In this blog post, we’ll explore effective strategies to boost reading comprehension in students, valuable whether you’re teaching reading specifically or working in content areas like social studies, science, and more. These techniques are also essential for those preparing for teacher certification exams that measure understanding and application of reading comprehension strategies.
The Dual Benefit of Comprehension Strategies
We’ll cover practical reading comprehension methods that apply both in your classroom and on teacher certification exams. Many of you may be aiming to pass exams such as Praxis 5001, 5206, or similar reading-focused assessments, which gauge your ability to support student reading comprehension.
Why does reading comprehension feature so prominently across various content exams? Many state standards require educators, regardless of the subject they teach, to integrate reading goals. This ensures that students receive reading support across all areas, reinforcing comprehension as a core skill.
Understanding Comprehension: What It Is and Why It Matters
Reading comprehension sits at the top of Bloom’s Taxonomy—a higher-order, critical thinking skill that requires students to synthesize, analyze, and interpret information. This skill is essential because it moves beyond simple recall, enabling students to form mental images, make predictions, and understand character motivations or events within a story.
Comprehension extends to both literary texts (stories, poetry) and informational texts (newspapers, textbooks). A balanced approach helps students develop the skills needed for various reading contexts. To comprehend successfully, foundational skills such as phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency must already be established. A student overly focused on decoding individual words, for instance, lacks the cognitive energy required for deeper comprehension.
Key Pre-Reading Strategies
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Activating Background Knowledge: Before diving into a text, discussing students' prior knowledge helps them connect with new material. Using a KWL chart (Know, Want to know, Learned) can structure this process, prompting students to share what they already know about a topic and what they’re curious to discover. This activity primes students to engage with the text actively.
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Previewing the Text: Have students scan headings, vocabulary, and any visual aids within the text. This approach, known as text previewing, prepares them for the material’s layout and main ideas, minimizing the “cold read” effect.
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Pre-Teaching Vocabulary: For texts with complex vocabulary—especially in subjects like science or social studies—introducing key terms beforehand can aid comprehension. By familiarizing students with these terms, you help reduce decoding challenges and free cognitive resources for understanding.
These strategies are not only classroom essentials but also useful responses in teacher certification exam questions about helping students struggling with comprehension.
Effective During-Reading Techniques
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Read Aloud & Think Aloud: Modeling comprehension through “think-alouds” shows students how to actively engage with the text. As you read aloud, pause to share your thought process, whether decoding a challenging word, making a prediction, or connecting to prior knowledge. This practice demonstrates metacognition—thinking about thinking—which is central to comprehension.
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Engaging Students in Structured Read-Alouds: Prepare a list of students willing to read aloud in advance. This method helps maintain a smooth reading flow, prevents putting reluctant students on the spot, and allows those interested in reading aloud to participate comfortably. Encourage volunteers to read, and pause when needed to discuss complex concepts or interesting points.
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Incorporating Visualization and Prediction: Encourage students to form mental images and make predictions while reading. This skill builds comprehension by encouraging active engagement with the material. Ask questions like, “What do you think will happen next?” or “Can you picture the setting described?”
Post-Reading Reflection and Analysis
After reading, it’s crucial to consolidate comprehension by reflecting on the text. Encourage students to summarize or rephrase what they’ve learned. Activities like creating a graphic organizer or participating in a discussion can reinforce understanding and allow students to share interpretations. Additionally, asking reflective questions about the author’s intent or characters’ motivations can deepen comprehension.
Application for Teacher Certification Exams
For those taking teacher certification exams, these comprehension strategies often appear in multiple-choice questions or constructed-response items. You might be asked to design a lesson plan for a student struggling with comprehension or identify pre-reading strategies for challenging texts. Practicing these approaches in the classroom not only benefits students but also reinforces your readiness for exam scenarios.
Improving reading comprehension is a multi-step process, essential across subjects and invaluable for educational success. By incorporating pre-reading, during-reading, and post-reading strategies, you’re not only enhancing your students’ abilities but also preparing for exam questions that assess these competencies.
