Evaluating
To build comprehension skills, students need to know how to evaluate important information that they read. Students can make judgments about information based off of prior knowledge and experience, their cultural values, and their purpose for reading. When students evaluate information, they confirm, extend, or change their personal views based on the topic of the reading. It is important for students to explain when they do not agree with information in a text (Literacy Online, 2010).
As students develop evaluating skills, they learn to recognize relevant and valid information, interpret it, and evaluate it in terms of usefulness or reliability. Some students may also evaluate a writer’s style, including their choice of words and other text features (Literacy Online, 2010).
As students develop evaluating skills, they learn to recognize relevant and valid information, interpret it, and evaluate it in terms of usefulness or reliability. Some students may also evaluate a writer’s style, including their choice of words and other text features (Literacy Online, 2010).
What Readers Do:
- focus on ideas and information in a text and consider the relation to their own views and their purpose for reading
- make thoughtful, evidence-based judgments about information in a text
- consider how judgments affect their response to the text and determine whether they need to seek further information or collaborate with others
Teacher Supports:
- how does this information fit into what I already know, use examples
- how does the writer convince you that the information is valid
- why would you read another book by this writer
- does the text present an argument
- what changes would you make to the text
- what do you like about the text
A teacher could conduct a lesson on teaching students how to evaluate by using an object that is valuable to each person. For example, a teacher could use a purse. Have the students form into a large circle, while the teacher dumps everything out of her purse for them to see. Discuss the contents of the purse for a few minutes and then ask the student what three things are the most important. Take some more time to discuss and then talk about things that might be necessary to keep in the purse. Towards the end of the lesson, students will realize that the teacher carried around a lot of items that are not as important as others and may not be needed. Then, explain that reading is very similar. Writers add a lot of extra information and it is important to determine the most important information to remember (Reading Strategies, 2009).
Another lesson activity that can help students with evaluating importance is choosing twenty words. Start the lesson by having students read a book or text and write down twenty of the most important words that they think are important in understanding what they have just read (Reading Strategies, 2009). Then, have students write an explanation for each word on why they chose each one. The teacher will need to set expectations and may need to model throughout the lesson. Once students are finished, allow students to share with classmates on why they choose the words they did and to see if students had similar words. Teachers can collect the words and explanations at the end of the lesson to assess if students understood the process of evaluating.
Evaluating is also a very important component of writing because students tend to add in extra information when it is not needed. Students could be assigned to paper to write and then be required to proof read for their most important information and take out less important information where is it not needed to comprehend the paper. In addition, students could peer edit each other’s papers to practice evaluating information and help guide the writer. This activity would help to not only make students stronger writers, but also increase comprehension skills.
Videos
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/evaluating-both-sides-of-argument
In this video, Emily Davaney-Graham has her students conduct a discussion on evaluating the material read in a novel about young adolescents. The lesson starts by having the students read two sides of an argument that relates to a book they read previously. During the discussion, the students have to reference important information they retrieved through evaluating the information. Holding a discussion engages students to participate in finding important information to debate during discussion and it allows for the teacher to assess each student’s understanding of important parts of the text (Teaching Channel, 2013).
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-students-to-reassess-reliability
This video presents William Colglazier teaching students how to evaluate for reliable information in his classroom. He has his students rate the text they just read on a number system and then be able to back up their rating with important key information. Using this strategy, allows students to evaluate the information that makes the text reliable and engages the students in the information they are reading. Colglazier holds a discussion about the reliability of the text to help the students collaborate their thinking, but it also give him a chance to assess their understanding of the text based on each students response (Teaching Channel, 2013).
In this video, Emily Davaney-Graham has her students conduct a discussion on evaluating the material read in a novel about young adolescents. The lesson starts by having the students read two sides of an argument that relates to a book they read previously. During the discussion, the students have to reference important information they retrieved through evaluating the information. Holding a discussion engages students to participate in finding important information to debate during discussion and it allows for the teacher to assess each student’s understanding of important parts of the text (Teaching Channel, 2013).
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-students-to-reassess-reliability
This video presents William Colglazier teaching students how to evaluate for reliable information in his classroom. He has his students rate the text they just read on a number system and then be able to back up their rating with important key information. Using this strategy, allows students to evaluate the information that makes the text reliable and engages the students in the information they are reading. Colglazier holds a discussion about the reliability of the text to help the students collaborate their thinking, but it also give him a chance to assess their understanding of the text based on each students response (Teaching Channel, 2013).