Journal Topic

grimsjillian

3 months ago
10.04.2026
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Unit5Journal.docx

Towell_CLA1e_PPT_Ch06.pptx

Unit5Journal.docx

Journal Topic

Comprehension is how young children make meaning from stories—not just by hearing words, but by building connections, visualizing, asking questions, predicting, and interpreting text. This journal entry invites you to reflect on one comprehension strategy and consider how it supports meaning-making for young children.

This journal builds on the learning you have done in Units 2–4 and helps you connect theory to practice in a personal, low-stakes way.

Journal Prompt (250–350 words)

Choose one comprehension strategy from this unit (e.g., making connections, predicting, asking questions, visualizing, retelling, summarizing, inferring, using text structure, monitoring comprehension).

In your journal response, address the following four areas in your own words:

1. Identify the Strategy (2–3 sentences)

Name the strategy you selected and describe it in your own words.

Focus on clarity rather than formal definitions.

2. Why This Strategy Matters for Young Children (4–6 sentences)

Explain why this strategy is important for helping children make sense of stories.

Use ideas from the unit readings or resources to support your explanation.

3. A Realistic Example From a Classroom or Read-Aloud (4–6 sentences)

Describe how you have seen—or can imagine—a teacher modeling or teaching this strategy during a read-aloud or picture-book experience.

You may draw from:

your own work experience

a memory from school

an observation

the videos or examples in the course

4. How the Strategy Builds Comprehension (4–6 sentences)

Explain how this strategy actually strengthens meaning-making for children.

Think about:

how it helps them understand the story

how it builds language

how it supports deeper thinking

Submission Requirements

Length: 250–350 words

Format: Journal entry (not an academic paper)

Voice: Write in your own authentic voice

APA: Only required if you directly reference a source

NAEYC 2021 Alignment

Standard 5b: Understanding content knowledge in literacy

Standard 5c: Using appropriate teaching strategies

Standard 4b/4c: Supporting learning through intentional teaching

Standard 6d: Professional communication

Reference:

Towell_CLA1e_PPT_Ch06.pptx

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Learning Objectives

6-1 Explain reading comprehension concepts.

6-2 Determine factors that impact comprehension instruction.

6-3 Describe motivation for literacy engagement.

6-4 Analyze comprehension instruction in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

6-5 Apply comprehension strategies for children’s literature.

6-6 Demonstrate literacy strategies and practices for reading comprehension.

6-1 Reading Comprehension Concepts (slide 1 of 3)

Comprehension is the active process of constructing meaning with a text for a specific purpose

Meaning is shaped by the text itself and the reader’s background knowledge

Thinking critically about texts requires comprehension

6-1 Reading Comprehension Concepts (slide 2 of 3)

Types of readers:

Readers who have a meaning-based concept of reading understand that reading is about communicating ideas

Readers who have a skill-based concept of reading are word callers, pronouncing words without meaning

6-1 Reading Comprehension Concepts (slide 3 of 3)

Qualities of good readers:

Able to understand own thinking during reading process (metacognition)

Have a repertoire of comprehension strategies they use when they read

e.g., predicting, summarizing, inferring

Use all 3 language cueing systems automatically

i.e., syntactic, semantic, graphophonic

6-2 Factors that Impact Comprehension Instruction

Level of interest

Prior knowledge

Text complexity

Genre

Type of text

Vocabulary

Pictures and other text features

Sociocultural context

Decoding skills

English language proficiency

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 1 of 7)

Making connections

Predicting and inferring

Questioning

Monitoring and clarifying

Summarizing and synthesizing

Evaluating

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 2 of 7)

Making connections

Text-to-self

Text-to-text

Text-to-world

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 3 of 7)

Predicting: Using evidence from the text to guess what it will be about

Inferring: Using what is known to understand what is less certain

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 4 of 7)

Questioning

Literal questions

Inferential questions

Critical questions

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 5 of 7)

