Tackling reading comprehension

This issue of American Educator is a treasure trove of insights into the main obstacles to reading comprehension.

I particularly recommend:

Reading Comprehension Requires Knowledge--of Words and the World
Scientific Insights into the Fourth-Grade Slump and Stagnant Reading Comprehension by E.D. Hirsch, Jr.

Prof. Hirsch identifies three main areas important for reading comprehension:

1. Fluency allows the mind to concentrate on
comprehension;

2. Breadth of vocabulary increases comprehension and facilitates
further learning; and

3. Domain knowledge, the most recently understood principle,
increases fluency, broadens vocabulary, and enables
deeper comprehension.