About the Reading Comprehension Checklist

A teacher asks, “This Checklist is time-consuming, and I don’t think my students need to follow every step. Can I skip some steps or modify the Checklist for my own students?”

Here are Sue Klund’s thoughts, in her own words, about the research, their results and using the Reading Comprehension Checklist as a teacher resource and student aid to improve student reading comprehension in your classrooms.

The first times it is done – nothing should be skipped. You must think of this Checklist as an intervention. We must show that we have used something (like the KWLN strategy) with everyone from the brightest to those who need the most help.

When I used it with my remedial students and developmental students I never assumed that they didn’t need it. I looked for the evidence in the writing they did as they used it. I backed away from some students faster than others. That way it meets everyone’s needs. If you assume that they “have it” because you “think” they do – you are doing the student a disservice.

If you want to make a difference in student understanding forever – use it as is. If you don’t – do not even use it once. I shared this (3 years ago) with a colleague who has used only this strategy for the last 3 years. I just saw her again and she is still using it and swears by it. Her kids are passing the state mandated standardized tests. My remedial students were passing the state tests when I used it.

I am very serious about not changing it. During the 2 years I wrote and worked on it (with national reading specialist, Al Greenfield’s help) we rewrote it dozens of times. No one should use this if they want to simplify it. It would be like going to the doctor and getting a prescription and deciding by yourself what dosage you should take. I always told teachers that if they didn’t like the idea of this strategy – don’t even try it. Don’t waste your time and the time of the students. Use something else.

This is very near and dear to my heart because I saw kids who were reading at a 3rd or 4th grade reading level in 8th grade pass our original Basic Standards Testing for graduation (after using the Checklist). It provided a plan that made sense to them.

From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Tackling Tough Text