In a recent post, I discussed building fluency in the upper grade content areas. Let’s go back to that example of an 8th grade Social Studies class examining the Preamble to the Constitution, so we can talk about some research-based procedures that will strengthen comprehension.

Imagine that we’ve read the text 3 times already with the purpose of reading for fluency. Our next step will be to read for comprehension, and we can do that in one of a few ways.

In the graphic above, recommendation 1 tells us to give an overview of the text. Think of this as reading the back cover of a paperback novel- just a few sentences in student-friendly language that help to build background. Recommendation 2 says to then ask a few questions that may help students make connections to the text. Recommendations 3 and 4 might have already been covered during your fluency practice, or your initial teaching of morphology. So let’s go ahead and see what that would sound like in a classroom:

Teacher: So, now that we’ve read this thing called the Preamble a few times, we’re ready to talk about what it means. I have a feeling that some of you may have already figured it out just by our repetitions, yes? That’s what I thought. You can think of the Preamble as an introduction, a preface, a foreward…or the opening sequence of a video game. In fact, think of your favorite video game, and think of that opening sequence. What’s it’s purpose? I know some people go ahead and skip right through it! But for those of you who watch through it all, what does it tell you?

Class commences discussion of purpose of opening sequence of a video game.

Teacher: I hear what you’re saying- it gives you the feel for the environment you’re heading into. Well, that’s what the Preamble does. It was written to set the mood for its readers.

Once we’ve introduced the Preamble, we’ll teach students how to identify the important information.

In this part of the lesson, we’ll teach students how to find the “gist” of the text. Recommendation 1 in the graphic above is refers to a typical reading passage, that might look like students finding the person/place/thing that can be found most frequently throughout the passage, and listing important information about that “thing.” However, the Preamble is a different animal. Here, we’re reading a passage that is just one sentence long. I’ll model recommendation 2, 3, and 4 for you, by breaking the piece up at each comma to help students zero in on that information. Read carefully to see how I would help students generate the important information while gradually releasing responsibility.

Teacher: Someone earlier had mentioned that this is one really long sentence, and they are right. It’s long and kind of hard to follow, so let’s chop it up, piece by piece. We’ll use the commas to break it up, kind of into a T-chart. (creates T-chart on board)

We the people of the United States,

In order to form a more perfect Union,

establish justice,

insure domestic tranquility,

provide for the common defense,

promote the general welfare,

and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,

do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Teacher: Ok! Let’s look at the first “line.” If we said that in our own words, what might we say?

Class: Citizens? Residents? Tax-payers?

Teacher: All great ideas! Yes- those are all people to live in the US. I’ll write that down in a different color. Now, what do these people want? Let’s look at the next line.

Class: To be better. To have a more perfect life. To make the states work together.

Teacher: Exactly! Nice going. Write those words next to the originals. So, so far we know that US citizens wanted to have a better life. Got it. What else did they want? Look at the next line.

Class: have better rules? make more police departments?

Teacher: You’re on a roll. Look at the next one. The word tranquility means peacefulness.

Class: household peace? national peace?

Teacher: I love that I heard household and national- you’re right that domestic can be both of those places. Make sure you have those written. So what do we know so far?

Class: People in the US wanted better lives with better rules and more peace.

Teacher: Fabulous. I want you to try the next two with your partners. I’ll walk around and check in with you. We’ll come back together for the last two lines.

Teacher: Well done! I saw a lot of pairs write about making a stronger defensive army and getting healthier. Let’s look at the next two together. In “secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity,” posterity means our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. So let’s mull this over. What could this line mean?

Class: get stronger freedoms for our children? Make sure our children have freedom? Something about religious freedom for children?

Teacher: All excellent ideas. Make sure your T-chart is lined up. What do we know so far? I’ll call on you and you tell me what you have written for that part of the chart.

Class: US citizens wanted to have a better country by making better rules, making sure there was peace, creating an army, letting people be healthy, and protecting freedom.

Teacher: Now for the last line: “do ordain and establish this Constitution…” Ordain is kind of a weird word here, but.I know that my cousin got “ordained” to be able to be a minister at his friend’s wedding, so that tells me that the word ordain means something to with power.

Class: So the author is saying he has the power to write this? Who gave him the power? Can I get ordained? (tongue in cheek but you know how 8th graders are)

Teacher: Yes, he did, and check with your guardians. Take a minute and check your T-chart; make sure you have your own words next to the original.

In the example above, we strategically and explicitly taught students how to break up a challenging piece of text into manageable chunks, then translate those chunks into their own words. In doing so, we’re not only teaching the meaning of the Preamble, we’re offering supports that students can easily use on their own to navigate the next challenge.

All references and research from the What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide.

Reading Interventions for the Content Areas: Comprehension