What's a Teacher To Do: Suggestions for Comprehension Strategy Instruction

Abstract

Reading comprehension clearly involves much more than answering the questions at the end of the chapter. If students are going to become proficient in comprehension, we teachers need to equip them with skills and strategies that are independently transferable. This article provides detailed instructions for two comprehension instructional strategies which the authors have used successfully in elementary and middle school classrooms. The strategies were selected based on authenticity and capacity for use repeatedly throughout the year with learners of different ages. Both strategies support a reader's ability to create mental images and associations using background knowledge. One advantage to these approaches is the limited amount of preparation time needed once students have the received the explicit instruction in crafting a literature response.