ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the reader's role in comprehension—what the reader brings to the text and does before, during, and following the reading is crucial. It provides a number of instructional strategies that teachers can use to activate students' prior knowledge and curiosity, and also help them recognize what they do not know or are unsure of so that they approach the text prepared to learn. The chapter discusses the role of prior knowledge in reading comprehension to help the readers to understand the importance of activating their students' prior knowledge through strategies such as the K-W-L-S. Schools and teachers can provide both direct experiences, such as field trips, and indirect experiences in the classroom to build background knowledge. Cognitive scientist David T. Willingham points out that although a compilation of research studies provides evidence that strategy instruction improves comprehension, this is true only after students are able to decode fluently.
