Reading comprehension is a crucial skill for students, yet many struggle with understanding abstract text content. Recent research highlights an innovative approach called Enacted Reading Comprehension (ERC), which utilizes bodily movement to aid comprehension. This blog explores how educators can implement ERC and its potential benefits.
The Concept of Enacted Reading Comprehension
ERC is grounded in embodied cognition, which suggests that cognitive processes are deeply rooted in the body's interactions with the world. The intervention involves using gestures to help students understand abstract concepts by simulating them physically. This method has shown promise in improving reading comprehension among third and fourth graders.
Implementation of ERC
The ERC intervention is designed as a small-group activity conducted over seven weeks, targeting students who struggle with reading comprehension. It consists of three phases:
- Phase 1: Students read expository texts about natural events like earthquakes and hurricanes, using hand gestures to simulate opposing forces.
- Phase 2: The focus shifts to persuasive texts, where students learn to represent arguments as opposing forces through gestures.
- Phase 3: Students read a novel involving character dilemmas, using gestures to understand internal conflicts as opposing forces.
Benefits of ERC
The research suggests that ERC can significantly enhance students' ability to comprehend abstract text content. By engaging in physical simulations, students develop a deeper understanding of complex concepts such as opposing forces, which can be applied across various types of texts.
Encouraging Further Research
While the initial findings are promising, further research is needed to explore the full potential of ERC. Educators are encouraged to experiment with this approach and contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting embodied learning strategies.
For practitioners interested in implementing ERC or conducting further research, the original study provides a comprehensive overview of the methodology and results. To read the original research paper, please follow this link: Enacted Reading Comprehension: Using Bodily Movement to Aid the Comprehension of Abstract Text Content.
