Developing Reading Comprehension: Effective Instruction for All Students in PreK-2

Early literacy instruction typically emphasizes foundational skills--often at the expense of engaging young children in reading and supporting their comprehension of different types of texts. This book explains the essential elements of comprehension and shares a wealth of classroom-tested instructional practices. It presents developmentally informed strategies for scaffolding comprehension skills, using content to promote engagement, and implementing high-level discussions and writing tasks. Ways to teach and assess English learners and other diverse students are highlighted throughout. The book features explicit links to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) as well as helpful reproducible forms. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials in a convenient 8 1/2" x 11" size.

See also the authors' related book on the intermediate grades: Expanding Reading Comprehension in Grades 3-6.

Katherine A. Dougherty Stahl, EdD, is Clinical Associate Professor of Reading at New York University (NYU), where she serves as Director of the Literacy Program and teaches graduate courses. In addition to teaching in public elementary school classrooms for over 25 years, she has extensive experience working with struggling readers in clinical settings. Her research focuses on reading acquisition, struggling readers, and comprehension. Dr. Stahl is the author or editor of several books, and her articles have appeared in leading journals of research and practice. She is a recipient of the Jeanne S. Chall Visiting Researcher Award from Harvard University and the Teaching Excellence Award from the NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development.

Georgia Earnest García, PhD, is Professor Emerita in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She has held appointments at the Center for the Study of Reading, the RAND Reading Study Group on Skillful Reading, and the National Literacy Panel on Language Minority Children and Youth. Prior to obtaining her doctorate, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer, bilingual education teacher, English teacher, and ESL/EFL teacher. Dr. García has authored or coauthored several books as well as numerous book chapters and journal articles. After retiring, she served on the Educational Testing Service’s Dual Language Assessment Team and the WestED Reading Content Team, which updated the Reading Assessment Framework for the 2026 National Assessment of Educational Progress. Dr. García was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame in 2019. She continues to collaborate with bilingual teachers and schools and to conduct and publish research on the literacy development, instruction, and assessment of bilingual students.