What Every SLMS Should Know

about Teaching
Reading Comprehension Strategies
Prepared by the
SLMS Role in Reading Task Force
July 2009

Research shows that reading

comprehension strategies can and
should be taught from the primary
grades through high school (p. 216).
Research also shows that this
instruction is not taking place in
many classrooms (p. 198).
Source:
Reading Instruction that Works: The Case for Balanced Teaching
by Michael Pressley
(Guildford Press, 1998)

By explicitly teaching and

coteaching reading comprehension
strategies, LMS can make a
positive impact on students
reading development.
These strategies are easily integrated into
classroom-library lesson plans and storytime
learning objectives.
Source:
Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension:
Maximizing Your Impact by Judi Moreillon
(ALA Editions, 2007)

Reading Comprehension
Strategies
Activating or building background

knowledge

Using sensory images

Questioning
Making predictions and inferences
Determining importance
Monitoring and regaining comprehension
Synthesizing

Procedures for Teaching

Reading Comprehension
Strategies
Direct instruction begins with educators modeling one

strategy at a time (for whole group instruction).

Educators use think-alouds to describe why, when, and

how they are using the strategy to make meaning.

Educators guide whole group in practicing the strategy.

Educators guide small groups, partners, or individual

readers in applying the strategy.

Readers reflect on the benefits and challenges of using

the strategy.

Phase out educator direction until readers apply

strategies independently.

Reading Comprehension
Strategy
Activating and Building Background
Knowledge
Text-to-self
Text-to-text
Text-to world connection

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
Activating and Building Background
Knowledge Indicators
Use prior and background knowledge as

context for new learning. (1.1.2)

Connect ideas to own interests and

previous knowledge and experience.

(4.1.5)

Recognize when, why, and how to focus

efforts in personal learning. (4.4.3)

Reading Comprehension
Strategy
Using Sensory Images
Engaging all five senses in

visualization
Increasing enjoyment as well as

comprehension of texts

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
Sensory Images Indicator
Read, view, and listen for pleasure and

for personal growth. (4.1.1)

Reading
Comprehension
Strategy
Questioning
Monitoring comprehension through
questioning
Focusing on questions rather than
answers before, during, and after
reading
Questioning the text and the author

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
Questioning Indicators
Develop and refine a range of questions to

frame search for new understanding. (1.1.3)

Find, evaluate, and select appropriate sources

to answer questions. (1.1.4)

Display initiative and engagement by posing

questions and investigating the answers

beyond the collection of superficial facts.
(1.2.1)

Reading Comprehension
Strategy
Making Predictions and Inferences
Making predictions based on plot
Making inferences found between the

lines (dependent on readers

background knowledge)

Propelling reader through the text

Interpreting and make meaning

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
Making Predications and Inferences
Indicator
Read, view, and listen for information

presented in any format (e.g., textual,

visual, media, digital) in order to make
inferences and gather meaning. (1.1.6)

Reading Comprehension
Strategy

Determining Importance
Sorting and prioritizing
Identifying main ideas and supporting

details

Summarizing

Essential skill for notemaking

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
Determining Importance Indicator
Organize knowledge so it is useful.

(2.1.2)
Note: Students must be able to distinguish
main ideas from supporting details in order to
make notes and organize knowledge.

Reading Comprehension
Strategy
Monitoring and Regaining
Comprehension
Determining when comprehension was

lost
Using fix-up options to regain

comprehension

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
Monitoring and Regaining
Comprehension Indicator
Monitor gathered information and

assess for gaps and weaknesses.

(1.4.3)

Reading Comprehension
Strategy
Synthesizing
Making meaning from multiple resources
Using decision-making to interpret

information through the selecting

important ideas and concepts and
discarding others
Thinking critically about information and
ideas

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
Synthesizing Indicator
Make sense of information gathered

from diverse sources by identifying

misconceptions, main and supporting
ideas, conflicting information, and point
of view or bias. (1.1.7)

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
and ALL Reading Comprehension
Strategies Indicators
Read, view, and listen for information
presented in any format (e.g., textual,
visual, media, digital) in order to make
inferences and gather meaning (1.1.6)
Use strategies to draw conclusions

from information and apply knowledge

to curricular areas, real world
situations, and further investigations
(2.1.3)

AASL Standards
for the 21st-Century Learner
and ALL Reading Comprehension
Strategies Indicators (continued)
Use strategies to draw conclusions from

information and apply knowledge to curricular

areas, real world situations, and further
investigations (2.1.3)

Read widely and fluently to make connections

with own self, the world, and previous reading

(4.1.2)

Respond to literature and creative expressions

of ideas in various formats and genres (4.1.3)

Resources for Educators

Allen, J. 2000. Yellow Brick Roads: Shared and Guided Paths to
Independent Reading 4-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
______. 2004. Tools for Teaching Content Literacy. Portland, ME:
Stenhouse.
Grimes, S. 2006. Reading Is Our Business : How Librarians Foster
Reading Comprehension. Chicago: ALA Editions.
Harvey, S., and A. Goudvis. 2000. Strategies that Work: Teaching
Comprehension to Enhance Understanding. Portland, ME:
Stenhouse.
Keene, E. O., and S. Zimmermann. 1997. Mosaic of Thought: Teaching
Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop. Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann.

Resources for Educators

(Continued)

Moreillon, J. 2007. Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading

Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions.
Tovani, C. 2007. Do I Really Have to Teach Reading? Content
Comprehension, Grades 6-12. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
_____. 2000. I Read It, But I Dont Get It: Comprehension Strategies for
Adolescent Readers. Portland, ME: Stenhouse.
Walker, C. 2004. Teaching Reading Strategies in the School Library.
Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
Zimmermann, S., and C. Hutchins. 2003. 7 Keys to Comprehension: How
to Help Your Kids Read It and Get It! New York: Three Rivers Press.