What Instructional Practices Positively Impact Reading Comprehension in Elementary Students?
Comprehension is the result of an orchestra of moving parts during reading. It is our job as educators to help students develop skills that will allow them to create a metacognitive experience while reading. "Real Comprehension has to do with thinking, learning and expanding a reader's knowlege and horizons. It has to do with building on past knowledge, mastering new information and connecting with the minds of those you've never met."(Hutchins & Zimmerman, 2003)
A recent graduate of North Carolina State University's New Literacies and Global Learning program, Brittany currently works as a learning specislist at a Raleigh elementary school. Her interest in reading instruction began during her student teaching experience while earning her undergraduate degree. Watching students utiize word solving strategies successfully became a highlight for her. Helping those same students understand texts became a new challenge and sparked curiosity in how to best meet the comprehension needs of struggling readers. The NLGL program has increased her knowledge in reading instruction and improved her instructional practices in remediating reading difficulties.