Improve Comprehension Using Effective Text Evidence Worksheets 

When it comes to comprehension, there are a variety of ways we can focus on sharpening this skill that you can incorporate into your lesson plans.  These ideas can be done through a variety of mediums (interactive worksheets, discussions, etc.) and text genres (nonfiction, fiction, a short story, etc..) The inclusion of text evidence worksheets along with these strategies can be a huge help to upper elementary students. 

Here are a few ways you can focus on this in your classroom:

• Encourage students to read their text aloud to themselves.  When we read silently, we’re more likely to skip over words or maybe even mispronounce them.  When students read aloud a reading comprehension passage, they can work on their fluency.  Students also normally read at a steadier pace when they read aloud and therefore it’s easier to pay attention to what they’re reading, whether it be as simple as a short passages, detailed informational texts, or research papers.  And for those who teach middle school and high school – there is NEVER a time where reading aloud isn’t beneficial!  This is for all ages, and listening to themselves read and having the ability to self-correct is an important skill to attain.  After students read aloud to themselves, a great next step is to read aloud to a partner who can help them improve.  With partner reading, consider giving them task cards to complete so they have a list of what to watch out for.  Am I reading with expression?  Did I skip or mispronounce words?  Can I summarize the text well?  Create a task list for them to check off as they read aloud.
• Provide students with texts on similar topics so students can make connections between them.  This does not that you have to stick with one genre. In fact, try a variety of genres but on similar topics, like life science, social studies, or humanities.  For example, perhaps you can provide a student with a nonfiction article on the blue whale.  You could pair this with a fictional piece about a fisherman on a journey or a poem about sea life.  Similarly, you could introduce two fictional pieces (maybe short passages or poems) that deal with a common theme but have completely different plots. These passages don’t have to be exact replicas of each other or even the exact same subject.  But when you choose texts that have similar themes and ideas, students are able to build their background knowledge and schema and therefore come to texts with previously-taught information that helps them comprehend the text.  This is a great strategy not only at the elementary level but at the middle school level and high school level as well.
• Lead discussions in small groups and whole groups so students can hear how others answer questions and respond.  This is a learning process for students and it may take some time to find a good classroom rhythm.  A great way to go about doing this is to model for them how to respond to comprehension questions.  Consider having a student lead a small group where they encourage other students to respond to others.  This is a particularly great idea because it gets students comfortable talking in small groups as opposed to large ones.  Not only do they see how others respond and answer questions, but it gives them an opportunity to share their opinion in a safe and small space when they otherwise may not in a large group.  This type of environment also gives students the opportunity to see how others respond using textual evidence or direct quotes.  This tends to be the trickiest part of standardized testing, so hearing how others respond in a small group is beneficial. These discussions will lead to students more successfully completing text evidence worksheets as they get a better feel for how to respond to comprehension questions. 
• Use sticky notes, graphic organizers, and big pads of paper.  No need to get fancy here!  Even scrap paper will do the trick. When students read an informational text or short passage, encourage them to take notes and jot down any quick facts or ideas they find interesting or important.  This will help them later as they think about what textual evidence best supports an answer.  Students can stick sticky notes directly onto the passage or fill in information on a graphic organizer or on text evidence worksheets.  To make it more engaging, consider uploading interactive worksheets on Google Drive to get the students used to answering questions on the computer, which will likely be the medium through which they will take these standardized tests.  The best aspect about using all of these different mediums is that students are working with the text in a variety of ways. This will result in improved completion of text evidence worksheets, as well!
• Partner Check-Ins are a great way to work on comprehension.  Pair up students and have them read the same reading comprehension passage.  This could be a short story, informational text, or the like.  Students then “check in” with each other at various points in the text to discuss and summarize what happened.  Students can ask and answer questions, citing textual evidence to support their answers.  This is a great way for students to get instant feedback to their questions.  One of the best aspects about partner pair-ups and check-ins is that this can be done at all sorts of different levels.  For 6th grade students, you might consider providing them questions to ask each other.  For 8th grade students who have had lots of practice with using text evidence worksheets and strategies, providing just the text and seeing where the discussion takes them will suffice.