Teaching Reading with Literature Chapter 4: Explicit Instruction in Comprehension

I think the most important line in this chapter was a question from a student: "How do I know unless I know?" When we tell students they need to do a worksheet, answer a question, or complete a task sometimes they can't because we haven't taught them how. We have to show students how to do things, which means being explicit and direct. If students don't understand how to compare and contrast, we have to get a story and think aloud how to do the things they need to do. 


I was concerned with how I might help students understand a certain concept while I'm teaching. This chapter showed me that you just have to model or think aloud how you do it and it can help students to understand. Sometimes we get kids who can read but they were never taught strategy and so all they can do it read, nothing more. That is where we have to do little mini-lessons and workshops to teach kids the vital things that others left out of their lessons.