Comprehension and ESL Students

Question: Can comprehension be taught?

Answer: “Flood and Lapp (1991) reviewed studies from the 1980s and concluded that ‘one has to be careful to add comprehension of what, by whom, under what conditions, and for what purposes?’ ”

Comment: In preparing any reading lesson, the teacher needs to be cognizant of these questions about what is to be read. I don’t know about my readers, but those questions make me think carefully about any reading assignment I am about to make. RayS.

Title: “Comprehending through Reading and Writing: Six Research-Based Instructional Strategies.” N Farnan, J Flood and D Lapp. Pp. 135-137. In Kids Come in All Languages: Reading Instruction for ESL Students. Eds. K Spangensberg-Urgschat and R Pritchard. Newark, DE: IRA. 1994, 108-131.