Testing Reading

Reporters:
Ezra Marie D. Maulion
Judy Ann M. Dedace
Gillian Jane B. Trofeo

Reading and Literature

It is through literature that a student learns to examine thought and action

compassionately. When a reader is able to identify with a character and his conflict or problem
in a story and see life through the eyes of this character, that reader has begun to share an
author’s insight and has thus begun to read with appreciation. Reading in this way is to respond
both emotionally and intellectually

Aids in Teaching Literature

1. Speech Choir – a balanced group of voices reciting poetry and other rhythmic literature
together with a unity and beauty born of thinking and feeling as one.
Like Readers Theater, “Choral Reading” involves students as they read-aloud and orally
interpret, but does not require them to memorize their reading parts.

Unlike Readers Theater “Choral Speaking” requires a group of students to orally

interpret and recite from memory.

2. Chants and Raps

Chant – monotonous intonation in speech. The speaker recites the piece by following
certain rhythm, repeating certain lines, and following a simple melody
Rap – today’s term for fast chanting in 2/4 beat
Research has been conducted on using chants and cadences in content area literacy.
Recent advances in brain research, however, provide some interesting findings related to
chants and cadences. For example, much brain research indicates that, from birth until death,
the brain actively develops strategic thinking behaviors to make sense of the world (Medina,
2008). Specifically, throughout life, the brain focuses on recognizing patterns and connecting
these patterns to larger and larger patterns over time. Humans learn by copying, imitating, and
mimicking other people’s behaviors, speech, habits, and mannerisms. In this sense, humans
are “patterners” (Gardner, 1985, p. 152) who recognize, utilize, and learn with, from, and
through patterns. According to Tankersley (2005),
The brain likes patterns and seeks to connect new learning to prior knowledge and
experiences, so it makes sense to provide it with as many ways as possible to connect new
information to known information as we are reading. The more ways that knowledge is
grounded and secured with links within our mental storehouse, the more accessible and usable
the information becomes. (p. 114)
3. Reader’s Theater – a group technique of reading a story expressively in which each
character is represented by a reader.
Focus on reading texts with expressive voices and gestures.
It makes comprehension of text meaning and fun for students.

4. Storytelling (conventional)- only one person is telling the story

5. Chamber Theater – is a method of adapting literary works using a maximal amount of

the work’s original text and often minimal and suggestive setting

The uniqueness of Chamber theater relies on the dual role of each member in
the cast, as an actor/actres as well as narrator.

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity

Directed Reading-Thinking Activity (DR-TA) is a teaching strategy that guides students in
making predictions about a text and then reading to confirm or refute their predictions. This is an
excellent method of teaching to introduce to your students.This strategy encourages students to
be active and thoughtful readers, enhancing their comprehension.
TEACHING STRATEGIES: Professional Development
SUBJECTS: Reading, Language Arts and Writing Reading and Literature
D - DIRECT - Teachers direct and stimulate students' thinking prior to reading a passage by
scanning the title, chapter headings, illustrations, and other explanatory materials. Then
teachers should use open-ended questions to direct students as they make predictions about
the content or perspective of the text (e.g., "Given this title, what do you think the passage will
be about?"). Students should be encouraged to justify their responses and activate prior
knowledge.
R - READING - Teachers should have students read up to the first pre-selected stopping point
in the text. The teacher then prompts the students with questions about specific information and
asks them to evaluate their predictions and refine them if necessary. This process should be
continued until students have read each section of the passage.
T - THINKING - At the end of the reading, teachers should have students go back through the
text and think about their predictions. Students should verify or modify the accuracy of their
predictions by finding supporting statements in the text. The teacher deepens the thinking
process by asking questions such as:
 What do you think about your predictions now?
 What did you find in the text to prove your predictions?
 What did you find in the text that caused you to modify your predictions?
NOTE: Writing may be included as part of the DRTA. As students become more comfortable
with this strategy, have each student write predictions in a learning log or on a piece of paper.
Then, in small groups, students can discuss their predictions and share their thinking processes.
Next ask students to write summary statements about how their predictions compared to the
passage.
The following steps outline the DR-TA process:
Introduction- What do you already know about this subject?
Predict- Looking at the title, what do you think the story is about? Why?
Looking at the pictures, what do you think the story will be about? Why?
Prove or Modify Predictions -After reading each section, answer the following:
What do you think now?
Can you prove your predictions, or do you need to modify them?
What do you think will happen next? Why?
Reflect- After reading the entire selection, answer the following:
What did you find in the text to prove your predictions?
What did you find in the text that caused you to modify your predictions?

