To maximize effectiveness, comprehension strategies should be embedded organically throughout the day based on the texts being read in class, and aligned with Ontario curriculum expectations. 

For example, during a science lesson on life systems, teachers can model how to identify and summarize key information from a text about animal growth. In a social studies lesson on communities, students might practice making inferences about how different global communities have adapted to the region in which they live. During language arts, while reading a book like “The Girl and the Wolf’ by Katherena Vermette, educators can prompt students to predict what the girl will do next and explore her motivations and character development.

This integrated, cross-curricular approach ensures that comprehension strategies are not taught in isolation but are integrated into a variety of contexts, making them more relevant and meaningful to students. By continuously embedding these strategies in different subjects and text types, students develop a versatile set of skills that enhance their understanding and enjoyment of reading.

To read more about how to best teach comprehension strategies, check out the article: No More Strategies of the Week: Considerations for connecting comprehension instruction back to the book (Conradi Smith et al., 2024).