Compiled here is a general list of links to resources about content reading and comprehension strategies. They are divided into two main groups: sites that address foundational issues, and sites that give support to particular strategy use
This site has tons of PDFs to download and use in your instructional setting. Graphic organizers and exemplars/mentor texts are just a few resources on offer.
"Focus on First Lines: Increasing Comprehension through Prediction Strategies"
OVERVIEW
At the beginning of a course or unit, students examine opening sentences from texts that they will read completely in later sessions. Students analyze the sentences and make predictions about the texts. As students read the complete texts throughout the course or unit, they return to their predictions to talk about the prediction strategy and to increase reading comprehension. The lesson plan includes sample opening lines for a variety of courses. The lesson can be easily adapted for any course or unit by collecting opening lines from texts that the class will read as a group.
"Reading Workshop Minilessons
The reading workshop minilesson is an opportunity for the teacher to directly and explicitly instruct the whole class on a particular reading skill, strategy, or habit that will help students develop into independent, lifelong readers. One teaching point is emphasized and the lesson should be brief (5-10 minutes). Minilessons follow this basic structure:"
Comprehension Instruction: What Makes Sense Now, What Might Make Sense Soon
Michael Pressley
There are a variety of well-validated ways to increase comprehension skills in students through instruction; these are summarized in this article. In addition, new hypotheses about effective comprehension instruction are emerging, and these are also summarized. Although too little comprehension instruction is now occurring in schools, much is known that would enable such teaching to be done with confidence; more will be known as the emerging hypotheses are evaluated in the years ahead.
"You Can't Learn Much from Books You Can't Read
Richard L. Allington
Many students in grades 5-12 struggle to learn from content-area textbooks that don't match their reading levels."
"Reading Success with Expository Texts
Struggling readers present secondary classroom teachers with unique challenges. Secondary teachers are experts in their subject areas but they have not been trained to "teach" reading. However, when given an expository text, struggling readers require intervention in order to understand what they are reading. This week, we offer a series of tips teachers can implement immediately to help struggling readers comprehend expository text."