How to Teach Reading Comprehension Strategies with Anchor Charts

As an upper elementary teacher, reading specialist, dyslexia specialist, and reading curriculum trainer and writer, I am often asked the same reading comprehension questions by teachers and parents. Here is how I respond to the same questions I often get about how to teach reading comprehension strategies.

What are reading comprehension strategies?

Reading comprehension and reading strategies are not the same. Reading comprehension is the process of making meaning from a text. Students use reading strategies to better understand, think about, and remember what they read. These strategies help students make sense of the text and deepen their understanding. Reading strategies are intentional techniques that readers use before, during, and after reading to help them understand and think deeply about the texts they read.

Using a single reading strategy is not enough to help students fully comprehend a text. Strong readers use multiple reading strategies during one reading session. They use strategies before, during, and after reading. Learning how and when to apply these strategies takes practice, but over time, students become more thoughtful and independent readers who can better understand unfamiliar words, important ideas, and the author's message.

How do you teach reading comprehension strategies?

When it comes to teaching reading comprehension strategies, students need direct instruction and repeated exposure. Direct instruction is important so students learn how to put a reading strategy into action. It is important to focus on teaching one reading strategy at a time. This will give the kids time to learn and practice the strategy.

To start off, model the reading strategy with a think-aloud so students can hear your thoughts as you practice, and show them the strategy as you read. It is equally important for students to understand how the reading strategy will help them understand the text. Using anchor chart posters is a great visual way to support students' understanding of each strategy.

Before sending students off to practice the strategy on their own, provide time for guided practice and partner practice. This gives them time to try out the strategy.

Once students have been taught, given practice, and exposed to the strategy again, they will become more confident in implementing it. As this happens, students will begin using multiple reading strategies during a single reading session. They can predict before reading, ask questions during reading, and summarize after reading. This will help them learn that reading strategies work together to strengthen comprehension of what was read. 

What are the most important reading comprehension strategies for upper elementary?

There is no one reading comprehension strategy that is more important than another. Strong readers use multiple reading strategies as they read to help them understand a text. Reading strategies can be broken into three groups: before reading, during reading, and after reading strategies.

Upper elementary students learn when to use different strategies to help them understand more complex reading texts. The reading strategies that I teach to help readers succeed include:

✓ Making Predictions

✓ Activating Prior Knowledge

✓ Making Connections

✓ Visualizing  

✓ Asking Questions

✓ Monitoring Comprehension

✓  Using Fix-Up Strategies

✓ Making Inferences

✓ Determining Importance

✓  Summarizing

✓ Synthesizing

✓ Drawing Conclusions

Using reading strategies posters and anchor charts is a great way to reinforce and review reading strategies throughout the school year. You can display them on a bulletin board and refer back to them during a read-aloud, whole-group lessons, and small-group instruction. They are a visual reminder of the strategy, when to use it, and how to put it into action.

Reading strategy posters are a tool to support students. They are helpful because they support consistent language and instruction in your classroom. Using reading strategy anchor chart posters is a great way to keep your instruction concise and consistent, while supporting students as learners and independent readers.

Try these tips to effectively use reading strategy posters in your upper elementary classroom.

1. Set Up a Reading Comprehension Bulletin Board

Setting up a reading comprehension strategy bulletin board is a great way to provide visual support and encouragement for students as they read independently. Having a display means that students do not have to fumble through their reading notebooks or folders to find the anchor chart you gave them. This saves them valuable time. They simply look at the board, find what they need, and continue reading.

2. Create Binder Ring Reference Tool

Creating a reading comprehension strategy binder-ring reference will help both you, as the teacher, and the students as they read independently. It is easy to make! Print the mini-size anchor charts. Laminate the mini posters for durability. Hole punch each poster in the left corner and then attach with a binder ring. These are perfect to have on hand during small-group instruction. I suggest making two. You can hang one on the bulletin board for students to borrow as needed, and keep one at your table during small-group work.

Speaking from experience, these binder ring tools are incredibly helpful! I love using them. I also love the writer's anchor charts for a binder ring tool during writing.

3. Shine Reading Comprehension Strategy Poster Slides

Having a digital version of the anchor charts is a must! When you want your students to practice a specific strategy or two, simply shine the anchor charts on the board so that students have that visual they need. The slides are also perfect for review.

4. Go Beyond the Anchor Charts

Using the anchor charts provides your students with consistent language and practice as they read. During small group work, support and reinforce the language on the anchor charts by asking students strategy-specific questions about their reading. These are not questions about the character, setting, or problem. Those are story elements. The questions that align with the strategies you have taught them include: What background knowledge helped you to understand the story? What predictions can you make about what will happen next? What inferences can you make about the key event in the chapter?

I like having questions like these on cards to use for any fiction or nonfiction reading material. I have a stack of one-color cards for fiction and another stack of a different color for nonfiction. Having the anchor charts and question cards ready for any reading material reduces prep time for small-group instruction and makes it easier to maintain focus with your group.

