin with their right. Our kindergarten friends may need the teacher's assistance but they will love to spin just the same! On these (fiction and non-fiction) spinners, picture clues are given.
Centers To Go
Who doesn't love an already-created center? Have fun watching your students using comprehension strategies while reading.


Laminate these book marks and tuck them into books. You can even write the page number in the bubble with dry erase marker (in case they fall out of the book). Students get to that spot in the book, stop, and wonder. You can even offer students lined paper and they can write down their thoughts (if you choose).
Keep It Current
It doesn't matter what grade you teach, students enjoy activities that are current. We need to take things that they think are cool and turn them into moments of learning. Students will want to participate if they are excited about the work in front of them.All that you need for this activity are these guides and sticky notes. As students find what they are looking for in the book (character, funny party, a time when they inferred, etc.) they draw the icon or emoji that correlates and stick it in the book!
This activity allows students to wonder, tell how they feel, what they thought was funny, if they were confused, what they liked, and how they reflect on the story. Using emoji-like characters, the students write about what they find/read. This can also help you, as the teacher, find group reading that the students enjoy and it can stimulate conversation(s) in small group.



Make It And Take It
The summer is right around the corner! It's the time that we have to actually meet up with friends and relax a little. One thing my friends like to do (nerd alert) is to choose an item that we would like to have for our classroom and make it while we are gabbing. We've always had a fun time while creating for our classes together. I think you will too. Here is your challenge: Meet up with teacher friends once a month and craft something useful for your class. Here are some ideas:

Find colorful card stock and laminate them. Once they are cut out, they make wonderful thought bubbles for comprehension work. After reading about friendship these students responded that a "Friends have your back!" and "Best friends is BFF friendship".


Can You Comprehend How Fun This Would Be?
I hope that you have found one thing that is new to you or that you would like to make. You should collaborate with your friends the way that I did with mine (shout out to my girls Kristen and Amanda). Great things happen when teachers get together! You should make it happen. Please let me know what you enjoyed or if you have a different spin on things. We can all learn from each other!
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