Why early comprehension instruction matters
- Reading comprehension is the foundation of long-term achievement.
- Without comprehension, students cannot meaningfully access content-area instruction, as information is often contained within text.
- National and state data confirm early comprehension gaps widen over time, especially for students displaying limited English proficiency for more than five years and students with disabilities.
- Students with reading difficulties have also been shown to have lower postsecondary achievement and lifetime wages.
Key findings from the review (2014–2024)
- 65 studies reviewed; most effective reading comprehension instruction or intervention was characterized by:
- Explicit comprehension strategy instruction (e.g., teaching students how to summarize and make inferences through modeling and gradually releasing responsibility of using new strategies to students).
- Multicomponent interventions integrating vocabulary, fluency, and decoding.
- Use of visual scaffolds such as graphic organizers.
- Integration of strategies designed to build oral language and comprehension through discourse with peers such as text-based discussion. In this form of instruction, students have opportunity to collaborate as they engage in building understanding of text.
- Use of personally relevant texts and instructional materials.
- Tiered intervention models—multi-tiered systems of support—were effective. Tier 3 (intensive) supports produced the greatest gains. Intensive interventions were multicomponent and addressed deficits in both word reading, linguistic comprehension, and reading comprehension. Progress monitoring within MTSS can support students in receiving interventions that best meet their needs.
Policy and leadership actions
- Adopt and fund programs that integrate comprehension strategies into Tier 1 curriculum. This includes not only adopting curriculums that provide explicit comprehension instruction but also investing in professional development on explicit comprehension instruction and small-group differentiation.
- Prioritize the use of progress monitoring and MTSS-aligned support structures.
- Require that materials include narrative + informational texts and reflect students’ linguistic and personal experiences.
- Expand early literacy data systems to disaggregate by subgroup (e.g., MLs, SWDs) for better instructional targeting.
Leadership takeaway
- Early reading comprehension is not just a literacy issue—it’s a cross-curricular and imperative to students’ postsecondary and life outcomes.
- Investing in explicit, scaffolded, and differentiated comprehension instruction is essential for building strong, confident readers and lifelong learners.
The information provided in this summary is based on findings from Foundational Reading Comprehension Interventions for Students in Grades K-3: A Systematic Review of Recent Research.