Reading Comprehension Strategies to Know for Literacy Instruction

Reading comprehension strategies are essential tools in literacy instruction. They help students connect new ideas to what they already know, engage with texts, and develop critical thinking skills. These strategies enhance understanding, retention, and overall reading success.

1. Activating prior knowledge

   • Helps students connect new information to what they already know, enhancing understanding.
   • Encourages engagement and interest in the text by relating it to personal experiences.
   • Facilitates better retention of information as students build on existing knowledge.

2. Predicting

   • Encourages students to make educated guesses about the content and direction of the text.
   • Develops critical thinking skills as students analyze clues and context.
   • Increases engagement by prompting curiosity and anticipation of what will happen next.

3. Visualizing

   • Aids comprehension by allowing students to create mental images of the text.
   • Enhances memory retention as visual representations can make information more memorable.
   • Supports deeper understanding by helping students interpret and analyze descriptions and settings.

4. Questioning

   • Promotes active reading by encouraging students to ask questions about the text.
   • Helps clarify understanding and identify areas of confusion or interest.
   • Fosters critical thinking as students seek answers and engage with the material.

5. Making connections

   • Encourages students to relate the text to their own lives, other texts, or world events.
   • Enhances comprehension by providing context and relevance to the material.
   • Supports empathy and understanding by allowing students to see different perspectives.

6. Summarizing

   • Teaches students to distill information into main ideas and key details.
   • Enhances comprehension by reinforcing understanding of the text's overall message.
   • Aids retention by encouraging students to process and articulate what they have read.

7. Inferencing

   • Encourages students to read between the lines and draw conclusions based on evidence.
   • Develops critical thinking skills as students analyze implicit information.
   • Enhances comprehension by allowing students to understand deeper meanings and themes.

8. Monitoring comprehension

   • Teaches students to be aware of their understanding as they read.
   • Encourages self-assessment and reflection on their reading strategies.
   • Helps identify when to slow down, reread, or seek clarification to improve understanding.

9. Clarifying

   • Encourages students to identify and resolve confusion or misunderstandings in the text.
   • Promotes the use of strategies such as rereading or seeking additional information.
   • Enhances comprehension by ensuring that students have a clear understanding of the material.

10. Determining importance

    • Teaches students to identify key ideas and distinguish them from less important details.
    • Enhances comprehension by focusing attention on what truly matters in the text.
    • Supports effective summarization and retention by prioritizing essential information.