HOW TO TEACH READING COMPREHENSION EFFECTIVELY

1. Steps of teaching a specific long or short text?

1. OBSTACLES/ ROADBLOCKS/BARRIERS AND SOLUTIONS IN READING
COMPREHENSION?
1. Did the student read the text?
Sometimes I dont know until my students walk in the door if students have read their
assignment. The reality is: some will and some wont. Some teachers feel that it is unfair for
them to be held accountable to Common Core or state standards of instruction if the students do
not even read the text that can help them improve.
Assigning reading questions is one solution but that leads to another problem.
2. Does the student comprehend what they read?
The typical way that I handle reading comprehension is by assigning reading questions. These
are either found at the bottom of the reading selection or on a different answer sheet. The
questions I assign often follow similar themes.
I want student answers to show me:
1. Did the student comprehend what they are reading?
2. Did they look up the words they couldnt figure out?
3. Did they understand what is significant in the story?
When I assign these readings for homework, I ask myself, is the student simply copying the
answers from another student?
If a student says that they dont understand what they read, were they just skimming the reading?
In order to help students, I need to know where they skimmed and where they truly struggle. If I
want to really help students improve, I must answer this next challenge with a solution.
3. Where does the student struggle with the reading?
Research says that of students are struggling readers; they cannot correctly identify the main
idea when they read.
Students need to be able to decode and comprehend what they are reading.
As students read, two issues besides knowing how to identify the main idea continually cause
students to struggle:

the difficult language in historical texts

poor question design in the book

I cant change the texts but I can change the way I design my questions.
Where do we ask students to demonstrate their understanding? To make the reading a big
picture, teachers will commonly put questions at the end of the reading. Most of the questions in
my textbook are at the end of the reading or on a separate page.
Once again, research shows that this is absolutely the worst place to put the questions. Students
are passively reading, instead of being actively engaged. This is complicated with traditional
paper/pencil because paragraph or sentence specific questions break up the page and can interfere
with students understanding the readings big picture. To help students, we have to improve not
only the questions but WHERE They are placed in the text. (Yes, there is a solution to this
problem.)
4. How can I give meaningful feedback to students to encourage and help them improve?
It is hard to tell if a student is struggling when using traditional worksheets/questions. It is even
more difficult to give quick feedback on student comprehension. The alternative is to give lowtech, highly efficient verbal feedback during a class discussion. This method also has its
problems as well. Students have to be willing to ask a question publicly or approach the teacher
privately. For me, the trouble is that I am one in a class of 30 and I can only help an individual or
small groups of students at once. Surely, there are students I am missing but I am limited by
traditional approaches.
To truly understand what a student comprehends, there needs to be an individual conversation
about the document. Yet, it is nearly impossible to provide that to a class of 30 students. Even
small group or think-pair-share leads to a scenario where the grouped students might be
discussing the wrong interpretation of the document. If I am faced with multiple groups
misinterpreting the document, then I have a possible problem with differentiated instruction.
Again, there has to be a better way than these traditional means that we teachers have used for
decades.
5. How can you get meaningful data on where to help your whole class?
A couple of years ago I gave a test on 20th century imperialism and it seemed that a lot of
students struggled with questions that dealt with analyzing primary sources. It took me well over
an hour but I went through each test, question by question, and put all the question data together
myself. (This was before the widespread use of online questions). My efforts were time
consuming and revealed very little.
Immediate, actionable data has only become more important given todays pressures to improve
students reading comprehension scores. In addition to finding these sources, designing questions
and meaningful lessons around them, we now have to become statisticians? Where can teachers
find the time?
Yet, we need individual and collective class data to appropriately help those struggling students.
6. How do I align all of this with standards?
Even after confronting all these questions every time we assign meaningful readings our job is
not complete. We then have to validate that the assignment is aligned with the proper standards.
This step could take some time depending on how familiar you are with your relevant standards.

