USING GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS TO IMPROVE 11TH GRADERS’ READING COMPREHENSION

PART 1: INTRODUCTION Rationale for the study In the context of teaching and learning English as a foreign language in Viet Nam, reading seems to be the most important and useful activity in any language class, especially for the students of English as a foreign language Of the four language skills, reading has always received a great deal of attention, which is emphasized by Carrel [2; p.1] that “For many students, reading is by far the most important of the four macro skills in a second language, particularly in English as a second teaching of foreign language” However, teachers of English in Vietnam have a tremendous obstacle to get students enthusiastic about reading texts Through classroom observations and real teaching context, it reveals that students often feel scared when doing long reading tasks with unfamiliar words They find it difficult to catch the main ideas of the text, to distinguish facts and details, and to retain information longer Therefore, they often fail to catch the author’s thought From this fact, as a teacher of English, I myself think it is essential to find something new to improve my students’ reading comprehension level so that they can improve their reading comprehension As a result, I decided to carry out the entitled study: “Using graphic organizers to improve 11th graders’ reading comprehension at Nong Cong high school” Purpose of the study and research questions This study is aimed at gaining an insightful look into the application of graphic organizers with a view to improving students , reading skill at Nong Cong high school The aims are specified in two research questions: 2.1 Does the use of graphic organizers help to develop the reading comprehension skill for high school students? 2.2 If so, to what extent does the use of graphic organizers affect the students’ reading comprehension levels? Scope of the study This study was carried out with eighty 11th students from class called 11B5 at Nong Cong high school The research focuses on whether graphic organizers can improve and how it affects these students’ reading comprehension in reading lessons Methods of the study This study using quantitative research method aimed to determine whether graphic organizers are able to enhance students’ comprehension skills o r have a positive affect on the ability of students to make sense of what they read The author used data collection instrument to gather information about the students involved, monitor the progress of the students when they used graphic organizers throughout the research, and determine the effectiveness of the graphs based on the pre-tests and post-tests The pre-tests were necessary to assess the reading comprehension level and skills the students possessed before the intervention of the strategy and used as a baseline score The post-tests were used to determine the effectiveness of the strategy used by the students during the research process by comparing the pre-test scores to the ones taken at the end of the six practice reading lessons PART 2: DEVELOPMENT 2.1 Literature Review 2.1.1 Reading skill Reading is known as an interactive process that connected the reader with the text, making comprehension The text displays letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs that express meaning The reader manipulates knowledge, skills, and strategies to decide what that meaning is Up to now reading has been described differently by lots of academics Harmer [4; p.153] shares his ideas “reading is an exercise dominated by the eyes and the brain The eyes receive messages and the brain then has to work out the significance of these messages” Clearly, ideas of reading have been diverse in exploiting words and expressions but they all focus on two actions: studying with eyes and comprehending with brains of which the latter is more significant The most obvious thing in the latter is that the readers not only look at and understand the meaning of what is written but also read authors’ thinking 2.1.2 Reading comprehension Many studies confirm that the final goal of reading instruction is comprehension and one of the most important goals of skilled reading is decoding and understanding written text However, the decoding and the ability to recognize words in texts are only the beginning stages of reading and reading comprehension Grellet [3; p.3] states that “understanding a written text means extracting the required information from it as efficiently as possible.” He also shows the examples in which a good reader will omit unnecessary information and find out what he or she is searching for In another word, reading comprehension can be defined as “a fluent process of readers combining information from a text and their own background knowledge to build meaning Reading becomes meaningless without comprehension since only reading comprehension can appreciate how much readers get the text Therefore, how to aid students in having efficient reading comprehension methods is considered to be the most powerful task in teaching reading 2.1.3 Graphic Organizers: A graphic organizer is a visual frame used to represent knowledge and understanding of a subject matter by arranging important aspects of a concept or topic into logical pattern using labels There are many types of graphic organizers namely maps, graphs, charts, diagrams, or clusters Each of these patterns can be expressed in different layouts but they have similar purposes that portray the relationship between facts, terms or ideas within a learning task In reading lessons, graphic organizers can be efficiently used in all lessons for students of all ages to check not only students , understanding but also motivate and improve their critical thinking In the words of Krasnic [6; p.24] students are able to clear their thoughts and sharpen their thinking by organizing and connecting key concepts related to what they are reading