School of Practice Boosting Reading Comprehension for All Students
Feb 17, 2026
Nina Parrish, a former K–12 special educator turned middle school counselor and literacy specialist, shares evidence-based ways to boost comprehension. She covers pre-reading vocabulary moves, building classroom word walls, activating background knowledge, visualizing texts, annotation habits with post-its, reciprocal teaching roles, and teaching students to self-question while reading.
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Retire Mandatory Reading Logs
- Avoid assigning mandatory reading logs; they reduce students' motivation and prompt fabrication of entries.
- Prioritize meaningful, strategy-linked reading tasks instead of timed logs that kill joy.
Stop Popcorn (Round-Robin) Reading
- Avoid popcorn or round-robin reading since it raises anxiety and reduces focus for many students.
- Use approaches that keep all students engaged rather than spotlighting one reader at a time.
Have Students Self-Select Vocabulary
- Let students self-select vocabulary words and investigate them in context, then create sentences and visuals.
- Use comparison (synonyms/antonyms) and drawings to deepen word meaning and retention.