To Understand: New Horizons in Reading Comprehension

by Ellin Oliver Keene

"This is a work of incredible adventurous, ingratiating, challenging, genuinely groundbreaking, and gorgeously written. It will knock the socks off this profession." -Harvey Daniels Author of Subjects Matter and Content-Area Writing The renaissance in comprehension instruction launched by Mosaic of Thought has led to changes in hundreds of thousands of classrooms, where teachers now model reading strategies, and students probe meaning more deeply. But no book in the field has satisfactorily answered the What does it really mean to comprehend? In To Understand , Ellin Oliver Keene not only explores this important question, but reveals what teachers can do to encourage all students to engage in deep understanding far more consistently than before. In discovering what's really behind comprehension, To Understand goes well beyond comprehension strategy instruction. Keene identifies specific Dimensions and Outcomes of Understanding-characteristics identified in readers with a highly developed ability to make sense of text-to help you rethink what comprehension is. She demonstrates how to leverage the Dimensions and Outcomes into relevant, provocative, memorable instruction. To Understand proposes a model that incorporates all aspects of literacy instruction-word learning and comprehension-and describes how teachers can focus on what matters most in literacy content. Keene shows that when teachers target the most essential content, they have the time to help every student engage more deeply with texts and discover a passion for reading and learning. The model is founded on four simple, but powerful With To Understand in hand, you'll find new ways to draw out the innate intellectual interest in every student and spark dramatic improvements in literacy learning and comprehension, even among students who struggle. You'll see that by rethinking what it means to understand-by teaching children the Outcomes and Dimensions of understanding-you can help students exceed expectations while broadening your vision of their abilities, their capacity, and their energy for learning. There's still more-much more-to learn about comprehension. Read To Understand, join Ellin Oliver Keene, and discover that what's at the very core of comprehension can not only reinvigorate your teaching but take your students to new, uncharted levels of learning.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 29, 2008

Reviews

[Karrie Peterson]

Wish public education valued real comprehension.

[Marcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I have read Mosaic of Thought by the same author, the first volume, and the second edition. The reading comprehension strategies in the second edition became wedded to my practice when working with students. Having students ask questions and find answers also became the heart of inquiry in my classroom. To Understand is far more abstract, and Ellin Oliver Keene makes the best attempts at researching the answer to this question, (it was actually a child's question in a classroom Ellin was teaching in one morning) - "What does it mean to make sense out of reading?" Thus Ellin attempts to answer this question. In doing so, Ellin writes and includes multiple charts to show what proficient readers should be able to do, to think more effectively and with greater depth and and insight. She writes endlessly about how teachers should transform ordinary literacy lessons into intellectually memorable experiences. Instead of just using the comprehension strategies effectively, students should also be cognizant of the PROCESS of understanding. A classroom has to be as well-crafted an environment as the thinking structures the teachers put into place so the students need to be "dwelling upon" as they read. Teachers need to create time for modeling, for students to listen to their thinking, and talk through their understandings. The journey to understanding for students should be challenging. Surface structures should not take the place of the deep structures. Both structures need to be in place in order to make deeper understanding a routine experience for students. Students need to think about how a book has changed how they think.

I kept telling myself that Ellin has all the answers to more rigorous thinking to align with the new Common Core Standards. As I kept reading, I listed lots of questions to propel and deepen my own thinking:

What is essential for literacy learning?
What should children be able to do whey they read?
How can we promote "Renaissance" thinking in kids today?
What do well-informed teachers know about literacy?
What do children actually DO as they learn and use literacy comprehension strategies?
What environment and culture do you create where children can thrive intellectually?
What elements of a classroom culture fosters fervent learning?
How do you create a culture that celebrates rigor?
What is rigor?

Ellin might be proud of me because I have practiced lots of answers to these questions. She would be even prouder to know that I am still grappling with the main question that Ellin proposes - "What do children actually DO as they learn and use literacy comprehension strategy?" There is some dissidence in my quest for this answer!

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keene picks up where "Mosaic of Thought" left off and shows why the comprehension strategy instruction we've learned isn't enough. I appreciate this. Back when "Mosaic of Thought" came out, I was Reading Dept. Head in a large urban school district and these strategies were gospel. Unfortunately, I learned fairly quickly that they didn't deliver as promised. Sometimes making a text-to-world connection or using a sticky note to write a question just seemed like yet another teacher hoop for students to jump through. While the principles of these comprehension strategies are solid (e.g. we do synthesize when we comprehend), the instructional act of making such thinking explicit didn't seem to go anywhere and eventually, I stopped using them. Thankfully, Keene also saw this hole and wrote "To Understand" to show us where comprehension strategy instruction must go in order to be truly meaningful and to push student thinking. There is far more here than I can share in my review, as the book is dense with concrete "stuff" that teacher-readers can take directly into their classrooms (the appendices are especially packed) as well as examples of how these ideas work with real students. For this reason, I will be including this book in one of my E/LA methods courses in the fall. However, I do have some slight criticisms of the book. Foremost, the structure (four repeating sections per chapter) may have seemed like a good idea, but in execution unnecessarily complicates the reading. In fact, the "Mentor" sections (at the beginning of each chapter) could be cut altogether without losing any meaning and may even help focus it a bit more in the process. Also, Keene's use of rhetorical questions is initially a distraction that quickly turns annoying. I realize that with this book Keene is trying to change thinking (she says as much) and using this device is part of her attempt to persuade readers, but lengthy paragraphs of non-stop questions crop up multiple times in each chapter and are not only ineffective, but seem downright lazy.

[Mary Beth Revesz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. Ellin Oliver Keene builds upon the amazing work she did in Mosaic of Thought by probing what it means to "understand". She artfully ties the work of great artists and writers to reading instruction. She wants children to be Renaissance Learners and to dwell in ideas and to engage in discourse. Sounds lofty, but she gives practical strategies to make these outcomes happen. I will definitely be incorporating her ideas my classroom this year.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some wonderful points in this book, but you have to wade through all of the bad memoir writing to get there. I get why all of that stuff was included, but when I am reading a book about reading instruction, let's just cut to the case. This book was in my professional pile, not literature pile.

[Carol Vogel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book challenged and confirmed my many years as a Reading teacher. I'll be starting my second read soon, and incorporate the wisdom, practicality, and genius, Ellin captured and shared as much as I can with my students. The experience of reading this book stretched my whole person.

[Kristina]

I am fascinated by how we construct meaning cognitively. Building off one of her previous books Mosaic of Though, Keene explores how the reading strategies help us deepen our understanding. It answer the question "So, I made a connection, what now?".

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keene has done it again. She causes me to pause, reflect, and rethink what I think I know about literacy. A must read for anyone who teachers literacy.

[JB · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many important ideas in this book, although you have to wade through Keene's memoirish writing style to get to the cogent points...could have used some editing. Compelling ideas save this book...

[Giovanni · Rating 5 out of 5]

How do we encourage student and ourselves to dwell in idea, think more deeply, live more richly?

[Kathy]

Very helpful.

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait to reread this with a group of teachers and start implementing some of her ideas.

[Reenie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This should be THE book that drives teacher education programs in the area of literacy. Another must read!

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not bookaday! Too much to absorb and consider. A very thorough exploration of what it means to "understand" what you read and beyond.

[Kimberly]

Winter 2009

[Nicola Turner]

Just when you thought you had reading instruction figured out...