Why Is It Important?
Most students require explicit instruction in reading comprehension strategies (Tierney 1982).
Good readers make predictions and verify or refute them as they read. They also make
adjustments to what they think will come next based on the text. DR-TA is a strategy that
explicitly teaches students to good reading habits.

How Can You Make It Happen?

Before using this strategy with students, create a classroom climate in which students are free
to state their ideas and share their thinking. This is especially necessary for students who are
not risk-takers. Because these students want to be correct the first time they answer a question,
DR-TA can be challenging for them. DR-TA asks students to predict the unknown in a text, and
at times students will be incorrect. For some students, you may want to consider having them
write their predictions in a journal rather than posting them on an overhead transparency or the
chalkboard. Encourage students not to be intimidated by taking a risk and not to feel pressure to
state correct predictions.
As an introductory lesson to DR-TA, select a reading passage, and determine several
appropriate stopping points within it for students to make, verify, or modify predictions. Use
sticky notes to mark students' copies of the text in advance to prevent students from reading too
far ahead. Be cautious not to interrupt the flow of the text too many times, as this will adversely
affect comprehension.
When you use this strategy, guide and stimulate students' thinking through the use of questions.
Pose open-ended questions, and encourage students to state their predictions, valuing and
supporting all ideas. Wait a few seconds after asking a question, to allow students to process
the information and form a prediction.

At the beginning of the lesson, write the title of the book or passage on an overhead
transparency or the chalkboard. Ask students, "Given this title, what do you think the passage
will be about?" Accept and record all predictions on the transparency or chalkboard. Ask
students, "Why do you think that?" to encourage them to justify their responses and activate
prior knowledge.
Preview the illustrations and/or headings of the passage. Ask students to revise their predictions
based on this new information. Make changes to the predictions on the transparency or
chalkboard.
Have students read silently. Stop them after the first section of the passage, and lead a class
discussion to verify or modify predictions. Ask students to cite the text which caused them to
confirm or change a prediction. Ask students, "What in the passage makes you think that? Can
you prove it?" Make changes to the predictions on the transparency or chalkboard.
Repeat this process until students have read each section of the passage. Verify or modify the
predictions made at the beginning of the lesson.
As students become more comfortable with this process, have each student write predictions in
learning log or on a piece of paper. Then, in small groups, students can discuss their predictions
and share their thinking processes. Next ask students to write summary statements about how
their predictions compared to the passage.
Using DR-TA in a heterogeneous group can be a challenge due to the range of reading levels
that may be present. In this case, you may want to select two passages on the same topic – one
higher-level and one lower-level. Divide the class into groups to read the text that is appropriate
for them. These groups should share information as described in the previous paragraph.
If your students are not yet readers, the strategy is referred to as Directed Listening-Thinking
Activity (DL-TA) and proceeds the same way, except you read the text to the class. To use DL-
TA for challenged readers, have a taped version of the passage available. Listening to text read
aloud provides challenged readers with opportunities to attend to and comprehend material that
they would be unable to read for themselves (Gillet and Temple 1994).
Question-Answer Relationship (QAR)
The question–answer relationship (QAR) strategy helps students understand the different types
of questions. By learning that the answers to some questions are "Right There" in the text, that
some answers require a reader to "Think and Search," and that some answers can only be
answered "On My Own," students recognize that they must first consider the question before
developing an answer.
Why use question–answer relationship?

 It can improve students' reading comprehension.

