Studying Monitoring Understanding with Growing Thinkers

MONITOR UNDERSTANDING

 What is reading, but silent conversation.  

Walter Savage Landor

To a great extent within classrooms, the language used

by teachers and students determines what

is learned and how learning takes place.

Wilkinson and Silliman, 2000

As I read, I work to...

Monitor, clarify, refine & repair my understanding of the text.

I employ my phonological awareness, phonics knowledge, fluency models, vocabulary wells, and multiple ways of knowing to understand a variety of genres.

I talk to myself by saying:

n        “I get it...”

n        “I think…”                      

n        “This is about...”      

n        “Okay, here’s what I know so far…

n        “I’m thinking…because…”

n        “I know…”

n        “Hmm, I don’t really get this/understand this…

           I’d better reread that part…”

 
Monitoring Understanding Unit of Study Touchstones

Self-Talk for Monitoring Understanding:

          I understand.

            I don’t get it.  Hmm, what should I do now?

            I better reread that.

            I will try that again.

            I know...

            I learned...

            This made me think about.../I was thinking...

Prompting Monitoring:

Tell me what you are thinking.

Does that make sense?/What would make sense here?

Does that look right?/What would look right there?

Does that sound right?/What would sound right there?

Reading should make sense.  Let’s see if we can work together to understand this piece.  What are you thinking as you read this section/word/part?

Have a go./Try that again./Give that another try.

Reread that part.

Ask the author for a “Pardon me.  What did you say?” like I showed you during our shared

reading.  Reread the text to hear the words again.  

Check the picture.

What could you do to help yourself there?

Let’s try one of our new word strategies there.  Which one do you think would work there?

Share your movie/video of this story/piece.

Monitoring Understanding Mentor Texts:          

Any book in your classroom or home! :)

Student authored texts

Author autobiography and biography texts

Metaphorical texts such as Making Tracks (David Hawcock and Jan Lewis, 1994), Making Tracks (Steve Parker, 1998) and Workshop (Andrew Clements, 1999)

Atkins, S. Beth      Voices From The Field:  Children of Migrant Farmworkers Tell Their Stories

Baker, Keith          1-2-3 Peas

Boynton, Sandra   All titles

Buzzeo, Thomas    One Cool Friend

Christelow, Eileen Five Little Monkeys

Cleary, Beverly     Dear Mr. Henshaw

Clements, Andrew The Landry News

Cowley, Joy           Mrs. Wishy-Washy’s Farm

Crews, Donald      School Bus

Cronin, Doreen     Diary of a Worm

Cummings, Pat     Talking to Artists

Danneberg,  Julie  First Day Jitters

Fleming, Denise    In the Small, Small Pond

Frazee, Marla        A Couple of Boys Have the Best Weekend Ever

French, Jackie      Diary of a Wombat

Gantos, Jack         Jack’s Black Book

Gomi, Taro            Spring Is Here

Griego, et. al.        Tortillas Para Mama

Haseley, Dennis    A Story for Bear

Heide & Gilliland  The Day of Ahmed’s Secret

Hills, Tad               Rocket Writes a Story

Hort, Lenny           The Seals on the Bus

Jenkins, Martin     Can We Save the Tiger?

Kirkpatrick, Taylor  Worthwhile

Larson, Kirby        Two Bobbies:  A Story of Hurrican Katrina, Friendship, and

                               Survival

London, Jonathan    I See The Moon and The Moon Sees Me

Lowry, Lois            Anastasia Krupnik

MacLachlan, P.     Arthur, For The Very First Time

McGrath, Barbara    I Love Words

McPhail, David      Fix It!

Meyer, Mercer       A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog

Moss, Marissa       Amelia’s School Survival Guide (series)

Moss, Marissa       Max’s Logbook

Moss, Thylias        I Want to Be

Myers, Walter Dean   Monster

Nagda, Ann W.      Dear Whiskers

Paulsen, Gary       The Winter Room

Pearson, Susan     How to Teach a Slug to Read

Pollack, Pam         Who is J.K. Rowling?

Raymer, Dottie     Molly’s Route 66 Adventure

Ringgold, Faith     Cassie’s Word Quilt

Roe, Eileen            All I Am

Stepanek, Mattie  Celebrate through Heartsongs (poetry series)

Talbott, Hudson    Safari Journal

Viorst, Judith        Alexander, Que Era Rico el Domingo Pasado

Wildsmith, Brain  Can You Do This?

Willems, MO           We Are in A Book!

Wolff, Ashley         Oh, the Colors/De Colores