Assignment: Vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension.

Literal and inferential Comprehension

Evaluative comprehension

Dead line: 1 April

The assignments are in compliance to instruction from higher authorities so that learning remains uninterrupted despite the closure of university.

(This assignment is 2^nd  of the series of assignments calculated to initiate students into the art of reading)

Vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension.

Apple banana blue walk tree happy sing.

Surely you were able to read each of the words in that sentence and understand what they meant independently. An apple is a fruit that is usually round and red, green or yellow. A banana is another fruit that is yellow. Blue is a color…and so on and so forth. However, when you look at the sentence as a whole, does it make sense? Probably not. This nonsense sentence demonstrates the difference between being able to read words and comprehend text. If you are practiced readers, you may take this distinction for granted since the acts of reading and comprehension occur almost simultaneously for us. If you are not this relationship is not as apparent.

What exactly IS reading comprehension?

Simply put, reading comprehension is the act of understanding what you are reading. While the definition can be simply stated the act is not simple to teach, learn or practice. Reading comprehension is an intentional, active, interactive process that occurs before, during and after a person reads a particular piece of writing.

There are two elements that make up the process of reading comprehension: vocabulary knowledge and text comprehension. In order to understand a text the reader must be able to comprehend the vocabulary used in the piece of writing. If the individual words don’t make the sense then the overall story will not either. In addition to being able to understand each distinct word in a text, the reader must be able to put them together to develop an overall conception of what it is trying to say. This is text comprehension. Text comprehension is much more complex and varied that vocabulary knowledge.

Exercise:

‘In order to understand a text you must be able to comprehend the vocabulary used in the piece of writing. If the individual words don’t make the sense then the overall story will not either’

Meanings of individual words are provided below

Vocabulary knowledge 

Sloth:

Meaning: Unwillingness to work or make any effort. Laziness

Paternalism:

Meaning: the policy or practice on the part of people in authority of restricting the freedom and responsibilities of those subordinate to or otherwise dependent on them in their supposed interest.

Adherence

Meaning: attachment or commitment

prêt-à-penser 

Meaning:  off-the-peg . Ready-made

Languor:

Meaning: pleasant mental or physical tiredness or lack of activity

Rhapsodic

Meaning:  Extravagantly emotional

Veer:

Meaning: Change direction suddenly.

Spacious

Meaning: having ample space

Metaphor

Meaning: a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable.

Exhilaration

Meaning: a feeling of excitement, happiness, or elation.

Presaged

Meaning: be a sign or warning of (an imminent event, typically an unwelcome one).

Classical

Meaning: existing in or as part of a tradition; long-established.  Traditional.

 Text comprehension

‘In addition to being able to understand each distinct word in a text, the reader must be able to put them together to develop an overall conception of what it is trying to say’.

Put words together or in other words try to explain their meanings in context.

1       Anyone who does not share their interpretation is a victim of ' intellectual sloth ', ' paternalism ', or ' pret-a-penser ' of others.

2       The problem with exercise adherence: fighting sloth in nations with market economies.

3       Later movements paint an extraordinary range of impressions, veering unexpectedly from spacious languor to rhapsodic exhiliration.

4       The metaphor of white female languor was widely used as a metaphor for the historical cycles of rise and fall presaged by classical views of history.

Reading for literal and inferential Comprehension

Imagine a boy named Billy. He is sitting alone in a corner and building a tower out of blocks. He places one block on top of another as his tower becomes higher and higher. The more blocks he adds, the more intricate his design becomes.

Literal meaning is simply what the text says. It is what actually happens in the story. This is a very important level of understanding because it provides the foundation for more advanced comprehension. Without understanding the material on this level, you could not go any farther.

Let's use our story about Billy to provide an example. The literal meaning of the story was that Billy built a tower out of blocks. The answers to questions based on literal meaning will always be found in the text. For example: Who was building the tower? The answer is Billy.

Interpretive or Inferential Comprehension. It is the reader's ability to extract ideas and information not directly stated in the textbook material, using prior or background knowledge to assist in such understanding

Inferential Meaning

Inferential meaning involves determining what the text means. You start with the stated information. This information is then used to determine deeper meaning that is not explicitly stated. Determining inferential meaning requires you to think about the text and draw a conclusion.

Getting back to Billy again, what inferential meaning could we get from our story? We could infer that Billy is good at building towers! A question about inferential meaning will typically make you provide examples from the text that back up your thinking. For example: Why could you assume that Billy is good at building towers? You assume this is true because the story says that Billy's tower got higher and higher, and the design became more intricate with each block.

