There are two main components of reading – decoding and comprehension. Decoding is where we work out what the words SAY, and comprehension is where we work out what they MEAN. Students need to go beyond decoding to derive meaning from a text.

To comprehend is to go beyond the word level to get to the big picture. There are lots of ways students can show us that they understand the text – recall information, give a response, answer questions, interpret pictures and make connections. Research has found that students who are struggling to read focus more on word accuracy than comprehension.

Making Connections

Example questions/statements

Does this remind you of something? eg This story reminds me of a holiday to my grandfather’s farm.

Has something like this ever happened to you?

Is this story similar to another text you have read?

Description

Learners make personal connections from the text with:

something in their own life (text to self)

another text (text to text)

something occurring in the world (text to world)

Predicting

Example questions/statements

Looking at the cover, what do you expect this text to be about?

What do you think will happen next?

What words/images do you expect to see or hear next in the text?

Description

Learners use information from graphics, text, and experiences to anticipate what will be read/viewed/heard and to actively adjust comprehension while reading/viewing/listening.

Questioning

Example questions/statements

Why did the character do something?

How did it make them feel?

What is the author’s intended purpose when writing this text? eg To inform, to entertain or to persuade.

Description

Learners pose and answer questions that clarify meaning and promote deeper understanding of the text. Questions can be generated by the learner, a peer, or an adult.

Monitoring

Example questions/statements

Is this making sense?

Do I need to re-read?

Does it now make sense?

Description

Learners stop and think about the text and know what to do when meaning is disrupted.

Visualising

Example questions/statements

Can you describe a picture or image you made in your head when you read the text?

Description

Learners create a mental image from a text read/viewed/heard. Visualising brings the text to life, engages the imagination, and uses all of the senses.

Summarising

Example questions/statements

Can you retell the story? eg Who were the main characters, setting, and sequence of events?

What did you learn from this informative text?

If you were to tell another person about the text, how would you describe it in a few sentences?

Description

Learners identify and accumulate the most important ideas and restate them in their own words.

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