Let’s talk teaching reading comprehension remotely.
Can we just pause for a second. Okay… I know online teaching is very overwhelming…but teaching is so much more than just pushing out activity after activity for our students to do at home. Yes….they can do activities on their own…BUT…. only if they have been taught first.
Now here we are as teachers being thrust into this new universe of teaching online. And we are grasping for anything to send to our students. I’m not saying you shouldn’t…You totally still should be sending them activities. But they need to see YOU. The teacher! They need to HEAR you.
Zoom has been wonderful they are making it FREE to communicate via video chat and film your screen so you can teach. So you know those Active Boards you teach from? Guess what now you can record the screen with your voice. Although…where are you? A live video of you with your anchor chart and connecting with them might be all they need right now. Something they have seen countless times before. Even a video recording of you and your anchor chart just using your phone. Want to know what I mean? Below is a video of me I took using my phone teaching bossy r:
Now…here is where I come in. You can stick with those everyday handwritten Anchor Chart or try to grab them with these! And guess what!? You can print them laminate them and use them year after year. In the classroom these are fabulous as they put them together with you for a highly interactive experience. Currently remotely they can be in ah as it comes to life for them.
Vocabulary
When teaching with a read a loud we always start with vocabulary. When teaching a comprehension strategy should it really be any different? Begin with those words they are going to be seeing popping up in all those activities you are sending them…what do they mean? Use pictures to help them visually see the word. Now you can draw it and write it out…or you can print…laminate…and use them for guidance as you teach from a chart. Below is are examples from my Cause and Effect and Compare and Contrast Unit.
Anchor Charts
Then you can dive into the comprehension strategy itself with anchor charts to teaching reading comprehension remotely….Here are a few from my different comprehension units. Click any image and it will take you to that unit.
Initial Activities
Okay now you can start sending them activities when teaching reading comprehension remotely…but these activities should be stand alone and simple. I have created some in google drive for Cause and Effect, Story Structure, and Compare + Contrast. These are all done in google drive. Some they type in and some they move the pieces to the right spots. What I love about Google is you don’t need a subscription to be able to use the program.
Anchor Chart with Book
Next, let’s tie it in with a story. Teach the story of your choice. You can record yourself doing a read aloud for them or use one of the many you can find already filmed online. Once you have done that then you can do another anchor chart with them with the book. See examples below:
Activities with Book
Then it is time to send them activities. Just send simple graphic organizers like below that they can fill out about the story.
Needing some ideas for books? I did a blog post a while back on book ideas for Cause and Effect click here to check it out!
