Reading Comprehension Skills

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Grade: 3
Subject: English Language Arts
Duration: 45 minutes
Class Size: 25 students
Curriculum: British Columbia Curriculum
Big Idea: Readers use comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading to understand texts.

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Learning Objectives (BC Curriculum Aligned)

Curricular Competencies

• Use comprehension strategies before, during, and after reading to deepen understanding of texts (Reading)
• Connect ideas in texts to personal experiences and other texts (Reading)
• Demonstrate understanding by retelling important ideas and supporting details (Reading)

Content

• Text features and structures that assist in comprehension
• Strategies such as making predictions, asking questions, visualizing, and summarizing

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Lesson Breakdown

Introduction (7 minutes)

• Hook: Read aloud an engaging picture book excerpt (e.g. The Paper Bag Princess by Robert Munsch or any familiar story) to spark curiosity.
• Discussion: Ask students to make predictions about what might happen next. Explain why making predictions helps readers understand stories better.
• Link this to today’s learning: "We will learn how to become stronger readers by using our brain’s strategies before, during, and after reading."

Activity 1: Prediction and Questions (10 minutes)

• Teacher modelling: Read the next 2 paragraphs of the story aloud, stopping to think aloud predictions and questions.
• Whole class practice: Students volunteer to share their predictions and questions based on the reading.
• Student practice: Individually, students will get a short excerpt from a new story (on worksheet) and write their predictions and two questions about the text.

Activity 2: Visualising and Summarising (15 minutes)

• Visualising:
  • Guide students in closing their eyes during reading to "see the story."
  • Illustrate this by drawing a sketch based on a descriptive passage in the story.
• Summarising:
  • Discuss what a summary is (short version with main points).
  • In pairs, students will retell the story section they listened to, focusing on key events in three sentences or less.
• Sharing: Pairs share their summaries aloud with the class.

Wrap-up & Reflection (7 minutes)

• Revisit the key comprehension strategies learned: prediction, questioning, visualising, summarising.
• Interactive discussion: Which strategy was the easiest? Which was trickiest? Why?
• Complete an exit ticket (see below).

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Materials Needed

• Picture book or short story excerpts
• Printed worksheets (prediction/questions, visualising, summarising)
• Whiteboard and markers
• Pencils, crayons
• Exit ticket slips

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Worksheets

Worksheet 1: Prediction & Questions

Instructions:
Read the passage below. Write down what you think will happen next. Then, write two questions you have about the story.

(Short passage adapted to Grade 3 level, approx. 5-6 sentences)

1. My prediction: ____________________________________________________________
2. My questions:
   a. ____________________________________________________________
   b. ____________________________________________________________

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Worksheet 2: Visualising & Summarising

Part 1: Draw what you imagine when you read this sentence:
"The dragon soared over the green hills, its fiery breath lighting up the dark sky."
(Space for drawing)

**Part 2: Write a short summary of the story section we read today. Try to write 3 sentences or less that tell the main events._

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Exit Ticket (5 minutes)

Name: ________________
Write one thing you learned today about reading: __________________________________________________
Circle the strategy you found most helpful:
Prediction / Questioning / Visualising / Summarising
Draw a quick picture or write a word that shows your favourite part of the story:
(Space for drawing or single word)

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Presentation Outline for Teacher

Slide 1: Title slide – “Growing Readers: Comprehension Strategies”

Slide 2: Learning Objectives
(Summarise BC competencies)

Slide 3: Why Use Comprehension Strategies?

• Helps us understand stories better
• Makes reading more fun

Slide 4: Strategy 1: Prediction

• What is it?
• How does it help me?
• Example from story

Slide 5: Strategy 2: Questioning

• Asking questions keeps us curious
• Helps us find answers

Slide 6: Strategy 3: Visualising

• Picture scenes in your mind
• Example drawing

Slide 7: Strategy 4: Summarising

• Tell the story with fewer words
• Main points only

Slide 8: Class activity instructions

• Predict & question worksheet
• Visualising and summarising pairs task

Slide 9: Exit Ticket Instructions

Slide 10: Wrap-up & Reflect – What did you learn today?

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Teaching Tips

• Use encouraging language: praise students for thoughtful predictions or questions.
• Incorporate movement by having students “stand up and share” their ideas with a partner during activities.
• Support diverse learners with sentence starters on worksheets (e.g., “I think the next part will be...”, “My question is...”)
• Make it fun and interactive by using voice tone changes, gestures, and visuals during read-aloud.

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This detailed plan ensures alignment with the BC Curriculum’s focus on comprehension strategies while engaging 3rd graders with age-appropriate text and activities. The combination of oral, written, visual, and collaborative learning supports varied learning styles, promoting confident, thoughtful readers.