Monitoring and clarifying

Stopping routinely to monitor understanding

Using fix-up strategies when off track

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 6 of 7)

Summarizing: Succinctly stating the main ideas in a text

Synthesizing: Thinking creatively about what has been learned and how thinking has changed

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 7 of 7)

Evaluating

Analyzing a text and making judgments

(e.g., about a character’s decisions, about the author’s craft)

6-3 Motivation for Literacy Engagement (slide 1 of 2)

Enjoyment is a central part of reading and, therefore, must be a priority in teaching reading

6-3 Motivation for Literacy Engagement (slide 2 of 2)

To promote students’ motivation to read:

Value reading for pleasure

Encourage students to read when they have free time

Allow choice in what to read

Provide access to rich and varied books

Use read-alouds to introduce new books and authors

Build in time for talking about books and ideas

6-4 Comprehension Instruction in the Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require critical thinking and deep comprehension

Students must be able to read and understand complex texts in multiple genres across the curriculum

6-4a Close Reading

Close reading is an instructional routine

Students critically examine a text

Examination often happens through repeated readings

6-4b Text Complexity and Struggling Readers (slide 1 of 3)

Text complexity: characteristics of texts that are critical for comprehension

Narrative texts and informational texts have different features that contribute to their complexity

6-4b Text Complexity and Struggling Readers (slide 2 of 3)

Text complexity for narrative texts:

Text structures (e.g., multiple plot lines)

Text features (e.g., table of contents, embedded illustrations)

6-4b Text Complexity and Struggling Readers (slide 3 of 3)

Text complexity for informational texts:

Text structures (e.g., cause and effect, question and answer)

Text features (e.g., table of contents, maps, graphs)

Concepts

Key content area vocabulary

Informational texts tend to be more challenging for students because they are less familiar

6-5 Comprehension Strategies for Children’s Literature

Comprehension strategies involve interactive activities to engage students cognitively, socioemotionally, and physically

Examples include:

Book talks

Jackdaws

Open mind portraits

Quick write or quick draw

6-6 Literacy Strategies and Practices for Reading Comprehension

Comprehension instruction is designed to support students as they make meaning with texts

The texts should be carefully selected

The activities should scaffold students’ creative and thoughtful engagement with ideas

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Unit5Journal.docx

Journal Topic

This journal builds on the learning you have done in Units 2–4 and helps you connect theory to practice in a personal, low-stakes way.

Journal Prompt (250–350 words)

In your journal response, address the following four areas in your own words:

1. Identify the Strategy (2–3 sentences)

Name the strategy you selected and describe it in your own words.

Focus on clarity rather than formal definitions.

2. Why This Strategy Matters for Young Children (4–6 sentences)

Explain why this strategy is important for helping children make sense of stories.

Use ideas from the unit readings or resources to support your explanation.

3. A Realistic Example From a Classroom or Read-Aloud (4–6 sentences)

Describe how you have seen—or can imagine—a teacher modeling or teaching this strategy during a read-aloud or picture-book experience.

You may draw from:

your own work experience

a memory from school

an observation

the videos or examples in the course

4. How the Strategy Builds Comprehension (4–6 sentences)

Explain how this strategy actually strengthens meaning-making for children.

Think about:

how it helps them understand the story

how it builds language

how it supports deeper thinking

Submission Requirements

Length: 250–350 words

Format: Journal entry (not an academic paper)

Voice: Write in your own authentic voice

APA: Only required if you directly reference a source

NAEYC 2021 Alignment

Standard 5b: Understanding content knowledge in literacy

Standard 5c: Using appropriate teaching strategies

Standard 4b/4c: Supporting learning through intentional teaching

Standard 6d: Professional communication

Reference:

Towell_CLA1e_PPT_Ch06.pptx

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 6

Chapter 6 Learning Objectives

6-1 Explain reading comprehension concepts.

6-2 Determine factors that impact comprehension instruction.

6-3 Describe motivation for literacy engagement.

