Effective Strategies for Comprehension Intervention in the Classroom
Teaching students to comprehend texts is a critical aspect of education. It involves the students’ ability to understand, interpret, and retain information from written materials. Some students struggle with comprehension, making it challenging for them to read and learn effectively. Fortunately, several effective strategies exist for comprehension intervention in the classroom. This article will highlight some of these strategies.
Pre-Reading Strategies
Pre-reading strategies focus on preparing students for reading by giving them an idea of what to expect. Some common pre-reading strategies include activating prior knowledge, previewing the text, and setting a purpose for reading. Activating prior knowledge involves connecting what students already know about a topic with what they will read. Previewing the text involves looking at the title, headings, boldface words, and pictures to get an idea of what the text is about. Setting a purpose for reading involves setting a clear and specific goal for reading.
During Reading Strategies
During reading strategies are used to guide students’ comprehension of text while they are reading. Some of these strategies include questioning, visualizing, inferring, and summarizing. Questioning involves asking and answering questions while reading to promote active thinking. Visualizing involves creating mental images of what is being read to aid comprehension. Inferring involves making predictions and drawing conclusions based on the information provided. Summarizing involves restating important information in a brief and concise way.
Post-Reading Strategies
Post-reading strategies are used after reading to help students remember what they have read. Some of these strategies include summarizing, retelling, and reflecting. Summarizing and retelling involve restating information in a brief and concise way or by telling someone else what they have read. Reflecting involves thinking critically about what has been read, identifying the main ideas, and making connections between them.
Case Study
A case study conducted by Dr. Maryanne Wolf, Director of the Center for Reading and Language Research at Tufts University, showed how effective comprehension intervention can be. The study involved using a structured intervention program, which included monitoring students’ understanding, scaffolding their learning, and providing feedback. Results showed that students’ reading comprehension improved significantly within six months.
Conclusion
Comprehension intervention is critical in helping students read effectively. The strategies outlined in this article, including pre-reading, during reading, and post-reading strategies, can be used to support comprehension in the classroom. Case studies, such as the one outlined in this article, can provide evidence of the effectiveness of these strategies. By incorporating these strategies into their classroom teaching, educators can help students improve their reading comprehension and succeed in their academic pursuits.
