The Rather Boring Book of Comprehension Passages

By Moss Wilson

26 easy to print short comprehension passages! The text is a great resource for teachers, tutors and parents looking for comprehension resources. Included are tried and tested Literal, Vocabulary and Inference questions designed to get your learner imaging, exploring and responding.

Get started with simple comprehension, suitable for all ages 7 and up!

Included:
- 26 reading passages matched with 5, 6, 7 or 8 Questions.
- Introduction to Simple Comprehension and the importance of developing learner confidence and ability in reading.
- Clickable table of reference, excellent for those looking for an easy to use eBook.
- Separate answer key with easy to read colour coding.
- Easy-to-print layout, useful for those teachers and tutors looking for a resource text.
- Guide to instructional strategies to use with any learner.
- Low anxiety layout, no use of lists or numbers to encourage positive engagement!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Moss Wilson
• Release date: Nov 9, 2019
• ISBN: 9780463419694

Book preview

THE RATHER BORING

BOOK OF

COMPREHENSION

PASSAGES

Moss Peter Wilson

Copyright © 2019 by Moss Peter Wilson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Moss Peter Wilson was born in Brighton in the United Kingdom and grew up in the sleepy town of Lower Hutt in New Zealand. Moss enjoys time spent with language, learning, and literacy. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in Political Science and English Literature (Victoria University), a Graduate Diploma of Teaching (Primary, University of Auckland) and a Master of Teaching English To Speakers Of Other Languages (First Class Honours, University of Auckland). Moss taught English in New Zealand, South Korea, Malaysia and Turkey. He now leads content creation at 4dME and is very excited about disruptive technology in education.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Phil Edwards was born in the seaside town of Scarborough, North Yorkshire in 1980. He now lives in the seaside town of Brighton, Moss’s birthplace, with his wife, their young son, Noah, and his mother-in-law! Phil has a long-standing interest in language learning and has many years experience as a teacher of English as a foreign language and as teacher-trainer, both in the UK and overseas. Phil met Moss when they were working together on an English language education project in Malaysian Borneo. Alongside a teaching qualification, Phil has a degree from Oxford and recently completed his Masters in International Development and Education from the University of Sussex. 

This text was written as a resource for those who want to engage with reading comprehension.

To go straight to Passage A click here.

INTRODUCTION

What is Simple Comprehension?

Simple Comprehension ®  references passages with questions guided by the following characteristics,

Purpose - There is no use of the passage for assessment, measurement or certification. Passages are used to engage learners with comprehension of text.

Content - The context requires little to no prior knowledge. Passages are limited to three hundred words. Passages are fiction of three to eight sentences.

Instruction - No pre-teaching or instruction. There are no secondary activities that do not directly challenge and engage comprehension. Passages are not starting points for longer enquiries into topics, nor are they used to teach vocabulary items or grammar. 

Layout - There are no written numbers or numbered questions. Numbers create anxiety and evoke a test mentality for many learners. Passages and questions are on a single page, except for Advanced Extended.

Why Simple Comprehension?

Many years working with a range of learners has highlighted the importance of regular engagement with literature. Comprehension activities presented by teachers and tutors are typically reduced to a test or assessment. Testing often results in a negative attitude toward reading and a failure to develop positive reading strategies and behaviours. Reading as an activity to develop comprehension itself is uncommon. Think of a highschool class who read Shakespeare to engage with the themes or a primary school project that reads about the environment to engage with the topic of pollution. Rarely is comprehension itself a standalone activity. Yet,