DOES TEACHING STUDENTS TO SYNTHESIZE FEEL LIKE PULLING TEETH?

It sure does…. sometimes.  But why is teaching this reading comprehension strategy so hard?

There are a number of reasons students often struggle with synthesizing.  One- it’s an abstract concept.  Asking students to synthesize requires more than just surface-level thinking.  They have to think beyond the text in order to form a synthesis.  Two - it’s a multi-level strategy.  Synthesizing can’t be taught in isolation.  This strategy requires students to draw upon other skills and strategies, like determining importance, or inferring, and using schema  in order to form a true synthesis!  

So what’s a teacher to do?  Throw spaghetti at the all and hope something sticks?

Nah - I’ve got a better teaching strategy for you - and we cover it all in this podcast episode.

We’ll talk about the hurdles and roadblocks and that students face when learning this strategy.  We’ll overcome the common mistakes made by teachers AND students when it comes to fully understanding what synthesizing a text truly means.

So - keep your spaghetti in the pot, and have a listen!

For complete show notes visit:  classroomnook.com/podcast/68
----------------

LINKS & RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE:
Reading Comprehension Strategies Podcast Episodes: 

• EPISODE 41: Teaching Reading Comprehension Strategies
• EPISODE 42: Reading Comprehension Instruction: How to Teach Making Connections
• EPISODE 47: Reading Comprehension Strategies: How to Teach Visualizing
• EPISODE 51: Reading Comprehension Strategies: How to Teach Making Predictions
• EPISODE 56: Boost Reading Comprehension: A Simple Approach to Teaching Students to Ask Questions While Reading
• EPISODE 59: A Step-By-Step Guide to Teaching Determining Importance in the Upper Elementary Classroom
• EPISODE 64: Helping Your Students Make Inferences When They Read

Learn more about the 3 Types of Synthesizing HERE

List of Aesop’s Fables 

Reading with Meaning by Debbie Miller

RESOURCE: Forming a Synthesis LINKtivity 

Grab my FREE Synthesizing Bookmark inside the Members Resource Library under “Reading Resources.”