Strategies for Reading Comprehension
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Members of the National Reading Panel (NRP) (2000) concluded seven types of comprehension strategies that met their criteria for effectiveness in an evidence-based assessment of the experimental and quasi-experimental research on reading.
The panel’s findings, which were based primarily on research conducted in grades 3-8, suggest that the following strategies are effective ways of teaching comprehension in the middle grades, and possibly beyond:
Comprehension monitoring – knowing when understanding breaks down and which “fix-up” strategies to apply (e.g., rereading, reasoning the matter through, and using cues from the sentence/paragraph’s organizational structure).
Cooperative learning – engaging with peers in problem-solving activities or to share ideas through peer-led discussions.Using graphic and semantic organizers (including story maps) Answering questions
Generating questions – asking questions of one’s self to understand various aspects of a text.Using text structure – developing an awareness of how a writer organizes information to assist readers in recalling the content of a selection.Summarizing
What strategies do you use or recommend for improving student reading comprehension?
From Professional Learning Board’s online continuing education course for teachers: Tackling Tough Text
