Numerous comprehension strategies can be used successfully with both children's literature and a basal reading series to help children focus on written text during reading. One of the most important techniques is developing background knowledge prior to reading--the overall purpose of which is to help readers relate their existing schemata to the selection of new schema to help develop concepts. Prediction is another comprehension strategy that may be used effectively by readers. Predicting the results of various actions can easily be incorporated into diverse reading situations. Emphasis should be on the thought process and not on "right" or "wrong" answers. Instruction in the components of text structure and its use in constructing meaning will aid in reading comprehension, as will discussion of imagery, a metacognitive skill directly related to reading. The ReQuest (Reciprocal Questioning) Technique involves the children and teacher silently reading portions of a text and alternately asking and answering questions related to the material. Besides aiding comprehension monitoring, this technique is enjoyable for students, since it involves a role exchange between teacher and student. Separately or together, these strategies provide an effective approach to the improvement of reading comprehension. (A reference list is appended.) (NKA)