Do your students get overwhelmed when they see a worksheet? Check out my favorite way to tackle helping students comprehend longer passages!
They are struggling readers, they don't like to read if they don't have to, they don't like reading out loud in a group. Do you ever see struggles? Once they master your speech goals at the paragraph level do you ever wonder what to do next if they are struggling readers?! Check out my favorite strategy!
Cut it up!
Take a multi paragraph text and cut it up into paragraphs. If they can handle paragraphs and are not overwhelmed by them, cut it up! You can give them the text paragraph by paragraph at a time so it is not overwhelming. Read or read to them each paragraph and make sure they comprehend it. How?! Have them express a main idea! What is it about? Who is it about and what did they do/what happened to them? Have them express it in a complete sentence. Then, move onto the next paragraph.
But won't they forget each paragraph?
Use graphic organizers! Write it down for them if you need to! I have written down their main idea statements on dry erase boards (or on the table using a dry erase marker) or use a graphic organizer. You can even laminate the graphic organizer to let them write using dry erase markers which are totally fun and motivating! This way they can revisit their graphic organizers when they are answering questions, expressing sequences of events, or even retelling using summarization.
Where do you get longer passages that are motivating?
I love using Readworks.og, NewsELA, or passages I have created such as Sequencing Stories for the Year, Compare and Contrast stories for the year, Nonfiction Summarizing Worksheets, and Text Evidence Worksheets!
