Reading comprehension is a complex process. The reader needs to have knowledge of a range of skills and how to use them first, before they can independently and meaningfully explore books together in reciprocal reading groups. For example they need to be shown how to….
Summarise - synthesise important ideas and retell the main points of a story or information.
Predict - pre-view content - set the reading purpose – make links to text clues and prior knowledge to anticipate content and possible story outcomes.
Enquire - self-question (generate literal, inference, evaluative questions) to monitor understanding before, during and after reading and identify levels of meaning.
Clarify (words, phrases, concepts) - monitor their understanding – visualising - do the pictures in their head make sense? Know how words work – use context and syntax to interpret meaning, extend vocabulary. Checking sense and clarifying by adapting strategic processes.
The conscious processing of thinking involved in group questioning and discussion deepens children's understanding of words, pictures, concepts and the author’s message. It also provides them with the cross-curricular enquiry and problem solving skills that are central to life-long learning.
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