For me, it takes an additional 10+ minutes to make sure my readings are inline with my state
standards for teaching history and the Common Core ELA standards for history. This should
probably be the step I start with but it has the least impact on my students and therefore usually is
a neglected until the very end. I would spend more time in considering the standards first if I
could align them quickly so I can get right to question design.
OK. So now, how do we meet these challenges and teach nonfiction text, put questions in
the text, improve the questions, personalize learning AND align with standards? Let me
show you the approach I use in my classroom with Actively Learn. You can use this for free
but Ill explain the difference between the free and premium version.
2. STRATEGIES IN TEACHING READING COMPREHENSION?
BEFORE YOU READ
Pick a book
To become a reader, you have to be able to pick a book. This skill is not often a part of Language
Arts curricula; as a result, many students with dyslexia do not know how to select a book. What
criteria should they use? How easy it looks? How big the font is? Explicit instruction for
choosing a book (even if it is for a report or from a book list) is often needed. A variety of book
genre vocabulary is necessary for this step: self-help, auto-biographical, fantasy, science-fiction,
teen-fiction, historical fiction, mystery, romance, etc. On-site instruction (in front of a bookshelf,
in a library or bookstore) is advantageous. The student should receive guidance through the
following considerations:
What are my interests? Do I want to read about one of these topics?

What genre would I like to try?

Where is that located in the library/bookstore?

Does the title and summary on the cover appeal to me?

Is there an author or book that I have enjoyed in the past?

Who can I ask for recommendations?

If I open up and read a few pages of the book, does it capture my interest?
Preview
Imagine that someone hands you an already open book and asks you to read it and do what it
says (demonstrating comprehension) and it looks like Greek to you. You are going to look at the
title and chapter names, boldface words and tables to try to at least figure out if you are looking
at a car manual, theology reference book, or Farmers Almanac. Previewing a book gives the
reader a chance to fit the information into a meaningful context. This helps her to bring all of her
previous knowledge and schemas to the task in order to predict what she will read.

If the student had the opportunity to pick her own book, she has had the opportunity to preview
it. Modeling the previewing process with verbal mediation is often an effective means of
teaching this skill. For example you might say, "Lets see, this book is called East of Eden by
John Steinbeck. Its a long book, but the chapters look pretty short. There is no table of contents
and the chapters dont have names, just numbers. The back cover says that Salinas Valley and
River are in California. That must be where the author is from or where the story takes place. Oh
yes, its where the story takes place. The front flap says that this story is about two families as
they farm the land and raise their children out West. The characters fate re-enacts the fall of
Adam and Eve and the sibling rivalry of Cain and Abel. (While flipping through the pages) This
looks pretty readable. Theres lots of description and dialogue."

After modeling and verbally mediating the previewing process, ask your student to do the same.
You may wish to have another group member jot down a list of key words as your student
previews the text and verbally mediates this process. Writing down key words can demonstrate
active listening, facilitate memory, and serve as a guide for the subsequent pre-reading tasks. If
your student is going to be reading non-fiction or a portion of a textbook, point out relevant parts
of the book, such as the table of contents, index, chapter title, section headings, boldface words,
tables, pictures and captions, etc. It may be valuable to teach your student how to use the features
of the book to skim. You may tell her, "The goal of skimming is to move your eyes quickly
through the text to get the gist or main idea of what you will be reading. You may also want to
skim the book when you are looking for a specific answer to a question."
Previous knowledge
Activating previous knowledge is an essential ingredient in building reading comprehension
skills. It allows the new information "to stick" to the older information and be more easily
recognized, understood, and remembered. Initially, this may be a separate step for your novice
readers; however, with practice this skill may be incorporated into the previewing process. Ask
your student what she knows about the themes, topics, and setting of the text that she just
previewed. If you or a student wrote down a list of key terms (i.e. Salinas, CA, sibling rivalry,
Cain and Abel, the Fall, Adam and Eve, and farming) refer to it now. You may use an open-ended
("Tell me what you know about these topics?") or more directive format ("Have you ever
traveled out West? What do you think they are referring to when they mention The Fall of Adam
and Eve?'") to find out what your student knows about these themes/terms.
Predict
Making a prediction about the book is a way of building reading comprehension before even
commencing with the book. You can help your student form a more complete or accurate
prediction using the following techniques:
Include several of the key words in the prediction.

