Which method is effective for teaching comprehension skills?

Using explicit teaching strategies such as questioning, summarizing, and predicting is highly effective for teaching comprehension skills because these methods actively engage students in the reading process. Explicit teaching involves directly modeling and guiding students through comprehension strategies that they can apply independently.

Questioning helps students to think critically about the text and encourages them to make connections between what they read and their own background knowledge. Summarizing allows them to distill important information and identify the main ideas of the text, enhancing their ability to retain and recall information. Predicting engages students by prompting them to think ahead about the text, which fosters anticipation and curiosity, making reading a more interactive experience.

These strategies not only improve comprehension but also empower students to become more strategic and independent readers, as they internalize these skills and apply them in various reading contexts. Such an active approach contrasts with more passive methods, which may not provide the same depth of understanding or retention associated with explicit teaching.