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10 Principles For Reading Comprehension
10 Principles For Reading Comprehension
RE ADI NG
COM PR E H E NSION
What Every Teacher Needs to Know
Maureen McLaughlin
A
s reading teachers, we share the Principle 1: Base Your Understanding
common goal of teaching students to of Comprehension on the Social
become active, strategic readers who Constructivist Nature of Reading
successfully comprehend text. Of course, Today’s reading researchers suggest that
to teach students to be successful readers, we need comprehension is a multifaceted process. Factors such
to know what comprehension is, how it works, and as constructivist beliefs, influential teachers, active
how we can help our students to comprehend what readers, text, and type of instruction play important
they read. roles in the construction of meaning. This is a marked
In this article, the essentials of reading change from the 1970s, when Durkin (1978) reported
comprehension are examined. Questions explored that little if any comprehension instruction occurred
include: What is reading comprehension? What in classrooms.
is the role of good readers? What is the role of In current thinking, reading comprehension is
influential teachers? Why are motivation and viewed as:
engagement so integral to comprehension? What
the construction of meaning of a written or spoken
are examples of comprehension strategies? Why communication through a reciprocal, holistic
is explicit instruction so important? How are interchange of ideas between the interpreter and the
vocabulary and comprehension related? Why should message in a particular communicative context. Note:
The presumption here is that meaning resides in the
students be reading multiple types and levels of text? intentional problem-solving, thinking processes of
Why should we integrate multiple representations the interpreter during such an interchange, that the
of thinking into our teaching? How can we assess content of meaning is influenced by that person’s prior
students’ comprehension? How can we and our knowledge and experience, and that the message so
constructed by the receiver may or may not be congruent
students comprehend at deeper levels? with the message sent. (Harris & Hodges, 1995, p. 39)
The responses to these queries are presented
through 10 teaching principles, each of which is In summary, meaning is constructed when readers
briefly detailed. They begin with a discussion of make connections between what they know
the nature of reading comprehension. Then the (prior knowledge) and what they are reading (the
focus shifts to the roles of teachers and students in text). Duke and Pearson (2002) further noted that
the comprehension process. Next, comprehension-
related teaching issues are delineated. Finally, the
discussion centers on comprehending at deeper Maureen McLaughlin is a professor of reading at East Stroudsburg
University of Pennsylvania, USA; e-mail mmclaughlin@esu.edu.
levels.
R T The Reading Teacher Vol. 65 Issue 7 pp. 432–440 DOI:10.1002/TRTR.01064 © 2012 International Reading Association
Principle 2: Understand
Students’ Roles in the
Reading Comprehension
Process
Much of what we know about
comprehension is based on studies of
good readers. These students actively
participate in reading. They have
www.reading.org R T
the teacher’s knowledge that makes on individual needs, interests, and teachers and peers (Guthrie & Wigfield,
a difference in student achievement. learning styles 1997). Engaged readers read widely for
The teacher’s role in the reading ■ Understand the skills and strategies enjoyment and have positive attitudes
process is to create experiences and good readers use and can teach stu- about reading.
environments that introduce, nurture, dents how to use them Engaged readers transact with text
or extend students’ abilities to engage ■ Use the information gleaned from and construct understandings based on
with text. This requires that teachers formative assessments to increase connections between prior knowledge
use explicit instruction, which includes understanding of individual stu- and new information. Baker and Wigfield
modeling, scaffolding, facilitating, dent’s strengths and needs (1999) noted that “engaged readers
and participating (Au & Raphael, ■
are motivated to read for different
Monitor student learning and
1998). Both reading researchers purposes, use knowledge gained from
adjust teaching as needed to ensure
and professional organizations previous experience to generate new
the success of all learners
have delineated the characteristics understandings, and participate in
of influential reading teachers meaningful social interactions around
Principle 4: Motivate
(International Reading Association, reading” (p. 453). Guthrie and Humenick
and Engage Students
2000; Ruddell, 1995, 2004). The (2004) further noted that goals for
Motivation is a key factor in
following descriptors of such reading reading, interest in the topic, and choices
comprehension. Gambrell (1996)
teachers integrate their ideas. about what to read and how to respond
suggested that “classroom cultures
Influential reading teachers do the to reading contribute to the reader’s
that foster reading motivation are
following: motivation and engagement. Gambrell
characterized by a teacher who is a
■
(2011) suggested that students who are
Believe that all children can learn reading model, a book-rich classroom
highly motivated to read will choose to
■ Differentiate instruction and know environment, opportunities for choice,
read and continue to read over time.
