What's Taught

Comprehension Strategies  |  Cooperative Strategies  |  Vocabulary

Teachers use read-aloud trade books, articles, and selections for discussions, cooperative structures, guided practice, and Individualized Daily Reading to create a supportive community of readers. An optional Vocabulary supplement teaches strategies for unlocking word meanings.

The comprehension strategies and social skills, introduced where developmentally appropriate, are carefully sequenced to strengthen learning.

Kindergarten

Strategies taught directly:

• Retelling
• Making connections/Using schema
• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning

Strategy taught informally:

• Making inferences

Examples of social skills:

• Learning and using classroom procedures
• Speaking clearly
• Taking turns
• Appreciating and respecting one another’s ideas
• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another

Grade 1

Strategies taught directly:

• Retelling
• Making connections/Using schema
• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning

Strategies taught informally:

• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas

Examples of social skills:

• Learning and using classroom procedures
• Speaking clearly
• Taking turns
• Appreciating and respecting one another’s ideas
• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking

Grade 2

Strategies taught directly:

• Making connections/Using schema
• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning
• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas 

Strategies taught informally:

• Retelling
• Summarizing

Examples of social skills:

• Taking turns
• Appreciating and respecting one another’s ideas
• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking

Grade 3

Strategies taught directly:

• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning
• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas

Strategies taught informally:

• Making connections/Using schema
• Summarizing

Examples of social skills:

• Taking turns
• Appreciating and respecting one another’s ideas
• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking
• Asking clarifying questions
• Reaching agreement
• Discussing opinions respectfully

Grade 4

Strategies taught directly:

• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning
• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas
• Summarizing

Strategies taught informally:

• Making connections/Using schema
• Summarizing

Examples of social skills:

• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking
• Asking clarifying questions
• Reaching agreement
• Discussing opinions respectfully
• Confirming that they understood another person
• Including one another
• Contributing to group work

Grade 5

Strategies taught directly:

• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning
• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas
• Synthesizing

Strategy taught informally:

• Making connections/Using schema

Examples of social skills:

• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking
• Asking clarifying questions
• Reaching agreement
• Discussing opinions respectfully
• Confirming that they understood another person
• Including one another
• Contributing to group work
• Giving and receiving feedback

Grade 6

Strategies taught directly:

• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning
• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas
• Synthesizing

Strategy taught informally:

• Making connections/Using schema

Examples of social skills:

• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking
• Asking clarifying questions
• Reaching agreement
• Discussing opinions respectfully
• Confirming that they understood another person
• Including one another
• Contributing to group work
• Giving and receiving feedback

Grade 7

Strategies taught directly:

• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning
• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas
• Synthesizing

Strategy taught informally:

• Making connections/Using schema

Examples of social skills:

• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking
• Asking clarifying questions
• Reaching agreement
• Discussing opinions respectfully
• Confirming that they understood another person
• Including one another
• Contributing to group work
• Giving and receiving feedback

Grade 8

Strategies taught directly:

• Visualizing
• Wondering/Questioning
• Making inferences
• Understanding text structure
• Determining important ideas
• Synthesizing

Strategy taught informally:

• Making connections/Using schema

Examples of social skills:

• Giving reasons to support thoughts and opinions
• Talking and listening to one another
• Using prompts to add to another person’s thinking
• Asking clarifying questions
• Reaching agreement
• Discussing opinions respectfully
• Confirming that they understood another person
• Including one another
• Contributing to group work
• Giving and receiving feedback

Find Out More

 K–8 comprehension strategies  |   K–8 social skills