from the text This process can help students to enhance their critical thinking, a kind of cognitive activity appearing in many of cognitive process of language learning 2 Research context 2.2.1 Setting and Participants The participants were 40 students (who were divided into two smaller groups with twenty for each) of 11B5 class from every corner of Nong Cong district, by this I mean they are both from town and rural areas Almost of them are females and they are 17 years old Most these students are generally at elementary level They learned English for at least five years at high school but this subject was not carefully taken into its consideration In their opinion, learning English means learning grammar and structures with common lexical sources Therefore, they re surprised and confused when they have to read long reading texts in class and then in the exams Some students can easily adapt to the new ways of learning, but most of them face challenges 2.2.2 Textbook and Reading materials The reading materials used in the study consisted of selected texts from new English Textbook 11 (learner-centered and communicative approach with theme-based teaching) published by Education Publishing House and Pearson In the textbook, there are 10 units with diverse topics related to themes: Our lives, Our society, Our environment, Our future sections were included in one unit namely: Getting started, Language, Skills, Communication and Culture, Looking back and Project There are some samples based on the new English textbook for grade 11 in which such common organizers are appropriately applied It is hoped that English teachers will have a better insight into graphic organizes and become confident to integrate these effective tools into their reading classroom practice The study was conducted when the participants were in the second semester when they already had had knowledge about basic structures as well as vocabulary in textbook of grade 10 and 11 Therefore, the author found that it matched with the objectives of the learning program and students’ levels of proficiency 2.2.3 The reality of teaching and learning reading skill at Nong Cong high school As mentioned above, reading skill in new Tieng Anh 11 is the third of eight lessons that comprise one unit in the textbook Reading lesson admittedly provides language inputs such as vocabulary, structures as well as knowledge background related to the lesson topic The students in our school, however, have been facing numerous challenges in reading lesson because of their poor source of vocabulary, structures Some get bored with long reading task, others don’t know how to activate their language capacity to comprehend the reading passage In addition, most of them have difficulty getting general ideas, specific information, paraphrase the meaning of the words in order to successfully explore the reading text to tackle assigned reading tasks 2.3 Stages of the study 2.3.1 Instructional Procedure A t the beginning of the instruction, I familiarized the students with what graphic organizers are and how to us e them effectively while reading a text The students w er e also trained to use different organizers for different types of passages Th e students learned a variety of existing graphic organizers and they also started creating their own organizers They used these graphic organizers at all the three levels – before instruction, during instruction and after instruction 2.3.2 The Pre-test and Post-test Model Post-test is measurement of the outcome in both groups after the experimental groups have received the treatment while pre-tests measure the student performance prior to the experimental intervention A pre test was administered to both experiment and control groups to ascertain the standard of the students in reading comprehension The pre-test scores of both groups were recorded The test material w as designed based on the scope of the study It was made up of passages, totaling 20 questions which can be classified into four types of reading questions – (1) Identifying the main idea, (2) finding the supporting details, (3) understanding vocabulary, and (4) making inferences Out of 20 questions, there wer e main idea questions, supporting detail questions, vocabulary questions, and inference questions Each question was worth mark and the sum total of the test was 20 calculated over 100 marks Before administering the pre-test, it w as important for the researcher to examine whether the proficiency level of the students in both the experimental and controlled groups are the same or different In the first session of the experiment, a pre-test was given to all the participants in the two groups The result of the pre-test proved that th e comprehension skills of both the groups were on the same level 2.4 Types of graphic organizers employed in the study During my teaching process, four basic graphic organizers namely cause & effect map, problem & solution map, compare & contrast matrix, and KWL chart will be described The value of these organizers will be discussed and followed by their application in English reading lessons at upper secondary schools in Vietnam 2.4.1 Cause & effect map A cause and effect map is one of the effective organizers used to show relationships of all factors (causes) that lead to the given situation (effect) It is usually preceded by cause and effect analysis The teacher uses this organizer to help students realize that there are many causes that contribute an effect It also graphically displays the connections of the causes to the effect to each other Students can this task individually, in pairs or in groups and then share what the information in the diagram with the others 2.4.1.1 Procedures: - Copy the cause & effect map template for students - List the topic or problem explored in the center of the organizer - Discuss the causes and effects with students - Record what makes the problem happen in the Causes section - Record what happens because of these