 It teaches students how to ask questions about their reading and where to find the
answers to them.

 It helps students to think about the text they are reading and beyond it, too.

 It inspires them to think creatively and work cooperatively while challenging them to use
higher-level thinking skills.
How to use question–answer relationship
1. Explain to students that there are four types of questions they will encounter. Define each
type of question and give an example.
Four types of questions are examined in the QAR:
 Right There Questions: Literal questions whose answers can be found in the text.
Often the words used in the question are the same words found in the text.
 Think and Search Questions: Answers are gathered from several parts of the text and
put together to make meaning.
 Author and You: These questions are based on information provided in the text but the
student is required to relate it to their own experience. Although the answer does not lie
directly in the text, the student must have read it in order to answer the question.
 On My Own: These questions do not require the student to have read the passage but
he/she must use their background or prior knowledge to answer the question.
2. Read a short passage aloud to your students.
3. Have predetermined questions you will ask after you stop reading. When you have finished
reading, read the questions aloud to students and model how you decide which type of question
you have been asked to answer.
4. Show students how find information to answer the question (i.e., in the text, from your own
experiences, etc.).

Graphic organizer: KWL Chart

A KWL table, or KWL chart, is a graphical organizer designed to help in learning. The
letters KWL are an acronym, for what students, in the course of a lesson, already know, want to
know, and ultimately learn. A KWL table is typically divided into three columns titled Know, Want
and Learned.
KWL charts assist teachers in activating students' prior knowledge of a subject or topic and
encourage inquisition, active reading, and research. KWL charts are especially helpful as a
prereading strategy when reading expository text and may also serve as an assessment of what
students have learned during a unit of study. The K stands for what students know, the W
stands for what students want to learn, and the L stands for what the students learn as they
read or research.
Why Is It Important?
Donna Ogle asserts that KWL helps students become better readers of expository text and
helps teachers to be more interactive in their teaching (Ogle, 1987).
KWL charts help students to be active thinkers while they read (Carr & Ogle, 1987), giving them
specific things to look for and having them reflect on what they learned when they are finished
reading.
In learning, metacognition involves the active monitoring and conscious control and regulation of
cognitive processes. It involves thinking about thinking, self-awareness, and self-regulation
(Flavell, 1979).
The metacognitive strategy of self-questioning is used to ensure that students comprehend the
text. When students set their own purposes for reading, they are more motivated and active as
readers. Each student has a schema, or a framework for how they view the world. Accessing a
student's prior knowledge is the first step in integrating new concepts into their existing schema.
KWL charts help activate background knowledge and provide an opportunity for students to set
their own learning objectives.
References:
Books

Jennings, C. & Shepherd, J. (1998). Literacy and the key learning areas: successful classroom
strategies. Eleanor Curtain Publishing.

Lenski, Susan D., Wham, Mary Ann, & Johns, Jerry L. (1999). Reading and learning strategies
for middle and high school students. Dubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt.

Murdoch, K. (1998). Classroom Connections: Strategies for Integrated Learning.Eleanor

Curtain Publishing.

Stauffer, R. G. (1969). Directing reading maturity as a cognitive process. New York: Harper &

Row.

Websites
Teacher Vision [Web log post]. Retrieved January 08, 2019 from
https://www.teachervision.com/directed-reading-thinking-activity.
WETA Washington, D.C. (2019). Classroom Strategies Directed Reading Thinking Activity
(DRTA)[Web log post]. Retrieved January 08, 2019 from http://www.adlit.org/strategies/23356/.
http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/question_answer_relationship

https://www.teachervision.com/graphic-organizer/using-kwl-classroom

https://sites.google.com/site/thingsinourschool/all-about-teaching/graphicorganizerkwlchartandstorymap

https://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/WhatsNew/WNDet/TabId/270/ArtMID/888/ArticleID/282/Using-
Chants-and-Cadences-to-Promote-Literacy-Across-the-Curriculum.aspx

https://www.scriptsforschools.com/about-choral-reading-speaking