Activity: A passage below is done for you.

On August 3, 1492 , Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos , Spain , with less than a hundred crew members to discover a new route to Asia. After spending a difficult time at sea, the party sighted land early on the morning ofOctober 12, 1492. They set foot on an island in the Bahamas which they named Al Salvador. Columbus presumed that the indigenous people were Native Indians as he was under the mistaken belief that he had set foot on Indian soil. Probably some 10 million American Indians were natives to the land before the large-scale inhabitation by Europeans and subsequent annihilation of Native Americans started.
However, it took more than a hundred years after Columbus discovered America for the Europeans to finally take the momentous decision to make the New World their home.
The Native Americans actually welcomed the pale-skinned visitors primarily out of curiosity than anything else. They were fascinated by the steel knives and swords, fire spewing cannons, brass and copper utensils, etc. that these visitors brought with them. Eventually, cultural differences erupted. The natives could not stomach the arrogance of the newcomers and the scant respect they paid to nature. The European settlers viewed every resource — plants, animals, and people as something to be commercially exploited.
The native Indians were vastly outnumbered in the wars that ensued. The resistance they put up never proved enough to stop the European settlers. The nomadic lifestyle of the Indians, the relatively unsophisticated weapons at their disposal, the unwillingness of some of their own people to defend themselves, and the diseases of the white men — all contributed to the virtual elimination of their race. Some of the diseases brought by Europeans from their overcrowded cities that decimated the natives were: small pox, plague, measles, cholera, typhoid, and malaria. These deadly diseases, to which most natives had developed no resistance, devastated many tribes between 1775 and 1850.
America was named after an Italian navigator, Amerigo Vespucci, who explored the Northern parts of South America in 1499 and 1500 and later announced to the world about the discovery of a new continent.

1.   The primary purpose of the passage is to

A. Disprove the notion that America was named after Columbus

B. Provide a snapshot of the discovery of America and the early years of settlements.

C. Explain how the Europeans eliminated the native Americans in their own land

D. Discuss how the process of colonization of America started.    

E.  To tell about the Americans Indians.

Answer : Option B.
The primary purpose of the passage is to give a brief account of the discovery of America and the early years of settlement

From the passage we can infer that in comparison to the Europeans, Native Americans were

A. Careless about their environment    

B. A very unhealthy lot    

C. More respectful of nature    

D. Ignorant about sanitation

E.  Afraid of outsiders

Answer : Option C.
From the third paragraph, we can make out that they were more respectful of nature.

What can be inferred from the third paragraph?

A. The native Americans did not have any weapons with which to defend themselves.

B. The native Americans probably attached a lot of importance to and respected nature.

C. The native Americans did not know how to use natural resources.

D. The early settlers became arrogant as they could commercially exploit resources.

E.  The native Americans did not know the art of making utensils.

Answer : Option B.

Based on the information in the passage which of the following cannot be inferred?

     I.            Alien diseases wiped out a large proportion of certain Native American tribes

II.            The early settlers totally eliminated the Native Americans

III.            To the early settlers, even people were resources to be exploited commercially

A. Only I

B. Only II

C. I & II

D. Only III

E.  None of these

Answer : Option B.
In the fourth paragraph it is stated, "The nomadic lifestyle of the Indians, the relative………..all contributed to the virtual elimination of their race." The word 'virtual' means ‘almost but not completely.' Hence, the Native Americans were not totally eliminated

Evaluative comprehension

 Evaluative comprehension requires the reader to move beyond the text to consider what they think and believe in relation to the message in the text. It is at this point that readers/viewers are required to justify their opinions, argue for a particular viewpoint, critically analyse the content and determine the position of the author. Evaluative comprehension is often referred to as ‘beyond the text’ and includes ‘big picture’ comprehension. Often there is no right or wrong answer but rather justification for thinking in a particular way.

Evaluative vs. Interpretive. What is the difference between an evaluative question and an interpretive question? Evaluative: You need to form a response based on experience rather than text. ... Interpretive: You will try to find an answer to a single, basic question about the meaning of a text.

Complex Questions- Evaluative vs. Interpretive

What is the difference between an evaluative question and an interpretive question?

Evaluative:  You need to form a response based on experience rather than text.  You will use your values, experiences, opinion, judgment, and knowledge to respond.  Key question, "Do I agree with what the author is saying?"

