When we think of reading comprehension we should first start with the understanding of the Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986), consisting of two essential components for learning to read, Language Comprehension and Word Recognition. Word Recognition has been covered in our previous podcasts of Phonemic Awareness and Phonics and in this episode we share with you some skills, elements, and components of Language Comprehension using the framework of the Simple View of Reading.

Reading comprehension ability is complex and multifaceted; it consists of being familiar with a text’s vocabulary, having some background knowledge of the particular topic and grasping an understanding of the language structures used.  So let's explore these together and I'll give you some hints and tips to use straight away in your classroom.