causes and list them in the Effects section Cause & effect map (Adapted from IRA/NCTE 2006 Read-Write-Think: Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer Retrieved June 2, 2015, from http://tryscience.org/sites/default/files/uploads/lessonplan/sharedresources/graph ic_organizer_highlevel.pdf) 2.4.1.2 Application Global warming is real Global warming, the rise in temperature around the earth ’s atmosphere, is one of the biggest issues facing human nowadays The results of numerous studies show that global warming is real It is mainly man-made and its effects on people and nature are catastrophic The biggest cause of global warming is carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions from coal burning power plants When coal is burnt to make electricity, it releases a large amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere In the USA, about 40% of CO2 emissions come form electricity production The second greatest source of CO2 emissions is the burning of petrol for transport In the USA, motor vehicles running on petrol are responsible for about 33% of CO emissions The situation is getting worse as the demand for cars is increasing rapidly in the modern world Another reason for the temperature rise is the cutting down of forests for wood, paper or farming Forests absorb and capture CO2 from the atmosphere This process has been disrupted by the current alarming rate of deforestation The worst effect of global warming is the rise in sea levels worldwide, which could make millions of people lose their homes Global warming also results in severe weather-related natural disasters such as droughts and floods that can kill or injure large numbers of people Global warming with increasingly high temperature can reduce crop harvest globally, which may lead to famine It is also predicted to have the worst impact on water supplies Water shortages are likely to delay economic growth and damage ecosystems Another scary effect of global warming is the disappearance of millions of species in the world Widespread loss of species is a matter of great concern for humans since we cannot exist without species diversity on Earth It is important that people understand that human-caused global warming is happening and its effects on us are serious Everybody has to take some action now to reduce the risks (Vietnam MOET (2015).Tiếng Anh 11: Student book 2, p.10 Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson.) (See Cause and Effect Map in the next page) CAUSE & EFFECT MAP - rise of sea levels - make people homeless Carbon dioxide emissions from coal burning power plants GLOBAL WARMING Carbon dioxide emissions from burning of petrol for transport dumping plastic or other inorganic waste in the ground Cutting down of forest for wood, paper or farming - severe weather-related natural disaster - kill or injure large number of poeple - contaminated vegetation - reduce crop harvest - famine - disappearance of millions of species 2.4.2 Problem & solution map The critical thinking necessary to problem-solve by posting and evaluating solutions is an important skill the students need throughout their lives Being able to write clearly and persuasively about proposed solutions is as important as being able to think clearly and logically in formulating solutions This reading guide helps students organize and write about problems and proposed solutions This activity is also applied into a writing class where students are aware of the relevant problem and discuss reliable methods Students can this task individually and then share what the information in the diagram with their partner or their group members 2.4.2.1 Procedures: - Have students identify the problem in the text and write it in the diamond at the top of the template labeled PROBLEM - Let students list each of the solutions presented in the text in the box labeled SOLUTIONS - Have students predict and write the results expected from the chosen solutions in the box labeled RESULTS (optional) - Students then have presentation about the discussed topic, using the template as a guide Remind students to use the key organizing words to help connect ideas (Adapted from Bromley, K., Irwin-Devitis, L & Modlo, M (1999) 50 graphic organizers for reading, writing & more: Reproducible templates, student samples, and easy strategies to support every learner, pp 106-107 New York: Scholastic Professional Books.) 2.4.2.2 Application A Longevity Hot Spot Nagano is a mountainous, landlocked prefecture in the center of Japan, with a population of more than two million In 2014, the life expectancy there was 87.2 years for women and 80.9 for men, which is one of the highest in the world The region once experienced high death rates from causes such as stroke and heart attacks This was attributed to the residents , favorite food: salted pickled vegetables and miso, a kind of fermented soybean paste Being inland, Nagano does not have readily available seafood, and salt was used to process and preserve food for use in the long snowy winters The turning point was in 1981, when the non-profit Nagano Dietetic Association decided to take action The first step was a campaign to reduce salt intake and promote a healthier diet and lifestyle Volunteers were trained to conduct nutrition seminars at supermarkets, shopping malls, and community centers At first, it was difficult to convince people to change, but gradually, it became easier The efforts paid off with surprising speed By 1990, life expectancy had risen by three years in a decade, and the death rates due to heart disease had decreased The local government has also taken other measures in cooperation with the association: organizing routine health check-ups, creating hundreds of walking trails for residents to exercise, and building hot springs for local people to recover from ill health The efforts of Nagano’s residents and the government to change the lifestyle and prolong life have been really successful Nagano is an excellent model that