Thinking about the students in your class, have you encountered those who are able to decode beautifully but are so concerned about reading the words right and reading quickly that they neglect to stop and think about the text? Meet Haylee, a first grader who does just that.

After conferring with Haylee, we found that she actually had very good comprehension, but often missed engaging with the text and comprehending it. We decided that teaching her to ask question about what she was reading was a good next step to support her comprehension.

Listen in as Joan uses the gradual release of responsibility with Haylee, modeling the strategy, working together and then having her practice on her own before sending her on her way to practice independently. Notice that Joan shares with Haylee what she is writing on her conferring sheet and then sets an appointment on the calendar for the two days later to meet back with her to check progress with the skill.