Sequencing: A Strategy to Succeed at Reading Comprehension

Overview

From Theory to Practice

OVERVIEW

In Steve Kellogg's version of the classic tall tale Paul Bunyan, the title character travels the country wreaking havoc and creating national landmarks. Like most stories, Paul Bunyan has a definite sequence of events. Students gain a deeper understanding of the story by exploring this sequence. In this lesson, students listen to a reading of the story and take notes about the sequence of events as they follow along. After reading the story, students are invited to the chalkboard or flipchart to write one story event. All the events are assigned to student pairs, and students work together to put these events in sequential order on an informal timeline. Students then further explore sequence by writing a journal entry about how sequence can help increase their comprehension when reading.

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FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

Barton, J. & Sawyer, D.M. (2003). Our students are ready for this: Comprehension instruction in the elementary school. The Reading Teacher, 57(4), 334–347.

• Students increase their comprehension of texts as they talk, draw, or write about what they have read.
  
  
• Visual structures that organize information in a logical way help to improve comprehension by providing concrete representations of concepts.
  
  
• Metacognition, or self-directed thinking, helps students understand the importance of comprehension strategies.

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