| Reading comprehension lessons for primary | | | | more closely at the characters by asking these |
| elementary students that you can do with any | | | | questions. Who are the main characters? Draw |
| text. | | | | them and write two sentences describing them. |
| 1. Dictionary Meaning - Select a paragraph of a | | | | Write another two sentences describing what |
| text and ask your students to circle the words | | | | they do in the story. You could fold a page or |
| that you don't know the meaning of (or the class | | | | paper in half. On each half draw a character and |
| can choose them as a whole). If there are not | | | | write the information underneath. |
| enough of these, include words that could have an | | | | 4. Another Point of View- Rewrite a well known |
| alternative. Look these words up in a dictionary | | | | story or a story that the class is reading from |
| and write down their meaning. Then, rewrite the | | | | the point of view of one of the characters. The |
| whole text using the words found in the dictionary | | | | three little pigs becomes a very different story if |
| as replacements. | | | | it is told by the wolf or the grandmother. |
| For example, "Spring came, and the silver tracks | | | | 5. Acting Up - This works well with lower grades |
| of the railway began to push out beyond the | | | | when you are reading a short story or picture |
| village and into the fastness of the great steppe" | | | | book. As characters are introduced, ask students |
| becomes "The trees began to bud, and the silver | | | | to act out what is happening. If you are doing the |
| parallel lines of the railway began to push out past | | | | three little pigs, you should end up with three |
| the small community and into the stronghold of | | | | students cowering in the brick house with a wolf |
| the vast grasslands." | | | | blowing on the outside. The students get really |
| 2. Conversation - Take any story or part of a | | | | involved and you will find that even the |
| story and asks your students to rewrite it as a | | | | days-dreamers stay on task, which is useful when |
| conversation. | | | | you want to use the text as a lead into another |
| 3. Character Focus - Take any story and look | | | | activity. |