Which instructional method is best for enhancing students' understanding of a text's main ideas?

Modeling think-aloud strategies during reading is an effective instructional method for enhancing students' understanding of a text's main ideas. This strategy involves the teacher verbalizing their thought process while reading, which can demonstrate how to identify key concepts, make inferences, and connect ideas within the text. By articulating thoughts, teachers provide a clear example of how to engage with a text critically, which helps students learn to monitor their comprehension and recognize the main ideas more effectively. This method encourages metacognitive awareness, enabling students to reflect on their understanding and apply similar strategies to their own reading experiences.

While encouraging questions, incorporating group discussions, and teaching text structure are all beneficial methods, they often rely on students' existing comprehension skills. Think-aloud modeling directly addresses how to process and break down text, making it a powerful tool for grasping main ideas.