comprehension.
Reading Research-Based Strategies Summarizing: Summarization involves
that Enhance Comprehension identifying and paraphrasing the main ideas of a
Reported by : Ma. Clarisse Joy L. Nebres text. Research shows that summarizing helps
children organize information and synthesize key
Introduction points. By distilling the content into a shorter
Reading comprehension is a critical skill version, students reinforce their understanding
that children need to develop in order to and retention of the material.
understand and engage with texts.
Research has shown that there are Predicting: Encouraging children to make
several strategies that can significantly predictions about the text can activate prior
enhance comprehension, particularly for knowledge and help them anticipate what will
young readers. This topic will explore happen next. This strategy improves
various research-based strategies, such comprehension because it promotes interaction
as questioning, summarizing, and with the text and encourages readers to check
predicting, and how they contribute to their predictions as they read.
improving comprehension. Additionally, it
Example for ECE:
will examine the benefits of explicit
In an early childhood classroom, a
instruction, the use of graphic organizers,
teacher reads the story The Very Hungry
repeated exposure to quality literature,
Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Before reading, the
and the role of assessments in
teacher asks children to predict what the
supporting comprehension development
caterpillar will eat next, sparking their curiosity
in early childhood education (ECE).
and engagement. As the teacher reads, the
children make guesses about what happens
I. Effectiveness of Strategies: Questioning,
next, and afterward, they summarize the story by
Summarizing, and Predicting
talking about how
Research consistently supports the
the caterpillar grows and changes.
effectiveness of strategies like
questioning, summarizing, and predicting
II. Explicit Instruction in Comprehension
in enhancing reading comprehension.
Strategies
These strategies promote active
Explicit instruction is crucial for helping
engagement with the text, encouraging
young readers understand how to apply
children to think critically and reflect on
comprehension strategies effectively.
what they read.
Research indicates that when teachers
explicitly teach strategies like
Questioning: According to research, when
questioning, summarizing, and
children ask questions about the text, they
predicting, children are more likely to use
engage with the content more deeply.
them independently and with greater
Questioning helps them clarify understanding,
success.
make inferences, and identify key ideas. For
instance, asking “Why do you think the character
did that?” encourages children to think about
motivations and causes, enhancing
1.Story Maps:
Effective ways to teach comprehension Purpose: To help children break down and
strategies in ECE include: understand the structure of a story.
Components:
Modeling: Teachers can demonstrate how to Title,Characters,Setting,Problem,Solution,
use strategies by thinking aloud during reading. Beginning, Middle, and End.
For example, when reading a picture book, the
teacher can model asking questions, This enables children to better understand the
summarizing events, and making predictions. sequence of events and how they relate to one
another
Guided Practice: After modeling, teachers can
engage children in guided practice, where they 2. Venn Diagrams:
apply the strategies with the teacher's support. Purpose: To compare and contrast two or more
For instance, after reading a short story, the things by identifying shared and unique
teacher can ask children to work in pairs to characteristics.
summarize the story or predict what might Components: Two or more overlapping circle
happen next. -Shared characteristics in the overlapping area .
-Unique characteristics in the non-overlapping
Independent Practice: Finally, teachers can sections
encourage independent practice where children
use the strategies on their own or with peers, 3. T-Chart
reinforcing the skills they have learned. Purpose: To compare and contrast two
elements, such as characters, events, or
Example for ECE:
concepts.
During a shared reading activity of Ant
Components:
anf Grasshopper, the teacher explicitly
-One column for each element to compare
models predicting by asking the children
-List similarities and differences
to guess what the next possible scene
based on the pattern of the story.
4. K-W-L Chart
Afterward, the children are encouraged
Purpose: To activate prior knowledge, set
to make their own predictions and
learning goals, and reflect on what was learned.
summarize the story with the teacher’s
Components:
guidance.
K: What I Know
W: What I Want to Know
III. Use of Graphic Organizers to Support
L: What I Learned
Comprehension
Graphic organizers, such as story maps
5. Character Web
and Venn diagrams, are visual tools that
Purpose: To explore and organize a character's
help children organize and represent
traits, actions, and feelings.
information in a structured way. These
tools are effective in enhancing
comprehension by helping children break
down the text into manageable parts and
identify relationships between key
concepts.
