Building Reading Comprehension in Upper Elementary Students

My Topic and Purpose

This mini-course, Building Reading Comprehension in Upper Elementary Students, focuses on strategies to help students strengthen their reading comprehension skills. I chose this topic because, as a 6th grade teacher, I've seen firsthand how challenging it can be for students who are already low readers to engage with and understand grade-level texts. In my classroom, where our entire ELA curriculum is based on novel studies, I've noticed that comprehension is often the biggest hurdle for many of my students, especially those who are reading below grade level. Teaching at a Title 1 inner city school, most students fall behind and come to 6th grade 1, 2, and even 3+ grade levels behind. I'm passionate about providing effective strategies that can support these students in developing the skills they need to succeed.

Analysis of the Learner and Context

The participants are upper elementary educators, primarily those teaching in Title 1 schools with diverse literacy needs. These educators work with students who may have foundational reading gaps, face socioeconomic challenges, or lack access to literacy-rich environments outside of school.

Prior Knowledge and Skills:

Teachers have varying levels of experience with literacy interventions.
Many educators are familiar with small-group instruction but may lack training in metacognitive reading strategies or culturally relevant literacy practices.
Students come from diverse backgrounds and need texts that reflect their cultural experiences.

Learning Context and Setting

This mini-course is online and self-paced, allowing teachers to engage with content at their convenience.
Participants will apply course strategies in their classrooms within their existing literacy instruction.
The course can be completed over 2–4 weeks, with participants spending approximately 1–2 hours per week.
Required resources include access to an online learning journal (Google Doc), sample lesson plans, and comprehension scaffolds.

Performance-Based Objectives

After completing this mini-course, learners will be able to:

implement research-based scaffolding techniques (guided reading, think-alouds, explicit modeling)
analyze students’ reading challenges by identifying gaps in background knowledge, vocabulary, and metacognitive strategies using formative assessments and observational data.
evaluate the effectiveness of various cognitive strategies (e.g., self-questioning, summarization, making connections) by assessing student comprehension growth through discussion, student reflections, and comprehension checks.
design a culturally responsive reading lesson that integrates diverse texts and structured discourse to enhance comprehension and vocabulary development for students from diverse backgrounds.
foster a growth mindset in struggling readers by explicitly teaching and reinforcing strategic reading behaviors that promote persistence and confidence. their existing literacy instruction to support reading comprehension among struggling readers.

Prerequisites

Before taking this course, the learner:

Should have basic knowledge of literacy instruction and common reading comprehension challenges in upper elementary students.
Should be familiar with small-group instruction and classroom differentiation strategies.
Must be actively seeking to improve student reading comprehension through research-based strategies.

Learning Units

Unit 1: Understanding Reading Comprehension Challenges in Upper Elementary Students

After this unit, the learner:

Will be able to identify key factors that impact reading comprehension, such as background knowledge, vocabulary, and metacognition.
Will analyze common comprehension difficulties among struggling readers.
Will explore research on reading comprehension deficits and their impact on academic success.
Activities: Read research articles, engage in a discussion forum on common challenges, and reflect on personal classroom experiences

Unit 2: Scaffolding Techniques to Support Comprehension

After this unit, the learner:

Will understand the role of scaffolding in literacy instruction.
Will be able to implement strategies such as guided reading, think-alouds, and explicit modeling.
Will evaluate the effectiveness of scaffolding techniques using student work samples.
Activities: Watch demonstration videos, analyze lesson plans incorporating scaffolding, and practice designing a mini-lesson with scaffolding techniques.

Unit 3: Metacognitive Strategies for Deepening Comprehension

After this unit, the learner:

Will explore metacognitive strategies such as self-questioning, summarization, and making connections.
Will understand how to teach students to monitor their comprehension.
Will assess student growth by implementing metacognitive strategies in the classroom.
Activities: Read research on metacognition, complete a think-aloud activity, and develop a formative assessment tool for tracking student comprehension.

Unit 4: Integrating Culturally Relevant Texts and Structured Discourse

After this unit, the learner:

Will recognize the importance of culturally relevant texts in building background knowledge and engagement.
Will learn how to incorporate structured discourse strategies to promote deeper discussions.
Will create a reading lesson plan that integrates diverse texts and structured discussion techniques.
Activities: Review text selection criteria, participate in a case study analysis, and design a lesson incorporating culturally relevant texts.

Unit 5: Fostering a Growth Mindset in Struggling Readers

After this unit, the learner:

Will understand the connection between growth mindset and reading persistence.
Will implement strategies to encourage resilience in struggling readers.
Will develop an action plan to reinforce strategic reading behaviors in their classroom.
Activities: Read about growth mindset research, reflect on personal classroom practices, and create a student-friendly resource for building reading confidence.

Final Project

Learners will develop a comprehensive reading comprehension lesson plan incorporating strategies from the course.
Participants will share their lesson plans and receive peer feedback.

Curriculum Map

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References and Resources

Duke, N. K., & Cartwright, K. B. (2021). The science of reading comprehension instruction. The Reading Teacher, 74(6), 663-672. https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.1993

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465-491. https://doi.org/10.3102/00028312032003465

National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). The Nation’s Report Card: Reading 2019. https://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/