Theory behind reading comprehension .....
SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIVIST APPROACH
Comprehension is a cognitive, but also social and intellectual process which we as teachers need to be flexible with to cater for students of all capabilities and backgrounds (Luke, Woods, & Dooley, 2011). “The social constructivist nature of comprehension suggests that readers refine their understanding by negotiating meaning with others (McLaughlin, 2012)”. This typically occurs through discussion. Engaging students in such discussion promotes active engagement in constructing meaning from a text.
SCHEMA THEORY & DUAL CODING THEORY
Schema-based learning development suggests that learning takes place when new information is integrated with what is already known (McLaughlin, 2012). Long before students come to school, they develop schemata (units of knowledge) about everything they experience. Schemata become theories about reality. These theories not only affect the way information is interpreted, thus affecting comprehension, but also continue to change as new information is received. The importance of schema theory to reading comprehension also lies in how the reader uses schemata. This issue has not yet been resolved by research, although investigators agree that some mechanism activates just those schemata most relevant to the reader's task (University, 2009). This approach to comprehension suggests that a teacher should build this prior knowledge about a specific topic before any reading takes place.
Another approach is through what is called Dual Coding Theory. This approach proposes the need to build semantic knowledge through such vessels as abstract models, relevant vocabulary, and through concrete examples such as visual images and real life experiences (G.Winch, 2010).The more prior knowledge and experience readers have with a particular topic, the easier it is for them to make connections between what they are learning and what they know (McLaughlin, 2012).
BLOOMS TAXONOMY
Blooms taxonomy designed a set of guidelines to help students think critically about a text. It enabled teachers to present a reading comprehension lesson in a way that enabled students to understanding the meaning behind a text by prompting students with questions or think points. Teachers ask students to read a specific text, and from that they must derive the main facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions and stating the main ideas that they see present (University, 2009).
A further taxonomy was latter developed which extended the readers input by specifying four levels of comprehension. “The literal level, which involved the reader to identify, remember or recal details and ideas, the inferential level in which a reader concentrated on main ideas and further details, made contrasts, drew conclusions, generalized and predicted; the critical level in which a reader judged, detected propaganda, analysed and checked validity; and a final creative level in which the reader was to apply information to a new situation and respond emotionally (G. Winch, P.97 2010)”. Although this approach gave teachers an abundant framework and set of strategies to approach reading comprehension with, it however did not pay enough attention to the social context in which situations occurred, the cultural background of the reader, the text type or what the reader brought to the text (G, Winch, 2010).
Comprehension is a cognitive, but also social and intellectual process which we as teachers need to be flexible with to cater for students of all capabilities and backgrounds (Luke, Woods, & Dooley, 2011). “The social constructivist nature of comprehension suggests that readers refine their understanding by negotiating meaning with others (McLaughlin, 2012)”. This typically occurs through discussion. Engaging students in such discussion promotes active engagement in constructing meaning from a text.
SCHEMA THEORY & DUAL CODING THEORY
Schema-based learning development suggests that learning takes place when new information is integrated with what is already known (McLaughlin, 2012). Long before students come to school, they develop schemata (units of knowledge) about everything they experience. Schemata become theories about reality. These theories not only affect the way information is interpreted, thus affecting comprehension, but also continue to change as new information is received. The importance of schema theory to reading comprehension also lies in how the reader uses schemata. This issue has not yet been resolved by research, although investigators agree that some mechanism activates just those schemata most relevant to the reader's task (University, 2009). This approach to comprehension suggests that a teacher should build this prior knowledge about a specific topic before any reading takes place.
Another approach is through what is called Dual Coding Theory. This approach proposes the need to build semantic knowledge through such vessels as abstract models, relevant vocabulary, and through concrete examples such as visual images and real life experiences (G.Winch, 2010).The more prior knowledge and experience readers have with a particular topic, the easier it is for them to make connections between what they are learning and what they know (McLaughlin, 2012).
BLOOMS TAXONOMY
Blooms taxonomy designed a set of guidelines to help students think critically about a text. It enabled teachers to present a reading comprehension lesson in a way that enabled students to understanding the meaning behind a text by prompting students with questions or think points. Teachers ask students to read a specific text, and from that they must derive the main facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions and stating the main ideas that they see present (University, 2009).
A further taxonomy was latter developed which extended the readers input by specifying four levels of comprehension. “The literal level, which involved the reader to identify, remember or recal details and ideas, the inferential level in which a reader concentrated on main ideas and further details, made contrasts, drew conclusions, generalized and predicted; the critical level in which a reader judged, detected propaganda, analysed and checked validity; and a final creative level in which the reader was to apply information to a new situation and respond emotionally (G. Winch, P.97 2010)”. Although this approach gave teachers an abundant framework and set of strategies to approach reading comprehension with, it however did not pay enough attention to the social context in which situations occurred, the cultural background of the reader, the text type or what the reader brought to the text (G, Winch, 2010).