Comprehension strategies are ways in which we make meaning of the information we take in through text, media, and sound. Often considered the domain of the English Language Arts teacher, we now realize that it is important that teachers across subject areas and grades encourage meaning making and use tactics that cause learners to use strategies that they may or may not be fluent in.
Depending on which researcher you follow, you may categorize comprehension strategies into 6, 7, or even 13 different strategies. Following the framework of Ellin Keene (1997) in her book Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Readers Workshop, this post identifies seven strategies that help learners make meaning of complex information. A detailed comprehension strategies summary describes the actions of readers, writers, mathematicians, and researchers.
While categorizing strategies and tactics is helpful, we need to keep in mind that the comprehension strategies are all interconnected. Visualization is grounded on activating and connecting knowledge. Determining importance and summarizing are closely related. Monitoring comprehension often creates self-questions. Each person has different comprehension strategies that their mind tends to use. Our challenge as teachers is to create a pause and opportunity for students to try stretching to new mental pathways.
Activating and Connecting Prior Knowledge
This comprehension strategy involves students connecting their learning to past experiences, events in the world, and to other learning they may have in and out of school. We simply can’t understand new information that we hear, read or view without thinking about what we already know. It is important that teachers teach learners to:
- Relate to prior experience.
- Make connections between text, media, and personal observation.
- Connect the new to the known – use what learners know to understand new information.
When students are using this comprehension strategy, you may hear them say…
- This reminds me of…
- I noticed…
- It made me think of…
- I never knew…
- That changed my mind…
- This is different from…
Some tactics that teachers might use to promote activating and connecting prior knowledge include:
- Sticky Note Connections
- Personal Thesaurus
- Snowball
- Think Aloud (and Paired Think Aloud)
- Visual Dictionary
- Activating and Connecting in Primary Grades
- Notice and Wonder
Monitoring Comprehension
This comprehension strategy involves students recognizing and acting on their own confusion, and their self-questioning to determine understanding. We monitor our comprehension and keep track of our thinking in a number of ways. We notice when text makes sense and when it doesn’t. We ask questions, infer, activate background knowledge, and make connections, all in the effort to promote understanding. It is important that teachers teach learners to:
- Become aware of their thinking as they read.
- Notice when meaning breaks down and their mind wanders.
- Employ ‘fix up’ strategies – reread for clarification, read ahead to construct meaning, use context to break down unfamiliar words, skip difficult parts and continue to see if meaning becomes clear, check and recheck answers and thinking, and examine the evidence.
When students are using this comprehension strategy, you may hear them say…
- I think…
- I understand…
- This doesn’t make sense…
- Oh, now I get it…
- A part I had trouble with…
Some tactics that teachers might use to promote monitoring comprehension include:
Asking Questions
This strategy involves students actively wondering about topics and questioning facts and information. Questioning is the strategy that propels learners on and is at the heart of inquiry-based learning. Humans are driven to make sense of the world, and questions open the doors to understanding. It is important that teachers teach learners to:
- Wonder about the content, concepts, outcomes, and genre of text.
- Question the author.
- Read to discover answers and gain information.
When students use this comprehension strategy, you may hear them say…
- I wonder…
- I’m curious…
- My big question is…
- Why…
- Do you know anything about…
Some tactics that teachers might use to promote questioning include:
- Bloom’s (revised), Webbblooms, and Categorizing with Blooms
- Notice and Wonder
- Question Builder
- Question Exploration Routine
Making Inferences
This comprehension strategy involves students predicting, hypothesizing, interpreting, and making conclusions. Inferential thinking allows learners to grasp the deeper essence of text and information. Readers infer by taking their background knowledge and merge it with clues int he text to draw a conclusion or arrive at a big idea that is not explicitly stated in the text. It is important that teachers teach learners to:
- Use context clues to figure out meaning of unfamiliar words.
- Draw conclusions from evidence.
- Predict outcomes, events and observations.
When students use this comprehension strategy, you may hear them say…
- I’m thinking…
- It seems to me…
- I’m guessing that…
- I predict…
- Probably…
Some tactics that teachers might use to promote inferring include:
- Concept Attainment
- Risk-free Predicting
- Vocabulary Using Context Clues
- Making Predictions in Primary Grades
Determining Importance
This comprehension strategy involves students evaluating information, making judgments about information, and identifying key ideas and concepts. We read nonfiction to learn, understand, and remember information. It is important that teachers teach learners to:
- Target key information.
