Alicia Collard

EDUC 342
COZENS
Spring 2014
Edok: Comprehension e!" #ac"ors
Sam$lis% &' (200)*' hink+ac+oe% a mo"i,a"ing me"hod o- increasing comprehension' The
Reading Teacher, 59(.*% )/1+)/4'
CEN0A1 2E3E:
hink+ac+oe ac"i,i"ies are 4sed "o mo"i,a"e s"4den"s in a -4n game like 5a6% and gi,e
"he s"4den"s more -reedom "o make a choice a$o4" "he ac"i,i"6 "he6 5an" "o do' S"4den"s are a$le
"o gain responsi$ili"6 and acco4n"a$ili"6 $6 choosing an ac"i,i"6 "ha" $es" -i"s "heir learning s"6le
and in"eres"s' 2o5e,er% as a "eacher "his makes "he planning more "ime cons4ming -or "he
speci-ic skill $eing "a4gh" $eca4se 6o4 are planning nine di--eren" ac"i,i"ies "o reach di--eren"
skill le,els and in"eres"s -or s"4den"s "o choose -rom'
3A7N 7DEAS:
hink+"ac+"oe is a nine s84are grid 5i"h ac"i,i"ies in each s84are "ha" rela"es "o s"4den"s
di--eren" learning a$ili"ies in a -4n indi,id4al or gro4p se""ing' his game like me"hod o-
presen"ing ac"i,i"ies "o s"4den"s is m4ch more appealing "o s"4den"s 5ho ma6 no" do 5ell
in a s"andard "es" like 84es"ion and ans5er "6pe o- ac"i,i"6 or assessmen"' S"4den"s are
pro,ided "he oppor"4ni"6 "o choose "hree o- "he nine ac"i,i"ies "o comple"e% and are
enco4raged "o $e crea"i,e% come 4p 5i"h "heir o5n ideas% and 4se "heir s"rong poin"s "o
sho5 s"or6 comprehension or 5hiche,er skill is $eing "a4gh"'
Alicia Collard
EDUC 342
COZENS
Spring 2014
E!amples o- a "hink+"ac+"oe grid ma6 incl4de ac"i,i"ies s4ch as ac"ing% singing% dra5ing%
maga9ine collages% diagrams% re"elling "he s"or6% "imelines% ,ideos% and e"ce"era' hese
ac"i,i"ies can $e comple"ed indi,id4all6 or as a gro4p "o promo"e disc4ssions and
learning -rom each o"her' 7" is also $ene-icial "o incorpora"e di--eren" s4$:ec"s 5i"hin
"hese assignmen"s and can help de,elop skills in "hese di--eren" areas as 5ell'
he $ene-i"s o- 4sing "his 5a6 o- presen"ing ac"i,i"ies and prac"icing concep" skills "o
s"4den"s incl4des $ringing in di--eren" s4$:ec" areas% sociali9a"ion% responsi$ili"6% ac"i,e
par"icipa"ion% s"4den" choice% indi,id4al learning s"6les and readiness le,els% 4l"ima"el6
leads "o mo"i,a"ion and $e""er reading comprehension or a deeper 4nders"anding o- "he
-oc4sed skill'
0e-lec"ion:
7n m6 pas" e!periences 5i"h "eaching prac"ic4m lessons% 7 ha,e -o4nd "ha" "here is a direc"
correla"ion $e"5een s"4den" choice and "he mo"i,a"ion "o learn' 7n 5orking 5i"h a s"4den" 5ho
s"r4ggles a" a lo5er reading le,el% and "here-ore ha"es "o read% 7 no"iced "he s"4den" 5as al5a6s
e!periencing di--ic4l"6 5i"h mo"i,a"ion and -oc4s' A-"er "he -irs" lesson 7 co4ld "ell "here 5as
no"hing a$o4" i" "ha" in"eres"ed him% and ne!" "ime 7 kne5 :4s" 5ha" "o do' ;ha" $e""er 5a6 "o
mo"i,a"e "his s"4den" "han "o ac"4all6 ask him 5ha" he 5an"ed "o learn a$o4"% and "hen plan m6
lesson accordingl6' 2e s4gges"ed "ha" ma6$e he co4ld learn a$o4" rh6ming' 7 planned a lesson
"ha" 5as all a$o4" -oo"$all% one o- his $igges" in"eres"s' 7 made 4p a game 4sing a -oo"$all "ha"
Alicia Collard
EDUC 342
COZENS
Spring 2014
5as also "eaching him rh6ming and he a$sol4"el6 lo,ed i"' 2e e,en 5an"ed "o read "he $ook
again' his "hink+"ac+"oe ac"i,i"6 grid is a per-ec" 5a6 "o pro,ide s"4den" choice and "o spark
mo"i,a"ion in all m6 s"4den"s a" "he same "ime 5hile "eaching and prac"icing a speci-ic skill $eing
"a4gh"' he di--eren" ac"i,i"ies in each o- "he nine s84ares are a grea" 5a6 "o indi,id4ali9e
ins"r4c"ion and prac"ice -or di--eren" skill le,els% learning s"6le% and m4l"iple in"elligences -or m6
s"4den"s' his does re84ire a $i" more prepara"ion on "he "eacher<s par"% $4" in m6 opinion i" 5ill
$e ,er6 4se-4l and $ene-icial "o m6 s"4den"s learning' 7 $elie,e "ha" $6 pro,iding "he s"4den"s a
chance "o choose "heir o5n ac"i,i"6 "he6 5ill gain a sense o- responsi$ili"6 and acco4n"a$ili"6 -or
"heir learning and in "4rn 5ill $oos" in"eres" and mo"i,a"ion 5hich 5ill res4l" in higher
comprehension% increased -oc4s% promo"e prod4c"i,e and -4n colla$ora"ion% and crea"e a more
posi"i,e learning en,ironmen" in m6 classroom' 7 5ill $e a$le "o 4se "his "hink+"ac+"oe grid idea
in m6 classroom -or an6 s4$:ec" and 5i"h an6 skill o$:ec"i,e% and i" can also $e generali9ed "o $e
4sed m4l"iple "imes% or speci-ied "o prac"ice :4s" one cer"ain skill on i"s o5n' he $ene-i"s -or "he
s"4den"s are endless and i" makes "eaching in"egra"ed c4rric4l4m skills and di--eren"ia"ing
ins"r4c"ion eas6 and organi9ed -or "he "eacher' 7 5ill $e a$le "o 4se "his "hink+"ac+"oe me"hod "o
s"em o"her ideas -rom "o -i" man6 di--eren" ac"i,i"ies and lessons in m6 -4"4re classroom% and
mo"i,a"e s"4den"s "o ge" "he mos" o4" o- "heir learning in a -4n and posi"i,e 5a6=