I created a comprehension packet that I used in my class this week. I really enjoyed it. It takes nursery rhymes and uses them to focus on comprehension. What I liked about it was that the passages are short and most students are familiar enough with them that the emphasis isn't necessarily placed on the decoding. It is focused on the comprehension.
The first nursery rhyme that we worked on was Little Miss Muffet. We read through it and really discussed all aspects of the poem. The main character - her name, miss vs Mrs., her age, etc.
Actions of Miss Muffet - sitting, eating, frightened, etc.
Vocabulary - curds and whey, tuffet, etc.
Picture - Miss Muffet, stool tipped over, spider coming down, etc.
Spider - came down, frightened Miss Muffet, etc.
After we thoroughly discussed the poem we went through the comprehension questions. Oh, I should mention, I did this at my reading center. I had students use highlighters to find their answer or circle clues that might help with the beyond the text (thinking) questions. I also had them answer in complete sentences, which ended up being an additional bonus for me. I was able to remind students of important writing mechanics that they are not always consistent with. The comprehension questions themselves allowed for further discussion and understanding.
