“Learning What We Read”
 

Rationale:  One of the most important things about teaching children to read is to make sure that they comprehend.  Comprehension is not automatic to all children; many need to be guided into learning how to comprehend.  This lesson helps to guide students with comprehending.

Materials: paper, pencils, science textbook ­ HBJ Science, Nova Edition, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers 1989, and a summary of the first paragraph of the selected reading “Living Things Move”.

Procedures:
1. Today we are going to read from Chapter 1 in your science textbook.  I want you to read silently the section “Living Things Move” on pages 2 and 4.  Remember that when we read silently we say the words to ourselves but not aloud.

2. Before you begin to read I want you to look at the questions on the board.
· Do all living things move?
· How do plants move?
     Think about these questions as you read this section silently.

3. A summary is a shortened version of something you read.  It contains only the most important information.  It does not have any of the unimportant details.  A summary of the first paragraph would be something like this.  (Put summary on overhead and read aloud to the class).
Movement is a sign of life.  You are moving at all times.

4. Now that you know what a summary is I want you to write a summary about what you have just read in “Living Things Move”.

References:  HBJ Science, Nova Edition, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers 1989.
Fundamentals of Language and Literacy Instruction II instructed by Dr. Bruce Murray.

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