What is the purpose of teaching explicit comprehension strategies?

The purpose of teaching explicit comprehension strategies is to equip students with specific techniques that enhance their understanding of texts. This approach involves guiding students through practices such as prediction, questioning, visualizing, and summarizing, allowing them to engage more deeply with reading material. By explicitly teaching these strategies, educators help students become aware of their thought processes while reading, leading them to monitor their understanding, make connections, and clarify any confusion. This method fosters metacognitive awareness, enabling students to take active control of their comprehension as they encounter various texts.

In contrast, while vocabulary acquisition and summarizing are important aspects of reading, they are not the sole focuses of explicit comprehension strategies. Teaching reading fluency is also crucial, but it emphasizes the ability to read smoothly and quickly rather than understanding the material itself. Thus, the approach of teaching explicit comprehension strategies is central to cultivating overall reading proficiency and comprehension skills.