Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade This Practice Guide, developed by an Institute of Education Sciences panel, includes five research-based recommendations to help educators teach reading comprehension in grades K-3. Each recommendation includes a summary of research evidence and level of evidence rating. This Practice Guide is the foundation for the K-3 reading comprehension content on the Doing What Works website, which merges the five recommendations into three practices.
Multimedia Overview Improving K-3 Reading Comprehension
Research suggests that students who read with understanding at an early age gain broader access to texts, knowledge, and educational opportunities. To help students master the complex array of skills required for reading comprehension, schools need to begin instruction in the early primary grades. Watch this multimedia overview to learn about three research-based, instructional practices for improving primary-grade reading comprehension. (7:43 min)Explore these recommended practices:
- <<Teach Comprehension Strategies
Teach students reading comprehension strategies using carefully selected texts. - <<Focus on Text Structure
Help students to identify and use a text’s organizational structure to support comprehension. - <<Engage Students With Text
Establish a motivating environment to engage students in reading and text discussion.
Visual Diagram Improving Reading Comprehension in Grades K-3
The diagram serves as a visual overview of three recommended practices based on the Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade Practice Guide—teach comprehension strategies, focus on text structure, and engage students with text. It can be used by presenters or professional developers to orient their audience to the practices and recommendations central to the K-3 Reading Comprehension topic.Expert Interview
Reading for Meaning: Key Findings From the IES Practice Guide
Timothy Shanahan, Ph.D.University of Illinois at Chicago
Dr. Timothy Shanahan, chair of the panel that produced Improving Reading Comprehension in Kindergarten Through 3rd Grade, provides an overview of the Practice Guide’s central recommendations. (5:34 min)