reading comprehension strategy that finally clicked for my struggling 3rd grade readers

After a few months of frustration, I finally noticed something about my struggling 3rd grade readers. They could decode every word but couldn't tell me what they'd just read. Out of desperation, I created these little "detective kit" folders, with different colored sticky notes for tracking different types of thinking (yellow for questions, blue for important facts, pink for connections to their lives, etc.)

I had to share the results.... Jamie, one student who always used to rush through reading just to be "done," now takes his time and places his stickies as he reads. His comprehension scores have jumped two levels since December. I highly recommend to try this with your students (!) especially if they're having a hard time with reading comprehension.