My Literature Review:

​The ability to read and to comprehend what a person reads is one of the most important aspects in today’s classrooms. After all, people are born as natural thinkers, so when it comes to teaching students how to think about a text they read, educators need to teach students to become strategic thinkers who are aware and recognize their own thinking while reading (Harvey & Goudvis, 2013). Through both whole group instruction and guided reading groups, students can become strong critical thinkers who take the time to ensure that they have fully understood what they read. One way that educators help students develop a better understanding of the different reading comprehension strategies during reading is through the use of graphic organizers. Duke and Pearson (2008) suggest that educators should use a balanced approach to learning when teaching comprehension by using both explicit instructions on comprehension strategies and incorporating the opportunity for students to actually read and write or discuss what they read about. In order for students to be able to write and discuss what they read, educators must teach students the various comprehension strategies and organization tools to help students organize their thoughts while reading.

 

This literature review is a synthesis of research on reading comprehension and the use of graphic organizers and will be organized in themes. The literature review will define active readers, comprehension, and graphic organizers. In addition, it will explain the importance of graphic organizers for students and educators during literacy instruction, and provide insight on how graphic organizers can be used effectively in the classroom through the use of explicit instruction.

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