Three Level Comprehension Guide for Active Reading

Learning Resource Type

Classroom Resource

Subject Area

English Language Arts

Grade(s)

6, 7

Overview

There are three levels of comprehension when engaging in active reading. Leveled reading is a way to comprehend, interpret, and apply difficult texts by working at the literal, interpretive, and applied levels. Leveled reading helps readers to go beyond the surface of a text in a structured, step-by-step way. 

This document will explain the three levels of comprehension: literal, interpretative, and application. In addition, it will describe tasks that students can complete to address each level of comprehension, and it includes sentence stems teachers can use to create questions to address each level.

English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 6

ELA21.6.11

Utilize written, visual, digital, and interactive texts to generate and answer literal, interpretive, and applied questions.

UP:ELA21.6.11

Vocabulary

  • Written text
  • Visual text
  • Digital text
  • Interactive text
  • Literal questions
  • Interpretive questions
  • Applied questions

Knowledge

Students know:
  • There are a variety of text sources, including written text, visual text, digital text, and interactive text.
  • Text sources can be used to create and answer questions.
  • Literal questions are those that can be answered using information directly from the text.
  • Interpretive questions are those that can be answered by inferring information from the text.
  • Applied questions are those that can be answered using information inferred from the text and a reader's background knowledge and experience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Use written, visual, digital, and interactive texts to create and answer questions.
  • Create and answer literal, interpretive, and applied questions.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • There are three levels of questions that can be generated: literal, interpretive, and applied.
  • They can use written, visual, digital, and interactive texts to create and answer all three levels of questions.
English Language Arts (2021) Grade(s): 7

ELA21.7.11

Compare and contrast the effectiveness of techniques used in a variety of digital sources to generate and answer literal, interpretive, and applied questions and create new understandings.

UP:ELA21.7.11

Vocabulary

  • Compare and contrast
  • Literal questions
  • Interpretive questions
  • Applied questions

Knowledge

Students know:
  • Strategies to compare and contrast the effectiveness of techniques used in a variety of digital resources.
  • Text sources can be used to create and answer questions, as well as develop new understandings.
  • Literal questions are those that can be answered using information directly from the text.
  • Interpretive questions are those that can be answered by inferring information from the text.
  • Applied questions are those that can be answered using information inferred from the text and a reader's background knowledge and experience.

Skills

Students are able to:
  • Compare and contrast specific techniques identified across multiple digital sources.
  • Generate and answer literal, interpretive, and applied questions in response to reading a digital source.
  • Create new understandings in response to reading digital sources.

Understanding

Students understand that:
  • Different techniques are used across digital texts.
  • Comparing and contrasting the effectiveness of an author's use of particular techniques deepens their understanding of digital text structures.
  • There are three levels of questions that can be generated: literal, interpretive, and applied.
  • Generating and answering a variety of questions helps to develop new understandings.

CR Resource Type

Informational Material

Resource Provider

Other

License Type

BY-NC-ND

Resource Provider other

Kent State University Writing Commons
https://www-s3-live.kent.edu/s3fs-root/s3fs-public/file/Three%20Level%20Compreh…

Approved Date

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