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How to Use BME to Assess a Student's Comprehension

As students progress through the grade levels of elementary school, the stories they read in class become more and more complicated and their reading comprehension skills become more and more important. One way to evaluate a student's comprehension skills is by checking his sequencing abilities, or his ability to identify plot points from the beginning, middle and end (BME) of a story. Particularly in younger grades, where the order of events is the most important element of a story, a student's understanding of BME tends to represent his understanding of the story as a whole.

Instructions

- 1
  Read a story with your class. Choose one that is plot-driven rather than character-driven, like a fairy-tale.
- 2
  Tell your students to think about the story you just read and try to remember what happened at the beginning, in the middle and at the end. Give them a few minutes to remember the story.
- 3
  Tell your students to turn to the person next to them and discuss the things that happened in the story and in the order presented. Walk around the room and listen as they talk. Check to make sure that each student is listing plot points in the correct sequence.
- 4
  Ask questions about the sequence of events in the story. Have students tell you what is different at the end of the story from the beginning, then have them explain what caused the changes. If a student can describe the story in sequence, her comprehension is strong. If she is unable to remember events in order or to explain how the middle of the story led to the end, her comprehension skills need attention.

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