Reading Development Program for Entering 2nd Graders
COMPREHENSION
A reader with strong comprehension is able to create mental pictures of a story, identify with characters, anticipate events, and become absorbed in a story. At first, beginning readers are focused more on the mechanics of decoding than on comprehension. As children strengthen decoding skills and become more fluent, they are able to pay more attention to meaning.
This program uses story grammar as a framework for comprehension instruction. Story grammar refers to a set of elements around which stories are organized--character, plot, setting and theme. This program focuses primarily on character and plot, emphasizing the basic story structure of beginning, middle, and end.
In class:
During each lesson, students read an Easy Reader book, and the teacher stops periodically to lead comprehension-building discussions. These discussions help students identify with characters, relate stories to their own lives, and understand the concept of a story’s beginning, middle, and end. Talking about books also helps students gain confidence in their opinions and in their ability to express themselves.
At home:
Students receive an entertaining instructional Video Companion for a book they read at home during home practice. After reading the book, students watch the Video Companion comprehension segment called Book Club News, featuring Randall Readsalot and Paula Pageturner, two comical newscasters who provide a humorous news-style report on the story the students have just read. Book Club News provides comprehension support by reinforcing the beginning, middle, end structure, and encouraging identification with characters.
Click here to watch a sample from Book Club News.
In addition to guided discussions and comprehension support from the Video Companion, this program helps students establish the regular habit of independent reading, which contributes directly to better comprehension. Students read in class and at home, and we provide parents with the Reading Development Booklist and a Book-Level Recommendation to help them select books at the appropriate level for their child.