Home » Model of Support » Level 1 » Literacy, Learning & Behaviour » Academic Literacy, Learning and Study Skills Support: Level 1

Academic Literacy, Learning and Study Skills Support: Level 1

This NBSS resource outlines how to teach key comprehension strategies - making connections, questioning, visualising, inferring, determining importance, summarising and monitoring comprehension - that can develop students' thinking and learning.

This NBSS resource outlines how to teach key comprehension strategies - making connections, questioning, visualising, inferring, determining importance, summarising and monitoring comprehension - that can develop students' thinking and learning.

Academic success at second-level requires the development of various competencies and skills, among them the ability to know and use a variety of thinking, learning and study strategies. These skills need to be explicitly taught.

Academic success at second-level requires the development of various competencies and skills, among them the ability to know and use a variety of thinking, learning and study strategies. These skills need to be explicitly taught.
Explicitly teaching comprehension strategies supports student learning.

Explicitly teaching comprehension strategies supports student learning.

Comprehension, Thinking & Learning

To achieve at second level all students need a repertoire of comprehension, learning,  and study strategies that they can apply across all subjects.

At Level 1 the NBSS  supports schools in developing students’ comprehension, learning, and study skills to improve academic progress at Senior and Junior Cycle. Comprehension is the essence of reading. At Level 1 the development of an effective whole school approach to the teaching of key comprehension strategies - making connections, self-questioning, visualising, inferring, determining important information, summarising/synthesising and self-monitoring comprehension - can help students become more purposeful, active readers and learners. Good readers derive meaning from text when they are engaged in an intentional thinking process and by explicitly teaching comprehension strategies as well as intergreting strategies into all subject areas, students can be supported to become more engaged, thoughtful and independent learners.

As part of the 'Teacher as Researcher' Projects the NBSS works with individuals or groups of teachers on comprehension, learning, study and literacy skills development research projects at all three levels of NBSS intervention, across Senior and Junior Cycle.

Examples of school interventions focused on comprehension, learning, literacy and study skills development can be seen here.

Adolescent Literacy

In developing a continuum of support to address student literacy, learning and behavioural needs the NBSS draws upon the findings from international research into the most effective ways to improve adolescent literacy. Common themes emerge from the research literature as to effective practices for addressing the literacy needs of adolescent learners. Among these is the need for:

  • All subject teachers to integrate the explicit and direct teaching of vocabulary, comprehension and writing skills necessary for learning in their subject area.
  • The need to develop and improve the fluency skills of some students.
  • The need for systemic, intensive and explicit teaching related to phonics and phonemic awareness for a small number of students.

As part of its Model of Support, the NBSS works with schools at Level 1 in developing specific strategies and interventions that address the essential areas of reading for adolescent learners, i.e.

  • Comprehension
  • Vocabulary
  • Fluency
  • Phonics
  • Phonemic Awareness.

The close connections between academic achievement and behaviour means that addressing a deficit in one area may prevent a problem from occurring in other areas.

NBSS Learning to Learn Resources 

The NBSS has developed teacher and student resources to support the development of academic literacy, learning and study skills at Senior and Junior Cycle. More details can be found on the Publications & Resources section of this site.