Interpretive:  You will try to find an answer to a single, basic question about the meaning of a text.  You will need to use specific passages from the text to prove your point. Key question, "What is the author trying to say?"

Each style of question needs PROOF.  Evaluative requires PROOF from your experiences.  Interpretive requires PROOF from the text.

Evaluative question stems: Beyond the text or big picture

Evaluative Question Prompts:

An evaluative question asks the reader to decide whether he or she agrees with the author's ideas or point of view in light of his or her own knowledge, values, and experience. These questions can be answered from “In your head”.

What you think or believe? The author would agree/disagree. What is missing?

·         Do you think.......?

·         Do you agree......?

·         Why would........?

·         What else could........?

·         Why/How might.........?

·         Why do you think........?

·         What would happen if.........?

·         What will probably /most likely happen?

·         What/How would you........?

·         What/How should.........?

·         How do you feel about........?

·         How does.........affect you?

·         If you were........what would you........?

·         What would have happened if........?

·         What is your opinion of........?

·         Would it be better if........?

·         How would you evaluate/judge........?

Evaluative questions require the reader to formulate a response based on their opinion.
...
During this time, they stay very close to their mothers.

·         What are puppies like when they are born?

·         Are puppies born blind?

·         Why do they stay close to their mothers?

·         Would you like to have a puppy?

Comprehension Example Lesson:

Evaluative Comprehension

Reading Model Text  Analyst/Text Participant

Lesson Configuration Whole-Part-Whole: Modelled reading-Independent   reading-Reflection

Lesson Three Learning Intention We are learning the strategy of asking and answering questions as we read to help us understand what we read.

Success Criteria I can ask and answer at least one evaluative question as I read to help me think about the message in the text. I can write an evaluative question on a post it note and share the answer with other students at the end of the lesson.

1.  Introduce the learning intention and the success criteria for the  lesson.

•       Today we are learning about a strategy that can help us understand what we read. As we read we can ask ourselves questions to check that we have understood. Today I am going to show you how to ask and answer an evaluative question as I read. Evaluative questions ask us to go beyond the text and think of the bigger picture or message of the text. I will use this anchor chart to help me ask an evaluative question.

•       After I have shown you what to do, you are going to read independently. As you read I want you to check for your own understanding. You can do this by asking yourself an evaluative question and then thinking about the message  in the story. You will know if you are successful at asking an evaluative question if you can write your question on a post it note and can share your question with others at the end of the lesson.

2.  Reread the picture story book Refugees by David Miller, Lothian Children’s Books, an imprint of Hachette Australia, 2004. Model the strategy e.g. David Miller has written a story about ducks looking for a new home but the title of the story is Refugees.

Why has he used this title when the story is about ducks? What is he trying to make us think? Write the question on a post it note.

Model thinking:

·       If we think of the ducks as people, I think the author is trying to tell readers that there are people around the world who are also escaping their home because they cannot live there anymore. We call this a metaphor when we say one thing is another. The author is trying to make the point that we should be helping refugees to find another safe place to live. We know the author thinks that because on the last page of the story, the ducks were placed in a beautiful habitat that was safe.

3. Model the strategy one more time. What other messages could the author want us to think or   believe?

·       At the start of the story, the ducks’ environment was destroyed. Does the author want us to think about the environment and our responsibility to protect the animals that live in it?

·       In part of the story, we saw hunters killing ducks. Does the author think we should not kill animals for sport or food?

Do I agree or disagree with these messages? Why or why  not?

4.    Ask students to turn and talk to a partner? What do they think about the author’s messages? Can they justify their answers?

5.    Revise expectations for independent reading, e.g. Sit in one place, select a book from your individual book box and start to read straight away, read quietly for 20 minutes and read for  meaning.

6.     Revise success criteria. 

·       Find a question stem and ask yourself an evaluative question as you read. What does the author want me to think or believe? Write down the question on a paper and then transfer it to blog or in a group. Put your name on the post-

·       Be prepared to share your question and have a reason for why you answered the question like you did at reflection time. Last 10 minutes of the session.

7.    Students read independently for 20 minutes.

8.    Reflection Time-Whole Group 

·       Students put their name on their evaluative question post-it note and return to the main group. 

·       Ask some students to share their questions. Encourage students to share what they think or believe about the question. Ensure students give reasons and justify their answers. Repeat this several times. 

·         Collect the questions and stick on a prepared sheet with the heading ‘Evaluative Questions’

Revisit Success criteria. Check if everyone has at least one written evaluative question. Clarify students’ understanding of evaluative questions. Write a class definition and display.