Reading comprehension starts with understanding that reading requires more than just decoding words. It involves making meaning from the text. In order to do this, students must understand that if they lose their focus while reading, they must reread to understand. This requires them to monitor their thinking as they read. Some strategies for helping students that understand and practice this skill involve the use of marking the text in some way while they read. I like to use "think sheets" or post-it notes. Here, students record their thoughts, questions and connections to what they are reading. Reading with a question in mind is also a strategy used by good readers. It gives the reading a purpose and keeps the reader focused. Inference skills are especially important in reading comprehension, so the attention to bringing a student's background knowledge to their reading becomes essential, as it is this background knowledge that is drawn upon to help the reader understand new vocabulary and bring deeper meaning to the text. Modeling and practicing fluency and expression is also vital to growth in reading comprehension. This can be done by a partner reading with the student and having them read some of the text orally.