IV. Repeated Exposure to High-Quality Effective ways to use assessments include:
Literature
Repeated exposure to high-quality Observing and Documenting: Teachers can
literature has a significant impact on observe children during group reading or
children’s reading comprehension. independent reading activities and document
Research suggests that when children their comprehension strategies, such as
are exposed to the same text multiple predicting or summarizing, to understand their
times, they have more opportunities to comprehension levels.
engage with and internalize the content.
Formative Assessments: Teachers can use
Repeated readings allow children to
tools like exit tickets (asking children to briefly
notice new details, make deeper
summarize what they learned after a lesson) or
connections, and develop a more
questioning during storytime to gauge
thorough understanding of the material.
comprehension.
Example for ECE:
A teacher may read the same book, such Example for ECE:
as The Ants and Grass hopper by Ezra After reading a short story, the teacher might ask
Jack Keats, several times over a week. the children to draw a picture of their favorite
After each reading, children may focus part of the story. This visual assessment helps
on different aspects of the story—such the teacher understand how well the children
as the characters, the setting, or the grasped the plot and characters, and it offers an
emotions involved—allowing them to opportunity to provide further support if needed.
build a deeper understanding and
stronger comprehension skills.
V. Use of Assessments to Monitor and Conclusion
Support Comprehension
Both formal and informal assessments Research-based strategies, such as questioning,
are essential tools for monitoring students' summarizing, predicting, and using graphic
comprehension development. These organizers, are essential in enhancing reading
assessments help teachers identify areas of comprehension for young children. Explicit
strength and areas that need improvement, instruction, repeated exposure to high-quality
allowing them to provide targeted support for literature, and the use of assessments provide
individual learners. additional support for comprehension
development. Teachers who implement these
Formal Assessments: These might include strategies effectively in early childhood
standardized tests or written assessments that education can foster a love for reading while
measure students' understanding of specific helping students build strong foundational
texts or skills. literacy skills. Through these methods, young
readers can develop the skills necessary for
Informal Assessments: Informal assessments
understanding texts and becoming lifelong
include observations, student discussions, and
learners.
interactive activities that provide teachers with
insight into how well children comprehend what
they have read.
for schoolwork. In this way, the child brings their
Theory and Research on Comprehension experiences into the interpretation of the story.
Comparison of Theories: Both Schema Theory and
of Text
Transactional Theory highlight the active role of the
I. Introduction
reader in constructing meaning. While Schema
In early childhood education (ECE), fostering reading
Theory focuses on the activation of prior knowledge,
comprehension is crucial for laying the foundation for
Transactional Theory emphasizes the interaction
lifelong literacy development. Young children’s ability
between the reader's emotions and the text. In ECE,
to understand text is influenced by various theories,
teachers can encourage young children to relate their
cognitive processes, and instructional strategies. This
personal experiences to the story, thereby enhancing
report explores major reading comprehension
their comprehension through both schema activation
theories, cognitive processes involved in reading,
and personal engagement with the text.
Vygotsky’s concepts of scaffolding and the Zone of
III. Cognitive Processes in Reading
Proximal Development (ZPD), the role of background
Comprehension
knowledge, and metacognitive strategies. The
A. Cognitive Processes Involved in Reading
discussion integrates research findings and provides
Comprehension Reading comprehension is a
examples to support the application of these
complex cognitive process that requires various
concepts in ECE settings.
skills, including:
II. Major Reading Comprehension Theories and
How Young Children Understand Text
● Decoding: The ability to recognize and
A. Schema Theory Schema Theory, developed by
decode words.
