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As teachers, we take kids' thoughts, ideas, and opinions seriously. We design
instruction that engages kids and guides them as they grapple with the information
and concepts they encounter in school, particularly as they read informational text.
The Comprehension Toolkit focuses on reading, writing, talking, listening, and
investigating, to deepen understanding of nonfiction texts. With a focus on strategic thinking,
Toolkit's lessons provide a foundation for developing independent readers and learners.
Cultivate a Culture of Thinking and Understanding
The teaching and learning focus in The Comprehension Toolkit is on comprehension
instruction, including:
- monitoring comprehension
- activating and connecting to background knowledge
- asking questions
- inferring meaning
- determining importance
- summarizing and synthesizing.
These strategies help kids read informational text, and merge their thinking with the information to learn, understand and
remember it beyond Friday's quiz.
The Gradual Release of Responsibility Framework
The reading strategies in The Comprehension Toolkit are taught through a gradual release of responsibility
framework. We provide explicit instruction through modeling and collaborative practice,
and then provide opportunities for independent practice and application.
Understand, Remember, and Use Informational Text
The Comprehension Toolkit provides an alternative to the traditional assign and correct
curriculum. Instead, the teaching and learning focus is on strategic thinking and explicit
instruction via modeling, practice and application. The Comprehension Toolkit is designed to help kids
negotiate informational text, to think about what they are reading, and to hold that thinking
so that they understand, remember, and use it.
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