Comprehension

This weeks reading on comprehension from Stahl's article was very relevant and interesting in that the comprehension model is not focused enough by primary teachers and is often done in ineffective ways. The strategies he discussed seem to be effective if used and model correctly by the teacher. The one I liked best is when the teacher built upon Question Answer Relationships which in-turn enhances the student achievement with comprehension. I think at every level of education students need to be guided in their comprehension of text and literature alike. It is not that more than one conclusion can be had but rather that we often need help in understanding bigger ideas. This way students get the full effect of an authors intention and have a better understanding of what the text is saying. We want everyone to form their own opinions and ideas behind writing but it is also important that we understand that many need assistance in sometimes getting there. Guided reading is a great place for this concept to take place and questions like what do you think they meant by that or what do you think will happen are great ways to help build our thought process around literature and the meanings expressed in its text. The other concept I found very intriguing was the Reciprocal theory and would love to see more of this in the classroom. We need students to feel responsible for their learning and find success with that responsibility. A great way of achieving this can be done through this model. If you give young learners the concept of discussing their stories they may develop a process that is essential to their future success in both education and in life. Comprehension doesn't just stop at literacy it only begins there. We use this technique to understand one another and learn how to get by in our daily experiences. Primary school can be the base on which we teach this but it requires devotion to the methods and concepts that Stahl has described. Only then we will learn to comprehend.