…the message of this study is not that any discussion that occurs during reading will likely be effective. Rather, the results of this study indicate that discussions of text that focus on meaning, are collaborative, and are under teacher guidance seem more effective if discussion occurs in a distributed manner.
Sandora, C., Beck, I., McKeown, M. (1999) A Comparison of Two Discussion Strategies on Students’ Comprehension and Interpretation of Complex Literature.Reading Psychology, 20:3, 177-212
By distributed the authors of this study mean stopping during the reading of a passage and discussing. The technique is often called "Questioning the Author". They propose two types of question that the teacher can use to instigate discussion:
Two kinds of probes, Initiating Queries and Follow-up Queries, have been conceptualized to assist teachers in handling discussion. Teachers use Initiating Queries, such as ‘‘What is the author trying to say?’’ and ‘‘What do you think the author means by that?’’ to begin a discussion. These Queries provide opportunities to make text content public so that discussion can ensue. Followup Queries, such as ‘‘Why do you think the author is telling us that?’’ and ‘‘How does that information connect to what the author discussed earlier?’’ were developed to assist the teacher in extending students’ responses and move discussion to deeper levels of engagement. Throughout discussion, students and teachers work collaboratively to construct meaning, as well as offer various interpretations of texts.
The study compared this type of discussion with the more typical format: teacher-led discussion after a text has been read.
The results of this study indicate that distributed discussion can facilitate students’ comprehension and interpretation of complex literature. Dealing with a complex narrative during the course of reading may be particularly effective for lower-achieving students. It can scaffold students’ comprehension processes by providing opportunities for students to re ect on events and ideas as they are encountered and to examine connections that accumulate. Often, students who have had less success in reading are not offered challenging pieces of literature in their language arts classes. Yet it is clear from this study that, at least when discussion occurs during the course of the reading, such students are well able to comprehend and interpret complex literature selections.
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