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By Kristine Nannini

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Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory

14 Comments

I had some teacher epiphanies during this crazy-busy time of year. The kind that make you want to veer off the lesson plan, follow a kid’s lead, and learn with your students. A teacher’s dream right?!

Three times a year we were required to give our students the DRA2 Reading Survey/Inventory. I honestly never took these reading inventories seriously and felt like they took up too much of my time. After sitting down and giving these the proper attention they required, I realized that they could be a really useful tool.

It was time I really got to know my kids as readers and learn a bit about their background knowledge (and I needed an easy way to do it). Since we weren’t far enough into our workshop procedures to start conferencing, I created my own reading inventory. I wanted to create one that could not only tell me about my students and their love/lack of reading, but I also wanted to gauge their prior knowledge of reading strategies, comprehension, fluency, etc.

Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini

This quick 12-question reading inventory gave me more insight on every single student than I ever thought possible. I know, I know, we’ve learned about these reading inventories since the beginning of time, but I seriously took for granted the power they have in my own classroom. What’s crazy is that the information my students wrote is nothing new. But to get students to verbally say these responses in a conference-like format is rare. Something about the pencil to paper made them write more than I’ve ever heard them say.

Their responses were all over the board. I know you can relate when I say that some of them made me gasp inside a bit.

Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini

But the gasp was quickly followed with positive thoughts…
“OK! This student will benefit from a mini-lesson on genres. I will jot that down!”

Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini

Then there are those few that make your teacher insides smile.

Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini

The answers that the students wrote were the reason for my teacher epiphany. The biggest surprise came from responses to the question: What does the word comprehension mean to you? Explain your thinking. 

Have you ever asked your students what comprehension means? I don’t know why I never thought to ask my students this. I just figured that by 5th grade, they have been learning about their schemas, the connections they make, the questions they develop as they read, their visualizations, inferences, and all of the other tools in their toolbox they use to make meaning of the text they read. Even my high readers couldn’t answer this question. Many of them said that comprehension is visualizing, or just the ability to read. This was when I completely veered off my lesson plans and grabbed my Mr. Sketch markers.

I decided to pull my students for a quick mini-lesson.

Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini
Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini
Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini
Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini
Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini

The mini-lesson was nothing fancy, I promise. We sat in a community meeting type of format in which I allowed students to freely share and talk. It was an honest conversation between my students and I, with the anchor charts to guide us. It was a real learning moment. It was so cool listening to students and seeing their heads tilt to the side a bit when the lightbulbs started going off.

I described the two different types of readers (as shown below on the anchor chart), and seeing my low readers understand it was awesome. For once, they kind of understood it all and could somewhat put the pieces together.

Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini
Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini

The best moment came when one of my low readers asked me how he could go from being the “reader on the right (see anchor chart) who says he hates to read,” to the “reader on the left that gets it.” He said that he would love to be that other reader, but he hated to read and didn’t know how. At that very moment, I promised this student that this was his year to be that other reader, and I was going to help him do it!

PFEW! Good stuff!!!!

You can grab my reading inventory by clicking here or the picture below!

Understanding Comprehension and a Free Reading Inventory- Young Teacher Love by Kristine Nannini

Enjoy the rest of your week!

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Filed Under: English Language Arts

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Comments

  1. Kaitlyn says

    September 26, 2013 at 12:13 am

    What an amazing post! I never thought about thinking/teaching it that way…I think we too often go right to the strategies in the upper grades and forget to explain why they are important! Something to definitely think about. Thank you for such thoughtful post! (And your charts are wicked cute!)

    :) Kaitlyn
    Smiles and Sunshine

    Reply
  2. YoungTeacherLove says

    September 26, 2013 at 12:18 am

    Thank you so much for your comment Kaitlyn! I was afraid that after posting this people would read it and be like…DUH! I’m glad to know I’m not alone in the whole jumping right into the standards thing! :)

    Reply
  3. Irene Zajac says

    September 26, 2013 at 1:55 am

    Wonderful insight into comprehension. I love it. Can’t wait to share.
    Irene

    Reply
  4. Kelli says

    September 26, 2013 at 5:51 am

    Love this! Can’t wait to do it with my students-thanks!
    Kelli
    Tales from a traveling teacher

    Reply
  5. TrainingForSuccess says

    September 26, 2013 at 3:26 pm

    After reading this, and a few of your other blogs, one of our clients have authorized me to give you and your faculty a discount on school supplies. go to http://www.bulkofficesupply.com and use the coupon code MARK. Thanks for the great post and being an awesome teacher.

    Reply
  6. Miss B. says

    September 26, 2013 at 9:15 pm

    Ohhh I always love your posts! Thanks for the great updates and information! :-)

    Real Teachers Learn

    Reply
  7. YoungTeacherLove says

    September 26, 2013 at 9:47 pm

    Thank you!! :)

    Reply
  8. SnuggleBunnie says

    October 7, 2013 at 2:23 pm

    I am not a teacher. I did home school my daughters, this year I put them in public school. I love your blog and how you explain everything. This is really awesome. My ten year old is a great reader but she strugglea a bit on the comprehending part. Using your illustrations can help me explain to my daughter how we should read better. I want to say thank you so much.

    Reply
  9. YoungTeacherLove says

    October 7, 2013 at 8:14 pm

    I am so glad this will be able to help your daughter! :) I appreciate your kind words!

    Reply
  10. S. Harris says

    October 9, 2013 at 11:36 pm

    The kiddo who wanted to go from the right side to the left side pulled at my heart strings!! Makes me so happy that he felt very comfortable with the environment you have provided to be so vulnerable! Have a great year!

    Reply
  11. YoungTeacherLove says

    October 10, 2013 at 12:09 am

    Aww thank you! I love your comment! That means so much!

    Reply
  12. Cynda Mehlert says

    October 11, 2013 at 2:26 pm

    Do you create your anchor charts ahead of time or do you create them together as a class? As you know, I love all your ideas and products. :) Would LOVE to be a fly on your classroom wall!!

    Reply
  13. YoungTeacherLove says

    October 11, 2013 at 6:52 pm

    You’re so sweet Cynda! Thank you!! I always create anchor charts with my students, but often snazzy them up afterwards or put titles and headings on ahead of time.

    Reply
  14. Tammy says

    January 5, 2014 at 3:32 pm

    I loved your post. Thanks so much for sharing. I’m going to try this with my 2nd graders and see how much of the questions they can answer. We talk about fluency, strategies, comprehension, etc…. I wonder also if they can tell me what it is.
    Tammy
    Mrs. Flickinger’s Butterfly Oasis

    Reply

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Kristine Nannini

I am an elementary school teacher, curriculum writer, educational blogger, and founder of Young Teacher Love. I love bringing excitement and innovation to education. Welcome! I’m so glad you found my classroom!

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Welcome to Young Teacher Love!

Kristine Nannini

I am an elementary school teacher, curriculum writer, educational blogger, and founder of Young Teacher Love. I love bringing excitement and innovation to education. Welcome! I’m so glad you found my classroom!

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