Reading comprehension instruction at Brisbane Central
At Brisbane Central we use ten focus comprehension strategies that we teach the students from Prep to Year 6 so that they can deeply engage with and understand texts. The selection of strategies is based on the Australian Curriculum in addition to research on what proficient readers do when reading.
Sometimes students are be able to read the words accurately but this does not always mean that they have a good understanding of the text. Sheena Cameron (2009) states that ‘reading comprehension is important because without it the student is not truly reading’. We teach the students how to use these thinking strategies before, during and after reading so that they are truly comprehending and not just reading the words without gaining the meaning.
At Brisbane Central we use a ‘gradual release of responsibility’ model to guide the students through the learning process for using reading comprehension strategies to gain a deep understanding of texts. In modelled and shared reading lessons the students learn about the reading comprehension strategy – how it helps you be a better reader, the thinking that you use and what that looks like and sounds like while reading. During the guided and independent reading lessons the responsibility for using the strategies is shifting to the students. The students practice using the strategies in the context of silent reading and reflect on and talk about their implementation of the reading comprehension strategies, as well as the understanding they have gained from the text. Through this process the students are learning how to apply these strategies to their every day reading, increasing their proficiency as active readers.