In this blog, we will delve into this essential topic and how you can harness this powerful skill today.
Using background knowledge is key to improving reading fluency. When readers connect new information to what they already know, they can better understand the text. Struggling readers who activate their background knowledge also perform better on comprehension assessments.
Good readers use questioning as a comprehension strategy to check their understanding while reading. This helps them make predictions and clarify parts of the text they don't understand. By asking themselves questions, readers stay engaged in the reading process.
Making inferences is a key comprehension skill where readers draw conclusions beyond the text's literal meaning. By analyzing characters' actions and using prior knowledge, readers can understand the text's deeper meaning. This strategy helps readers actively engage with the text.
Predicting is a comprehension strategy used for unfamiliar words where readers make an educated guess using prior knowledge and context clues. It's helpful for students struggling with vocabulary acquisition, as it increases comprehension and understanding of the text.
Summarizing is distilling key information from a text by focusing on main ideas and supporting details. This comprehension skill quickly identifies important points and improves writing by condensing complex information.
Visualizing is a comprehension strategy to create mental images of what's being read. This helps readers better understand and imagine stories in fiction and remember key information in nonfiction. By engaging multiple senses and reading materials, readers can create more vivid and memorable images.
Comprehension monitoring is the ability to monitor one's own understanding while reading. This involves actively tracking comprehension and checking when it breaks down. Good monitors can identify the problem and take steps to fix it, like rereading or asking for clarification.