Reading Comprehension

Start with a mind map

Begin with Elementary Reading and Literacy if you want to think about visualization. It includes questions about why visualizing matters for comprehension and how a teacher can tell whether students are visualizing a text. Use those questions to guide your reading, then write a short explanation in your own words.

For a broader view, open Factors influencing reading comprehension. Its topics include vocabulary, background knowledge, inference making and working memory. Choose a factor and consider how it might relate to understanding a text.

Compare stories and explore teaching

The map on comparing versions of the same story looks at versions by different authors. It offers a starting point for primary pupils working with stories and for teachers considering a comparison activity. Look for what stays the same and what changes between the versions.

Teachers and university students can also explore To Be An Intentional Teacher II. It includes questions about which comprehension strategies are important to teach and assess. Graphic Organizers offers another classroom-focused resource, with sections on literacy skills, engagement and technology.

Use the quiz alongside the maps

Midterm Review asks about thinking within, beyond and about a text. Try its questions after exploring a map, then return to the maps to consider the ideas alongside the quiz prompts. For example, connect a question about thinking beyond a text with inference making in Factors influencing reading comprehension.

Reading Comprehension is part of the wider unit in Education and pedagogy. The listed resources connect reading with literacy and teaching through classroom questions, informational texts and comprehension strategies. Choose a map that fits your focus, then use the quiz to explore another way of thinking about texts.