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The authors of No More “Strategy of the Week”: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the Book discuss the importance of teaching comprehension strategies in a text-centered approach. They emphasize the need to move away from isolated strategy instruction and instead focus on using texts as the center of instruction. They highlight the importance of background knowledge, vocabulary, and text structure in preparing students for reading. During reading, they suggest using explicit think-alouds to model comprehension strategies and provide scaffolds for students. They also emphasize the need for students to do the heavy lifting during reading and for teachers to support and guide their thinking. The conversation explores the different stages of comprehension instruction: before reading, during reading, and after reading. 

Takeaways

• Teaching comprehension strategies should be done in a text-centered approach, where the focus is on using texts as the center of instruction.
• Before reading, it is important to activate or build background knowledge, pre-teach vocabulary, and attend to text structure.
• During reading, teachers should provide explicit think-alouds to model comprehension strategies and provide scaffolds for students.
• Students should be doing the heavy lifting during reading, with teachers supporting and guiding their thinking.
• Engaging students in meaningful reading experiences and connecting comprehension strategies to authentic texts is crucial for effective comprehension instruction. Explicit strategy instruction is crucial for teaching comprehension skills.
• Modeling how to use comprehension strategies helps students understand how to apply them.
• Providing opportunities for students to practice and apply comprehension strategies is essential.
• Engaging students in discussions and writing activities after reading helps consolidate learning and deepen understanding.

No More “Strategy of the Week”: Considerations for Connecting Comprehension Instruction Back to the Book

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