Cloudy with a Chance of Comprehension

Last post, I discussed the importance of prompting students to pay attention to the confusing parts of text. It reminded me of a bookmark that I made and used for students in the past. The bookmark was comprised of weather symbols: A bright, sunny day, a cloudy day, and a dark, stormy day. As students read, they could choose a symbol to track their comprehension. I advised students to put their finger on the sunny day block if they were reading with understanding, to touch the cloudy block if comprehension was starting to break down, and lastly, to finger the stormy block if they were "in the dark" about what they were reading. This allowed me to circulate through the room and stop to help children whose comprehension was falling apart or those who were totally stuck. It also served a a wonderful self-monitoring tool. Sometimes, the simplest devices help to focus a reader and motivate them to pay attention to the meaning-making process of reading. Try it!