This video explains that reading comprehension is an active process and that some students need explicit instruction in cognitive strategies used by successful readers. It outlines several key strategies and suggests modeling them for students before they practice independently or in groups. The video also prompts educators to consider how to best implement these strategies within their subject areas.
Reading is an active process, but some students aren't aware of the cognitive strategies that successful readers use to make sense of a text. To start with, some students need to be explicitly taught how to monitor their own comprehension, particularly readers who have always struggled and may not expect the text to make sense. Reading short passages slowly, asking students to reflect on whether they understand each sentence, then exploring the meanings of words or phrases they don't understand can help them grasp that readers need to interact with the text. This recognition that they need to reread sections and seek help with things they don't know can move some students forward significantly with their reading comprehension.
In addition, there are a number of key reading strategies that successful readers use to comprehend texts. These include:
Model using these strategies with students before giving them opportunities to practice applying them to texts in pairs, small groups, or independently. Balance the teaching of strategies with plenty of opportunities to read. And once strategies are embedded, more time can be dedicated to reading.
Key questions: Do all of your students recognize that reading is an active process and may require them to interrogate the text to make it make sense, particularly if it is a challenging one? Which reading comprehension strategies will be most useful within your subject area? How can you explain and model these strategies most effectively?
