Comprehension

**__ COMPREHENSION __** Comprehension means understanding what you can see, including the text, pictures, diagrams, layout and format. Reading comprehension is "the act of simultaneously extracting and constructing meaning from a text" (Hill, 2006, p. 190). According to the text, there are three parts to comprehension, which are the reader, the text, and the activity. The reader is taking into account the person’s age, gender, knowledge, past experiences, culture, and capabilities. The text can be in a number of formats, such as print or electronic, and can be in a number of genres. The activity has three different areas. Firstly, there is the purpose, why do people read? Secondly, the process involved with reading. Lastly, the consequences, such as what the reader has learned or experienced. ** Compression road blocks ** Gaskins (2003, as cited in Hill, 2006) describes five different 'road blocks' that need to be cleared before comprehension can occur, so these are strategies that teachers can use to aid the children's understanding. -building an active involvement -holding attention -being persistent -taking time to reflect -being flexible According to Snow, Burns & Griffin (1998, as cited in Hill, 2006) teaching comprehension is different depending on what genre of text is being studied. When learning about a narrative, it is crucial as a teacher to create a discussion prior to reading the book about the main themes, characters, and the author to build a 'scaffold' for the students support. During the reading of the book or text, clarification of any unknown words or phrases can clear up any misunderstanding of the text and encourages the students to continue paying attention, making predictions and understanding. Afterwards, reflecting on the meaning or messages can help consolidate the students’ comprehension. media type="youtube" key="REXecCISQYM&hl=en" height="355" width="425" When teaching an information text, the students would benefit from participating in activities where their newly learned information can be related to experiences in real life. This helps clarify the technical terms, understanding concepts, and make and explain predictions.