comprehension TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

Observe students during authentic discussions about books. This can happen during whole group read-alouds or small-group reading instruction. Prompt students by asking questions.

Examples:

  • What does this story make you think of?
  • When you are listening to this story, does it remind you of anything else?

When observing, a teacher may want to use a rubric to assess student responses.

Sample rubric:

  1. The student is able to make connections between texts and personal experiences, but often gets off topic once she starts talking about the personal experience. The student is unable to make connections between two texts.
  2. The student is able to make connections between texts and self in a concise and focused manner. The student is unable to make connections between two texts.
  3. The student is able to make connections between texts and self as well as between two or more texts in a concise and focused manner.
  4. The student is able to make connections between texts and self, compare ideas between texts, and make connections between society and a text in a concise and focused manner.

Note:

Since the SE states with adult assistance, it is acceptable for the adult to guide a student response. The guided questions should encourage students to make those connections while listening to and reading stories.

Examples:

  • Does this story make you think of any other stories you have heard?
  • Does this story remind you of something that you have experienced in your life?
  • Does this story seem like it could happen or has happened in our world?
connections that a reader makes between a piece of reading material and the reader's own experiences or life
Society is a community of people living in a particular country or region and having common traditions, laws, and interests. It can also be a distinguishable section or part of a community of people.

Research

What Works Clearinghouse. (2010). Improving reading comprehension in kindergarten through 3rd grade: practice guide summary. Washington, DC: Institute of Education Science. Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/14#tab-summary

Summary: The goal of this practice guide is to offer educators specific evidence-based recommendations that address the challenge of teaching reading comprehension to students in kindergarten through 3rd grade. The guide provides practical, clear information on critical topics related to teaching reading comprehension and is based on the best available evidence as judged by the authors.