Reading comprehension activities

I mentioned in an earlier post that the reading program at my school is Reading Street from Pearson.  Each week we teach or review a different comprehension strategy and skill.  Students are then tested on these  skills during their weekly test.  Comprehension is always the area where they have the most trouble.  I have anchor charts in my classroom to provide a resource for the weeks that certain skills/strategies aren't our focus.  Some students are still having trouble, so I decided to make workstation jars for the areas that seemed to be the most troublesome.  I just finished two of the jars over the weekend.  They are comparing/contrasting and cause/effect.  I have several in the works but the one I'm having the most trouble with (and the one students have the most trouble with- go figure) is generalization.  What activities do you do in your classroom to help teach generalization?

Here are the my two latest jars...

Compare and Contrast Jar

Students choose a card with two items on it.  Next, they brainstorm ways these items are the same and ways they are different.  Included are three graphic organizers for students to record their answers.

Cause and Effect Jar

Students choose a card and decide if it was the cause or the effect.  Next, they brainstorm causes or effects for the card and record their answers on one of the six provided graphic organizers.