Comprehension Strategies for Middle and Upper Grades

(Grades 4-12) / Flex Course

PDI Course Number: 74T02 / UCSD Course Number: EDUC41476

Course Description

Are you concerned about students who read the assigned text or chapter yet have little or no comprehension of the content upon completion? Effective comprehension skills are critical for students in the upper grades, as they are exposed to more difficult content reading. This online course provides teachers with excellent strategies designed to boost both comprehension and retention. Teachers will learn successful comprehension-building strategies such as DRTA, SQ3R, and close reading. Lessons are presented to teach students how to infer, draw conclusions, and summarize. Teachers will receive resources that can be used to teach students about the different text structures and how they can use that information to improve their comprehension. Teachers will also learn how to conduct quick assessments in order to identify struggling readers so that they may offer the necessary support to help those students find success. This course is worth 3 ⅓ semester units/5 quarter units (50 hours of training) from UC San Diego Extension. For detailed information on university credit, click here.

"The strategies in the course will be extremely helpful to me. I am excited to get started. My students will never be bored!" - Donna Snyder

Required Resource Book

This course has a modestly-priced required resource book (available in both new and used versions) that can be purchased through Amazon using the following link. Note that you can begin and participate in your course before the book arrives.

Comprehension Connections: Bridges to Strategic Reading by Tanny McGregor

If you are registering for multiple courses, use the following link to access the book list for all PDI courses with direct purchase links through Amazon. PDI Course Resource Book List