How to Teach Reading Comprehension with Task Cards

Task cards and reading passages can be useful tools for teaching reading comprehension to older elementary students. Here are a few steps to using task cards and reading passages to teach reading comprehension:

Reading Passages that Engage Students

How many times have students complained that they were bored or didn't like the story? Select reading passages that align with the student's reading level and interests. The passages should be challenging enough to engage students, but not so difficult that they become frustrated. These reading passages are highly engaging for older elementary students. They are high interest and aren't babyish to them.

Task Cards Help Students Practice Comprehension

Create task cards that correspond to the reading passages. The task cards should include a variety of comprehension questions, such as multiple-choice, short-answer, and open-ended questions. Have students work in small groups or independently to read the passage and answer the task card questions. Use graphic organizers, such as story maps or Venn diagrams. This helps students organize and analyze the information they have read. These task cards are available for 36 different reading comprehension strategies or bundle them to save money.

Use Small Group Reading Lessons for Support

Provide ongoing support and guidance for the students as they work on the task cards and reading passages. This can include mini-lessons, individual conferences, and small-group instruction. Continuously evaluate the student's progress. Make adjustments to the task cards and reading passages as needed. Encourage students to use their comprehension skills in their writing and speaking. Provide them with feedback on their usage. Here are some great mini-lessons to use that support reading comprehension.

Reading Assessment Using Task Cards and Passages

Use the task cards as a formative assessment tool to check for understanding, and to help guide instruction. Task cards and reading passages can be a great way to make reading comprehension practice more interactive and engaging for students.

For more information about task cards, please refer to this blog post: Task Cards for Reading Comprehension with Older Students