Reading Fundamentals for Rural Schools: Helping Students Understand What They Read

Reading comprehension is critically important for students’ success in school, yet it is a challenging and complex process for all students, especially for students with disabilities. A large body of research has shown that instruction to support reading comprehension, particularly reading comprehension strategies, helps students understand more of what they read. This approach to instruction is a particularly good fit for rural school settings because it does not require the purchase of expensive programs, intensive instructor training, or specialized materials. The first part of this article provides an overview of well-established reading comprehension strategies. The second part of the article presents teaching methods that can magnify the impact of strategy use over time by helping students self-regulate their own learning. Practical exemplars are included.