Comprehension in Foundation - Strategies, Instruction, Assessment F, 2024

About this teaching resource

Comprehension in Foundation: Strategies, Instruction, Assessment by Diane Snowball (March 2024) is a comprehensive guide designed for Foundation teachers to enhance early reading comprehension.

This resource emphasises the significance of comprehension, defined as the integration of personal knowledge with text to construct meaning. It outlines the processes and products of comprehension, focusing on cognitive and language activities crucial for effective reading.

The guide stresses the importance of starting comprehension instruction early, even before students can decode print, through activities such as listening to Read Aloud texts. It identifies various factors influencing comprehension, including background knowledge, vocabulary, and text complexity.

Specific strategies are highlighted, such as predicting, inferring, and questioning, and the guide offers practical advice on integrating these strategies into daily instruction. Diane also underscores the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model, promoting independent reading and strategy application for developing proficient readers.