Comprehension Strategies

1. Students can write a summary of a novel read in class. One of the books on the leveled book list would work really well. Students should have a choice between two or three books and a worksheet that will help them summarize the book. The teacher will have read all the books so he or she can check for comprehension of the story.

2. Students can write a letter to a state government representative about a proposed law that they would like to make and the process that they would go through in order to accomplish their goal. The teacher will check for comprehension of the law making process that would have been previously discussed in class.

3. Students can read a newspaper or magazine article related to government and give a brief overview of their article in front of the class. It would be a great current events activity.

4. Students can use a definition map when doing assigned textbook reading or when reading other literary works. This will help students to have a better comprehension of the words they come across.