The number one reason that students perform poorly on comprehension assessments is that they can’t decode (see for example Gentaz et al.’s 2013 research). So, teaching students how to decode (i.e., read) always needs to be the starting point. However, … Continued
Once students have mastered decoding, reading with prosody is another skill that needs to be mastered. Prosody means reading smoothly, at an appropriate speed with expression and intonation that reflects the content of the text. Assessing prosody is an important … Continued
Higher order level comprehension requires you to evaluate and infer. However, these are very difficult skills to teach students. Modelling can often be a powerful means of helping students understand the thinking process underpinning comprehension. Thinking Aloud 1. Plan ahead. … Continued
If you find reading difficult, then irrespective of your mathematics ability, solving word problems is likely to be problematic. Imagine a poor reader in Year 2 trying to solve the following word problem: There are several giraffes in the jungle. … Continued
The focus of initial reading instruction is primarily on teaching the decoding process. However, the ultimate aim of reading is to actually understand the text. Therefore, early instruction should also encompass language comprehension, including oral language comprehension. This should involves … Continued