"We teach the reader, not just the reading. We want children to be lifelong learners who read actively and independently across the curriculum, who engage their minds and understand what they read. The Toolkit lessons and practices teach kids to use comprehension strategies to 'read to learn' as they encounter information and ideas in a wide variety of nonfiction texts."
Stephanie Harvey & Anne Goudvis

Learn how to teach nonfiction strategies to intermediate readers and how Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis help students listen to their inner conversation, keep track of their thinking, and monitor their understanding as they read. Through 2 foundational books-The Comprehension Toolkit Teacher's Guide and Monitor Comprehension-and seven online video clips, Steph and Anne provide the lesson plans, teaching language, and tools you'll need to teach students how to use nonfiction reading strategies flexibly across a variety of texts, topics, and subject areas.

In the Teacher's Guide, Steph and Anne explain the research and thinking behind The Comprehension Toolkit. They include an overview of the Toolkit's instructional design as well as guidelines for integrating the Toolkit into your literacy curriculum. In addition to describing how to foster an active literacy classroom, the Teacher's Guide shows how to choose texts and apply the strategies in science and social studies, and offers guidelines for assessing student work.

When readers monitor their comprehension, they keep track of their thinking while reading. They listen to the voice in their head that speaks to them as the read. They notice when the text makes sense or when it doesn't. Monitor Comprehension helps you teach readers how to "fix up" their comprehension by using a variety of strategies including stopping to refocus thinking, rereading, and reading on. Throughout readers learn to monitor and use strategies to maintain understanding and repair comprehension when it breaks down.

The seven accompanying video clips include a video conversation with Dr. P. David Pearson and slideshows of an active literacy classroom, an assessment overview, and strategy instruction in science and social studies. (Video clips are free for 6 months upon registration. You must register within 6 months of purchase.)

Learn more about these resources and the series at www.comprehensiontoolkit.com.

This pack is part of firsthand's Getting Started series.

Bridging the gap between educational theory and practice, firsthand classroom materials model the carefully crafted techniques and language of master teachers in ways that help teachers refine their practice and reinvent their own teaching. The most comprehensive of these resources span more than a year of instruction. Firsthand's Getting Started Packs were created for teachers in training and professional book study groups who want a compact, affordable way to study and tryout these transformative classroom materials. Each Getting Started Pack includes an overview book, a complete unit of study, online video clips provided free of charge for 6 months, and an accompanying study guide.

Getting Started packs include: Launch a Primary Writing Workshop, Grades K-2; Launch an Intermediate Writing Workshop, Grades 3-5; Launch an Intermediate Reading Workshop, Grades 3-5; Introduce the Qualities of Writing, Grades 3-6; Monitor Comprehension with Primary Students, Grades K-2; Monitor Comprehension with Intermediate Students, Grades 3-6; Investigate the Number System, Grades K-3; Investigate Multiplication, Grades 3-5; Investigate Fractions, Grades 4-6.