Comprehension monitoring lessons are exercises to strengthen a reader's ability to be aware of whether the text they are reading is making sense or not. Students are presented with altered text containing inconsistent errors. After reading it they are asked questions to see whether they discovered any inconsistencies in the passage. Those who can identify errors in the passage are regarded as skilled readers.
In order for educators to help students develop comprehension skills, students have to be able to recognize how to process reading problem areas. Expert readers easily decode parts of text allowing them to read until comprehension failure tells them to slow down and process the problem information. Teachers demonstrate this thought process to students so they can begin to monitor and fix their own comprehension failures while reading. Comprehension strategies improve a reader's ability to learn from text.
A simple method to test students' comprehension monitoring skills is to give them a passage at their reading level with a key inconsistent element. After they read the passage, give them a short quiz to see if they can identify the inconsistency. You can also start a discussion and ask them to comment on the passage. Don't forget to introduce the material as you would normally do before any typical reading unit. If they do not understand, teach them how they can use a comprehension monitoring strategy to understand the text better.
Comprehension monitoring lessons teach students what to do when they do not understand information they read. Students use contextual strategies to break down and restore the meaning of the text. They also enhance their understanding of various types of text by regularly checking to see if they comprehend. Ultimately, the lessons help students maintain focus while reading instead of being discouraged by not initially understanding.