- Choose what to remember.
- Construct big ideas from smaller ideas.
When students use this comprehension strategy, you may hear them say…
- This is really important…
- The most important ideas here are…
- So far, I have learned that…
- I think this part means…
Some tactics that teachers might use to promote determining importance include:
Visualizing
This comprehension strategy involves students making mental pictures and/or mind maps of ideas and how they interconnect. Visualization builds complex connections and involves more than just how something looks. It extends to other senses such as smell, touch, sound, and taste. It is important that teachers teach learners to:
- Gain information from the images they construct and view.
- Create mental images drawn from background knowledge and observations.
When students use this comprehension strategy, you may hear them say…
- I am getting a picture…
- I can see (smell, hear, taste)…
- I have a picture in my head…
Some tactics that teachers might use to promote visualization include:
Summarizing and Synthesizing
This comprehension strategy involves students recalling, retelling, creating new meaning, and remembering information. Synthesizing information allows us to see the bigger picture as we read or observe. Thoughtful readers merge their thinking with information to come to a more complete understanding. It is important that teachers teach learners to:
- Add to their knowledge base.
- Paraphrase information
- Move from facts to ideas.
Summarizing and synthesizing are often used as synonyms. While they are related, they are different strategies that readers use. Sarah Eaton, a professor at the University of Calgary (2010, Summarizing vs Synthesizing), identifies these differences:
| Summarizing | Synthesizing |
| A basic reading technique. | An advanced reading technique. |
| Pulls together information in order to highlight the important points. | Pulls together information not only to highlight the important points, but also to draw your own conclusions. |
| Re-iterates the information. | Combines and contrasts information from different sources. |
| Shows what the original authors wrote. | Not only reflects your knowledge about what the original authors wrote, but also creates something new out of two or more pieces of writing. |
| Addresses one set of information (e.g. article, chapter, document) at a time. Each source remains distinct. | Combines parts and elements from a variety of sources into one unified entity. |
| Presents a cursory overview. | Focuses on both main ideas and details. |
| Demonstrates an understanding of the overall meaning. | Achieves new insight. |
Summarizing is taking the details of information apart while synthesizing is putting those details back together into a new and unique whole.
When students use this comprehension strategy, you may hear them say…
- I never knew… now I know…
- I think the big idea is…
- I have learned that…
- Now I understand that…
Some tactics that teachers might use to promote summarizing and synthesizing include:
- Analogies and Metaphors
- Comparison Routine
- Four C’s Protocol
- One Word Summaries
- Summarizing and Synthesizing in Primary Grades
When do we explicitly use Comprehension Strategy Tactics?
If the information that we are having students interact with is complex, it is important to use instructional methods that help them make meaning. As well, if we notice that students are struggling with a specific skill or content area, we can view comprehension strategy instruction a possible solution to those learning barriers. Teaching with comprehension in mind will lead to increased cognitive engagement and deeper meaning-making.
Eaton, S. E. (2010, September 26). Reading Strategy: The difference between summarizing and synthesizing. Retrieved from http://www.drsaraheaton.wordpress.com
Johanson, T., & Broughton, D. (2014). Exploring Comprehension in Physics. Saskatoon: McDowell Foundation.
Keene, E., & Zimmermann, S. (1997). Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Readers Workshop. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
Public Education & Business Coalition. (n.d.). Thinking Strategies for Learners: A guide to PEBC’s professional development in reading, writing, mathematics and information literacy. Retrieved December 15, 2018, from Public Education & Business Coalition: https://www.pebc.org/wp-content/uploads/publications/thinking-strategies.pdf
Saskatchewan Ministry of Education. (2008). English Language Arts 6. Retrieved from Saskatchewan Curriculum: https://www.curriculum.gov.sk.ca/bbcswebdav/library/curricula/English/English_Language_Arts/English_Language_Arts_6_2008.pdf
Terry Johanson Consulting 
Thank you for these great strategies! Your post was very informative!
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