Incorporate the world knowledge and personal experience from the previous task.

Put the prediction into a complete sentence.

For a story, include the characters and a problem in your prediction.

For non-fiction, include a person/object, action, time, and place (if applicable).

Write this prediction down and then modify it as new information is acquired. Talk about
the value and limitations of predictions (you may wish to use the analogy of a weather forecast
that is not 100% accurate, yet very valuable; it is continually updated when new information is
attained).
Make this activity fun by contributing predictions yourself. Make some that are in "left-field" and
some that are more on-target. Ask the students to rate and improve your predictions. Heighten the
students anticipation by saying, "Lets see if youre right about that!" You could even reward the
student (through a token system or with extra-credit points) for every correct part of her
prediction.

Put on your reading schema

You might introduce schemas by comparing them to your reading glasses. (For younger students,
you may wear some oversized or silly glasses). Schemas are the lenses that help you see what is
going on in the story/text. You use different lenses for reading stories than for reading your
science book because stories have characters, problems, feelings, and plans for solving the
problem, whereas science books have information about the way things work, hypotheses, and
methods for testing, observing, and measuring. Invite your students to wear their schema glasses

for a different type of book (history, math, or foreign language). Brainstorm the function and
form of that type of book. Also talk about the way you would use that book and the tools to help
you extract the information (i.e., conjugation boxes, timelines, examples, etc.). Ask the students
to compare and contrast these schemas. If you are comparing genres within a Language Arts
curriculum such as folklore, poetry, and biography, you may use the same process. Then ask the
students to cite other examples of stories theyve read in these genres.
Find ways to make the schemas memorable. A visual learner may benefit from decorating book
covers for all of her books with the schema written and illustrated. This can be a reminder to use
this "lens" each time she opens her book to "correctly view" the text. An auditory learner may
benefit from making a rhyme, chant, tune, or "wacky story" about all of the pertinent features of
the schemas while a kinesthetic learner might make a skit or gesture to help her remember the
schemas. The goal for your student is to make it memorable and an automatic part of the reading
process.
WHILE YOU READ
Active Reading
Choose your format: Multiple types of media are now available to students (e.g., electronic
books, audio books, and text-to-speech). It is important for the student to read along with audio
supports to increase sight vocabulary and reading fluency. Some students select to watch a movie
in conjunction with reading the book. The visual and auditory input can strengthen reading
comprehension. If your student selects this avenue for increasing reading comprehension, you
will want to help her to compare and contrast the book and the movie.
Check your predictions and make some moreA good book draws the reader in and allows her
to "share in the experience." Therefore, you will want to invite your student to check her initial
prediction (e.g., "I think this book will be about the tensions between two siblings and the moral
decay of two farming families that move to California.") and revise it, as well as make new
predictions as she goes. Even the end of the book should cause the reader to speculate what
happened after that. If your student is an auditory learner, she could record her predictions (video
or audio). A visual learner should be encouraged to write, illustrate, and visualize the prediction
in graphic detail. You may need to model that for her through verbal mediation. ("I picture two
brothers, one stocky and hairy, the other lean and nimble yelling and coming to blows over a
woman with whom they both have fallen in love. The lean and nimble one has a black eye, but
was able to break the stocky brothers nose, which is gushing blood.")
Clarify meaning
Students with dyslexia need to be taught to "check their comprehension" as they read. This is
best addressed during oral reading. For example, in East of Eden, your student might read,
A little boulder jumped down a hill and broke my fathers leg. They set the leg and gave him
cripples work, straightening used nails with a hammer on a rock. And whether with worry or
workit doesnt mattermy mother went into early labor. And then the half-mad men knew and
they went all mad.. One hunger sharpened another hunger, and one crime blotted out the one
before it, and the little crimes committed against those starving men flared into one gigantic
maniac crime.
You can model, "I wonder what one crime blotted out the one before it means?" or "Ive never
heard flared used that way before." Then you can demonstrate how to use the context, previous
word knowledge, and the dictionary to clarify the meaning of the text. Illustrate the importance
of making some attempt at this process (e.g., "Im not completely sure, but I think that one

