Have you ever tried using cloze reading activities with your kindergarten or first-grade students? If you are looking for a way to supercharge your students' reading comprehension, then you need to try cloze reading activities! Cloze passages are often an overlooked technique in primary-grade classrooms. However, they can provide students with another way to interact with text and offer great potential to improve student comprehension.
These activities are easy to implement and tailor to different texts. It makes them an ideal tool for kindergarten and first-grade teachers who want to improve reading comprehension in their classrooms.
What are Cloze Reading Passages?
Cloze reading passages is a fancy way to say “fill in the blank.” Cloze reading passages are passages where the words are strategically removed so the learner can fill in the blanks. The learner uses context clues and meaning to figure out and insert the missing word.
How To Use Cloze Reading Activities to Improve Comprehension
The most important thing when using cloze reading activities is to make sure that you choose an appropriate passage for your student’s level of understanding. If the text is too difficult, then it may be overwhelming and discouraging. If it’s too easy, then the activity may become boring.
I like to use texts that my students are familiar with. Typically, the text I select for a close reading activity has words that focus on our targeted spelling skills for the week.
I created a set of Controlled Reading Passages for Comprehension and Fluency. I created these so you can save yourself time while also providing your students with engaging activities with quality materials.
These packs include cloze reading activities on top of fluency passages, comprehension questions, and discussion points that are ready to use in your classroom. You can read a breakdown of exactly how I use this set in my classroom in a previous blog post here.
Improving Reading Comprehension with Cloze Reading Passages
Once you’ve chosen your text and removed the appropriate words, it’s time to provide your students with scaffolding so they can complete the task successfully.
Start by reading aloud the passage and have your students fill in any blanks that they know without assistance. Then offer your students guidance as they need it when they get stuck. Encourage students to use context clues and thinking strategies to figure out the missing words.
Once the activity is complete, assess comprehension by asking questions about the passage. You can also engage students in a discussion about it to foster their comprehension. My Controlled Reading Passages Packs come with comprehension questions as well as discussion questions. These help you spend less time prepping and more time teaching!
You can try a free sample of my Controlled Reading Packs by entering your information below.
Cloze reading activities are an effective tool for boosting student comprehension. They are easily adaptable to different grade levels, and they provide a fun way for students to work on their reading skills.
Give cloze reading activities a try in your classroom today! You’ll be amazed at the progress your students make and the improvement you will see in their comprehension!
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