the rest of the world can follow: educations, dietary changes, exercise, and the spirits of cooperation can make a difference (Vietnam MOET (2015) Tiếng Anh 11: Student book 2, p.67 Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson.) (See the map in the next page) 10 PROBLEM & SOLUTION MAP High death rate in Nagano PROBLEM(S) high death rate because of stroke and heart attacks CAUSES (optional) salted pickled vegetables and miso (a kind of fermented soy bean paste) SOLUTIONS - reduce salt in take action and promote a healthier diet and lifestyle - conduct nutrition seminars at supermarket, shopping malls - organizing routine health check-ups - building hot springs for local people RESULT(S) - prolong life - an excellent model of health care 11 2.4.3 Compare & contrast matrix The compare and contrast matrix has a wide variety of classroom applications English teachers can use it as a means of comparing different historical events, geographical regions, cultural and traditional differences or political systems Students are able to clearly see similarities and differences between more than one by using this type of graphic organizer This reading activity can be done in the whole class, in groups or individually 2.4.3.1 Procedures: - Copy the compare and contrast matrix template for students - Help the students create headings for major concepts on the vertical and horizontal axis - Walk around as the students read the text together and think aloud - Discuss the similarities and differences with them if necessary - Make sure the students are recording details from the text in appropriate places on the matrix graphic organizer 2.4.3.2 Application Ways of raising children In the US For many Americans, a parent’s most important task is to teach their children to live independently From an early age, most children get their own rooms, never sleep with their parents American parents help their kids to become self-reliant by making them things such as washing, cleaning, and cooking for themselves from the time when they are very small To help to develop their children ’s confidence, American parents always show respect for them and let them voice their opinions on family issues Right after children finish school, most of them will move out of the family home and start a truly independent life In Viet Nam Many Vietnamese parents think their most important role is to protect their children and provide them with a happy and wealthy childhood Babies often sleep with their parents, and many children not get to sleep in their own beds until they finish primary school While many children in rural areas have to work to contribute to the household expenses, most children in urban areas not have to anything but study In both urban and rural areas, parents seldom ask for their children ’s opinions before making family choices 12 Children not move out of the family home before they get married Even then, many parents still want the couple to live with them in the same house (Vietnam MOET (2015) Tiếng Anh 11: Student book 1, p.38 Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson.) (See the map in the next page) COMPARE AND CONTRAST MATRIX Ways of raising children Main ideas in America in Vietnam Protect their children Teach their children and provide them with a Role of parents to live independently happy and wealthy childhood The way parents By making them help their kids to Different in rural and things such as become selfurban areas… washing, cleaning, reliant Parents show their Parents seldom ask for Voice of children respect for their kids their children’s opinion in making family and let them voice before making family decision their opinion choices Time children Until children get Right after children move out of the married or even live in finish school family home the same house 2.4.4 KWL chart A K-W-L [7; p.1] chart helps students understand what they know (K), what they want to know (W), and what they learned (L) when reading or researching a topic This is an effective visual tool to improve students by tapping their prior knowledge and letting them set their own purposes for learning By analyzing the L column, both the teacher and students can evaluate students’ grasp of knowledge or content Then the teacher can make plans to enrich concepts or to remedy misconceptions 2.4.4.1 Procedures: - Construct the organizer and pre-teach or review the terms on the template 13 - Write the information the students brainstorm about the topic in the K (know) column - Record the questions the students have about the topic in the W (want to know) column This establishes a purpose for reading - After the students have read, researched, and discussed the topic, place the new information in the L (learned) column - Discus with students whether they can now confirm or deny any statements listed in the K column (Taken from Bromley, K., Irwin-DeVites, L & Modlo, M (1999) 50 graphic organizers for reading, writing & more: Reproducible templates, student samples, and easy strategies to support every learner, pp 48-49 New York: Scholastic Professional Books.) 