Applying a Cohesive Set of Comprehension Strategies to Content-Area Instruction

Upper elementary content-area teachers often face the challenge of how to make content-area text more accessible and learnable for their students. Whereas there exists a range of comprehension strategies that can be applied to informational text, the premium on instructional time leaves teachers in search of a cohesive, efficient, and effective set of comprehension strategies that can be applied to existing textbook materials. In this article, a set of reading comprehension strategies designed for informational readings in social studies textbooks will be described. A description of each strategy is followed by a timeline for introduction and techniques for increasing task difficulty over time.