Which practice best supports comprehension monitoring during reading?

• A. Provide only summarization tasks after reading.
• B. Teach metacognitive prompts, model self-questioning, and provide cues for students to monitor their understanding while reading.
• C. Wait for students to notice confusion without guidance.
• D. Remove all prompts to promote independence.

Answer: (B)

Comprehension monitoring during reading is about guiding students to check their understanding as they read and to use strategies to fix gaps right away. The strongest approach blends teaching metacognitive prompts, modeling self-questioning, and giving students cues to pause and assess meaning while they read. When a teacher uses metacognitive prompts, students learn to ask themselves questions like, “What does this mean? Do I understand this part? What would help me clarify it?” Modeling that process shows exactly how to think aloud while tackling a difficult section, so students hear how to pause, reread, paraphrase, or make a plan to fill in gaps. Providing simple cues—such as reminder cards or signals like “Pause and predict,” “Ask a question,” or “Clarify this part”—gives students quick, actionable supports they can internalize and apply independently during any text. This combination builds students’ ability to monitor and regulate their comprehension over time, not just after finishing a reading.

Relying on after-the-fact summarization doesn’t engage monitoring during the act of reading, so students miss practice in recognizing confusion and applying strategies in the moment. Waiting for confusion without guidance leaves students without the tools to intervene when understanding falters. Removing prompts eliminates the supports that help students become autonomous monitors of their own comprehension.