Trial Teaching Strategies

Comprehension:
DAR Mastery Level 8

Introduction:

The TTS for Comprehension at Levels 7–9/10 assess a student’s ability to benefit from
instruction in comprehension monitoring and summarizing.
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Strategy: Comprehension Monitoring

Materials Needed:
TTS-Comp-DAR 8-Monitor.pdf

Say:     The title of this selection is ________. I’m going to ask you to read it and
            tell me what it’s about. While you are reading, I want you to make marks on
            the text. I want you to use these marks:

Put a check mark next to anything in the selection that you already knew.
Put an exclamation point (!) next to anything new to you (anything you
didn’t already know).
Put a question mark (?) next to anything that you didn’t understand.

Have the student read and mark the selection. When he or she is done,

Say: Tell me what the selection was about. What were some of the important
ideas?

On the Student Record Form, record the student’s retelling and rate it using the
rubric provided.

Say: Did marking the text this way help you understand and remember the
important parts of the selection?

On the Student Record Form, record the student’s response.

Interpreting and Using TTS Results:

A student who makes few marks could be experiencing difficulty with monitoring
comprehension while reading. Continue to provide him or her with a variety of readings
on a level above the level at which he or she can read independently. Work with the
student to recognize (1) what is already known, (2) what is new, and (3) what is not
understood.
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Strategy: Summarizing

Materials Needed:
TTS-Comp-DAR 8-Sum.pdf

Say:    The next selection is about ________. I’m going to ask you to read it and
         write a summary of what it’s about. While you are reading, though, I want
         you to stop after each paragraph and summarize it aloud in your own words.

Give the selection to the student.

On the Student Record Form, record the student’s oral summary statements.

Say: Now write a summary of what the whole selection was about.

Once the student is done writing, have the student read his or her summary aloud.

On the Student Record Form, rate the summary using the rubric provided.

Interpreting and Using TTS Results:

If the student has difficulty summarizing, provide him or her with a variety of readings on
a level above the level at which he or she can read independently. Work with the student
to focus on the key content in those materials, distinguishing among main ideas,
supporting details, and trivial information.

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