Comprehension Techniques – Understanding is Everything!

You will learn how to create multi-level teaching resources that cater to different learning styles and abilities, engaging students in meaningful and independent learning experiences. We will provide you with examples and guidelines to design visually stimulating task cards and worksheets that encourage active participation and critical thinking.

Welcome to our professional development course on enhancing comprehension strategies for teachers! In this course, we will dive into effective approaches and practical techniques to improve students’ comprehension skills across various subject areas.

By implementing these strategies, you will empower your students to become confident, critical readers and thinkers.

Throughout the course, we will explore the fundamental aspects of a good teaching resource for comprehension activities. We will discuss the importance of visual stimulation, differentiation of questions (literal, inferential, applied), and follow-up/extension activities to deepen students’ understanding.

You will learn how to create multi-level teaching resources that cater to different learning styles and abilities, engaging students in meaningful and independent learning experiences. We will provide you with examples and guidelines to design visually stimulating task cards and worksheets that encourage active participation and critical thinking.

Furthermore, we will address the significance of pre-reading activities, visual comprehension exercises, and vocabulary development to support students in comprehending texts. We will also discuss the benefits of incorporating real-life connections and applying comprehension skills to practical situations.

By the end of this course, you will have a comprehensive understanding of how to design purposeful comprehension activities and resources, fostering a love for reading and promoting higher-order thinking skills in your students. You will be equipped with practical strategies to enhance comprehension instruction and support your students’ overall academic success.

The Topics We Will Cover

  • What is comprehension?
  • The neuroscience of reading to understand
  • Three types of questioning explained.
  • Using visual cues to spark deeper understanding.
  • How to plan for purposeful comprehension activities.
  • Modelling reading techniques as a teacher.
  • Designing comprehension activities that matter.
  • The concept of cross-curricular comprehension activities and how to plan them accordingly.
  • Making reading fun for everyone.
  • How to use literature in every session.

 

Meet our Instructors

Gavin McCormack

Meet Gavin McCormack. He has been a teacher/school principal for over 25 years. He is the co-founder of Upschool.co and the Montessori Australia Ambassador, with a passion for inclusive and child-focused pedagogies. He has worked in several countries around the world, Is a children's author, and philanthropist and has trained thousands of teacher around the world.

Mark Williams

Meet Mark Williams. He is an internationally recognised professor of cognitive neuroscience, with over 25 years of experience conducting behavioural and brain imaging research focusing on our social skills. He has taught the fundamentals of neuroscience to a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as publishing more than 70 scientific articles. Mark has been awarded numerous high-profile fellowships and grants, and worked both at MIT in the USA and at universities in Australia.