[Understand] To Ellin

[CNJPALMER at aol.com]

I have some experience with comprehension strategies and K kids. In  fact, 
two other colleagues and I did several lesson study cycles where we  planned an 
introductory lesson to each strategy together, taught it while the  other two 
observed and then adjusted the lesson plans to make them better before  
another of us retaught the lesson. I can tell you that K kids and their level of  
thinking surprised me again and again! They can do it! you just need to think  
about a few things...
1. The right text... many picture books for the younger set do not allow  for 
much thinking. Most of the comprehension teaching I do is with read-alouds  
rather than using the little books they might be learning to decode  with.
2. Consider how can you make thinking demonstrable for our littlest ones? I  
found that the ideas in the book Starting with Comprehension are very helpful. 
 You can have kids act out what they are thinking or draw what they are  
thinking... I use drawings, props, every pupil response techniques to make the  
lessons appropriate for kinders.
3. Be aware that you have to give kids the language they need to express  
their thinking. They think wonderful things but don't always know what words to  
use to share what they are thinking. They need us to model how we use words to 
 describe what is going on in our heads.
3. Beware of the moniker :" developmentally appropriate."  Sometimes  that is 
used to hold kids down rather than move them forward. While I definitely  
believe that we must consider developmental stages and needs, don't think for a  
minute that all K kids cannot make inferences or that because they are fiver  
years old they think completely concretely all the time. And don't think for a 
 minute that they must decode well before they can learn comprehension and  
thinking strategies. My K teachers and their students amaze me regularly with  
extremely high levels of thinking. I believe we should be teaching 
comprehension  and thinking from the very beginning.
Jennifer
Maryland
In a message dated 1/4/2009 3:11:28 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
lmknanny at aol.com writes:

2.  Having said that, how much can we expect from the 5/6 year old 
Kindergarten  kids?? How high should we raise the bar?? Does anyone out there have  
experience with the K kids?




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