Grab free reading activities designed to support reading comprehension strategies:

Whether you are just getting started with teaching reading comprehension strategies or have been teaching for years, bring reading comprehension strategy posters, anchor charts, and question cards into your classroom. They will not only support your students but also provide ready-to-go materials for your instruction and small literacy groups.

Happy teaching! : )

You will also love reading:

Types of Writing Genres Bulletin Board Ideas

Must Try Vocabulary Tips and Routine

The First Day of School in Upper Elementary

Teaching Text Structure in Upper Elementary

                Check out my favorite reading activities HERE. 

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*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)

Types of Writing Genres Bulletin Board for Upper Elementary

Teaching upper elementary and middle school students about the different types of writing can feel overwhelming if you do not have the appropriate visual resources to help both you and your students understand the differences of each writing genre.

Students often confuse the different genres of writing, especially as they get older and are expected to understand the elements of each genre. If your students often mix different genres or forget the elements of genres they have already learned, a types-of-writing bulletin board is just what your classroom needs!

Start this school year off by explicitly teaching your students about the different genre types of writing. An overview of each genre is all they need before you dive into your first writing unit. By explaining each genre ahead of time using a visual reference writing bulletin board, your students will know where to look and find information about each type of writing all year long!

Ready to make a types of writing bulletin board in your classroom this year? Use these quick tips to make the most of your types of writing bulletin board this school year! 

The best part? These posters align with ANY writing program, making them a must-have for every classroom!

1. The Types of Writing Genres to Teach

When it is time to teach writing to our upper elementary students, there are three main genres that students need to understand and be able to write in. They are informative, opinion, and narrative writing. 

Each of these genres has its own purpose, structure, and keywords, which can feel overwhelming for students without clear guidance and reference tools. By giving students a strong foundation in these types of writing early in the year, we can help them build confidence and feel prepared for writing projects throughout the year. 

👉 Informative Writing: This type of writing teaches, explains, or shares information about a topic using facts, details, and examples. Students may write reports, explanatory essays, or how-to/procedural writing.

👉Opinion Writing: Opinion writing asks students to share their thoughts or beliefs about a topic and support them with clear reasons and evidence. Persuasive writing falls under this genre because students are trying to convince readers to agree with their opinion or point of view.

👉Narrative Writing: In this type of writing, students tell a story with characters, setting, events, and a clear experience. Students may write personal narratives, fictional stories, descriptive narratives, and even types of poetry. They use vivid details and descriptions to express their ideas and experiences.

The posters included in this set will help you teach the genres you need:

• opinion
• persuasive
• informative
• procedural/how to
• narrative
• poetry

Additionally, these included posters will help you teach what the kids need:

• structure of a paragraph
• structure of an essay
• structure of a business letter 
• structure of a friendly letter 

2. Set Up Your Bulletin Board for Year-Long Use

This types of writing bulletin board kit is easy to use! Just open, select the writing posters you want to use, and display them. This kit includes borders and two banner options to help you add a little pizazz to your display! Use the digital format to guide your instruction and review.

Optional easy cut banners included will read:

• Writers at Work!
• Growing Great Writers!

Go one step further and add another row of writing posters that will serve as tools to level up your students' writing. 

Additional anchor chart posters included:

• Starting with Hooks
• Clear Conclusions
• How to Use Descriptive Language
• Examples of Descriptive Language
• What is Dialogue

Teacher tip: Use the small-size anchor chart posters, laminate them, and bind them with a binder ring. Leave this binder ring tool on your bulletin board, and watch students grab it as they write.

3. Use the Bulletin Board During Writing Instruction

Displaying this bulletin board at the back of the room, by the small table you use for group work, is a must! Having the posters right at your fingertips while working with students in groups or during writing conferences makes the ideas and concepts on the posters an easy-to-use reference and routine for review.

Use the small size posters and glue them into students' writing notebooks for easy access. You can also print, laminate, and join them with a binder ring. This tool is perfect for you to reference as you work with writers.

4. Create Independent Writers

The best part about having a bulletin board dedicated to types of writing and writing elements is that the students actually use them! This helps students become independent writers. You will find that their writing improves throughout the year when they have a central spot to go to for writing support on their own! The students refer back to the tips on each poster and grab the reference ring binder to bring back to their seats.

Just getting started with teaching writing? You will love this free back-to-school writing activity!

A types of writing bulletin board is much more than just classroom decor! It becomes a meaningful tool that helps students understand writing expectations, build confidence, and grow as writers all year long! When students have consisten visual references they can use independently, writing becomes less overwhelming and they become much more successful!

Whether you use these posters during mini lessons, small groups, or writing conferences, they will quickly become a go-to resource in your classroom. 

Happy teaching! : )

You will also love reading:

Teaching the Writing Process in Upper Elementary

The Best Back to School Writing Lesson

Mentor Text Picture Books for Opinion Writing

The First Day of School in Upper Elementary

Check out my favorite Writing Resources HERE.

Love these ideas? Pin to save!

*affiliate links: “Think Grow Giggle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.” (source: Section 5)