Thinking While You Read

Thinking While You Read (Track 1)

This song is based on the 7 Keys to Comprehension and Mosaic of Thought, two excellent books for teaching reading comprehension. The lyrics of the song remind students of several good reader strategies. These strategies must be systematically and explicitly taught to the students over a long period of time. The students must be able to metacognate, so this song is most appropriate for 4th grade and up. Some of the verses are very appropriate for 3rd grade (and perhaps 2nd grade.) Each verse is discussed below.

The kids on the bus go read and read...
For their brains to feed!

Introduction verse to help students know the topic.

When they don’t understand...
They read that part again!

This verse reminds students that they need to monitor comprehension. If they don't understand any single sentence, they should stop and reread that sentence again. Good readers sometimes daydream while reading. That is not unusual nor does it make one an incompetent reader. However, good readers realize that comprehension has broken down; they stop, back up to a spot in the text where they did understand what was going on, and begin rereading at that point.

Think about how it reminds...
You of other things.

Good readers make connections as they read. The 4 types of connections include:

Text-to-self connections. The text reminds the reader of something in his/her life.
Text-to-text connections. The text reminds the reader of something in another book he/she has read.
Text-to-world connection. The text reminds the reader of something they know about the world around them.
Author-to-author connection. The reader notices consistencies in an author's writing across texts.

Make mind movies in your head...
See it clear as day.

As a good reader reads, especially narrative text, he/she makes sensory images in the mind. He/she may see vivid pictures in the mind, smell imaginary odors, hear sounds in the mind, etc. This shows that the reader is absorbed in the text and truly comprehends what he/she is reading. Much of the sensory details in the mind are added into the text by the reader, so no two mind movies will be exactly alike. Students should be encouraged to share the details of their mind movies verbally, pictorially, or in writing.

Ask thick questions of the text...
And wonder constantly

Another good reader strategy is interacting with the author in the form of questioning. This strategy is especially applicable to informational text, however, questioning is an effective strategy no matter the genre. Readers think, "I wonder..." as they read. For example, when reading a book on grasshoppers, a reader may think, "I wonder how many different types of grasshoppers exist in the world." Some questions are thin by nature. These questions can be easily answered by reading further in the text or by referring to an outside source. The above question is a fairly thin question. A thick question is one that may require a greater deal of research or may not be answerable. For example, one may ask, "I wonder why Charlotte cared so deeply about Wilbur."

Put ideas ‘tween the lines...
Called inferences

This one is pretty obvious. Good readers don't simply understand the exact meaning of the printed word. They also infer meaning or put meaning into the text. For example, in the book In His Steps, by Charles Sheldon, the author states, "When the service opened at eleven o'clock, the large building was filled with an audience of the best-dressed, most comfortable-looking people in Raymond." A good reader would infer that those in the congregation were rather wealthy, even though the text does not specifically state this. Students should be taught to reflect upon their own thinking and realize when they are making inferences.

Decide which parts mean the most...
And slow down on those words

Another good reader strategy has to do with determining importance. At times, it is appropriate to read quickly through a passage. Perhaps a book is describing a setting or characters are exchanging in small talk. A good reader will recognize this and pay less attention to the content. Just as important, good readers will recognize when they are in a section of greater relevance to the overall meaning of the text. While reading these words, they will slow down and pay close attention to details.

When you’re reading brand new words...
Read before ‘n’ after

This is simply the concept of using context to determine the meaning of new words.

Now predict what happens next...
And find out if you’re right

Good readers are continually predicting what lies ahead in their reading. In addition they repeatedly monitor the accuracy of their predictions and modify their predictions as new information is added to their understanding from the text.