2.4.4.2 Application Singapore’s secondary and further education One of the main aims of the Singapore’s education system is to help students to discover their talents and develop a passion for learning During the secondary education, which lasts four to five years, students have opportunities to take various courses, build their strengths and develop their talents in both academic and non-academic areas For example, after passing standardized examinations, students can enroll on courses in specialized independent schools such as NUS High School of Mathematics and Science, Singapore Sports School, School of Arts, or School of Science and Technology They can further their study and interests at junior colleges and polytechnics through direct admission These are flexible ways that allow students to continue their education journey at a post-secondary institution 14 After leaving secondary school, students can pursue either pre-university education or technical education A pre-university course provides students with essential skills and knowledge for higher education They can realize their potential through a wide range of subjects from academic areas such as Humanities, Arts, Languages, Mathematics, and Science Alternatively, technical education, through collaboration with companies and other organizations, can equip students with professional, technical skills and working experience They can select engineering, technical, business or service skill areas to prepare themselves for their work environment If they want to pursue higher education, students can that at one of the four publicly-funded local universities with degree programs All of them have global partnerships with leading universities and educational institutions overseas to ensure the best quality and future for the graduates (Vietnam MOET (2015) Tiếng Anh 11: Student book 2, p.27 Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson K What (I) we know - Singapore is a country member of ASEAN, which has been considered one of the most powerful economy in this region K-W-L Chart W What (I) we want to find out L What (I) we learned - Time expansion of - Secondary education in Singapore’s secondary Singapore lasts to years education Requirement for - after passing - Singapore s secondary enrolling special courses standardized examination & further education is in secondary education - build up students, one of the advanced system targeting the - Preparation given to strengths and develops students, talent discovery students for further their talents in both academic and nonand passion for learning education academic areas - Singapore’s education system has been - Names of some local - there are four publiclydescribed as "worldinstitutions providing funded local universities leading" or a wonderful higher education in with degree programs for higher education combination of Eastern Singapore and Western styles and qualities ’ 15 PART 3: CONCLUSION 3.1 Discussion of the main findings The s t u d y was carried out with the aim of finding the effects of graphic organizers on students’ reading comprehension at Nong Cong high school It has been revealed from the data analysis that graphic organizers are effective strategies, which can help students understand and memorize ideas Repeated exposure to these strategies can be beneficial in assisting the students to increase their reading comprehension skills, thus allowing them a more rewarding reading experience 3.1.1 Result of Pretest The forty students participating in this study were given a reading pretest in order to gather baseline data scores for the start of the research to quantify their reading comprehension levels The students were all tested on the same day, one day before the interventions began The results of the initial assessment are shown in Table Level (insufficient) No % 26 65 Table 1: Initial Student scores Level Level Level (sufficient) (proficient) (excellent) No % No % No % 15 10 7.5 The data showed that most students’ reading comprehension levels were at literal It proved that many of them encountered the problem with decoding the text 3.1.2 Result of post- test After the four practice reading lessons, the students were again given another assessment to determine if there was any growth in their comprehension For the assessment, the students were first tested at their initial level and were moved up or down in level based on their scores of the test given at their prior level Due to the growth in their comprehension skills, all students’ levels had to be adjusted accordingly Their post- test scores and the changes in level for each student are presented in Table Level (insufficient) No % 12.5 Table 2: Final Student scores Level Level (sufficient) (proficient) No % No % 16 40 14 35 Level (excellent) No % 12.5 16 Obviously, the data illustrated above have shown that the examined teaching strategy, graphic organizers, can lead to a growth in comprehension skills of students The data collection instruments used to gather information about the students involved, monitor the progress of the students, and assess the students, both prior to the intervention as well as after its conclusion, have been extremely useful in this research It can be said that using graphic organizers is a realistic practice to enhance students reading comprehension Based on the data discussed above, it is a satisfactory conclusion that practice with graphic organizers over the four reading lessons assisted students with increasing their reading comprehension skills The students exposed to the graphic organizers were able to understand the material more and more as time went on By using the graphic organizers, the students were able to map out parts of the text, allowing them to concentrate on a specific part of the text, and apply that comprehension skill This strategy worked very well for the students that needed to focus on one part of the text at a time to gain full understanding 3.1.3 Learning motivation and interlaced skills Graphic organizers, without a doubt, can be used as practical tools for students to organize information, to connect keys concepts or ideas presented in the reading text They also allow students to acknowledge and share their collective understanding or views on the lesson goals Teachers need to provide such wonderful means for students to organize information before, while, and after reading They should guide students in articulating their prior knowledge and develop linkages between prior knowledge and new information They should establish various means for students to respond to text by encouraging and teaching various organizational structures for recording information One more important thing is that my students can activate their background knowledge as well as what they have received in reading tasks to practice productive skills such as writing or speaking (oral presentation) Below