Book excerpt: The Literacy How Professional Learning Series translates the latest reading research into how-to instructional practices. Based on the current and comprehensive Literacy How reading model, the Series draws upon the authors' decades of expertise and experience working with thousands of general and special education teachers. Organized for the busy educator who may be trying to find specific information, as well as for the professional seeking deeper understanding of literacy instruction and learning, the Series emphasizes Pre-K-3 conceptual and skill development.Comprehension: Knowledge to Practice is for any educator who's wondered:* What are the big ideas in reading comprehension that can guide instruction for developing readers?* How can text structure impact understanding and recall of what students read?* Why is background knowledge important to readers?* How can we encourage inferential thinking in developing readers?* What is text cohesion and how does it fit into the process of understanding text?* What is the connection between reading comprehension and writing?* How does vocabulary and syntax instruction contribute to reading comprehension?* What is the role of read alouds for developing readers?* Should students work on comprehension with code-emphasis (aka decodable) text?* What activities support the big ideas of comprehension instruction for developing readers?