Combining science and reading materials to teach comprehension strategies

This paper describes a curriculum development project in which science and reading were combined to teach reading comprehension strategies to kindergarten and first grade children. Nonfiction science texts were purchased. The teachers collaboratively created and implemented lesson plans for three science units and one social studies unit. The combined classes met once every six days from January to May. The children were paired across grade levels to read the texts, participate in the strategy instruction and complete the guided practice activities. Pre and post project measures of first graders\u27 growth in reading comprehension showed that all the first grade students improved. The average growth was eight months growth, achieved in five months. At the end of the project a sample of first graders were interviewed about their perceptions of the project. Their answers indicated that they enjoyed the project and were learning about the reading strategies