6-4 Analyze comprehension instruction in the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).

6-5 Apply comprehension strategies for children’s literature.

6-6 Demonstrate literacy strategies and practices for reading comprehension.

6-1 Reading Comprehension Concepts (slide 1 of 3)

Comprehension is the active process of constructing meaning with a text for a specific purpose

Meaning is shaped by the text itself and the reader’s background knowledge

Thinking critically about texts requires comprehension

6-1 Reading Comprehension Concepts (slide 2 of 3)

Types of readers:

Readers who have a meaning-based concept of reading understand that reading is about communicating ideas

Readers who have a skill-based concept of reading are word callers, pronouncing words without meaning

6-1 Reading Comprehension Concepts (slide 3 of 3)

Qualities of good readers:

Able to understand own thinking during reading process (metacognition)

Have a repertoire of comprehension strategies they use when they read

e.g., predicting, summarizing, inferring

Use all 3 language cueing systems automatically

i.e., syntactic, semantic, graphophonic

6-2 Factors that Impact Comprehension Instruction

Level of interest

Prior knowledge

Text complexity

Genre

Type of text

Vocabulary

Pictures and other text features

Sociocultural context

Decoding skills

English language proficiency

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 1 of 7)

Making connections

Predicting and inferring

Questioning

Monitoring and clarifying

Summarizing and synthesizing

Evaluating

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 2 of 7)

Making connections

Text-to-self

Text-to-text

Text-to-world

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 3 of 7)

Predicting: Using evidence from the text to guess what it will be about

Inferring: Using what is known to understand what is less certain

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 4 of 7)

Questioning

Literal questions

Inferential questions

Critical questions

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 5 of 7)

Monitoring and clarifying

Stopping routinely to monitor understanding

Using fix-up strategies when off track

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 6 of 7)

Summarizing: Succinctly stating the main ideas in a text

Synthesizing: Thinking creatively about what has been learned and how thinking has changed

6-2a Strategies for Reading Comprehension (slide 7 of 7)

Evaluating

Analyzing a text and making judgments

(e.g., about a character’s decisions, about the author’s craft)

6-3 Motivation for Literacy Engagement (slide 1 of 2)

Enjoyment is a central part of reading and, therefore, must be a priority in teaching reading

6-3 Motivation for Literacy Engagement (slide 2 of 2)

To promote students’ motivation to read:

Value reading for pleasure

Encourage students to read when they have free time

Allow choice in what to read

Provide access to rich and varied books

Use read-alouds to introduce new books and authors

Build in time for talking about books and ideas

6-4 Comprehension Instruction in the Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) require critical thinking and deep comprehension

Students must be able to read and understand complex texts in multiple genres across the curriculum

6-4a Close Reading

Close reading is an instructional routine

Students critically examine a text

Examination often happens through repeated readings

6-4b Text Complexity and Struggling Readers (slide 1 of 3)

Text complexity: characteristics of texts that are critical for comprehension

Narrative texts and informational texts have different features that contribute to their complexity

6-4b Text Complexity and Struggling Readers (slide 2 of 3)

Text complexity for narrative texts:

Text structures (e.g., multiple plot lines)

Text features (e.g., table of contents, embedded illustrations)

6-4b Text Complexity and Struggling Readers (slide 3 of 3)

Text complexity for informational texts:

Text structures (e.g., cause and effect, question and answer)

Text features (e.g., table of contents, maps, graphs)

Concepts

Key content area vocabulary

Informational texts tend to be more challenging for students because they are less familiar

6-5 Comprehension Strategies for Children’s Literature

Comprehension strategies involve interactive activities to engage students cognitively, socioemotionally, and physically

Examples include:

Book talks

Jackdaws

Open mind portraits

Quick write or quick draw

6-6 Literacy Strategies and Practices for Reading Comprehension

Comprehension instruction is designed to support students as they make meaning with texts

The texts should be carefully selected

The activities should scaffold students’ creative and thoughtful engagement with ideas