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• Reading Comprehension
• Reading in English
• Out of School Time
• Support Materials
• Tote Bag
• About this Site

• Introduction
• Week 1: Initial Assessment
• Reading Together
• Brainstorming
• Week 4: Visualization
• Introduction to Visualization
• Application: Visualization with Poetry
• Week 8: Making Connections
• Text-to-Self
• Text-to-World
• Week 12: Interpreting the Author's Intent
• Text-to-Text Connection
• Making Predictions
• Saying Goodbye & Closure
• Last Assessment
• Wrap Up

More about reading comprehension

Some children zip through stories, smoothly pronouncing the words in each passage, but have a hard time recalling or discussing what they've read. These children need to learn and practice specific strategies that strengthen reading comprehension skills.

Tutors can best support children's comprehension by planning and modeling activities that encourage them to think and talk while they're reading. This helps children learn how to monitor their own comprehension and develop specific ways to discuss, question, and reflect on what they read.

There are three essential components of text comprehension: literal, inferential and critical. Children demonstrate literal comprehension when they answer questions based directly on the text. This is the simplest kind of comprehension to observe because readers can give distinctly right or wrong answers or statements about what they've read.
Text: Sasha looked out the window before leaving for school.
Question: What did Sasha do before leaving for school?
Answer: She looked out the window.

Inferential comprehension is the ability to go beyond what the text directly states, think more deeply about its meaning, develop insights, and draw conclusions.
Text: Sasha looked out the window before leaving for school. She decided to wear her raincoat and rubber boots and to bring an umbrella. Then she stepped outside, opened her umbrella and set out for school.
Question: What does Sasha see when she looks out the window?
Answer: It must be raining hard. She takes her boots, raincoat and an umbrella, too.

Critical comprehension is the ability to analyze, form questions, and make judgments. When children interact critically with printed material, they connect to and question its meaning.
Text: Sasha looked out the window before leaving for school. She decided to wear her raincoat and rubber boots and to bring an umbrella. Then she stepped outside, opened her umbrella and set out for school.
Question: What do we know about Sasha so far?
Answer: She's careful, and maybe she does what she's told. Do you think she's got caught in the rain before? And caught a bad cold?

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Date of Last Updated: 7/14/2004
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