It is important that students have the opportunity to gain and transfer learning between subject areas. Teachers in all content areas can provide effective strategies to get students to think about, write about, and talk about in their class. For example, a science teacher can still teach literacy skills to build comprehension skills with science material (Alber, R., 2014). All teachers, regardless of their teaching title, should provide students with instruction that builds reading and writing comprehension skills to help them make sense of content-area texts. If teachers are unaware of how to provide effective comprehension strategies into their content area, teachers can collaborate with each other (Heller, R., 2014).
Students in all subject areas need to know how to share and communicate their ideas with writing because a lot of students associate writing only with English Language Arts. Although, the Common Core places a large emphasis on the having students use writing across the curriculum, teachers can use journaling in any content area to help students reflect on what they are learning. The journals could be graded based on the thoughts they shared, rather than grammar or writing conventions. Teachers in each department could also communicate with the English teacher to find out what students are learning about to incorporate it into each class period (Hudson, H., 2012).
For example, a social studies teacher could introduce a wring assignment by providing students with a rubric of expectations and modeling how to complete a paper to show they understand the material being taught about the State Seal. This will provide students with the opportunity to practice their writing skills, reflect on their learning, and for the teacher to assess the material that each student comprehends.
Students in all subject areas need to know how to share and communicate their ideas with writing because a lot of students associate writing only with English Language Arts. Although, the Common Core places a large emphasis on the having students use writing across the curriculum, teachers can use journaling in any content area to help students reflect on what they are learning. The journals could be graded based on the thoughts they shared, rather than grammar or writing conventions. Teachers in each department could also communicate with the English teacher to find out what students are learning about to incorporate it into each class period (Hudson, H., 2012).
For example, a social studies teacher could introduce a wring assignment by providing students with a rubric of expectations and modeling how to complete a paper to show they understand the material being taught about the State Seal. This will provide students with the opportunity to practice their writing skills, reflect on their learning, and for the teacher to assess the material that each student comprehends.
Comprehension in Mathematics
For many students, word problems can be difficult for students to comprehend. In order for students to complete mathematical problems, student need to understand what the problem is asking for and understand the explanations that may be provided. Students may be great at solving mathematical problems, but if students do not have the skills to comprehend the questions, they will struggle. Teachers should not assume all students that can read a mathematical problem are able to comprehend what it is asking (Moore, D., Moore, S., Cunningham, P., & Cunningham, J., 2011).
Teachers can help students to comprehend word problems by using the gradual release of responsibility instructional model. The teacher should start by describing the problem, model it, and then allow the students to collaboratively perform and apply it to multiple problems. Throughout this process, discussion is very important. Discussion can be helpful during whole group and small group (Moore, D. et al., 2011).
To build independence with learning mathematics, teachers can educate students on how to comprehend explanations in a textbook to solve problems. This can be helpful for student when they are trying to complete homework problems outside of school. The gradual release of responsibility can be used again to teach students how to read explanations.
Teachers can help students to comprehend word problems by using the gradual release of responsibility instructional model. The teacher should start by describing the problem, model it, and then allow the students to collaboratively perform and apply it to multiple problems. Throughout this process, discussion is very important. Discussion can be helpful during whole group and small group (Moore, D. et al., 2011).
To build independence with learning mathematics, teachers can educate students on how to comprehend explanations in a textbook to solve problems. This can be helpful for student when they are trying to complete homework problems outside of school. The gradual release of responsibility can be used again to teach students how to read explanations.
Comprehension in Science
Science can be overwhelming for student because it can be difficult to comprehend the large amount of intense information. Providing students with an anticipation guide is one strategy that teachers can use to help them tap into their prior knowledge and discover misconceptions about science. Many students hold misconceptions about science topics and do not relate newly learned information with prior knowledge. The teacher could start a lesson by asking students if they agree or disagree that it only rains because we need it. Then, the teacher could explain the process of rain and have students refer back to the anticipation guide. This process helps to build comprehension because student have to understand what they learned in the lesson in order to see if they still agree or disagree with their original response to the question on the anticipation guide. Based on student responses, the teacher can assess whether or not all of the students comprehended the information (Moore, D. et al., 2011).
Comprehension in Social Studies
A great strategy to help students comprehend a topic in social studies is to incorporate a KWL chart. The chart is broken into three different columns. The K is for the students know, the W is for what students want to know, and the L is for what they learned. This strategy helps students refer to their prior knowledge and think of questions that they want to listen for while reading the text. Then, the learn column can present the information that students comprehended from the text (Moore, D. et al., 2011). A teacher could use this strategy individually with students or as a whole group. If the teacher wanted to use a KWL chart with a whole class, he or she would need to create a large chart on the board that all of the students can see. The teacher could briefly explain the topic of the lesson and allow for all of the students one at a time to share what they know. Then, the teacher can ask for specific questions that students would like to know and instruct the lesson before completing what the students learned from the lesson. This is a great strategy to see what students understand and what students still need to learn.
Videos
http://www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/anticipation-guide
This is a video of a middle school science teacher using an anticipation guide with her students to learn new vocabulary for the unit. The teacher provides each student with an anticipation guide before and after an activity that has a series of statements that students have to agree or disagree with to activate their prior knowledge and engage them in the unit of study. Providing students with an anticipation guide before the activity will show the teacher and student what they already know. Then, completing the same anticipation guide after the activity will show what has been learned and how a student’s understanding may have changed. This allows for the teacher to assess a student’s comprehension for the unit. Overall, this strategy helps students to increase comprehension (The Teacher Tool Kit).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK6hi79OJns
In this video, the teacher uses a KWL chart with her students as a whole group to learn the three levels of government. The teacher explains the purpose of the chart and allows students to participate in filling in the chart. By allowing the students to participate, it engages the students in their own learning and the teacher can assess student understanding at the same time. The KWL chart should not serve as instruction, but as an enhancement to help students comprehend the information in the lesson.
This is a video of a middle school science teacher using an anticipation guide with her students to learn new vocabulary for the unit. The teacher provides each student with an anticipation guide before and after an activity that has a series of statements that students have to agree or disagree with to activate their prior knowledge and engage them in the unit of study. Providing students with an anticipation guide before the activity will show the teacher and student what they already know. Then, completing the same anticipation guide after the activity will show what has been learned and how a student’s understanding may have changed. This allows for the teacher to assess a student’s comprehension for the unit. Overall, this strategy helps students to increase comprehension (The Teacher Tool Kit).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK6hi79OJns
In this video, the teacher uses a KWL chart with her students as a whole group to learn the three levels of government. The teacher explains the purpose of the chart and allows students to participate in filling in the chart. By allowing the students to participate, it engages the students in their own learning and the teacher can assess student understanding at the same time. The KWL chart should not serve as instruction, but as an enhancement to help students comprehend the information in the lesson.