What does scientifically-based research tell us about effective text comprehension instruction?
The scientific research on text comprehension instruction reveals important information about what students should be taught about text comprehension and how it should be taught. The following key findings are of particular interest and value to classroom teachers. Text comprehension can be improved by instruction that helps readers use specific comprehension strategies. Comprehension strategies are conscious plans–sets of steps that good readers use to make sense of text. Comprehension strategy instruction helps students become purposeful, active readers who are in control of their own reading comprehension. The following six strategies appear to have a firm scientific basis for improving text comprehension. Monitoring comprehension. Students who are good at monitoring their comprehension know when they understand what they read and when they do not. They have strategies to “fix up” problems in their understanding as the problems arise. Research shows that instruction, even in the ea
