Teachers should begin comprehension instruction by doing which of the following?

• A. Providing guided reading
• B. Completing a good assessment
• C. Modeling think-alouds
• D. Reading aloud a passage once

Answer: (B)

Starting with a thorough assessment is essential because it reveals what students can do, where their gaps are, and what supports will help them grow. That information shapes what you teach and how you teach it, guiding you to choose appropriate texts, set realistic goals, and plan targeted strategies for each learner. Once you know students’ needs, you can move into demonstrations that model how to use specific strategies, tailor guided reading to the right levels, and provide multiple, varied read-alouds to build fluency and comprehension. Reading a passage once doesn’t give enough evidence or practice to develop understanding, and simply modeling without alignment to actual needs may miss the specific gaps. So starting with an assessment ensures instruction is responsive and effective from the very beginning.