Bartlett and further expanded by Anderson, proposes
● Working Memory: Holding information in
that individuals interpret and understand new
mind while processing new information.
information through existing mental frameworks
● Integration of Information: Enables the child to
called schemas. These schemas are based on prior
connect new details with what they already know,
knowledge and experiences. In the context of young
making the reading experience more meaningful.
children, comprehension is a process of connecting
B. Development of Cognitive Processes in Early
new information from the text to their existing
Childhood In early childhood, these cognitive
knowledge. As children engage with stories, they
processes develop through exposure to print,
access their schemas to understand the characters,
interactions with texts, and adult guidance. Children
plot, and events.
first learn to decode simple words, then move on to
Concrete Example in ECE:
integrating information into meaningful contexts. As
When reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric
they grow, their working memory capacity expands,
Carle, children use their schemas about food, hunger,
allowing them to retain and manipulate more complex
and animals to understand the caterpillar’s eating
information from texts.
habits and transformation. A child who has
IV. Vygotsky’s Concepts of Scaffolding and ZPD
experienced hunger can relate to the caterpillar’s
in Reading Comprehension Instruction
constant eating, helping them engage with the story
at a deeper level. A. Scaffolding in Reading Instruction Scaffolding
B. Transactional Theory Transactional Theory, refers to the support that an adult or more
introduced by Louise Rosenblatt, posits that the knowledgeable peer provides to help a child perform
meaning of a text is co-created between the reader tasks they cannot accomplish independently. In
and the text. This theory emphasizes that children reading, scaffolding involves guiding children through
are not passive recipients of information; they actively the text, asking questions, and modeling strategies
engage with texts, interpreting them based on their for understanding. As children’s abilities grow, the
personal experiences, emotions, and knowledge. support is gradually reduced, allowing them to
Concrete Example in ECE: independently navigate texts.
Ant and Grasshopper— they may relate to
the balance between playing and the need to prepare
● Pre-reading Discussions: Discussing topics
B. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) and its related to the text to spark interest and
Application The ZPD refers to the range of tasks a activate background knowledge.
child can perform with assistance but cannot yet
perform alone. In the context of reading, texts that Example in ECE:
are within a child's ZPD are those that offer
appropriate challenges while still being accessible ● Before reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear,
with support from an adult or peer. What Do You See?, the teacher might ask
Example in ECE: children, “What animals do you know?” or
“What colors do you see around you?” This
● When reading a book like Goodnight Moon helps children connect their own experiences
with a child who is still learning to decode, and knowledge to the text, enhancing their
the teacher may read aloud first, pointing to ability to comprehend the story.
words and pictures. Over time, the teacher
can encourage the child to read along with VI. Metacognitive Strategies in Reading
her. As the child's reading skills develop, the Comprehension
teacher gradually reduces support, allowing A. Introduction to Metacognitive Strategies
the child to read independently. Metacognitive strategies involve thinking about one’s
thinking while reading. These strategies include
V. The Role of Background Knowledge in self-monitoring (checking if the text makes sense)
Comprehension and summarizing (recalling main ideas). Teaching
A. Importance of Background Knowledge metacognitive strategies helps children regulate their
Research consistently shows that background comprehension and become more independent
knowledge plays a critical role in comprehension. readers.
When children have prior knowledge about a topic, B. Benefits of Metacognitive Strategies for Young
they are better able to understand and make Learners By using metacognitive strategies, children
connections with the information presented in the can improve their ability to understand and retain
text. Background knowledge helps children to fill in what they read. Encouraging children to reflect on
gaps, infer meaning, and connect new information their understanding, ask questions, and summarize
with what they already know. content increases engagement and comprehension.
Example in ECE: Concrete Example in ECE:
● Before reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, ● After reading The Snowy Day, a teacher may
the teacher asks the children, “Have you ever ask children to summarize what happened in
seen a caterpillar?” or “What do you know the story, such as, “What did Peter do in the
about animals that change?” These snow?” This helps children organize their
questions activate the children’s prior thoughts and check their understanding. The
knowledge of caterpillars and animals, teacher might also ask questions like, “Does
helping them make sense of the story and this part of the story make sense to you?” to
increasing comprehension. encourage self-monitoring.
B. Strategies for Activating Background C. Research on Metacognitive Strategy
Knowledge Teachers can activate children’s prior Instruction Research shows that children who
knowledge using strategies such as: practice metacognitive strategies show improved
comprehension. For example, children who are
● K-W-L Charts: Asking students what they taught to ask themselves, “Does this make sense?”
know (K) and what they want to learn (W) while reading are more likely to identify when they
before reading, and reviewing what they are confused and take steps to clarify their
learned (L) afterward. understanding.
