IV. GOAL FOUR. Develop reading comprehension skills for English,
social studies, science, and literature reading material.
A. CONTENT OUTLINE
1. Include
an emphasis upon grasping the main or central idea of a selection. This may be
correlated with instruction in writing summaries, précis, paraphrases, and
outlines.
2. Provide
extensive practice in a wide range of reading comprehension skills (see
detailed listing of these in Selection 1211) by means of carefully structured
oral questions over reading materials and by use of carefully written multiple
choice questions over reading material.
3. Provide
practice in interpretative reading skills. [Perhaps these may be correlated to
critical thinking skills.]
B. INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
1. Teacher‑made
supplementary reading skills selections with comprehension exercises for
individualized instruction as these have been set up in the Special Skills File
for social studies, English, science, and literature.
2.
Selected
poetry for discussion and interpretation, arranged in an instructional sequence
from simple to complex skills. See Selection 1228.
3. Outline
of Rules for the Interpretation of Literature. See Selection 1229. This may be
supplemented with reading selections which would involve reading situations
where the rules would be applied.
C. TEACHING
STRATEGIES
1. Introduction and use of Special Skills
File materials. See Selection 1238A.
2. Periodic
presentation of poems for interpretation. Place the poem on the board. Have
students copy the poem for permanent reference. Provide students with guide
questions. Have students write their interpretation of the poem as they
understand it before instruction. Collect the papers. Present, compare and
contrast, divergent interpretations. Derive through discussion and instruction
an appropriate valid interpretation of the poem.
3. Present
specific rules of literary interpretation with examples of their specific
application.
D. EVALUATION
1. Scores
received on objective comprehension exercises for selections in the Special
Skills File over units in social studies, science, English, and literature.
2. Composition credit for poem
interpretations.
3. Notebook credit for literature
interpretation outline (Selection 1229).
4. Oral credit for oral participation during
poetry discussion.
