Renee Said:

WHat do you do when a student can recognize individual words, but whose reading comprehension is poor?

We Answered:

In what grade is your student? Two categorical factors affecting reading comprehension are vocabulary (decoding facitlity) and reading strategy. These are reflected in teaching strategies as well, as they are measureable and analytic, and hence are skills that can be taught.

1. Vocabulary

The basis of language facility is easy, quick word recognition. A question to be asked: Can the student handle basic words, generic academic words, and content words with facility? Without automatic word decoding, comprehension is hindered by the bulk of effort to handle the words relatively fast.

Conventional read-test results such as those in the oral reading fluency test measure text-decoding speed in words read correctly per minute, and is a highly reliable predictor of reading comprehension (A useful table of measurement percentiles is given in Hasbrouck and Tindal, "Oral Reading Fluency Data," 2006, http://www.readnaturally.com/pdf/oralrea… ).

"Proficient reading depends on the ability to recognize words quickly and effortlessly. If word recognition is difficult, students use too much of their processing capacity to read individual words, which interferes with their ability to comprehend what is read." - wikipedia on Reading comprehension

2. Reading Strategy

Teaching methods in reading strategies are quoted below.

"Instead of using the prior read-test method, research studies have concluded that there are much more effective ways to teach comprehension. Much work has been done in the area of teaching novice readers a bank of "reading strategies," or tools to interpret and analyze text. There is not a definitive set of strategies, but common ones include summarizing what you have read, monitoring your reading to make sure it is still making sense, and analyzing the structure of the text (e.g., the use of headings in science text). Some programs teach students how to self monitor whether they are understanding and provide students with tools for fixing comprehension problems.

Instruction in comprehension strategy use often involves the gradual release of responsibility, wherein teachers initially explain and model strategies. Over time, they give students more and more responsibility for using the strategies until they can use them independently. This technique is generally associated with the idea of self-regulation and reflects social cognitive theory, originally conceptualized by Albert Bandura." -- wikipedia on Reading comprehension.

Bibilography 2 & 3 are for further reading on the subject.

Lena Said:

Is a written moral code a bad idea for people with poor reading and comprehension skills like most Christians?

We Answered:

LOL, then why are we always needing to explain it to questioning challenging atheists.

Vicki Said:

Can extreme stress cause comprehension and reading disability and poor memory ? Gelli from the Philippines?

We Answered:

Refreshment is your great need. Don't see movie or T.V or PC. Go to the park close your eyes let the thoughts come and go in your mind. Give your mind little time. Yes Stress can cause such a problems. And to enhance your memory you will required 15 mins a day. Take out any book read 1 or 2 lines and write word to word. Try to read in first stroke. As you proceed you would be able to memories 50-60 words at a time. First it will be very difficult. But don't give up hope. This will increase your concentration and it will HARDEN you for extreme stress Really it works. Good luck

Renee Said:

Does Bible-bashing lead to poor reading comprehension?

We Answered:

Maybe you're the one with the reading-comprehension problems. I have to wonder why God would make those verses so open to interpretation in the first place, though!