Sharp Reading - Comprehension Strategy Instruction

Today's PD focused on a new way of teaching comprehension. This process is for those readers with a reading age of approximately 8 (PM levels 18 - 25).

STOP asking content questions 

START prompting for Strategy use

"Once the strategies have been introduced the teacher's role is limited to prompting students to be active in deciding how they might process the text" - Pressley

Follow a clear teaching and learning model:
Explicit Teaching of Strategies - explain; model; guided practice (20%); independent practice (80%)

Use cover cards to: slow down the reader, don't read on, keep their place and show you when they are finished.

Clearing the roadblocks ... three important parts ...

• Are there any roadblocks?
• Have a go at clearing it?
• Have you cleared it?

Convince Me!

This really encourages them to dig deeper into a sentence and teachers provide feedback using the triggers (prompt card).

Ideally, for top groups, three - four paragraphs per day - but start with an easier group and look at less paragraphs.

Further Reading: