Comprehension Strategies for Your K-6 Literacy Classroom: Thinking Before, During, and After Reading

"Invites readers on a meaningful adventure into classrooms where children actively think. Successfully brings comprehension strategy instruction to life through explicit frameworks for literacy instruction, authentic classroom examples, and high-quality instructional resources for K–6 teachers."
―From the Foreword by Debra A. Miller

"Focused and practical. The authors present a solid instructional model based on years of research. This book provides teaching tactics to help teachers, particularly those new to the profession, imagine how comprehension strategy instruction might actually look and sound in the elementary classroom."
―From the Afterword by Ellin Keene

"A resource unlike any I have encountered in my career. Both new and experienced teachers will use this book to aid their instruction, maximizing the most effective reading comprehension in their students."
―Jonathan Hart, Third-Grade Teacher, Copper Hill School, Ringoes, NJ

Enhance your thinking about teaching with these research-based comprehension strategies!

Teaching comprehension and insuring that students think about what they read can be a challenging task for educators. In reader-friendly terms, Comprehension Strategies for Your K–6 Literacy Classroom illustrates how teachers can effectively use six critical comprehension strategies to enhance student understanding: activating schema, questioning, visualizing, inferring, determining important ideas, and synthesizing.

Divonna M. Stebick and Joy M. Dain present a "before," "during," and "after" instructional framework that provides the three elements necessary for strategic comprehension learning to take place: explicit instruction through teacher modeling, guided practice, and independent application.

Combining theory with classroom research, this helpful resource:

• Offers step-by-step direction, guiding teachers through sample lessons
• Includes ready-to-use lessons that are easily adaptable and aligned with NCLB and NCTE standards
• Provides real-life case studies illustrating classroom application
• Uses hands-on activities and visual aids such as anchor charts, sketches, treasure chests, and builders′ plans to capture students′ attention and promote critical thinking

Divonna M. Stebick, M.S. Reading, is an instructor of Reading and Language Arts methods and assessment at Gettysburg College. She also provides staff development and consultation to school districts and universities. Previously, Divonna spent a number of years in the Carroll County Public School System in Carroll County, Maryland. She served as a classroom teacher and an Integrated Language Arts Specialist / Staff Developer. Contact information is available at her web site: http://www.divonnastebick.com.