are some pictures of language learning at my school when graphic organizers are applied 17 Picture 1: Ngo Thi Thu Trang and her team from 11B5 in her presentation on Modern Inventions (using main idea web) Picture 2: Outcomes of group work from 11B5 about Volunteer work using the frame of mind map to work out supporting ideas Picture 3: Dong Thi Duyen from 11B5 presents differences and similarities among some modern inventions (getting information from reading tasks) Implications for more effective reading lessons 18 Reading comprehension has been a concern of a classroom teacher Exploring work in helping to build the comprehension skills of students is imperative so students can have every opportunity to experience success The students learned how to use graphic organizers to become better readers and how to concentrate on a specific area of the text to get the necessary information needed to answer a specific question This is evident by the significant improvement in most students’ reading levels Interestingly, the order of the lessons present in the textbooks new Tieng Anh 10, new Tieng Anh 11 and new Tieng Anh 12 was logically arranged based on the theme which was repeatedly explored with the same kind of mentioned graphic organizers although numerous other maps should be used Within the narrowed scale of this study, it is impossible to work out several other efficient graphic organizers for expanding vocabulary and guessing main idea such as Main idea Web, Venn diagram, Word Web, etc From experiences in the classroom, I can conclude that the sooner students are introduced to the importance of using comprehension strategies to pull apart text in search of answers to specific questions, the better chance they have at succeeding at reading in the future I hope that by providing students the chance to use and practice these strategies, students will have a better chance at becoming more successful at standardizing testing and other tests they are challenged to later on Exposure to graphic organizers with reading comprehension can admittedly prove to be beneficial to those students It is essential for teachers to form an understanding of what works well in the classroom and what the students tend to respond to It is my hope that other teachers will use this study to benefit the students In conclusion, my attempt to inspire my students in developing reading skill, to a certain extent, is productive Both in class and outside class, the data showed that the students became more focused, and they put more endeavor into practicing reading, this is shown through the improvement in their scores on reading comprehension measures 3.3 Limitations and suggestions for further research First of all, the study is conducted in a small – scale, which focuses on only one source of data known as tests This might be subjective on the side of the informants, so the conductor cannot guarantee the reliability of the information collected Furthermore, the area of the study is only restricted to classroom in the local context of English teaching and learning within a high school where textbook is published by Vietnamese Education Publishing House, thus any application outside the classroom context requires careful thoughts and consideration Hopefully, the above problems could be solved in other studies after this research in the near future With the scope of the study, the recommendations are made for further research 19 Firstly, the study was conducted in teaching reading comprehension, one of four language skills A similar study on other skills at other high school should be carried out Secondly, the material chosen was adapted from new English 11, Education Publishing House and Pearson with a limit number of graphic organizers were explored and applied Many other effective ones are supposed to be optimized to facilitate students, reading comprehension Finally, this study was done with the reading skill Other studies in in other language skills, such as listening, speaking and writing, would bring interesting findings Signature of Principle Thanh Hoa, May 2th, 2017 Hereby, I certify that this study is the result of my own experience and has not been submitted by any others Writer Trần Thị Khánh Toàn 20 REFERENCES Bromley, K., Irwin-DeVitis, L & Modlo, M (1999) 50 graphic organizers for reading, writing & more: Reproducible templates, student samples, and easy strategies to support every learner New York: Scholastic Professional Books Carrel.Et.al (1988) Interactive Approaches to Second Language Reading Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Grellet, F (1981).Developing Reading Skills A practical guide to reading comprehension exercises Cambridge: CUP Harmer, J (1989) The Practical Language Teaching Essex: Longman Group Ltd IRA/NCTE (2006) Read-Write-Think: Cause and Effect Graphic Organizer Retrieved June 2, 2015, from http://tryscience.org/sites/default/files/uploads/lessonplan/sharedresources/graph ic_organizer_highlevel.pdf Krasnic, T 2011 How to Study with Mind Maps: The Concise Learning Method Concise Books Publishing Ogle, Donna M (1986) K-W-L: A Teaching Model That Develops Active Reading of Expository Text Vietnam MOET (2015) Tiếng Anh 11: Student book Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson.) Vietnam MOET (2015) Tiếng Anh 11: Student book Hanoi: Education Publishing House and Pearson.) 21 ... increasing their reading comprehension skills The students exposed to the graphic organizers were able to understand the material more and more as time went on By using the graphic organizers, the students... common organizers are appropriately applied It is hoped that English teachers will have a better insight into graphic organizes and become confident to integrate these effective tools into their reading. .. without comprehension since only reading comprehension can appreciate how much readers get the text Therefore, how to aid students in having efficient reading comprehension methods is considered to