Date Approved
8-17-2026
Graduate Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Education-Literacy Studies: Reading (M.Ed.)
Degree Program
College of Education
First Advisor
Elizabeth Petroelje Stolle, Ph.D.
Academic Year
2025/2026
Abstract
Reading comprehension is a complex process that requires more than accurate decoding and word recognition. Many elementary students benefit from explicit instruction in the cognitive, linguistic, and metacognitive processes that support comprehension. The purpose of this project was to examine research on reading comprehension and develop evidence-based instructional resources for upper elementary teachers. The theoretical framework for this project draws on four perspectives: the Constructive-Integration Model (Kintsch, as discussed in Conner et al., 2016), Transactional Theory (Rosenblatt, 1978), Sociocultural Theory (Vygotsky, as discussed in Palincsar et al., 1987), and the Active View of Reading (Duke & Cartwright, 2021). Collectively, these perspectives view comprehension as an active process in which readers integrate textual information with prior knowledge and engage in cognitive, metacognitive, and social processes to construct meaning. A review of theoretical and empirical literature examined factors contributing to comprehension difficulties and instructional practices that support comprehension development. Findings from the literature informed the development of The Reading Comprehension Resource Guide: Evidence- Based Strategies for Explicit Reading Comprehension Instruction. The Resource Guide provides teachers with a framework for understanding reading comprehension, guidance for explicit instruction, and strategies to support students before, during, and after reading. Resources include think-alouds, prediction, visualization, inference, self-monitoring, questioning, summarizing, retelling, graphic organizers, and reflection tools. The guide is designed to complement existing literacy curricula and support teachers in providing explicit, systematic comprehension instruction that helps students become active, strategic, and independent
ScholarWorks Citation
Moser, Amanda M., "Explicit Reading Comprehension Instruction: Developing an Evidence-Based Resource Guide for Upper Elementary Teachers" (2026). Masters Projects. 761.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/761
