First let’s define the word. Brainstorming is to think quickly and creatively.
And, as you know, comprehension is the ability to process and understand what we’ve read. By combining brainstorming and reading, students learn to connect all the comprehension dots together by engaging their brains in abstract thinking.
How to Brainstorm
Good brainstorming starts at an individual level and generally begins with a question or two. "What are your ideas about...?" or “What did you think about…?” are examples of brainstorming questions. Other open-ended question can be used like the common "who, what, where, when, why.”
Next, the teacher brings the participants together into a group. Students are encouraged to share their answers and to build ideas off of each other’s responses.
Under no circumstances should a student’s comments or ideas be criticized or diminished in any way. A list of commentary words that are allowed in a brainstorming session can be posted by the teacher and would look something like: “That’s a great thought! What about ________? Interesting.”
Some teachers don’t ask questions, but will give students a letter of the alphabet and have them brainstorm ideas that start with that letter.
Taking it a step further, teachers can use mind or semantic mapping to organize all of the expressed ideas on the board. During the brainstorming session, the students’ thoughts are written down and are organized into groups. This multisensory approach to reading comprehension is a very successful strategy to bring out reluctant readers.
Brainstorming and reading is a great tool to improve comprehension skill levels. By generating questions and responding to them, students process what they have read in an active manner, resulting in a better understanding of what they've read – they learn how to comprehend.
What tools or reading strategies do you use to build comprehension?