effective teaching of comprehension includes...
Explicit Instruction-
Effective teachers use explicit instruction. Explicit instruction involves:
- clear explanations.
- modelling of specific reading strategies.
- guiding students (both individually and in groups).
- using the correct metalanguage of the topic being explored.
(Blair et al., 2007; Heilman et al., 2002, as cited in Rennie, 2011; Rennie, 2011; Taylor et al. 2002, as cited in Rennie, 2011)
Motivating your students-
- know your students interests and select texts, topics and themes that reflect this.
- use authentic texts that are related to the 'real world'.
- e.g. during the Olympics, explore Olympics related texts when working on comprehension strategies.
- this is likely to better engage students than simply selecting a text solely designed for developing a specific comprehension skill.
- students feel as though they are doing the task for an actual purpose.
(Duke & Pearson, 2011; Guthrie, Wigfield, & You, 2012, as cited in Afflerbach, Cho, Kim, Crassas, & Doyle, 2013; Pardo, 2004)