Improving Reading Comprehension through Background Knowledge

Working on word reading helps with comprehension, but teaching kids to be strategic readers is crucial. To significantly improve comprehension, alongside reading skills, children must acquire background knowledge. Background knowledge, particularly in science and social studies, is vital for understanding what is read. Teaching reading within the context of teaching various subjects is key to enhancing reading comprehension. Some propose assessing comprehension through a measure of kids' ability to read and write about the subject matter they were taught the year before.