In this commentary we suggest that reading comprehension strategy instruction does not actually improve general‐purpose comprehension skills. Rather, this strategy represents a bag of tricks that are useful and worth teaching, but that that are quickly learned and require minimal practice.
The funny thing about reading comprehension strategy instruction is that it really shouldn’t work, but it does. This commentary seeks to provide insight into how it should work and guidance on effective strategies for implementation.
Consider some common reasons why a student who decodes well might fail to understand what he reads. The student (a) doesn’t know the meaning of some words; (b) doesn’t notice that he does not comprehend the text; or (c) fails to make inferences. The importance of vocabulary is easy to appreciate; we can see why it’s helpful to notice if you do not understand what you are reading. The importance of inferences may be less obvious.
