What is comprehension?
Before we begin looking at what a teacher can do to teach reading comprehension, we should check that we have a clear understanding of what comprehension - and therefore reading comprehension - actually is.
The Oxford Dictionary defines comprehension as "the ability to understand something". As such, we could infer that reading comprehension simply means 'the ability to understand what we read'. However, there is more to reading comprehension than just this.
Reading comprehension is about the reader actively constructing meaning within the text that they are reading. Through activating their prior knowledge, having a set purpose for reading, making predictions, visualising, questioning, and many other strategies the reader is able to develop a much stronger understanding of the text they are reading.
While reading in the lower primary years is about "learning to read", reading in the middle-upper primary years is more about "reading to learn". As such, it is important that students are able to utilise these strategies and that teachers are able to effectively teach these strategies.
The Oxford Dictionary defines comprehension as "the ability to understand something". As such, we could infer that reading comprehension simply means 'the ability to understand what we read'. However, there is more to reading comprehension than just this.
Reading comprehension is about the reader actively constructing meaning within the text that they are reading. Through activating their prior knowledge, having a set purpose for reading, making predictions, visualising, questioning, and many other strategies the reader is able to develop a much stronger understanding of the text they are reading.
While reading in the lower primary years is about "learning to read", reading in the middle-upper primary years is more about "reading to learn". As such, it is important that students are able to utilise these strategies and that teachers are able to effectively teach these strategies.