Comprehending reading comprehension: An intervention in P4 reading

Abstract

The purpose of this project was to follow-up on a prior project1 which investigated the use of Questioning-the-Author (QtA) (e.g. Beck & McKeown, 2002; Beck, McKeown, Sandora, Kucan, & Worthy, 1996) with negotiation for meaning (NfM) (e.g. Pica, 1994) in Singapore Primary 4 (P4) reading lessons (OER 29/08 RS). A 2-year collaborative project was undertaken to assist teachers in understanding and using QtA and negotiated discussions. The intervention also intended to lead to sustainable, school-based teacher development through introducing different ‘generations’ of teachers to join the project year-by-year and by encouraging the first generation (Gen 1) of teachers to act as mentors and leaders to the second generation (Gen 2).<br> Research Questions 1. How do teachers understand reading comprehension in the local, P42 school setting (i.e. what do teachers understand reading comprehension to be and how do they understand the development of student reading comprehension)? 2. In what ways do teacher understandings of reading comprehension change through participation in a long-term (3 year) professional development project? Specifically, in what ways do teacher understandings change at different points of time (1 year, 2 years, 3 years) and when engaged in different roles (trainee, trainer, observer, evaluator)? 3. How successful are the different stages of the intervention (Direct Instruction, Reflection & Adaptation, Lesson Study) in changing teacher classroom practices for reading comprehension?