After an extended break (and finishing her first book with Scholastic!), Savannah is back on Creating Readers with one of her most practical and passionate topics yet-improving comprehension no matter what text or curriculum you’re using.

In this episode, Savannah shares five tips that teachers can implement right away, even if you’re required to use a basal or “fidelity” curriculum. Learn how to:

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  Actively build background knowledge to support comprehension

  
  


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  Create thematic text sets that deepen understanding

  
  


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  Teach pronoun referents to strengthen cohesion skills

  
  


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  Use writing to help students write meaningfully about reading

  
  


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  Provide explicit vocabulary instruction that actually sticks

  
  

If you’ve ever felt boxed in by a mandated program or wanted to make your existing materials work harder for your students, this episode will help you teach comprehension with confidence and creativity.

Resources Mentioned:

Free Vocabulary Planning Template (Once you click, on the right-hand side click the "Use Template" button and it will automatically make you your own copy to use!)

The Knowledge Gap by Natalie Wexler*

The Megabook of Vocabulary by Tim Rasinski, Melissa Cheesman Smith, and ME!

The Vocabulary Book by Michael Graves

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.