Successful

Practices
Bulletin
#124

Teaching Strategies to Improve Comprehension in Context*

The idea of teaching reading in a math or science or social studies class probably runs counter to
what you feel you should be doing. After all, you have standards to teach, and your students have
proficiency tests to take. So, perhaps instead of thinking about teaching strategic reading in the
content areas, we can think, instead, of teaching strategies to improve comprehension in
context. Our purpose is to train students in strategic thinking skills to use when approaching
new course topics and materials. As they apply the strategies, students become independent and
take control of all reading materials, regardless of the content.

Attached you will find an expert from the International Center’s two reading resource kits on
the cloze reading comprehension strategy. It includes defining the strategy, teaching the
strategy and an activity description with an example.

We have also included a modified cloze on the Rigor & Relevance Framework you might find
helpful with your professional development activities.

* Excerpted from the resource kit, Reading Strategies for Career Academies and Career-Technical
Education and Strategic Reading in the Content Area – Boosting Achievement in Grades 7-12 , published
in 2008 by the International Center for Leadership in Education.
 Cloze

The Trial of Anne Hibbins

✥ Learning the Strategy

Cloze is designed to help you understand and remember more of what you read. For this
activity, you’ll have to supply the missing words from a reading. It’s a test that will build reading
comprehension and vocabulary skills. You’ll be able to tackle new reading material and use
what you already know to help you figure out new words that are unfamiliar to you.

❂ Practicing the Strategy

1. Read the cloze passage and try to fill in the blanks using what you already know about the
topic. Also, use the sentences in the cloze passage to see if you can figure out words that
would make sense in the blanks.

2. Next, read the complete passage. Concentrate and try to remember the details and terms
you needed to know to complete the cloze activity.

3. Now, read the cloze passage again and try to fill in the blanks using what you remember
from the reading passage. If you do not remember the exact term, see if you can fill in the
blank with a synonym, which is a word that means the same thing.

4. Compare your responses from the first and second cloze activities to see if your under-
standing improved after reading the passage. Hopefully, each time you do this activity,
your comprehension will improve!

International Center for Leadership in Education

Cloze

The Trial of Anne Hibbins

The early history of the _____________ Bay Colony will forever be tainted by the
witch trials during the 1600s. No real ___________ was needed in those days to con-
vict a person of being a witch; sometimes only the word of a neighbor or even a child
was enough to put someone to death.

The mass hysteria, trials, and hangings during 1692 are perhaps the most memorable:
156 _________ people were accused, 30 were convicted of _________, and 19 were
executed. But 40 years earlier in that century, the same practice occurred. One well-
known case was the trial of Anne _________ .

Hibbins’ family had emigrated to Massachusetts from England and was quite ________
from the beginning. Her biggest problem, however, was her strong-mindedness and
_________ nature, which caused tension and ill-will among her neighbors and fellow
church-goers. When she entered into a ________ with the Puritan church in 1640, the
church elders excommunicated her. Then, after her husband’s _________ losses and
eventual death in 1654, Hibbins no longer had the protection of social status and
wealth.

Overhearing neighbors talking about her, Anne _______ nearly everything they said.
This led to the accusation that she had ________ powers. In 1655, she stood before a
jury, accused of being a _______, and was found guilty. Although the magistrates
reviewed the verdict and _________ it, her accusers pushed to have her ______ be-
fore the General Court, where she was once again found guilty. The governor sen-
tenced her to death by ________.

Sadly, she had correctly ________ what they were saying about her in the street that
day, and her cleverness sent her to the gallows. Minister John Norton commented that
Hibbens was hanged for having more _____ than her neighbors.

International Center for Leadership in Education

Cloze

The Trial of Anne Hibbins

The early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony will forever be tainted by the witch
trials during the 1600s. No real evidence was needed in those days to convict a person
of being a witch; sometimes only the word of a neighbor or even a child was enough to
put someone to death.

The mass hysteria, trials, and hangings during 1692 are perhaps the most memorable:
156 innocent people were accused, 30 were convicted of witchcraft, and 19 were
executed. But 40 years earlier in that century, the same practice occurred. One well-
known case was the trial of Anne Hibbins.

Hibbins’ family had emigrated to Massachusetts from England and was quite prosper-
ous from the beginning. Her biggest problem, however, was her strong-mindedness
and outspoken nature, which caused tension and ill-will among her neighbors and
fellow church-goers. When she entered into a dispute with the Puritan church in 1640,
the church elders excommunicated her. Then, after her husband’s financial losses and
eventual death in 1654, Hibbins no longer had the protection of social status and
wealth.

Overhearing neighbors talking about her, Anne repeated nearly everything they said.
This led to the accusation that she had devilish powers. In 1655, she stood before a
jury, accused of being a witch, and was found guilty. Although the magistrates re-
viewed the verdict and overthrew it, her accusers pushed to have her re-tried before
the General Court, where she was once again found guilty. The governor sentenced
her to death by hanging.

Sadly, she had correctly guessed what they were saying about her in the street that day,
and her cleverness sent her to the gallows. Minister John Norton commented that
Hibbens was hanged for having more wit than her neighbors.

International Center for Leadership in Education

 Cloze

Sample Solution

The Trial of Anne Hibbins

The early history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony will forever be tainted by the witch
trials during the 1600s. No real evidence was needed in those days to convict a person of
being a witch; sometimes only the word of a neighbor or even a child was enough to put
someone to death.

The mass hysteria, trials, and hangings during 1692 are perhaps the most memorable:
156 innocent people were accused, 30 were convicted of witchcraft, and 19 were ex-
ecuted. But 40 years earlier in that century, the same practice occurred. One well-known
case was the trial of Anne Hibbins.

Hibbins’ family had emigrated to Massachusetts from England and was quite prosperous
from the beginning. Her biggest problem, however, was her strong-mindedness and out-
spoken nature, which caused tension and ill-will among her neighbors and fellow church-
goers. When she entered into a dispute with the Puritan church in 1640, the church elders
excommunicated her. Then, after her husband’s financial losses and eventual death in
1654, Hibbins no longer had the protection of social status and wealth.

Overhearing neighbors talking about her, Anne repeated nearly everything they said. This
led to the accusation that she had devilish powers. In 1655, she stood before a jury, ac-
cused of being a witch, and was found guilty. Although the magistrates reviewed the
verdict and overthrew it, her accusers pushed to have her re-tried before the General
Court, where she was once again found guilty. The governor sentenced her to death by
hanging.

Sadly, she had correctly guessed what they were saying about her in the street that day,
and her cleverness sent her to the gallows. Minister John Norton commented that Hibbens
was hanged for having more wit than her neighbors.

International Center for Leadership in Education

 The Rigor & Relevance Framework
The R & R Framework is a ________ developed by staff of the
______________ ____________ to evaluate _______________ and
assessment. The Framework uses the Knowledge _______________, often
referred to as ________________ Taxonomy, and the Application Model to
measure the _______________ and __________________ of curriculum
objectives, test questions and performance tasks.
analysis
assessment
Knowledge Taxonomy Bloom’s
Center
1. Awareness curriculum
2. Comprehension evaluation
3. Application International
predictable
4. ________________
relevance
5. ________________ rigor
6. ________________ synthesis
taxonomy
tool
Application Model unpredictable

1. Knowledge in one discipline

2. Apply knowledge in discipline
3. Apply knowledge across disciplines
4. Apply knowledge to real-world ____________ situations
5. Apply knowledge to real-world ____________ situations

Comparison of Curriculum Objectives: United States, Europe, Asia

________________ ________________ ________________