that motivation and multiple kinds familiarity with books, and literacy-
of text are essential elements of related incentives that reflect the value
teaching and learning of reading” (p. 20). Gambrell, Palmer, Principle 5: Teach Reading
■ Understand that reading is a Codling, and Mazzoni (1996) noted that Comprehension Strategies
highly motivated readers read for a wide Using a repertoire of reading
social constructivist process
variety of reasons, including curiosity, comprehension strategies enhances
that functions best in authentic
involvement, social interchange, and readers’ reasoning (Duke, Pressley,
situations
emotional satisfaction. & Hilden, 2004; Paris & Paris, 2007;
■ Teach in print-rich, concept-rich
The engagement perspective Pressley, 2006). Comprehension
environments
on reading integrates cognitive, strategies vary to some degree by
■ Have in-depth knowledge of var-
motivational, and social aspects of publication, but an example of a
ious aspects of literacy, including typical listing are those taught in
reading (Baker, Afflerbach, & Reinking,
reading, writing, speaking, and Guided Comprehension. Guided
1996; Baker & Wigfield, 1999; Guthrie
listening Comprehension is a context in which
& Alvermann, 1999). Engaged
■ Provide myriad opportunities for students learn and use comprehension
learners achieve because they want
students to read, write, and discuss to understand, they possess intrinsic strategies in a variety of settings in
■ Teach for a variety of purposes, motivation for interacting with text, they which multiple levels and types of
using diverse methods, materi- use cognitive skills to understand, and text are used (McLaughlin & Allen,
als, and grouping patterns to focus they share knowledge by talking with 2009). The strategies taught in Guided
Comprehension include the following:
■
“Engaged readers transact with text and Previewing—Activating prior
knowledge, predicting, and setting
construct understandings based on connections purposes for reading
■ Self-questioning—Generating
between prior knowledge and new information.” questions to guide reading
www.reading.org R T
www.reading.org R T
beyond the information on the printed the ideas, examine who is represented
“Reading from a page or screen and critically analyze the and who is marginalized, and then take
critical perspective author’s message (Luke & Freebody, action.
1999; McLaughlin & DeVoogd, 2004, Reading from this perspective
involves thinking 2011). In critical literacy, an approach requires both the ability and the
that promotes deeper comprehension, deliberate inclination to think critically
beyond the text.” readers move beyond passively about—to analyze and evaluate—the
accepting the text’s message to question, power relationship that exists between
examine, or dispute the power relations the reader and the author—to know that
that exist between readers and authors. even though the author has the power to
assessment is viewed not as an add-on, These readers ponder what the author create and present the message, readers
but rather as a natural component of wants them to believe, take action, have the power and the right to be text
teaching and learning. and promote fairness between people. critics: to read, question, and analyze
Formative assessments can be used in Critical literacy focuses on the problem the author’s message. Understanding
a variety of instructional settings. This and its complexity. It addresses issues of this power relationship is the essence of
includes scaffolded learning experiences power and promotes reflection, action, critical literacy.
in which students have varying degrees and transformation (Freire, 1970). The role of the teacher in initiating
of teacher support. Assessing in this Reading from a critical perspective and developing critical literacy is
context captures the students’ emerging involves thinking beyond the text to multifaceted. It begins with personal
abilities and provides insights that understand such issues as why the understanding and use of critical literacy
may not be gleaned from independent author wrote about a particular topic, and extends to teaching students about
settings (Minick, 1987). Examples of why he or she wrote from a particular critical literacy, modeling reading from
formative assessments include teacher perspective, and why some ideas about a critical stance in everyday teaching
observation of student reading and the topic were included and others and learning experiences, and providing
discussion, informal written responses, were not. Becoming critically literate students with access to a variety of texts
and strategy applications, such as means that we do not passively accept that represent critical literacy. Examples
Bookmark Technique (McLaughlin, information imparted by others, but of books that represent critical literacy
2011), the Concept of Definition Map rather that we question the source of are featured in the Table.
(Schwartz & Raphael, 1985), and
the K–W–L (Ogle, 1986). Formative
assessment presents a natural, viable, Table Trade Books on Topics That Represent Critical Literacy
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