Executive function toolkit: Reading comprehension

 

Executive function skills are a set of skills that include working memory, flexible thinking and self-control. When reading, people must utilize both working memory and self-control to maintain focus. “Executive function challenges can interfere with reading comprehension as students struggle to maintain attention for engaged, active reading, formulate informational gestalts, make inferences, and organize details. “ (Cognitive Connections)

Regardless of their age or grade, children read better when they utilize active reading strategies. These strategies involve thinking about what you read and writing something down. Children often resist them because they “take more time,” failing to appreciate that when you read for information (fiction or nonfiction), it takes more time. These strategies help students to slow down and benefit from what they read. It creates a written document to remind them of the information that can be used to review, study or quickly reference details. The graphic organizers below are samples of those readily available on the web. Encourage your child to use strategies to develop their reading

1.      Somebody, wanted, but so/and, then summarization.

This strategy can be used in everyday life to practice. Ask your child to summarize a trip to the store, the park or a movie. The resulting summary can be only one or two sentences. Children could compete to provide the shortest version or the version with the most details or the one with the most interesting adjectives. They could tell made up stories using the format as well.

2.      Story maps range from simple to more complex. Children who are not adept at writing could draw pictures. When chapter books are encountered they can keep a running document to indicate the rising action (things that happen leading to the climax) to the climax (point of highest action, tension, or conflict; the turning point in a story) to the falling action (wrap up the end). These are great tools for older students who are going to have a test on a book that they read over a period of time because it keeps track of what happened. Students often forget story elements when they read longer books because it takes too long to read them or they read without paying attention  and fail to recognize the breakdown of comprehension.

 

 

3.      Summarization steps

1. Look for and list the key words and main ideas in each sentence or paragraph.
2. Draw a line under the main idea statements and most important ideas in the text.
3. Combine any ideas that can go into one sentence.
4. Number the ideas in order.
5. Write a summary in one or two sentences or one paragraph.
6. Read through and edit the summary.

 

4.      RAP 

1.      Read the passage

2.      Answer the questions. If there are no questions, turn subtitles into questions.

3.      Prove you are right

5.      Summarizing nonfiction:

1.      Text: what type of text is it

2.      Action and about: what is the purpose of the text

3.      Main idea: state the main idea (what is this passage about)

4.      Supporting Details: Back up your main idea with details