Science of Reading: The Podcast Summer ‘25 Rewind: The missing link in reading comprehension, with Anne Lucas
Jul 2, 2025
Anne Lucas, former curriculum director and now Associate VP at Amplify, shares her expertise on the intricate nature of reading comprehension. She discusses why comprehension can be challenging to teach and introduces her K-8 digital program designed to enhance these skills. Lucas highlights the importance of micro skills and connective words in improving understanding. She also emphasizes how personal background knowledge influences reading comprehension, offering insights that can boost student learning.
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Decoding vs. Comprehension Gap
- Anne Lucas shares a story of a student decoding perfectly but misunderstanding the text.
- This illustrates how comprehension issues can occur despite fluent reading.
Comprehension as a Reading Process
- Comprehension is not only a post-reading product but a dynamic process during reading.
- The mental model of the text is built while reading, not just afterward.
Comprehension Micro Skills Explained
- Comprehension micro skills are crucial tiny skills active during reading that affect understanding.
- Weakness in these skills leads to divergent mental pictures of the same text among students.