crime blotted out the one before it, is referring to the way that tragedy led to even more tragedy
and sorrow, eventually hardening these men.")
Consider the Big Picture
Since many students with dyslexia are so focused on decoding the meaning of each word that
they "miss the forest for the trees," scaffolding (using the Socratic method of asking leading
questions) is generally required to help them connect the events within the novel to extract the
theme. For example, you may ask,
"What was Calebs motive for giving his earnings to his father? How did he respond when he
didnt get the approval that he longed for? Do you think that his subconscious comparison of
himself to Aron was his downfall? Was this behavior a character flaw or something more basic
than that? What does that tell us about the human condition?"
Visual learners may benefit from visually mapping out the characters and their inherent strengths
and flaws. Their actions and motives may be included in the graphic as well. Verbal/auditory
learners may need to dialogue about the characters and the life lessons that they learned, and then
draw connections from their own lives and world knowledge. Kinesthetic learners (depending on
the age) often comprehend broad themes after writing and performing a play, movie, song, or
puppet show of the book.
AFTER YOU READ
Follow Up
Multiple mediums to demonstrate comprehension
Since there are many different learning styles, it is imperative that the instructor provide a broad
spectrum of ways to demonstrate competence. Many students with dyslexia are not able to show
what they truly know in a traditional test taking or writing format. A variety of opportunities
should be provided, so that the student with dyslexia can not only demonstrate competence, but
also contribute her unique point of view. Below are several examples of final projects to
demonstrate reading comprehension:
Write/illustrate a comic strip with the main characters

Create a shadow box or collage illustrating the main themes

Produce a film of this book re-set in a different time period

Re-enact the book in a skit

Write and illustrate an original book jacket for the book

Rewrite the ending of the story (include dialogue and imagery)

Give an oral presentation about the author of this book

Stage an interview with one of the characters

Make a poster with a story map/character analysis

Create a trivia game with quotes from the book ("Who would have said this?")
Make it personally relevant
Comprehension, critical thinking, and memory are enhanced when a student can draw
connections between the text and her own experience. This is especially true for inferential
questions such as: "How do you think Aron felt when he saw his fathers disdain of Calebs gift?"
"Have you ever had a situation when you were (through no real effort of your own) clearly the
more favored child, student, or employee? How did that impact your relationships with your
siblings/peers/co-workers? Would you have done anything differently if you would have known
the impact of your favored status?" Ask your student to put herself in the place of each of the
main characters. What would she do in each of their situations?

Make connections to the world

Now that your student has comprehended the story line, themes, and made personal connections
to the story, she has to apply what she has learned to another context. This type of divergent
thinking and critical thinking requires practice and guidance. You might use modeling, Socratic
questioning, or even several written choices as a way to help your student achieve this goal. Once
again, this inferential type of knowledge would help your student do answer the following types
of questions:
Can you think of another good title for this book?

If this homicide were reported on the news, how would it be portrayed?

How was the setting in Salinas (near the Valley River) significant for the story?

Compare and contrast this story with the biblical narrative of Cain and Abel.

How might this story be different if it happened today?

Teaching reading comprehension is a multi-step process and demands that the student bring
every ounce of her experience and world knowledge to the task. In addition, your students
learning style should help to determine the way reading comprehension is taught and how she
demonstrates her knowledge. You will inevitably learn alongside your student if you decide to
venture beyond traditional comprehension questions. Success starts here!

steps

3. READING MATERIALS BESIDES TEXTBOOKS SHOULD BE APPLIED TO

READING COMPREHENSION?

English Reading Material

Develop your reading skills.
The texts cover a variety of topics, fulfilling every students needs.
Read these texts and do the comprehension questions.
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