Beginning readers and even older students with poor comprehension do not automatically think in ways that promote comprehension. Teachers can develop "metacomprehension," or the ability to think about one's own understanding, by modeling thought patterns and internal decisions. The goal is for students to begin to copy your thinking model during reading.
Metacomprehension means that a reader engages in "self-monitoring" and realizes whether or not understanding is taking place during reading. With this realization comes the ability to deliberately shift strategies in order to facilitate comprehension. A strategy called Think Aloud models five types of reflections by sharing the following types of thoughts aloud.
Predict by using the title, pictures, and opening sentences. "I believe this part will be about _____."
Describe the picture that is forming internally. "I see _____."
Make analogies by linking prior knowledge to new information. "This situation is like _____."
Verbalize confusion by pretending lack of understanding. "This doesn't make sense to me. I'm not certain what the author is suggesting."
Model strategies to assist with decoding or comprehension. "I'd better read this part again;" or, "Perhaps if I read this section aloud, I will understand it better;" or, "If I think about the way we talk, I may be able to read this sentence better."