Talking About Books to Improve Comprehension

Overview

From Theory to Practice

OVERVIEW

Meaningful conversations are a powerful tool to help students understand what they read and make text-to-self connections. This simple lesson, which is designed for repeated use with both fiction and nonfiction, provides students with strategies to support conversations about texts. Students will learn how to determine which ideas work best to inspire a conversation, how to stay focused on a particular idea, and how to talk with other students in a way that leads to deeper thinking. Students conclude the activity by reflecting on how their ideas changed or grew as a result of the discussion.

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Ketch, A. (2005). Conversation: The comprehension connection. The Reading Teacher, 59(1), 8-13.

• Students actively engaged in the conversation process can become reflective, critical thinkers.
  
  
• Conversation helps individuals make sense of the texts they read and the world they live in.
  
  
• Used as a connection to cognitive strategies, conversation fosters comprehension acquisition.
  
  
• Feedback from conversation helps us form new ideas or support or reject an original idea.
  
  
• Students need help developing the strategies necessary for meaningful conversations.

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