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Literacy 4-6 > Strategies > Direct Instruction: Comprehension Strategies

Direct Instruction: Comprehension Strategies

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Overview

When teachers provide explicit instruction in comprehension strategies and model when to use them, students learn how to flexibly apply them to make meaning of texts. By focusing on an individual strategy, teachers can help students develop Metacognition around when and how to use different strategies to deepen reading comprehension.

Use It in the Classroom

Watch as this teacher uses a think-aloud to introduce the strategy of finding the main idea. First, she briefly models what she wants students to do, and then students apply the strategy in pairs. After adjusting her instruction based on observation, she has students practice this strategy independently.

  • Students can become more effective readers when they learn and use strategies like summarizing, asking questions, making predictions, making inferences, visualizing, connecting to Background Knowledge, and monitoring comprehension. Using a model like "I do, we do, you do" provides scaffolding that can help students increase Speed of Processing and move strategies from Short-term Memory to Long-term Memory.

    • Design It into Your Product

  • It is important that as students learn new strategies, they have scaffolded support to master and independently apply them. Developers can create programs to include explicit strategies with multiple stages to develop new comprehension strategies.
    • View References

    Resources

    Below are additional examples, research, and professional development. These resources are possible representations of this strategy, not endorsements.
    Examples

    Comprehension Strategies

    Reading Rockets key comprehension strategies to teach

    Examples

    Gradual Release

    How to explicitly teach comprehension strategies

    Research

    Improving Adolescent Literacy

    Research based literacy practices for adolescents

    Research

    Reading & Cognition

    Subtopic that explores cognitive models of reading on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Research

    Reading Comprehension

    Subtopic that includes research on how people develop reading comprehension skills on Digital Promise's Research Map

    Factors Supported by this Strategy

    Literacy
    Background Knowledge
    Genre Knowledge
    Morphological Knowledge
    Orthographic Processing
    Syntax
    Verbal Reasoning
    Vocabulary
    Cognition
    Attention
    Inhibition & Self-regulation
    Long-term Memory
    Metacognition
    Short-term Memory
    Speed of Processing
    Working Memory
    Social and Emotional Learning
    Emotion
    Student Background
    Adverse Experiences
    Literacy Environment
    Physical Well-being
    Primary Language
    Safety
    Sleep
    Socioeconomic Status

    More Instructional Approaches Strategies

    Authentic Audiences & Purposes

    Writing can become personally meaningful when students have an actual audience and a real purpose for communicating with that audience.

    Direct Instruction: Genre-specific Writing Strategies

    Explicitly teaching strategies for different genres, like narrative or persuasive writing, helps students write for different purposes and audiences.

    Direct Instruction: Keyword Search

    Teaching students how to create and use strong keywords for Internet searching is critical for helping them know how to find accurate, relevant information.

    Direct Instruction: Spelling

    Formal spelling instruction improves not only students' spelling skills but also their reading skills.

    Direct Instruction: Vocabulary

    Seeing and using new words repeatedly and in many contexts is critical for Vocabulary acquisition.

    Direct Instruction: Web-based Reading Strategies

    Research shows that, along with traditional reading comprehension strategies, students use unique strategies to read the non-linear, hyperlinked structure of online texts.

    Direct Instruction: Writing Strategies

    Explicitly teaching strategies for planning, writing, and revising texts improves students' writing quality.

    Family Engagement

    Students are more likely to come to school when families feel like a valued part of the community.

    Guided Inquiry

    In guided inquiry, teachers help students use their own language for constructing knowledge by active listening and questioning.

    Independent Reading

    Independent reading promotes literacy by emphasizing student choice with teacher support in selecting books, as well as by making time for free reading.

    Mindfulness Activities

    Through short but regular mindfulness activities, students develop their awareness and ability to focus.

    Multimodal Instruction

    Instruction in multiple formats allows students to activate different cognitive skills to understand and remember the steps they are to take in their literacy work.

    Pre-reading Questioning

    Helping students think about what they know about the topic of upcoming work helps activate their Background Knowledge or reveals gaps.

    Provide Writing Models

    When students read models of the type of writing they are doing, they can identify effective elements to incorporate in their writing.

    Reading Conferences

    Through one-on-one conferences, teachers can provide individual support to each student to deepen comprehension and interest in reading.

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