Comprehension Strategies Instruction (CSI)

Case Study: Comprehension Strategies Instruction (CSI)
Client: Pacific Learning and Lift Education/South Pacific Press
Timeframe: January 2007 – January 2009

Pacific Learning in California challenged us to develop a cutting-edge resource to help middle school teachers in the United States build their students’ comprehension strategies. Pacific Learning wanted to include the content areas of mathematics, science, social studies and English language arts.

The Lift Education/South Pacific Press publishing team responded by developing a major new multi-media literacy resource. The project offers a research- and standards-based classroom solution to a major problem: how to ensure that students have the reading comprehension strategies they need by the end of middle school to go on to study the key content areas of English, social studies, mathematics and science at secondary school. CSI specifically addresses the concern that too many students enter secondary school without these skills.

The programme is designed to improve the literacy achievement of learners and provides strong support to teachers, particularly in the areas of comprehension strategies instruction, vocabulary and fluency. CSI is based on solid instructional principles, such as using short, engaging texts for comprehension instruction, including subject-area texts; using metacognitive approaches before, during and after reading; involving students in learning communities; gradually releasing responsibility to students; and including interactivity and technology to engage and educate students.

The texts in CSI are designed for use on interactive or standard whiteboards and have inbuilt hypertext glossaries, video, audio and digital teaching tools.

Neale Pitches led the development, and Unlimited Realities created the software for interactive whiteboards that helps students to engage with and comprehend the wide range of text types covered.

Development of additional content for Australia and New Zealand are currently underway.

For more on CSI, visit the CSI website or click on the following link to order CSI