comprehension TEKS talk image

Knowledge and Skills Statement

Comprehension skills: listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking using multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts.

Authentically observe students during whole-group read-aloud or small-group reading instruction. Prompt students by asking them to close their eyes and think about what is happening in this story and explain what they see. Since this SE does not require students to respond, assess student understanding of the text by asking questions.

Examples:

  • What do you visualize in this story?
  • What do you see happening?
When students create mental images, they picture in their minds what they are reading in a text. Being able to produce accurate mental images is a strong indicator that students comprehend what they are reading. Students create mental images by using the details related to the senses (i.e., what something sounds, feels, tastes, looks, and/or smells like) to visualize what is being described.

Research

What Works Clearinghouse. (2010). Improving reading comprehension in kindergarten through 3rd grade: practice guide summary. Washington, DC: Institute of Education Science. Retrieved from https://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/PracticeGuide/14#tab-summary

Summary: The goal of this practice guide is to offer educators specific evidence-based recommendations that address the challenge of teaching reading comprehension to students in kindergarten through 3rd grade. The guide provides practical, clear information on critical topics related to teaching reading comprehension and is based on the best available evidence as judged by the authors.